- Water in Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya is scarce, costly, and often contaminated, with residents spending significant time and money searching for water. - While mobile phone access is widespread, consistent access to clean water is lacking. - The M-Maji project aims to use ubiquitous mobile phones to improve access to clean water by connecting water buyers with verified vendors through a USSD-based platform. A pilot program will test the impact on water prices, search times, and clean water uptake.

1. m-maji (mmaji.wordpress.com) Sunny Jeon, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Stanford Joshua Cohen, Professor of Law, Philosophy, and Political Science, Stanford Eran Bendavid, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford Katherine Hoffmann, MA, International Policy Studies, Stanford (now at IPA) Terry Winograd, Professor of Computer Science, Stanford

2. Water in Kibera is scarce, costly, and contaminated. Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya

5. Kibera lacks consistent access to water, but not to mobile phones …

6. Kibera lacks consistent access to water, but not to mobile phones … Source: Jack and Suri (2009) Source: CCK, Operators’ returns Phone Use in Kenya Average Mobile Tariffs per Minute

7. Kibera lacks consistent access to water, but not to mobile phones … Source: M-Maji survey of 1,000 households in Kibera (February 2011)

8. M- Maji Welcome to M-Maji! 1. Request Water 2. Sell Water 3. Complain OK < > Back Use ubiquitous mobile technology to improve access to clean water Buyers Vendors

9. Vendors Advertise M- Maji Use USSD to notify M-Maji of water availability, location, price, and quality . Listings updated to reflect current information. Welcome to M-Maji! 1. Request Water 2. Sell Water 3. Complain OK < > Back Buyers Vendors

10. Buyers Query M- Maji Use USSD to find the closest , cheapest , and cleanest water. Water information verified by M-Maji staff on the ground. Welcome to M-Maji! 1. Request Water 2. Sell Water 3. Complain OK < > Back Buyers Vendors

11. Buyers Rate M- Maji Buyers can provide feedback and file complaints about vendors who misrepresent water availability, price, or quality. M-Maji maintains “vendor ratings” and alerts future buyers of any negative histories. Welcome to M-Maji! 1. Request Water 2. Sell Water 3. Complain OK < > Back Buyers Vendors

12. M- Maji Better information will: 1. Reduce water search costs (time, money) 2. Improve clean water uptake 3. Encourage vendor accountability Buyers Vendors

15. www.umande.org M- Maji

17. identifying landmarks

18. identifying landmarks

21. Randomized Impact Evaluation 500 households recruited Visited 3-5 times over 6 month period Week 1: Baseline survey (household survey, water quality test, GPS/price survey) Weeks 3-4: All households receive quality test results, water ed. course, and GPS/Price survey. Random selection encouraged to use M-Maji. Weeks 12, 24: Return to examine changes in access to clean water and household water quality. 1. Lower Water Prices? 2. Lower Search Costs? 3. Household Water Quality?

26. Special Thanks Leann Bankoski Prof. Michele Barry Aidah Binale Prof. Joshua Cohen Prof. Ben Crow Prof. Rob Daines Prof. Larry Diamond Erica Estrada Wendy Ju Sam Kitonyi Kelvin Bai Lugaka Prof. Edward Miguel Hilda Moraa Sally Madsen Caleb Ogara Josiah Omotto Prof. Dan Orwa Jackie Sargent Prof. Peter Waiganjo Prof. Terry Winograd and our amazing collaborators at Umande Trust and the University of Nairobi More details available at: http://mmaji.wordpress.com