Question Box News

Question Box Featured in Appfrica Blog
July 3, 2008

Question Box was featured in Appfrica, a Kampala-based blog covering Africa IT Industry News and Culture. Blogger Jon Gosier writes:

"I can see (Question Box) becoming a huge success for two reasons. In the developing world one thing that there is an abundance of is cell phones. People everywhere are starving for better communication tools. When such things become available they spread like wildfire through urban and rural communities, often to speak with family members or to do business. In areas where cell phone reception isn’t available, there’s always the occasional satellite phone. Making the internet accessible to all is a grand idea, but not feasible with computers because of the lack of infrastructure needed in the more rural areas. Mobile devices don’t have that caveat."

Coincidentally, Question Box is starting to get some serious notice in sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda. We'll keep you posted!

UNDP Newsletter Covers Question Box
July 3, 2008

Question Box made UNDP's April 2008 newsletter for South-South Cooperation. That article was then republished in NowPublic.

"What about people who are caught in the technology gap, or who are illiterate? What about those who have a mobile phone, but are too poor to own a computer - or live in a village without electricity? Or those who can’t read or write? In India, there are 42 million Internet users, 3.7 per cent of the population. But the country is also home to the largest number of illiterate people in the world: 304.11 million (Human Development Report).

A unique solution in rural India is developing a way to connect the illiterate to the internet. The Open Mind Programme’s Question Box Project, opened its first Box in the village of Phoolpur in September 2007. The idea is brilliantly simple."

 

Question Box Featured in DRISTIKONE Blog
April 24, 2008

DRISHTIKONE featured a nice article about Question Box, putting it in context with implementing partner TNI's innovative Hole-in-the-Wall Internet kiosks.

"At first, (Hole-in-the-Wall) kiosks were set up for the villagers which helped as well. But theQuestion Box is much cheaper and has a greater potential. Those kiosks, though, cost $5,000 each, and the project's aim is to install 100,000 of them. Each Question Box, by contrast, costs only a fifth of that."

Sarayu Srinivasan joins as advisor
April 24, 2008

Sarayu Srinivasan, a Director at Intel Capital, has joined Question Box as an advisor. Her wealth of experience and strategic skills are a welcome addition to the team as we scale up throughout India and the developing world.

Question Box Project wants you to join our Facebook group
April 1, 2008

Question Box project now has a Facebook group. Please join and share with your friends.

UK Sunday Telegraph Features Question Box
March 30, 2008

The UK Sunday Telegraph published a long-format article about the Question Box project.

"We hear a great deal about the onward march of wired India these days, but not so many reminders of how far it has to go to reach so many of the country's billion inhabitants. Even the boldest school-building estimates mean millions of rural children won't get a significant education before they reach adulthood.

Question Box is an elegant shortcut to what (Question Box creator) Shuman calls 'wiring people for change: social, economic and political'."

New Mobile Phone Question Box Sponsored
March 6, 2008

Question Box Project wishes to thank an anonymous donor who has very generously sponsored our first-ever Question Box built on mobile phone technology.

Additional sponsorship opportunities remain available at $1,000. Sponsorship benefits include:

- New Question Box with Sponsor's name or message printed on side
- Photographs of the Question Box's installation and inauguration ceremony, as well as ongoing user photographs
- A record of every call made from your Question Box

To explore a sponsorship or make a donation, please contact info@questionbox.org

ABCnews.com covers Question Box
March 6, 2008

"Internet access is out of the question, especially in villages where electricity, and literacy, are in short supply. Now there's an experiment to try to change that..." Read more

Question Box in Polish press
March 6, 2008

Question Box has just been featured in Minds.pl, a Polish science and technology portal.

Question Box in BoingBoing!
March 4, 2008

Question Box was featured today in BoingBoing - check it out!

"(Question Box) is a really good example of how the net can extend beyond the physical boundaries of its wires..."

Ken Banks of Kiwanja.net Blogs about Question Box
March 4, 2008

Ken Banks, Question Box Project Advisory Board member and founder of kiwanja.net, has blogged about Question Box.

"Often when we plan and build mobile solutions for developing (or emerging) markets, we forget, neglect or are just plain unsure how to ask the users what it is that they want. The irony might be that, here at least, Question Box might end up being the answer we're looking for."

Check out his full post.

Ken Banks of Kiwanja.net Joins Advisory Board!
March 4, 2008

Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net and world expert on the uses of mobile technologies for development, has joined Question Box Project's Advisory Board!

Since 2003, kiwanja.net has been helping local, national and international non-profit organizations make better use of information and communications technology in their work. Specializing in the application of mobile technology, it provides a wide range of ICT-related services drawing on over 22 years experience of its founder, Ken Banks. Non-profits in over forty countries have so far benefited from a range of kiwanja initiatives, including FrontlineSMS and nGOmobile

Open Mind Attends eGovWorld conference
November 29, 2007


Open Mind Founder Rose Shuman attended the eGovWorld conference held at The Grand Vasant Kunj in New Delhi, India. While attending, she was able to push forward Open Mind's agenda to encourage ICT solutions that fit the needs of the user. This includes significant use of accessible technologies such as phone, community radio, and television.

Second Question Box goes live!
November 10, 2007


Open Mind and implementing partner TNI/NIIT's second Question Box, after weeks of delays in getting a telephone line to the village, has finally gone live! The new Question Box is located in Ethida village, also outside of Noida, India.

Like the inauguration before, Dr. Ritu Dangwal presided over a ceremony at the local temple, followed by sweets and a demonstration of the new Question Box.

Question Box goes live!
September 27, 2007


The very first Question Box went live today in Phoolpur village in Greater Noida, India.

Dr. Ritu Dangwal from implementing partner TNI/NIIT presided over an inauguration ceremony at a local temple. This placement follows nearly two months of field work with the community and local village leader, or Pradhan.