MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Musa

One-line solution summary:

A mobile microlearning solution on WhatsApp

Pitch your solution.

Musa addresses the pressing need to upskill and reskill the Latin American workforce in an equitable manner, including people with limited access to computers and internet connectivity. Musa’s team transforms an organization’s training content to a micro-learning format and facilitates its delivery through a WhatsApp chatbot, which users can access from anywhere and at their own pace.

Musa helps organizations train their employees and other stakeholders, such as clients, suppliers, and beneficiaries, remotely and quickly (15-minute learning unit), effectively (9 out of 10 finish Musa's micro-courses) with a low learning curve from an app that they already use (WhatsApp), and more cost-efficient than other traditional solutions (the average annual cost of training per employee was USD 1,286, Training Industry Report 2019), to bring value to the productive ecosystem.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

As a result of the pandemic, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru lost a combined 30 million jobs in the second quarter of 2020 (IMF). Almost 45% of jobs in Latin America are in contact-intensives sectors with frontline workers, such as Hospitality, Retail, Agricultural. This is much higher than the 30% and 35% for emerging markets and advanced economies, respectively (IMF, 2020). With these rapid changes, companies need to train their employees more than ever with adjusted budgets. Employees must adapt and stay updated with the digital and human skills needed for the 21st century. Evidence of this is that during 2020 the completion rate of Coursera increased to almost 10% from 3% in 2019.

However, the Latin American workforce's low levels of education make it even more difficult for them to adapt. In Peru, around 69% of the workforce is a high school graduate at most (National Survey of Household, 2019). Additionally, low access to broadband internet and technological devices puts vulnerable and lower-skilled labor at risk of falling further behind. More than 43% of the population in Peru does not have access to broadband internet, and only 26% of families have access to a computer or a laptop.

What is your solution?

We identified a global trend for shorter, relevant, and specific training through bite-size content that is conveniently accessible (2021 Skills revolution series, ManpowerGroup). However, for Latin America, we need to consider the structural characteristics, such as low access to broadband internet and low educated labor. This is how we identified an opportunity to make training accessible to everyone given the high smartphone penetration and intensive use and low cost of WhatsApp for the end-user through organizations and private companies.

Our solution is based on a methodology of mobile microlearning powered by behavioral science through a chatbot in WhatsApp; this achieves greater retention and traction because the student can learn from the palm of their hands, at their own pace, from anywhere.

Musa allows organizations to train their stakeholders remotely and quickly (5 to 15-minute learning unit), effectively (9/10 users that start a course, finish it) with a low learning curve from an app that they already use, and more cost-efficient than other traditional solutions.

Finally, our solution provides analytics on the learning process and performance at the individual and organizational levels, generating valuable information for decision-makers.

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

Musa was designed to reach people who are not reached by traditional education. Providing skills and job training opportunities to people who don't hold tertiary education degrees increases their chances of accessing better jobs and higher salaries. Furthermore, organizations with better-skilled workers are usually more productive and profitable than those that don't. More productive organizations have the potential to create better economic and social impact around their area of reference.

After performing +1600 surveys and +40 in-depth interviews with potential users in Peru (Lima, Callao, Arequipa, Cuzco, Junin, and Puno), we identified a gap of access to resources for upskilling and reskilling in the region among the most vulnerable workforce members who lack access to broadband internet, access to computers, and lower education levels.

Having a 53% penetration rate of mobile internet users in Latin America, with smartphone penetration expected to increase to 79% by 2025, reaching 543 million people, we can leverage access to basic connectivity services such as WhatsApp, the most used messaging app. Additionally, in Latin America and Peru, mobile service providers often include free access to WhatsApp with a minimum top-up of $1.00.

With the approach of meeting our users where they are, we make sure that our solution can reach everyone with a basic smartphone, unlike traditional training and educational solutions that require stable connectivity, access to computers, or in-person sessions.

After deciding which technology to use to reach Musa's students, we worked closely with a behavioral science expert and firsts users to improve Musa's methodology to reduce friction during the micro-courses and motivate students to finish the learning paths they start. As a result, 9 out of 10 students that start a micro-course, finish it. This is an ongoing process as we continue to improve the methodology with feedback from users and customers.

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

Design, create, and implement new educational or training models for educators and students that guarantee access to quality education in low connectivity environments

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

Being the challenge "How can under-resourced populations across Latin America and the Caribbean develop the necessary skills to access good jobs, better opportunities, and overall well-being?" Musa is a good fit since it was created to expand and democratize access to underserved communities, who traditionally have lower access to an internet connection, devices, and tertiary education.

Musa is a technology-enabled solution, born in Peru, that design, create, and implement a new educational or training model for students: mobile microlearning methodology powered by behavioral science through a chatbot in WhatsApp that guarantees access to quality education in low connectivity environments.

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

Lima, Perú

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one community.

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

Musa is in a pilot phase, we started operations in April 2021, and since then we have worked with the following organizations to test and learn from the technology, methodology, and business model.

Agrokasa (April 2021): trained 500 workers on the field to prevent Covid-19
United Nations Development Programme - Project: Guerrero Emprendedor in Peru. This was our first sale to provide training and collect data for impact measurement.
- (May - June 2021): provided training about entrepreneurship to 1000 traditional business owners.
- (September - October 2021): to train 3000 traditional business owners.
Continental University (June - July 2021): provided micro-courses related to improving mental health and wellbeing to 2000 students.
Partners in Health and Peruvian Health Ministry (September - November 2021): we are training 30,000 community health agents.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Monica Ramos Li