Why Talking Books?
For people in developing countries, access to knowledge can transform lives.
Development agencies face barriers to sharing knowledge with the most vulnerable and underserved communities.
They also lack an adequate understanding of each community's specific needs. There are too many villages, too far apart — and too many barriers. Challenges include poor road conditions, illiteracy, gender inequities, unreliable electricity and internet, and expensive mobile data.
But access to knowledge can impact food security, health, income, and more.
adults and youth lack basic literacy skills
people live without electricity
adults in low and middle-income countries don't have mobile phones—including 400 million women
don't use mobile internet because of cost, illiteracy, safety and security, and other barriers
An inclusive digital solution
Amplio's Talking Book program is recognized by UNESCO as an inclusive digital solution that low-literate adults and youth can use to gain new skills and knowledge to improve their lives. Our technology overcomes barriers in hard-to-reach communities — so knowledge sharing goes both ways.
Why Amplio Talking Books?
For communities:
- • Offers more equitable access to information
- • Promotes group listening and engagement, social discussion, and message retention
- • Allows listeners to learn at their own pace
- • Builds trust and community agency
- • Devices can be rotated among households or shared and played in group settings
- • There's no cost to the end user
For implementers:
- • Amplifies message reach in rural remote areas
- • Ensures delivery of consistent and accurate messages
- • Supports training and capacity building
- • Elevates community voices through user feedback
- • Collects usage data for monitoring and evaluation
- • Delivers content in a community's local language
- • Devices can be reprogrammed and deployed again
"The best technologies meet women where they are, and the Amplio Talking Book is at the top of my list. It addresses all the constraints that women face, be it literacy, cost, safety, security, or relevance."
Revi Sterling, Director, USAID WomenConnect Challenge
