SHEEN, the App

The problem we are addressing is the stigma surrounding CSE and the SRHR knowledge gap across Bangladesh.

The Taboo regarding CSE in South Asia is very prominent. Due to various factors like religion, culture, societal norms etc. parents, teachers and even siblings find it challenging to discuss such fundamental topics. As a result, most youths don’t have clear ideas about SRHR. The internet can be a confusing source of information, especially for the underprivileged. The people who need this knowledge the most are deprived the most. 

To highlight the status quo of our country, quoting from this report made by Arrow org: “One-third of the population in Bangladesh consists of adolescents between 10-19 years of age (BBS, 2011)1 who have limited knowledge of SRH issues including contraception, sexuality, family planning and sexually transmitted diseases. Inclusion of curricula on sexuality and reproductive health in formal and non-formal educational sectors is mandated but weakly addressed which is a missed opportunity as the enrollment rate at school for girls is 94% for the age 6-10 years although this drops to 35% when they reach 16 years of age (BDHS 2014). Therefore if and what they know is often incorrect and is garnered from their friends or other social contacts, who also have limited knowledge on these issues. Coupled to this unawareness is early marriage; according to a World Bank report as well as the UNICEF state of the World’s Children report 2013, more than 66% girls in Bangladesh are married off before their 18th birthday. Globally, Bangladesh has the highest proportion of girls married under 15 (UNICEF 2014)2 .”

This knowledge gap is the basis for incidents like teen pregnancy, child marriage etc. To stop our vibrant youths from making uninformed choices or suffering at the hands of the uninformed, we at SHEEN Bangladesh, a by youth for youth non-profit organization, have come up with an amazing plan that is sure to be a revolution in the field of SRHR in Bangladesh.

To create a society that acknowledges the importance of SRHR we need to mobilize the youths. But, unfortunately not all youths have the same amount of access to information. So, our plan is multidimensional. Firstly, we have an app that can be accessed by anyone to receive necessary information. Secondly, along with the app we will continue to create hubs of ‘Safe Spaces’ where youths and teens can come together to champion SRHR from where they live. We will also develop a web page containing some similar features of the app and some new ones.

SHEEN(the app) provides all kinds of necessary information regarding CSE and SRHR. This app is a product of SHEEN Bangladesh, which is a nonprofit fighting to provide youths a comfortable environment for SRHR centric dialogue and make CSE available for all. The app plays a vital role by making accessing CSE convenient for all, even the most underprivileged.

Features of SHEEN, the app:

1. Period and Pregnancy Tracker;

2. Daily mood journaling/ Diary;

3. Access to reliable and verified information regarding CSE and SRHR;

4. Mental health support chat;

5. Contact doctors, therapists, lawyers and other relevant professionals in case of emergency;

6. Safe space to share experiences anonymously;

7. News and articles regarding SRHR are published/shared daily;

8. Many more to come.

In order to create offline ‘Safe Spaces’, we will:-

1. Select volunteers(youths) from different parts of the country who are interested and train them(online/offline) on how to maintain these spaces. We are going to call these spaces ‘Safe Space’.

2. These spaces will likely be formed in educational institutions in the form of a club;

3. The function of these spaces is to further the reach of SRHR and CSE to those who are underprivileged and lack access to information;

4. The members of these safe spaces will be tasked with sharing vital information, spreading awareness, conducting volunteer activities in their area etc.

5. The volunteers will be rewarded for their efforts on a yearly basis as an incentive.

In this manner SHEEN Bangladesh will continue its work to solve the SRHR and CSE crisis in our country and soon in our neighboring countries.

Our solution revolves around the lives and safety of adolescents and youths. But, SHEEN the app(and the website) will cater to adults and senior citizens as well. The Safe Spaces will be regulated by the youths, for youths only; those are not eligible for adult participation. The app will have a different layout and interface based on the sex and age of the user when registering so it can cater to their specific requirements based on those criteria.

Outcomes:-

1. Make better informed choices: SHEEN the app makes learning CSE and about SRHR more accessible and fun. This will make it easy for people to make informed decisions. They are no longer at the mercy of rumors and misinformation.

2. Empower Women: We will be promoting small, women-led businesses through our platform enabling more women to earn a livelihood. This will increase the likelihood of them being able to afford the healthcare they require whilst providing financial support to their family.

3. Broaden Horizon: Our app provides the users with updated information and news regarding SRHR happening all around the globe. Reading stories or incidences of overcoming stigma and trauma will encourage the reader to fight the injustices of their own life.

4. Mental Support: It can get frustrating to deal with sexual harassment/trauma/bullying by yourself. Many times, family or close ones don’t want to help the victim out in fear of spreading the news. Getting in touch with an expert through our app or sharing the incident anonymously with the community can make it easier to cope and heal. One may even contact the relevant authorities through SHEEN for justice. And our Safe Spaces will always welcome any youth seeking knowledge and help.

5. Easily access necessary products: Users of SHEEN can buy products from our app. These verified products will be safe, sustainable and eco-friendly. And will be delivered to their preferred addresses.

6. Database development: The data that we will gather (respecting privacy policy) from our app and website combined will greatly contribute to the development of SRHR in Bangladesh. This will ultimately improve the quality of SRHR relevant services in the area. Our app will also be actively taking feedback from the users to better itself.

My team and I are among the victims of the SRHR crisis in our country and also part of the problem. We are in our youth and can feel the depth of the issue. The team at SHEEN Bangladesh consists of students who have all worked voluntarily on SRHR at our highschools. We have conducted sessions on mental health and bullying stemming from lack of CSE and SRHR knowledge. Most of us have worked with local and international NGOs whose focus is on SRHR.

As we come to understand, the problem with stigmatization begins when the adults in our life, especially those who hold power over us, neglect such topics due to the existing taboo. As a result, the topic gets labeled as shameful or disgusting. This turns the topic into a taboo among the youths to freely discuss it amongst themselves. And the cycle is repeated when they do the same for their younger siblings or children.

To break this awful cycle, SHEEN believes that the best way is for the young and bold to speak out. SHEEN is a platform for this movement.

A concept is a plan untouched. Our plan is already in action.

The reasons why our solution is not a concept but rather a prototype are:

1. We have already started working on our app design and its features;

2. We are getting people to test our app and give us feedback to keep improving. The app is nowhere near ready even for demonstration but the test takers are showing growing interest;

3. Until now, we never really needed social media outreach for what we did. But, now that we want to scale up, we have opened social media pages to start working on our campaign.

4. From previously conducting sessions at our institutions and working voluntarily with NGOs, we are now able to comprehend the gravity of the problem and the necessity of the solution. We’ve already had talks with the organizations we worked at to support our initiative with required research and data.

Our solution is multidimensional as explained. It comprises an app that will meet the demand/gap of required SRHR knowledge and efforts towards creating safe spaces for youth engagement and enlightenment.

Explaining some of the unique features of our app that contributes to making our overall solution innovative:-

1. Rewards System: We will be providing in-app points that the user can redeem to buy necessary products like sanitary pads, tampons, contraceptive items etc. The purchase of certain items will be confirmed after necessary documents are provided i.e prescription. The points can be earned when a user finishes a class and passes the required exam.

2. Daily Activities: Other than educational content, our app will have a myriad of activities(educational mini games, period tracker, journaling) that can be done everyday. This will make sure that the user engages with our app on a day to day basis rather than just when they occasionally need it.

3. News Update: Along with a news sharing page, our app will be supporting verified individual journalists who will keep the users updated regarding SRHR issues locally and world wide, for example- if the government is giving out free checkups to pregnant women or if there is a spread of AIDS in their area.

4. Platform for Advocacy: Through our app, the users can advocate for SRHR and arrange necessary movements/rallies/peaceful protests. They can volunteer to work in any event of SHEEN through the app. They can take surveys from the app that will play a vital role in enhancing the database of SRHR in Bangladesh.

5. Support Small Businesses: Through our app, we will support and promote small, local businesses(preferably led by women in underprivileged areas) by selling their items in our online store(in-app) and in our social media pages. This will create a scope for entrepreneurship.

Our offline campaign will include training youths, establishing ‘Safe Spaces’, coming up with fun activities and games that encourage learning more about SRHR. All these make our approach towards fixing the problem exceptional and innovative.

Within a year: We will mobilize around 1000 youths to join the SHEEN family and start the revolution of making SRHR accessible in Bangladesh.

How we achieve it:-

1. Establish several(at least 5) Safe Spaces in different educational institutions of Dhaka.

2. Launch our app in Google Play and the App Store.

3. Establish partnership with at least two companies to gain financial support and to sell their products.

4. Working with relevant organizations and NGOs for getting support. Such as- UNFPA Kishori Resource Centre on a regular basis, so that we can communicate with young girls directly, involve them in the journey and get to know the on-field situation better.

Within five years: We will become a trusted household name for all things related to SRHR and CSE in Bangladesh. Also, be known for women empowerment through entrepreneurship.

How we achieve it:-

1. Establish at least two Safe Spaces in every district of Bangladesh making it available/accessible to all youths of the country.

2. Making accessing CSE and SRH related information and products as convenient as ordering a pizza.

3. Establish at least two long term corporate partnerships for financial sustainability.

4. Open branches of SHEEN in at least 2 of our neighboring countries like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan etc. and start establishing Safe Spaces there.

5. Create a powerful database that is updated and contributes to making SRHR related services better.

6. Help around 50 women/girls to start and establish their businesses from SHEEN, the app.

Our Theory of Change:

The Problem: People are unaware of how important it is to learn about SRHR. They find it revolting to discuss it. As a result, it has turned into a taboo of a topic. Therefore, misinformation, misconceptions and myths are rampant. Thus, many people make uninformed decisions without realizing the potential harm only to end up in a regrettable situation. Among these people is a great number of youths who are affected the worst.

Our Solution: We make knowledge about SRHR easily accessible and understandable for all walks of life through an app and website called SHEEN. It contains many useful features and provides a multitude of relevant services to the users.

Our Outputs: Provide courses on SRHR and CSE that can earn you in-app points; these points can be used, alongside money, to purchase necessary items from the app. The app and website offers a diverse range of relevant products that are safe, sustainable and eco-friendly. There is an option to contact experts and authorities in case of need. Mental care and support is available and easily accessible through the app and website. We will also be creating ‘Safe Spaces’ which is a small hub of people at an institution who are aligned with the purpose of SHEEN and will extend its benefits.

The Outcomes: People feel safe to discuss their SRHR issues, especially the youths. Misinformation and myths are limited. At least the users are well informed of SRHR and CSE and make better informed decisions. They have more control and understanding of themselves. People enjoy more bodily autonomy and have greater options when it comes to choosing what product to use. Relevant experts and professionals are able to better connect with their patients. The database from the app contributes to the improvement of future and existing services and products.

Our Impacts: Tolerance towards SRHR and CSE based discussions is increased in society. The importance of CSE and SRHR included curriculum is acknowledged. Gender and sex based violence is reduced. The youth, armed with proper knowledge, are more confident about the choices they make regarding their reproductive health. They know how to provide and seek support for themselves and each other in times of need. It gets easier for organizations, companies and even governments to calculate/scale the impact of their upcoming relevant projects/products/services using our updated database.

A recent report of UNFPA pointed how organizations have included feminist lenses into the design and implementation of the interventions by highlighting four key aspects: Consultation with experts and/or community leaders; Consultations with target group(s); Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) instruments; Women and/or girl-led organization(s). Our solution has all 4 of these aspects linked to it. This leaves no room for doubt that our solution will be greatly impactful.

As of now, we have 3 full time team members. We are going to expand our team as per the scale of our solution.

We’ve been planning about the app for months now. The organization has been working for a couple of years at our respective institutions.

The current team members are all cis-women and of three different institutions inside Dhaka. As we continue to work on our solution, we will be recruiting a diverse group of people from all around the country, starting from Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. Our first aim is to reach every corner of Dhaka by creating Safe Spaces in most educational institutions. Then we will start branching into other districts of Bangladesh. We are looking forward to recruiting a team that is diverse in race and gender so none is excluded. Our community is one of tolerance and equity.

Sustainability and fairness are the main objectives of our business model. We work in a way so that everyone is benefitted.

The beneficiaries:-

1. Adolescents and Youths: They are the main target group of our solution. Especially the women and girls. 

2. Local Community: They will enjoy the benefits of reduced SRHR stigma, improved awareness, and better access to SRHR services.

3. The Government: Greater civic participation among the youth in their communities, lower healthcare expenditures, and better SRHR results all benefit the govt.

Stakeholders:-

1. Healthcare Professionals: Collaborating with them is a major part of our solution.

2. Social Enterprise: To better deliver our impacts we’ll be cooperating with NGOs and other social enterprises who’re working in the same field.

3. Companies: Partnering with businesses whose products we can sell and coming up with innovative items.

4. Field Experts: Collaborating with Professors and leaders in the field of SRHR who can support us with valuable insight.

5. Corporate Sponsors: In order to guarantee ongoing funding for the entire project, sustainable data gathering and the maintenance of our digital tools, we'll seek out support from corporate sponsors.

Revenue planning: The value of revenue diversification is a time-honored assumption in nonprofit financial planning.

1. Grants: We’re going to make foundation grants and sponsorships our primary revenue source. A2I and Jaago foundation, and some others, support promising entrepreneurs through annual fundings. We're already discussing our terms with them. We’ll also apply for the annual national grant for the up-and-coming female entrepreneurs.

2. Corporate Sponsorships: We seek partnerships with corporations that have the same vision as us so we can help each other out.

3. Second Business: In case we fail to get enough revenue from the mentioned sources then, we plan to launch a second business. We’re connected with business models surrounding the marketing of bamboo straws. This is important to have as during COVID-19 and its aftermath, many nonprofits closed due to their inability to manage another source of revenue.

4. Crowdfunding: We can manage to get donations from the general population with proper planning and engagement.

5. Premium Features: Even though most of the important functions will be free, some additional features in our app will be accessible only through premium membership.

Costs:

1. Strategic Cost: Teaming up with glide, the app building and publication cost is free. We need a mere 20$ annually for updating the app. Strategic cost is our biggest cost sector as we need to manage and conduct workshops in different areas.

2. Cost of the Effective Program: The cost of the core program is 3600$ per year. It’s divided into units with 300$ per month. Considering founding members can contribute via personal vehicle, the cost is divided into separate units. 1.5$ a month for app development and maintenance. 200$ for transportation, posters and offline campaigns necessities. 50$ for handing out products when necessary (this is not part of our core program, just something of a subsidy) and 50$ a month in case some necessary subsidy comes our way.

Before we can launch our app, we will fund the offline part of the project using grants. There are many organizations who fund promising initiatives as discussed in our business model.

The money received from MIT Solve will assist us to develop the quality of our app and website to the point where we can start earning enough revenue through our products alone.

Once our app is well established, we can easily fund our solution through the app. Other than selling products, there are many companies/corporations to collaborate with when scaling our project. They can be our sponsors as well as our outreach partners e.g. inform their customers regarding our project and mission.