Love Matters Homebase

The specific problem we are addressing aligns with the 2024 Global Health Challenge by focusing on improving sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) education and advocacy, particularly in underrepresented and vulnerable communities. Despite considerable progress in global health, disparities in SRHR knowledge and services remain stark. Globally, over 200 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using safe and effective family planning methods, and issues like gender-based violence and sexual health misinformation are rampant, affecting millions.

Scale of the Problem:
In the communities we are working in, primarily in the global south, the scale of the problem is substantial. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, it is estimated that only 24% of women have access to modern contraceptives, and the region accounts for 66% of all HIV/AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Misinformation and cultural stigmas further exacerbate these issues, leaving a significant portion of the population—particularly youth—without the necessary tools and knowledge to make informed SRHR decisions.

Local and Global Impact:
Globally, the lack of accurate SRHR information and services affects billions of individuals. Annually, this contributes to approximately 295,000 maternal deaths, with 94% of these occurring in the global south. In these settings, SRHR issues are compounded by limited access to resources, restrictive legal frameworks, and gender discrimination, making effective communication and advocacy even more crucial.

Factors Contributing to the Problem:
1. Access to Information: Many underrepresented areas lack reliable and culturally appropriate information about SRHR, which is essential for informed decision-making.
2. Cultural and Social Norms: In many regions, SRHR topics are stigmatized, which discourages open discussion and perpetuates misinformation.
3. Educational Limitations: Formal education systems in many countries do not include comprehensive SRHR education, leaving a knowledge gap that hinders effective health management.

Relation of Our Solution to the Problem:
Our solution, the Love Matters Homebase, is designed to tackle these issues head-on by providing a centralized, AI-powered platform that enhances the accessibility and relevance of SRHR information. By integrating advanced data aggregation and custom large language models, our platform will:

- Curate and disseminate tailored SRHR content that respects cultural sensitivities and addresses local needs.
- Utilize machine learning to analyze usage patterns and improve content delivery, making SRHR information more engaging and effective.
- Expand reach through image and text content generation that empowers local changemakers and content creators to lead community-specific advocacy and education campaigns.

By transforming Love Matters Homebase into an AI-driven hub, we aim to significantly increase the platform's impact, reaching more users with accurate and actionable SRHR content, and ultimately contributing to the reduction of global health disparities highlighted in the 2024 Global Health Challenge. This pivot not only aligns with our mission to empower communities through knowledge but also leverages cutting-edge technology to meet critical health needs effectively.

Our solution, Love Matters Homebase, is an innovative digital platform designed to enhance sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) education and advocacy through advanced technology. The platform serves as a hub for changemakers and content creators to access, create, and disseminate culturally appropriate and locally relevant SRHR information using AI-driven tools.

How It Works:

1. Content Curation and Customization:

 - Data Aggregation: Similar to a "Sky Scanner" for SRHR content, our platform aggregates open-source educational and advocacy materials from diverse global sources. By using advanced data aggregation technologies, we ensure that the content is comprehensive and up-to-date. 

- AI-Powered Customization: Utilizing large language models, the platform analyzes aggregated content and user interactions to tailor materials that meet the specific needs of different regions and cultures. This process involves natural language processing (NLP) techniques to refine and adapt the information, making it more relevant for users in underrepresented areas. 

2. Content Generation: 

- Text and Image Content: Leveraging AI, specifically generative adversarial networks (GANs) and transformer models, Love Matters Homebase can generate textual content and corresponding images that are tailored to specific campaigns and user requests. This feature allows users to create unique and impactful SRHR campaigns with content that is engaging and appropriate for their target audiences. 

- Interactive Tools: The platform includes interactive features which are designed to engage users and provide personalized experiences. These tools are powered by AI algorithms that adapt based on user responses, enhancing the content generation process. 

3. User Interface and Experience: 

- User-Friendly Design: The platform features a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and access various tools and resources. The design is optimized for accessibility, ensuring that users from different backgrounds and with varying levels of tech proficiency can effectively utilize the platform.

- Multi-Language Support: To maximize reach and impact, Love Matters Homebase includes multi-language support, allowing content to be used and understood in numerous languages, which is crucial for global advocacy and education efforts. 

4. Technology Stack: 

- Cloud Infrastructure: Hosted on scalable cloud services, our platform ensures reliable access and storage capabilities for an expanding repository of SRHR content. 

- Machine Learning and NLP: Utilizing AI frameworks for machine learning (e.g. TensorFlow) and natural language processing to analyze and generate content. 

- Data Security and Privacy: Implementing state-of-the-art security protocols to protect user data and ensure privacy, which is particularly important for sensitive SRHR information. By integrating these technologies, Love Matters Homebase not only enhances the capacity of SRHR advocates to educate and engage their communities but also significantly improves the quality and accessibility of information available, supporting better health outcomes and empowerment through knowledge.

Our solution, Love Matters Homebase, is specifically designed to serve change makers, content creators, and local advocates dedicated to enhancing sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) education and advocacy in underrepresented and vulnerable communities globally. These communities typically include: 

1. Youth in in the Global South: Young people in these regions often face barriers to accurate and comprehensive SRHR information due to cultural taboos, lack of education, and limited access to health services. Examples would 

2. Women and Girls: This group disproportionately suffers from SRHR issues, including high rates of maternal mortality, restricted access to family planning, and the prevalence of gender-based violence. 

3. Marginalized Groups: Including LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities who are frequently excluded from mainstream SRHR conversations and services.

Current Challenges Faced by the Target Groups: 

- Access to Information: There is a critical gap in accessible, reliable, and culturally relevant SRHR information. This lack of information can lead to increased health risks and perpetuates stigmas and discrimination. 

- Cultural Barriers: In many cultures, topics related to sexual and reproductive health are considered taboo. This stigma not only prevents open discussion but also limits the effectiveness of traditional health campaigns. 

- Educational Shortcomings: Educational systems in many target regions often fail to provide comprehensive SRHR education, leaving a significant knowledge gap among the youth. 

Impact of the Solution: 

Love Matters Homebase addresses these needs through a multifaceted approach: 

1. Enhanced Information Accessibility: 

- AI-Driven Content Customization: By using AI to curate and customize content, the platform ensures that all materials are relevant and sensitive to cultural norms and user needs. This bespoke approach helps in overcoming cultural barriers and makes the information more engaging and actionable. 

- Scalable Content Distribution: The platform facilitates scalable distribution mechanisms, allowing users to reach wider audiences efficiently. This is particularly important in sprawling, rural areas where traditional media penetration is limited. 

2. Empowerment through Knowledge: 

- Capacity Building: By providing tools and content necessary for effective advocacy, the platform empowers local advocates to conduct impactful SRHR campaigns, thereby building local capacity and sustainability. 

- Interactive Learning: Through interactive tools and modules, users are not just passive recipients of information but active participants in their learning process. This engagement is crucial for effective education and long-term behavior change. 

3. Community-Specific Solutions: 

- Localized Content Generation: The AI's ability to generate text and images tailored to specific locales and issues ensures that all campaigns are relevant and resonate with the intended audience. This customization can significantly increase the effectiveness of SRHR interventions. 

4. Data-Driven Insights: 

- Feedback and Analytics: The platform provides continuous learning opportunities for users by offering insights into content performance and user engagement. This data is vital for refining strategies and ensuring that efforts are directed where they are most needed.

Community Representation within the Team:

- Diverse Backgrounds: Our team is composed of individuals from various backgrounds, including those from the regions we aim to support. Many of our team members have lived experiences of the cultural and systemic barriers that hinder SRHR education and advocacy in these regions. This diversity enhances our collective insight and approach to solving these complex issues.

- Local Talent: We prioritize hiring local talent within each community we serve. This not only supports the local economy but ensures our solutions are built and delivered by those who understand the local context best. Our team leads and key decision-makers hail from these regions, providing direct lines to on-the-ground realities and needs.

Guided by Community Input:

- Collaborative Design Process: The development of Love Matters Homebase is a result of continuous dialogue with community stakeholders, including local NGOs, healthcare providers, educators, and most importantly, the youth and advocates we aim to empower. These interactions ensure that the platform reflects the real-world needs and conditions of the users.

- Feedback Loops: We have established multiple channels for ongoing feedback to adapt and refine our solution continually. This includes community forums, user surveys, and beta testing with local groups to gather input that directly influences platform updates and content development.

- Community-Driven Agendas: Our project initiatives and priorities are informed and often led by community agendas. By aligning our goals with those of the communities, not only do we foster stronger relationships, but we also ensure that the interventions are appropriate and sustainable. We facilitate workshops and participatory design sessions where community members can express their needs and ideas directly.

Empathetic Implementation:
- Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding the sensitive nature of SRHR topics, our team is trained in cultural competency to respect and navigate the diverse beliefs and practices encountered in different regions. This sensitivity is critical in designing content and campaigns that are not only informative but also respectful and inclusive.
- Adaptive Solutions: We recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work in SRHR advocacy due to the vast differences in cultural and legal landscapes across regions. Our platform’s AI-driven customization allows us to adapt materials to the linguistic and cultural nuances of each community.

In summary, the design and implementation of Love Matters Homebase are deeply intertwined with the communities' input, ideas, and agendas. Our team's proximity to and representation of these communities ensure that we are not only providers but partners in our collective efforts to improve SRHR outcomes. Through a foundation of mutual respect and shared goals, we are committed to delivering a solution that is by the community, for the community.

We believe the pilot phase is appropriate for our solution, although some minor piloting activities like launching the product in small communities and gathering feedback were completed. However, we take into account that the proposed changes that would allow the product to be scaled entail the content generation mechanism to be pivoted from user generated content to data aggregated content.  

The Love Matters Homebase currently has a small user base of 100 people including journalists and change makers who are located mostly in the MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa regions. We are currently planning and executing development sprints that focus on automating the moderation and work load of the platform. 

However, the ongoing plan is to create a more sustainable content creation model that would also make the platform easier to use and increase it's added value.

Our experience in developing solutions and applying for funding in the AI landscape has shown us that while there is interest from the AI sector, big corporations with a proven track record may not see it as a needed or worthy investment. On the other hand, funders such as possible high net worth individuals don't see it as a viable donation opportunity since they have not seen many examples resembling our proposed solution, therefore lack the insight for realizing the need for such solution.

Upon researching successful projects that received funding, we think MIT Solve would be a good fit for our solution since it organically speaks to some of the issues we are looking towards solving which include language representation in the AI landscape, making SRHR information which is stigmatized in some communities accessible to the entire world, and also making them accessible to an audience beyond the civil society and activists.

Moreover, we believe that MIT Solve's understanding of trends like health data privacy, ethical AI taking into consideration the recently introduced EU AI act, and other existing legal standards such as GDPR can provide us guidance into incorporating these aspects into our solution, so we ensure that we are using AI tech  mindfully, ethically and for good. 

All in all, our understanding is that MIT Solve would be a natural fit for a possible funding opportunity whereas other possible funders from the profit and non-profit landscape see it as a niche topic and solution rather than a solution with a mass appeal. 

With the rapidly-evolving AI technology, this improved iteration of our solution is poised to be faster, efficient and cutting-edge, using AI-driven approach not only to make reliable and trustworthy information, from diverse source-base, available to customers and beneficiaries on their fingertips, but also engendering a SRHR information ecosystem that is free from manipulated, flawed, and bad-quality information and content on SRHR. Moreover, with the information and content provided by our solution to content creators, journalists, activists, campaigners, etc., which in turn will utilise this information to advance SRHR through varied channels, this will power broader transformation of the SRHR information and knowledge ecosystem to drive change in attitudes, behaviours, policies, improved decision-making and ultimately enabling improved access to SRH services. Hence, the ripple-effect changes resulting from this solution are powerful and salient. Lastly, when we say information is power, this solution helps to tweak that slightly by putting in practice - reliable and accurate information is power. In an era of crisis of trust, reliable information that enables people to use that information to exercise their rights and challenge stigma is the key opportunity and USP that our solution posits in the broader market landscape.  

Our solution, the Love Matters Homebase platform, is designed to revolutionize access to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) information and advocacy, particularly in underrepresented areas. The theory of change for this solution outlines how specific activities will lead to impactful outputs and meaningful outcomes, thereby addressing significant gaps in SRHR information accessibility and quality.

Activities:

1. Integration of Data Aggregation Technologies: Utilizing a data aggregation approach to collect and index open source SRHR content globally according to relevance, usage rate (how many quotes?/links), and reliability.
2. Development of Custom Large Language Models (LLMs): These models will generate textual and visual content tailored to the cultural and linguistic contexts of specific user groups.
3. User-Centric Platform Design: Involving continuous user feedback and monitoring of user engagement to refine and adapt the platform's functionality to ensure ease of use and relevance.

Aforementioned activities would have a set of outcomes on a number of audiences including changemakers, but also end users with access to a stable internet connection. The outputs can be grouped as follows.

Outputs:

1. Enhanced Content Accessibility: The data aggregation module will ensure a comprehensive and reliable database of SRHR resources that are easily accessible to change makers and content creators.
2. Customized Content Delivery: The deployment of LLMs will enable the production of localized and culturally appropriate content, addressing the specific needs and sensitivities of different regions.
3. Improved User Engagement: By designing with user feedback, the platform will become more intuitive and user-friendly, significantly enhancing user experience and retention.

These outputs would translate into a set of outcomes through direct and indirect capacity strengthening, ensured by equal access to SRHR information.

Outcomes:

• Improved SRHR information ecosystem: Engendering and enabling an SRHR info ecosystem that is accurate, reliable, trustworthy, and built on diverse, reputed and trustworthy sources of information to advance SRHR communication and discourse, online and offline. 

• Increased SRHR Knowledge: With better access to tailored content, the target demographic's understanding of SRHR issues will improve, leading to better informed community members, also improving the load on SRHR professionals.
• Enhanced Advocacy and Policy Making: Empowered with accurate and relevant information, change makers can more effectively influence SRHR policies and practices in their communities.
• Behavioural Change in Target Populations: Over time, increased knowledge and advocacy are expected to lead to changes in attitudes and behaviours regarding SRHR, contributing to improved health outcomes.

To conclude, the aforementioned activities and how they translate into  outputs and outcomes is ensured by the same technology that we plan to use to scale the platform up. Through data aggregation, we can have a continuous data pipeline reporting impact but which can also be used to plan future developments. 

Metrics:

1. # of users and usage rate: how many users? how many pages do they visit? how much time do they spend? How easily can they use the interface?

2. conversion rate: How much of the content was used. (can be calculated via time spent on content, but also via surveys) 

3. Feedback survey (quantitative and qualitative)

4. Focus group discussions with customers and beneficiaries (to understand user experience online, assess quality of information offered, including reliability and usefulness of the information) 

Goals:

1. Accessibility to SRHR information becomes easy, reliable, simple, faster 

2. Prevent and mitigate mis and disinformation around SRHR and improve/clean the SRHR information ecosystem

3. Reliable and accurate information translates to enabling informed decision-making in relation to accessing SRH services and overall wellbeing 

The core technology underpinning the Love Matters Homebase platform consists of two primary components: data aggregation technology and custom-built large language models (LLMs), both of which harness the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies are integrated into a web-based platform designed to be accessible and effective, particularly in underrepresented regions where digital SRHR (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights) resources are critically needed.

Similar to functionalities seen in other day to day applications like ticket or hotel price aggregators, this technology scans and collects extensive SRHR-related content from a variety of credible open-source databases and publications. This allows the platform to have a comprehensive and up-to-date repository of information that can be tailored to different regional and cultural contexts.

Moreover, the Love Matters Homebase would be utilizing state-of-the-art NLP (Natural Language Processing) techniques, these LLMs can generate textual and visual content that is specifically designed for SRHR education and advocacy. This includes creating culturally sensitive and region-specific educational materials, advocacy content, and campaign materials.

The solution would continue to be a web based application in order to ensure accessibility while harnessing the power of new technologies to ensure it's sustainability on a strategic level and providing the end user with the most useful and reliable information possible. The Love Matters Homebase platform leverages cutting-edge technology to address critical gaps in SRHR information accessibility and quality, while also ensuring simple to use implementation practices that enhance the effectiveness of these technological solutions. This  approach not only ensures that the platform is innovative but also grounded in the cultural realities of the communities it serves, thereby maximizing both reach and impact.

Full-time staff:

1. Digital Product Manager

2. SRHR and Partnerships Expert 

3. NLP Expert

4. Data Aggregation Expert 

Part time: 

1. Developer - front-end

2. Developer - backend 

3. Positioning and visibility expert 

The solution was conceptualised in 2021, and prototyped in 2022. Since then it has been made available, incrementally, to beneficiaries, primarily in the global south. 

Although based in the Netherlands, we have a global workforce with professionals from diverse backgrounds, lived experiences, contexts, with the shared goal of using digital media and technology for social good and impact. We have a leadership team comprising of men and women (director and team leads), along with experts and coordinators also involved in decision-making processes on subject-specific and organisational matters. In addition, we also have an in-house DEI team that facilitates discussion and action on issues of representation, equity, co-develop the organisational culture journey, and also bring to notice issues that demand attention related to DEI policies and initiatives. 

We also work with organisations around the world, and particularly with orgs based in the global south, and hence, being aware and mindful of cultural, social, and political contexts, especially as a global north-based development organisation, is paramount. We therefore also follow practice a co-creation process with all our partners, where they are viewed and understood as equal partners and experts of their contexts and lived realities, and hence have a equal role to play in decision-making related to a particular project/program. We also value honest and critical feedback, and hence an important aspect of this co-creation process is having a defined feedback loop that enables us and partners to have difficult conversations as well, particularly around power-sharing, funding, etc. 

The USP of our solution is to enable and empower our intended customers and beneficiaries with the access to accurate, reliable, diverse-sourced SRHR information at a time when mis- and disinformation has amplified online and offline, and eroded trust in facts and truth. Our solution, instead, engenders and reinforces this trust, using an AI-powered approach, where our target customers and beneficiaries can not only access this information with trust, but also use it for creating content, reporting, campaigning and advocacy, and in-turn diffusing this trustworthy and reliable information with their target populations, thereby creating an ecosystem of reliable and trustworthy SRHR information. 

The key beneficiaries are in the global south - SRHR activists, NGOs, journalists, sexuality educators and content creators, campaigners, and students researching and writing on SRHR topics. For these groups, our aim is to keep access free and unhindered, particularly given the inequalities that exist in SRHR between global north and south. 

However, our aim is to also build a paid customer base of above target groups, for target groups based in the global north countries and/or are frequent users of the platform - in which case, we intend to offer a subscription-based premium service to the targeted groups, to enable revenue generation from the platform. The subscription model could also be tiered, depending on the usage patterns - # of times the platform is used per week, per month, etc. In addition, while access to both targeted beneficiaries and customers, higher tiered subscription will also entail frequent returning customers to provide direct feedback and review of the sources covered on the platform and first access to new trusted sources that become available on the platform.

As a non-profit, we receive grants to do project-based work, including grants from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sida, UNESCO, etc. Moreover, with our solution, we are interested in exploring subscription-based revenue model, as described above, along with also integrating the solution in our relevant training courses, workshops and masterclasses, which are "sold" to diverse customer-base, including NGO professionals, media professionals, journalists, content creators, etc. based in Global North and South (the trainings for participants from global south are usually funded by external funding/grants). Lastly, we also have a thriving global community of media-makers, with more than 6000 members, worldwide, and our intention is to open up access to the platform to this community, employing the subscription-based model to generate revenue and invest in keeping the solution up-to-date, efficient and impactful for both customers and beneficiaries.