There is a huge history of how much aid has hurt African countries[0].
After doing a bit of research, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to help poor people is to give away phones. I think it would really help people keep in contact with friends and family as well as help bootstrap innumerous businesses and really help the GDP of these countries. Sadly I have yet to find a service that lets me send new (cheap) smartphones to people in need.
Although I do not like a tiered internet, I do like the premise of Zuckerberg's Internet.org project. I think that access to Wikipedia in particular should be a right these days. For some reason I always idolize it (along with Kindles) as being the path towards creating a Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy for everyone.
I would recommend GiveDirectly. They give can, not phones, but for any family whose first priority is a phone, they'll get a phone. Others might get a roof first, to deal with leaks leading to sleepless nights, or proper flooring to deal with parasites that live in dirt floors; both of these are problems with major impacts on educational outcomes, which individual families will know they need to deal with. And families that have those needs met will almost certainly go in for a phone or two.
> I do like the premise of Zuckerberg's Internet.org project. I think that access to Wikipedia in particular should be a right
Until February 2018, Wikipedia had a similar zero-rating program called Wikipedia Zero [0].
> [Wikipedia] (along with Kindles) as being the path towards creating a Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy for everyone
The WikiReader [1] tried to get even closer to this -- a physical Wikipedia device. Too bad it failed commercially, it was another really nifty gadget.
At www.symmitree.com we will be giving 1m refugees free, decent quality, biometric smartphones and access to key apps/dapps next year with a plan of making these phones free for anyone who wants them a few years after. We will be announcing full details of the mechanisms behind this in June.
After doing a bit of research, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to help poor people is to give away phones. I think it would really help people keep in contact with friends and family as well as help bootstrap innumerous businesses and really help the GDP of these countries. Sadly I have yet to find a service that lets me send new (cheap) smartphones to people in need.
Although I do not like a tiered internet, I do like the premise of Zuckerberg's Internet.org project. I think that access to Wikipedia in particular should be a right these days. For some reason I always idolize it (along with Kindles) as being the path towards creating a Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy for everyone.
[0]: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Aid-Working-Better-Africa/dp/037...