Amplio is building the world's first comprehensive, open-source SBC software platform — designed with and for SBC practitioners.

In 2008, Gilbert was one of the very first Talking Book listeners in Ghana. The messages he heard inspired him to stay in school in spite of many challenges. This year, Gilbert graduated with a bachelor's degree in education and spent a month volunteering for Amplio Ghana. "My goal is to inspire, motivate, and educate others. With all the impact Talking Book has had on my life, I just want to say a very big thank you to all Amplio donors and to the Amplio team. You are doing a great job out there. There are lots of vulnerable communities that are receiving the impact. I know there are people out there who need some knowledge in order to achieve their dreams." We know you'll be inspired by this talk Gilbert gave at Amplio's 2021 Annual Event.

Learn how CARE Bangladesh is using the Amplio Talking Books for the Joint Action for Nutrition Outcomes (JANO) project. Listen to their Talking Book welcome message!

Talking Book user feedback is a valuable source of qualitative data. It allows Amplio and our partners to hear directly from the communities we serve—in people's own words and voices. In this video, Amplio's MEL advisor, Lisa Zook, introduces a new system for processing user feedback that we're piloting with our partners. This presentation was created for the 2021 Global Digital Health Forum.

Amplio's inclusive digital technology enables local and international organizations to bridge the digital divide in the world's hardest-to-reach communities. With the Amplio Talking Book, our partners can deliver hours of targeted local language audio content, with multiple topics and playlists. Users with low- or zero-literacy skills can play messages on demand and record their feedback. A built-in speaker allows families and groups to listen and learn together. Because Amplio's technology collects usage data and user feedback, our partners can monitor Talking Books in the field, identify issues and trends, and continually update and improve their content for greater success. Learn how the Talking Book overcomes barriers such as low literacy, lack of electricity, and traditional gender norms and biases that limit access to information.  For more information, visit www.amplio.org This video was produced with support from Arm. A French version is available.

In April 2020, Talking Books made the news in Ghana. Amplio Ghana (formerly Literacy Bridge Ghana) led a COVID-19 awareness campaign in partnership with Ghana Health Service and UNICEF. In eight vulnerable districts in the Upper West Region, community health nurses and volunteers used Talking Books to share consistent and accurate local language audio messages about COVID-19 symptoms, prevention, and treatment. The project ran from April to December 2020, with three content deployments. Messages also addressed emerging community issues, including mental health and domestic violence. The project reached over 200,000 people. Read more about the program on our blog: https://www.amplio.org/2020/04/14/talking-book-covid-19-response-in-north-ghana/

During Amplio's June event, our panel discussed challenges and strategies to deliver climate-smart agriculture to last-mile communities, especially women and girls. From the start, technology has played a role. More big donors are funding interventions that address climate impact. But in March this year, ITU reported that 6 billion people remained offline in 2020, mostly due to the high cost of internet access. So how do we address these competing realities? How do we reach people who can’t afford a phone, let alone a drone? Speakers: Tawiah Agyarko-Kwarteng is a sustainable development consultant who works with the nonprofit and private sectors to empower smallholder farmers, rural populations, and women and girls. Since 2013, she has helped to design and implement The Hershey Company’s cocoa sustainability strategy in the West Africa region. As the Ghana country advisor for Empowered to Educate, Tawiah provides leadership training and mentors female educators. She also manages a consulting firm in Accra. Gretchen Greene is an environmental economist focused on climate, equity, and agriculture. Specifically, she works on questions of how to invest in public programming that will strengthen agricultural production and income without degrading ecosystem services or aggravating inequality. Gretchen has worked extensively with Native American and international communities on agricultural priorities and strategies for economic development. Revi Sterling is director of USAID’s WomenConnect Challenge. She has served as Chief of Party at NetHope and directed the Women and the Web Alliance, a private/public partnership with USAID, Intel, NetHope, World Vision, World Pulse, and UN Women. Revi founded and directed the nation’s first ICT for development graduate program at the University of Colorado Boulder. She consults widely on using technology to empower women and marginalized populations.

"Communication is really the first thing to think about during a public health crisis." Amplio board member Dena Morris and Ghana Health Service staff discuss how the Amplio Talking Book can be applied to public health education in last-mile communities—both during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic and for ongoing health education, disease prevention, and behavior change. In 2020, Amplio Ghana partnered with Ghana Health Service and UNICEF Ghana to implement an emergency response COVID-19 awareness campaign in eight vulnerable districts in the Upper West Region. Community health nurses and volunteers used Amplio Talking Books to share consistent and accurate messages on COVID-19 symptoms, treatment, and prevention. The project engaged key stakeholders, including endorsement messages from traditional and religious leaders, district health directors, and other health experts. During the campaign, Amplio Ghana updated the Talking Book content to address emerging needs and issues, including domestic violence and mental health, including where to go for help, as well as the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations. Dena Morris is the former CEO and president of Washington Global Health Alliance. She also led the Washington DC office for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This video also features interviews with Phoebe Balagumyetime, Regional Health Directorate, Nadowli/Kaleo District, a community health nurse, and a community health volunteer. Amplio Ghana's COVID-19 awareness campaign was supported by Amplio donors, including Arm. The campaign won an Anthem Award gold for responsible technology and community outreach. Our partnership with GHS and UNICEF has continued to expand, supporting the delivery of essential health education to rural communities throughout northern Ghana. Videographer - Melissa Tumas Interviews/b-roll - Amplio Ghana and Wisdom Yeng

Funded by Global Affairs Canada, MEDA's Greater Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) project economically empowered over 23,000 women farmers in Ghana to improve food security and nutrition for their families by growing and selling soy. MEDA used Amplio's Talking Book audio device to provide access to technical training and information about sustainable agriculture methods, financial literacy, market chains, health, nutrition, and gender roles. Credits: - Thank you to MEDA for help with this video - Photo copyright Amplio/Francis Kokoroko and MEDA - Ghana video provided by MEDA - Video produced with support from Arm

Amplio's self-service platform is designed to help our Talking Book partners more easily and cost-effectively launch and run their programs. The Amplio Suite includes: - An easy-to-use program specification to customize our software - Click-to-download supporting software - An audio content manager - Our TB Loader app to update Talking Books and collect data in the field - Amplio's analytics dashboard - An online learning portal with interactive lessons and job aids