SMS Uprising provides a unique insight into how activists and social change advocates are addressing Africa's many challenges from within, and how they are using mobile telephone technologies to facilitate these changes. This collection of essays by those engaged in using mobile phone technologies for social change provides an analysis of the socio-economic, political and media contexts faced by activists in Africa today. The essays address a broad range of issues including inequalities in access to technology based on gender, rural and urban usage, as well as offering practical examples of how activists are using mobile technology to organise and document their experiences. They provide an overview of the lessons learned in making effective use of mobile phone technologies without any of the romanticism so often associated with the use of new technologies for social change. The examples are shared in a way that makes them easy to replicate - 'Try this idea in your campaign.' The intention is that the experiences described within the book will lead to greater reflection about the real potential and limitations of mobile technologies. Edited by Nigerian activist Sokari Ekine, who runs the prize-winning blog Black Looks, the book brings together some of the best known and experienced developers and users of mobile phone technologies in Africa, including Juliana Rotich from Ushahidi in Kenya, Ken Banks of Kiwanja.net, and Berna Ngolobe of WOUGNET in Uganda.

Social innovation and social entrepreneurship look for creative and affordable solutions to specific societal problems. Fuelled by the spread of the internet and the ubiquity of mobile phones, there are more people working to solve pressing social and environmental problems in the world today than ever before. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation presents the journeys of pioneering - and often accidental - social innovators who, faced with a problem, used their courage, tenacity and creative thinking to find a solution. Using their own words to reflect upon their experiences, these cases do not gloss over the setbacks and the dead-ends social entrepreneurs can face. Instead, readers will gain a realistic insight into the challenges and an engaging look at the problem-solving mindset needed to overcome them. From a life-saving project to bring solar-powered lighting to midwives in Nigeria, to a news dissemination service that's grown from small beginnings to have a global impact, each case study draws out the lessons learnt by the innovators, providing guidance and advice for those looking to follow in their footsteps. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is an invaluable resource for social entrepreneurs and innovators looking for new ideas and insight into what really works - and what doesn't.

Social innovation and social entrepreneurship look for creative and affordable solutions to specific societal problems. Fuelled by the spread of the internet and the ubiquity of mobile phones, there are more people working to solve pressing social and environmental problems in the world today than ever before. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation presents the journeys of pioneering - and often accidental - social innovators who, faced with a problem, used their courage, tenacity and creative thinking to find a solution. Using their own words to reflect upon their experiences, these cases do not gloss over the setbacks and the dead-ends social entrepreneurs can face. Instead, readers will gain a realistic insight into the challenges and an engaging look at the problem-solving mindset needed to overcome them. From a life-saving project to bring solar-powered lighting to midwives in Nigeria, to a news dissemination service that's grown from small beginnings to have a global impact, each case study draws out the lessons learnt by the innovators, providing guidance and advice for those looking to follow in their footsteps. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is an invaluable resource for social entrepreneurs and innovators looking for new ideas and insight into what really works - and what doesn't.

"The Pursuit of Purpose is an honest, poignant, and emotionally powerful book. It's a story about struggle, finding a purpose in life, striving to build a fairer society, and discovering who you are along the way." How far would you go to find your purpose in life? Come on the unlikeliest of journeys as we follow one man's relentless search for purpose. Join him as he seeks answers in the African bush, the forests of Finland and everywhere in between, surviving pirate attacks, near-drownings and close encounters with lions along the way. Discover how a late-night motorcycle accident in Nigeria led to the creation of a text messaging system that would go on to benefit tens of millions of people around the world, and how a global pandemic helped uncover an incredible family history, and with it the answers to a life purpose that had lay hidden in plain sight all along.

Innovative approaches to selling products and services are the heartbeat of any business venture, and branding is the aspect of marketing that focuses on influencing prospects to believe that your products and services are the only ones that provide a solution to their problems. The authors, Ken Banks and Robyn Winters, whose experience spans more than 30 years, combine their expertise of brand strategy development and marketing communication to artfully merge the concept of branding with the brain's four Buying Styles. Together, they culminate in an original branding approach known as BrainBranding. What is BrainBranding? BrainBranding provides a strategy that enhances any company's positioning in the marketplace, ensuring that a brand stands out from its competition. It's an invaluable tool for any type of business that wants to establish a brand that resonates with everyone in its target market - and beyond. By understanding the buying styles and preferences of every prospect, client, and customer, companies and individuals can increase their market share and improve their bottom line. Why? Because among these groups of consumers, there will be representatives of each of the four different buying styles. Learning about these buying styles and addressing them during the branding process can increase prospect interest and expand a potential client base. How Does BrainBranding Work? BrainBranding works for every business - retail, professional services, consulting, corporations, and entrepreneurship. By using a strategy that encompasses the four buying styles when developing your brand, you not only reach new clients who haven't necessarily fit into your target market before, but you can also motivate the clients you already have to be more loyal, and thereby increase your profitability. Who Will Benefit? This book will have particular value to the following groups: oEntrepreneurs oSpeakers/Presenters oConsultants oInternal Employees oAspiring Managers oMarketing Professionals Will This Work for a Personal Brand? When you develop a successful brand for your business, you are simultaneously developing a personal brand for yourself. This will go a long way to help you with your career - either within a company, in your own business, or in planning your future. The principles are the same and the steps are applicable - no matter what the branding challenge. So whether you're an aspiring marketing staff member at a major packaged goods or service organization, or embarking on a second, third, or new career, you'll find that the these tenets can be applied anytime there is a need for differentiating your unique value. It's time to unleash the power of the brain and apply it to your brand. BrainBranding is not just a solution - it's a process to determine what it takes to be even more successful. Apply the principles. Personalize them to your own situation. Watch the results. Using the BrainBranding process, brands have the potential to be more successful and enduring, unlimited by type, market, or scope. It's not just the Brand, and it's not just the Brain. It's BrainBranding.