Vodacom and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today launched the online platform Internet of Good Things (IoGT), an initiative led by UNICEF, which aims to provide information to improve the lives of people in Mozambique.

Through this platform, called "Boa Internet" in Mozambique, Vodacom customers can access free of charge information related to maternal health, diseases such as malaria, cholera and HIV/AIDS, counseling on sexual and reproductive health for adolescents, guidance on rights, among others. mz.goodinternet.org.

"This partnership with UNICEF is aligned with Vodacom's purpose regarding the widening of digital inclusion and the use of technology to access quality information by the most vulnerable communities. The platform is designed to be accessed through any type of cell phone, even low-cost ones, for free, as long as the portal is accessed through the Vodacom network," said Vodacom's Lara Narcy, adding that "The contents on the platform are developed and updated according to the needs of our context, which makes Good Internet a tool of great public utility."

Narcy also reminded that "We must not forget that our illiteracy rate is quite high, hence the content of the program contains visual and multimedia elements, to ensure that the audience with low literacy levels can benefit from this tool.

The Good Internet will bring behavior change and knowledge to the most vulnerable communities so that more children and youth can be protected from violence, harm, and disease, in addition to building skills relevant to future careers, mothers will have more information on how to protect children from disease, health professionals can access life-saving resources, and more.

Maria Luisa Fornara, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique, said that most communities "have many difficulties in accessing information. Due to socio-economic problems, many children are malnourished, there are serious cases of sexually transmitted diseases or early or unwanted pregnancies among adolescents, premature unions, and precarious access to health information. According to the UNICEF representative with the Good Internet, "we want to ensure that information reaches most of the population easily and free of charge, so that we can save more lives. She reminds that "without access to critical information, these challenges and vulnerabilities can continue to worsen.

Note that the Internet of Good Things platform, officially launched in 2015, is already established in 63 countries, with content available in 19 languages.