In many countries, especially in rural, low-literacy communities, it is difficult for people to access local news and information.

To address this need, Viamo created a free, on-demand information platform called the 3-2-1 Service, currently available in 18 developing countries, to provide interactive, educational content in local languages through mobile phones.

The service uses interactive voice response (IVR) and is a popular trusted information and news source. As men are familiar with the content, they often feel more comfortable with their wives accessing the service to learn about topics relating to livelihood and health, including local information on school holidays and vaccine dates.

Viamo, receiving a grant through the WomenConnect Challenge, USAID’s global call to close the digital gender divide, built on the platform’s existing success to create new digital literacy and livelihoods content for 3-2-1 users in Tanzania and Pakistan.