Press release
PSI/Tanzania Launch Ongea Zaidi na Salama
Bagamoyo November 12th 2009 … PSI/Tanzania, a not-for profit social marketing organization, today announced the launch of mobile phone based technology to be used for distribution of condoms and other health products it offers to the Tanzanian public. The technology enables retailers stocking PSI condoms across the country to earn free air time into their mobile phones while enabling PSI to maintain track of its product in all outlets down to the ward and district levels.Speaking during the launch at Bagamoyo, PSI/Tanzania Executive Director, Daniel Crapper, said the campaign which is known as ‘Ongea Zaidi na Salama’ is another innovation from PSI that aims at increasing condom distribution in the country and an automatic product availability survey.
Crapper told journalists and some retailers who attended the event that the new program will enable the organization to instantly understand the coverage of its health products up to the ward level and with such information the organization will be in a good position to strengthen its product distribution.
“With the help of this technology, in a very short period of time, we will be in a very good position to determine how much work we need to do in terms of distribution. We will know which districts and wards we distribute more and which areas we distribute less and from there work on that,” he said. The Executive Director said the technology will significantly improve PSI/Tanzania service delivery to retailers as well as to the Tanzania community.
“The Ongea Zaidi na Salama’ will as well help us in our surveys and communication with retailers across the country.
On his part, PSI HIV/Aids Program Director, John Wanyancha, said to begin with, the ‘Ongea Zaidi na Salama’ program will start in two districts of Bagamoyo and Mpwapwa as pilot project thereafter across the country depending on the outcomes from the two districts.
Wanyancha said to enroll into the program retailers will be required to purchase dispensers of Salama condoms or Familia condom from any distributer and inside the dispenser there will be a card – Ongea Zaidi na Salama with instructions of how to enroll.
“To enroll retailers will be required to send a free SMS starting with a word enroll*ward*district*type of business and send to number 15077. The sender will receive a short message informing him/her that has been successfully registered and will again be required to send the hidden number form the card to the same number,” he said. Wanyancha said during the first registration retailers will be awarded air time worth Tsh 400/- and for each card from each dispenser the retailer will be award Tsh 100/-
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