One of the most promising developments I have seen in my travels in the last few years is the proliferation of mobile phones. You could find them across the most distant reaches of India, and even in the poorest parts of Liberia you will find mobile phones and the towers that connect them to the world. Though we in the west have seen a bazillion iterations of mobile phones, with gadgets from cameras to mp3 players, most phones in Liberia are still rather simple. While some advanced technology has made it here, the vast majority of phones look just like the ones we used 10 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, these phones aren’t without their technological advancements: their battery lives are extraordinarily long, they utilize built in LED flashlights (for frequent power outages), and they are quite durable.

Mobile phones have made inroads in parts of the world that have been slow to modernize, like this remote village we visited in Nimba county near Guinea. The combination of incredible functionality and practicality has contributed to their success. One of the most exciting parts of mobile phone penetration in countries like Liberia though, is its relevance to economic development. Mobile phones can not only connect families and friends torn apart by war and economically motivated migration, they can also serve as platforms on which to deliver new and valued services.

Mobile technology is quite useful in the financial sector, handsets can be used as vehicles to transfer money, access accounts, make purchases, and pay bills. Though many of these technologies are currently in the development stage, there are examples across the world of success stories, like ALW, M Pesa, etc. In Liberia, the biggest mobile company, Lonestar already allows people to transfer money between phones, but they have yet to tie up with any banks and offer joint services.

Foundation for Women Liberia had an interesting meeting with Lonestar recently. They are keen to get involved in these kinds of transactions, after all, more transactions equals more fees. Interestingly enough, they had already honed in on another one of the mobile phone’s biggest benefits, its utility to small-scale producers in accessing market and weather information. Lonestar had already started discussions with one of the largest banks in Liberia, Ecobank to tie up accounts and mobile phones. As we are loyal Ecobank account holders, and see advantages in a partnership to utilize mobile technology. Hopefully we can move forward with the partnership. Not only do FFW women across Liberia want phones to be in touch with their family and friends, their lives could be made so much easier if they could gather market information and make instant financial transactions using their handsets. Here’s to hoping a partnership works out, and that technology’s benefits extend to the bottom of the pyramid in Liberia.