Our Story

In 2006, Amplio founder Cliff Schmidt was visiting the gravesite of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in Atlanta, Georgia, when he had an epiphany.

 

"Dr. King said, 'Every person must decide whether to walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?' I was standing at his grave. That is what me feel that he would expect something more from me."

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In that moment, Cliff began considering what he could do to help others. He thought about how those who are most affected by global poverty are impeded by illiteracy. He had volunteered for the One Laptop Per Child project, but felt there must be a more targeted and cost-effective way to help rural communities.

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With this vision, Cliff led the development of the Talking Book, a durable, battery-powered audio device designed for people with low literacy. 

 

When the first Talking Book prototype was field-tested with school children in northern Ghana, the idea was for kids to listen and read along to improve their literacy skills.

 

But local extension officers and community health workers had a different use for Amplio's device. They saw it as an innovative, portable technology for sharing health and agricultural education with underserved rural communities.

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Development workers explained that there were too many villages, too far apart. (In Ghana, for example, the extension officer to farmer ratio is as high as 1:1500 farmers.) Poor road infrastructure was also a problem. Often they only visited a community once or twice a year. When they did visit to conduct educational activities, many people couldn’t attend because they were working in their fields. And those who did attend couldn’t take notes or read printed materials due to illiteracy. Instead, they had to remember everything they heard about health or agriculture recommendations. 

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Also, women were far less likely to participate. They were too busy with household responsibilities. Social and gender inequalities also created barriers. 

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With this local input, Cliff realized how Amplio's Talking Book could be used to amplify program reach and empower communities through knowledge sharing.