Many people around the world are unable to read and write. The numbers are quite alarming in developing nations where it is difficult for the uneducated to access fast-advancing digital technologies that make life easy. Mamadou Gouro Sidibé, a Malian innovator has developed Lenali – a voice-based social app to help the uneducated.
Congratulations to Malian entrepreneur, 44 year old Mamadou Gouro who has created the Lenali app, an oral-based platform. The first social network in the world that uses local languages and vocal abilities. #Mali
— African (@ali_naka) April 18, 2018
Education in Africa is expensive and overpriced. The African Library Project indicates that 1 in 3 adults cannot read, and about 30 million primary aged children in Africa are not in school. According to UNESCO, 38% of African adults (over 182 million) are unable to read or write. Over one-fifth of children between the ages of 6 and 11 and one-third between the ages of 12 and 14 are out of school. Most of these children end up hawking on the street at a young age.
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Lenali was founded in 2017 by Mamadou Gouro Sidibé for people without formal education. He got the idea when someone asked him for information on how to use Viber. Sidibé decided to develop a social app that people can use without having to know how to read and write. Lenali is a free-to-use application available for smartphone users to download. The app has over 60000 users and operates in French and the local languages of Bambara, Soninke, Songhai, Mooré, and Wolof. The users can register online and communicate effectively without the need for writing.
Once logged in, users have the option of vocally registering with a language of choice. Audio overlays the app to direct the user on steps for registration. To publish a post, the user simply needs to record the message and send. In this age where Africans are gradually adopting foreign cultures, Lenali can be said to revive communication in local languages. Oral communication is part of Africa’s culture, used for passing information through folklore from one generation to another. Lenali is the first social platform that is vocal and also makes use of African languages.
Non-government organizations in Mali use Lenali to mobilize and educate the public on topics regarding reproductive health, gender-based violence, and business.