Launch of JamiiX in Europe

The second leg of the JamiiX World Tour was Helsinki, Finland where it would be the first time JamiiX will be made available to Europe. JamiiX is a Web 2.0 technology that manages and aggregates conversations via (Mobile) Instant Messengers and Social Networks in a central place. The story of JamiiX is that it is the first Web 2.0 technology conceived and developed on the "notorious" Cape Flats in the Western Cape, South Africa.

This European launch of JamiiX was a follow up of the Cape Town event a few weeks ago. With guests from various industries and technology companies including (Nokia, Mobile Brain Bank) including our hosts and partners (Pajat). The event was held at a stunning venue the Royal Ravintola Klub and Terrace where we welcomed the guests with some great South African tunes and Cape Town atmosphere.


The event was co-hosted by Aalto University and sponsored by SAFIPA. The evening was an opportunity to share the history of JamiiX and the people behind it as well as share some key points about JamiiX:

1. It is currently using the FREEmium model.
2. It is a distributed system to manage mulitple conversations via web
3. It is easy to register
4. It is hosted on the Cloud and make use of the Software as a Service (SaaS) model
5. JamiiX eXchanges have special features that was on demo to the crowd
6. Push Technology and conversation management tool is changing the way people will manage conversations
7. Introduction to the JamiiX Open API
8. JamiiX as Contact Centre 2.0
9. JamiiX on mobile


The partner in Europe was also revealed at the launch event with lots of interest from various sectors. The guests at the launch were able to play and test JamiiX after the presentation and Q&A session. Overall the JamiiX technology was very well received with possible contacts and clients to be revealed soon. Thank you to everyone who attended and Helsinki for opening the JamiiX doors to Europe. This adventure is also a testimony that innovations from the dusty streets of Africa can have a global impact. Well done to everyone at RLabs and the community who are the reason for celebrating. Next part of the journey will be in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Source: Reconstructed Living Lab

Mobile Counselling Training by The Reconstructed

In collaboration with the Department of Social Development and Impact Direct Ministries, the RLabs team hosted the world's first Mobile Counselling Course to a group of particpants from various Non profit and Community based organisations. The focus of the training was to empower these organisations to make use of mobile phones as part of their counselling services. The training was managed by our mobile counselling specialists who covered a wide range of topics over the three days ranging from the "Art of Mobile Counselling" to "Confessions of a Mobile Counsellor".

The new mobile counsellors were also introduced to the system that will be used for the mobile counselling activities. The excitement by the participants and orgsanisations involved was a clear indication that using mobile counselling as part their support services to clients could add value to their service delivery. This is especially the case for organisations working with youth who use mobile phones daily for engagement with friends and family. The training was only the beginning of the journey and the next few weeks we have to roll it out to schools that could benefit of Drug Mobile Counselling Services.

Launch National AIDS Helpline Mobile Instant Messaging service

Today will be the launch of our hard labour over the past few weeks providing National AIDS Helpline with the technology to offer mobile counselling service to thousands accross South Africa. Why this is such wodnerful opportunity? Interesting facts about South Africa:

1. Highest number of HIV+ people in the world
2. Most unequal countries in the world
3. Best technical infrastructure in Africa, especially cellphones

"Massive potential to use cellphones to provide communication & info services to millions infected or affected by HIV"


We salute the world's first HIV/AIDS Mobile Counsellors as we looking forward seeing how communities will be reconstructed through the use of technology.

National AIDS Helpline counsellors are available Mondays to Thursdays 3-5pm. Add the contact redchatzone@gmail.com (Jabber) or redchatzone (Google Talk) and nickname: Red Chat Zone.

National AIDS Help Line on MXit

Today we started a world's first by offering training to the National AIDS Help Line using our Advice Support technology to offer counselling via Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM). This Pilot is supported by Cell-Life, HIV organisation Right To Care and PEPFAR which will allow for this service to be fully funded for the duration of the Pilot. What this mean for the National AIDS Helpline is that it would be now the only organisation in the world to offer counselling with regard to HIV/AIDS using Mobile Instant Messaging using the technology (see image below)that was developed by a community on the Cape Flats in the Athlone Living Lab.

The first day went well as we introduced the future mobile counselors to "The Art of Mobile Counselling" and "Mobile Phones for Social Good". The training is being done by myself and Craig Ross, member of the Reconstructed Team, and will keep you updated on the progress of the week. Also look out for a post on the "Art of Mobile Counselling". To add the National AIDS Help Line on MXit you do the following:

1) Add Contacts
2) Got to Jabber or Google Talk option
3) ID: redchatzone@gmail.com (Jabber) or redchatzone (Google Talk) and Nickname: Red Chat Zone
4) Accept Contact

This service will be live Mondays to Thursdays between 3pm and 5pm.