In 2018, Girl Effect launched its partnership with 9mobile - an innovative, youth-focussed mobile network operator in Nigeria - to support the ongoing success of Girls Connect. The partnership will provide unlimited minutes and a toll-free line to Girls Connect, eliminating cost as a barrier to girls accessing the service.
Combining the power of storytelling with one-to-one support, Girls Connect is a first-of-its-kind mobile innovation for girls, developed by Girl Effect in partnership with the iSON Group.
Girls dial a number and listen to pre-recorded stories containing inspiring, entertaining and educational lessons about their lives, covering multifaceted issues including violence, healthcare, personal finance and education. Not only can girls listen to these stories, but they are also connected to a 'role model': specially-trained iSON call centre operatives who can answer girls’ questions truthfully and talk through the stories they have heard to make them more meaningful and relevant to their own lives.
There has been significant demand for the service. During a small scale pilot conducted in 2017 in two areas of Nigeria, the service received over 44,000 calls.