MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Dancing out the Storm

One-line solution summary:

We want to connect women towards technology who would remain disconnected otherwise.

Pitch your solution.

The pandemic affected poor community financially, specifically those, who are digitally disconnected. We want to create a booth that is run by the young ones from communities to provide support for the digitally disconnected ones. Many of them failed to receive important instructions just because remaining disconnected digitally. The covid related lockdown made it more difficult. It will connect the ones who are disconnected and support them through donation and support from supporters around the community, a practice common in a country like Bangladesh. The missing digital link does not allow even distribution of support for the disconnected community.

Film your elevator pitch.

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What specific problem are you solving?

We are addressing the problem of poverty that increased during Covid-19 pandemic and want to bring the digitally disconnected ones to ensure connectivity designed to work in economically backward countries. It is aimed to support women who are often digitally disconnected and left behind considering the female leadership in the solution designers.

The problem tries to utilize the strength of communities and families that are common in a country like Bangladesh and engage the youth in the solution system.

What is your solution?

It is a digital connectivity solution - from a common place, a booth similar to the old fashioned phone booth will support digital connectivity. It will be run by community youth to support the digitally disconnected people.

It uses basic connectivity like a mobile phone. But the interface is bigger and allows pictorial interface and voice interface for operation. The booth style running system allows privacy which is crucial for female users in rural and semi urban setup in a country like Bangladesh.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

We are working with women. Women in urban, rural and semi urban places - women of all ages are suffering for patriarchal values and practices. May are locked within their thought processes - some are suppressed for the structural and social barriers. We want to extend support through technology which extends low cost and locally available support through communication.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Provide low-income, remote, and refugee communities access to digital infrastructure and safe, affordable internet.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

During Covid-19 pandemic and follow up lockdown, it was clear that many from our community remained disconnected. They could not be reached out for financial support and could not receive information for being digitally disconnected. We found low literacy to be a problem. However, a single point of safe contact could support the community specially women. We wanted to think of a digital booth to ensure digital connection.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Dhaka, Bangladesh

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

We have been conducting qualitative studies on women living in Bangladesh to understand their challenges during covid and ongoing lockdown. The sufferings women faced inspired us to come up with a solution rather than pointing out to the digital dis-connectivity that could help them to solve the seamless transaction of money.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Nova Ahmed