Nahra did have something working in her favor. She had already been selected as a 2016 UNHCR Innovation Fellow. These competitively selected Fellows define a unique challenge and develop, test, and prototype a solution to address it using human-centered design and some funding.<\/p>\n
But at the time she was selected as a Fellow, Nahra was still based in Baku, Azerbaijan, working on IDP issues. She moved to Israel in March, a few months behind the other Innovation Fellows when it came to finding a project to work on.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, hers was not the only mind at work on issues surrounding communication with refugees. Emily Primack, who worked at a community-based organization in Israel, and Sari Cohen, a longtime volunteer and graphic designer, had been talking about developing a smartphone app aimed at getting information to Israel\u2019s refugee population.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really aware that I was new in the context,\u201d Nahra says. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to impose the requirements of the Fellowship on them and it was their idea and their concept.\u201d Fellows are required to follow the set innovation process and approaches. \u201cBut as we met and discussed their ideas, I explained the stages of the Fellowship and the human-centered design process and asked if they\u2019d be willing to take a few steps back and see if their smartphone app was the smartest solution for the problem. They agreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Primack, Cohen, and Nahra examined which sources of news people trusted, and how they used smartphones. The team also wanted to be able to invite young Israeli professionals to think about this problem, and to make it an outreach opportunity. So they set up a meeting and invited communication strategy consultants, journalists, an industrial designer, a social entrepreneur, a technology developer and a Sudanese woman seeking asylum who was often a community liaison for local NGOs.<\/p>\n
The outcome was just what Nahra and her partners had hoped for. \u201cWe informed them of the situation, they asked a lot of questions, they came up with wild ideas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/innovation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Slack-for-iOS-Upload-copy-720x540.jpg\")
Natalia’s ideation workshop in Tel Aviv to brainstorm possible solutions to her challenge.<\/p><\/div>\n
To ensure they weren\u2019t blindly relying on technology, or ignoring community-rooted concepts that might not have jumped out to outsiders, the group started by brainstorming ideas that could have been used 100 years ago. Unfortunately, given the extremely restrictive environment for refugees in Israel\u2014men can be held in a remote detention facility called Holot for up to a year\u2014few ideas were practicable.<\/p>\n
But a hard look at the realities of refugee life in Israel gave Nahra and her colleagues, even more, the\u00a0conviction that a smartphone app that delivered reliable information to users would be of huge benefit. Men who leave Holot before their terms are over are vulnerable to further detention, so delivering information straight to them was key. When Eritrean and Sudanese asylum seekers finish their mandated terms in Holot, they must still adhere to strict rules on where refugees may settle, what work they can do and how to access services.<\/p>\n
In other words, there was a lot of critical information to relay. Furthermore, it was information not many refugees had. UNHCR-led focus groups that asked refugees what they needed to know for life after Holot showed many didn\u2019t really understand what they faced after leaving the facility.<\/p>\n
The solution had to be a sustainable and community-based platform that amplified available information and didn\u2019t impose an unrealistic burden on the organizations that would need to coordinate its upkeep.<\/p>\n
Primed for inclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\nNahra had initially eschewed the idea of creating a smartphone app because everyone else seemed to be doing exactly that. But once she took stock of the constraints, the needs and the context, she realized it was one of the only solutions that could really work.<\/p>\n
Only about 10 percent of asylum seekers in Israel have access to a computer, but 90 percent of them have smartphones, including women and those who cannot read.<\/p>\n
Nahra, Primack and Cohen set out to create an app that would help unburden refugees in Israel from going organization to organization in search of answers, and to try to reach those who reside in remote periphery areas around the country.<\/p>\n
Because Primack and Cohen hadn\u2019t gone through any innovation training, Nahra basically took them through the process she had just learned through her Fellowship workshop. She led them through retreats, exercises and strategic planning sessions. They enrolled in a design thinking workshop and started testing like crazy, getting more data and then iterating. The team went to various reception centers and detention facilities to try their prototype out on refugees and colleagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur first prototypes had more branches to the trees and you had to be able to organize information categorically in a way that was typically Western,\u201d says Nahra.<\/p>\n
They brought out paper models and asked asylum seekers to pretend the sheets were their cell phone screens, testing out the logic and the navigation. They asked men, women and youth in various locations to show them their best friends on Facebook, and watched how they navigated through the app to find them.<\/p>\n
By observing refugees interact with their smartphones, the three noticed they were mostly using scrolling on apps like Facebook to find what they were looking for, not other tools like the search bar. They also noticed that often questions were interlinked within multiple categories, and end users organized their questions under different categories than the one they had chosen.<\/p>\n
Because of their backgrounds in child protection and sexual and gender-based violence and social work and community-based organizations, the three were accustomed to working with the most desperate people. Nahra says they were constantly attuned to think about and test how women would use it, how Sudanese would use it, disabled people, etc.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is who we see on a normal, everyday basis when we\u2019re at work,\u201d Nahra says. \u201cAll of us were already primed. The inclusion of age, gender, diversity in protection approach was already ingrained in all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The power of three was working to their advantage, too. Primack had excellent access to local refugee communities and area NGOs and knew how things worked. Cohen brought in the design component and was familiar with the needs of clients that would come to the two social work NGOs she volunteered with. \u201cBetween the three of us we really thought differently and had discussions around things and wouldn\u2019t always agree,\u201d Nahra says.<\/p>\n
At some point, they realized enough was enough. It was time to take the information they\u2019d collected and build the product. After the Fellowship funding came through, they only had two months to do so.<\/p>\n
Rapid progress on an urgent need<\/strong><\/h2>\nNeither Nahra nor either of her collaborators had developed an app before, and they wanted to engage the talented local Israeli technology community on reaching out to the refugees in their midst. So the team wrote up a Request for Proposals and sent it out locally.<\/p>\n
They responses they got were disappointing: they didn\u2019t have enough money to pay developers for even a basic app. \u201cWe really had no idea how much everything cost,\u201d Nahra remembers. The team was stuck. There was no point using up any of UNHCR\u2019s money if it wasn\u2019t going to actually deliver results.<\/p>\n
But Nahra had an idea. She had been in Portugal a few weeks before and went to a \u201ccommunity lunch,\u201d where vendors brought in food for a big meal with local community members. It was a dreary, rainy day so everyone had stayed for hours and hours, learning about the country and each other. Nahra had heard about Portugal\u2019s big tech community and met a local developer whom now she thought of again. She sent him the RFP to see if he knew anyone who could meet its demands within the cost and time limits. \u00a0Everyone else had been ruled out. And time was almost up.<\/p>\n
The day before the deadline, the Portuguese developers came in with a proposal. They were able to do front and back end, iPhone and Android. \u201cIt was kind of crazy, and we were like, is this for real?\u201d says Nahra. \u201cIt was right under our budget. We went and scheduled the call immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there progress was, by necessity, rapid. Cohen used her graphic design skills to create the look of the app, which also was tested with the asylum seekers for their feedback, despite being on maternity leave with a newborn. Primack was working on the project while planning her wedding. And Nahra remembers sometimes spending up to 40 hours a week on it in addition to her regular job with UNHCR. They tested four prototypes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe probably moved forward with the project because we had no idea how much time all of this would take,\u201d Nahra says. \u201cDetails like navigating through the app. Do you use an \u2018X\u2019? Do you just swipe? It was like building a house and having to install every single switch cover, every single doorknob, and all without ever having done it before.\u201d<\/p>\n
On top of it all, everything had to be translated into the necessary languages. Arabic, Hebrew and English have shared the open-source code for text-to-speech. \u201cThat\u2019s fairly easy, \u201c Nahra says. \u201cBut Tigrinya? It doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d The team had to engage an NGO colleague to record all of the text in bites for each paragraph. And there were more than 300 of them.<\/p>\n
An important protection tool<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen the app, called Salaam, finally launched in June 2017, the exhausted three barely had the energy to cheer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was exciting and surreal to see the app we\u2019d been working on for so long on our phones,\u201d Nahra says. \u201cBut I was anxious \u2026 There\u2019s always that second-guessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nahra and her partners remind themselves of the utility of the app they created. For refugees and even for UNHCR and its NGO partners. The information is reliable. It\u2019s available, without too much navigation, in the four principle languages and in audio form.<\/p>\n
The app requires ongoing translation that implementing partners must commit to, one reason Nahra and her colleagues chose an interagency model that keeps UNHCR as the \u201csuper-user\u201d and assigns updating duties to each participating organization for information within its niche. For under-resourced, overworked organizations, it\u2019s a big ask.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/innovation\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Screen-Shot-2017-09-25-at-10.56.33-AM-1-720x442.png\")
The third iteration of Natalia’s prototype with Hebrew translation.<\/p><\/div>\n
But the need for accurate and updated information is more pressing than ever. A new law allows the Israeli government to take 20 percent of an asylum seeker\u2019s salary, the return of which will be contingent upon that person leaving the country. Furthermore, it will be important to be able to share information and analysis about a recently decided Supreme Court case involving the state’s voluntary departure program. \u201cAccess to correct information is really important because there can be a lot of panic and subsequent rumors that asylum-seekers will base their decisions on,\u201d says Nahra.<\/p>\n
Primack was hired by UNHCR as a Senior Program Assistant, where she meets regularly with local Israeli NGOs and has been training local focal points on how to update their pieces of the app with new answers and news alerts. She is able to remain a focal point for the project as the others go their separate ways, Cohen to further education and a design job with a cyber-security company and Nahra to an extended leave outside of Israel.<\/p>\n
The three plan to meet up and officially celebrate the app they created in November, when they travel to Lisbon to meet the developers they have yet to see face to face.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy then we will have a good sense of whether the app is working well, being used, being updated,\u201d says Nahra. She says every time they tested the app with asylum seekers they responded with excitement and positivity about Salaam. They, along with NGO partners, always encouraged the team to keep going. That positive feedback from the end users drove them forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see it succeed because I think it\u2019s really useful to people,\u201d she says. \u201cHaving access to accurate and reliable information is so important, particularly when one is displaced and trying to access assistance and make decisions about one’s life, rights, and durable solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an important protection tool to be able to say, \u2018We see you. And you have the right to have access to information.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We\u2019re always looking for great stories, ideas, and opinions on innovations that are led by or create impact for refugees. If you have one to share with us send us an email at\u00a0innovation@unhcr.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
Neither Nahra nor either of her collaborators had developed an app before, and they wanted to engage the talented local Israeli technology community on reaching out to the refugees in their midst. So the team wrote up a Request for Proposals and sent it out locally.<\/p>\n
They responses they got were disappointing: they didn\u2019t have enough money to pay developers for even a basic app. \u201cWe really had no idea how much everything cost,\u201d Nahra remembers. The team was stuck. There was no point using up any of UNHCR\u2019s money if it wasn\u2019t going to actually deliver results.<\/p>\n
But Nahra had an idea. She had been in Portugal a few weeks before and went to a \u201ccommunity lunch,\u201d where vendors brought in food for a big meal with local community members. It was a dreary, rainy day so everyone had stayed for hours and hours, learning about the country and each other. Nahra had heard about Portugal\u2019s big tech community and met a local developer whom now she thought of again. She sent him the RFP to see if he knew anyone who could meet its demands within the cost and time limits. \u00a0Everyone else had been ruled out. And time was almost up.<\/p>\n
The day before the deadline, the Portuguese developers came in with a proposal. They were able to do front and back end, iPhone and Android. \u201cIt was kind of crazy, and we were like, is this for real?\u201d says Nahra. \u201cIt was right under our budget. We went and scheduled the call immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
From there progress was, by necessity, rapid. Cohen used her graphic design skills to create the look of the app, which also was tested with the asylum seekers for their feedback, despite being on maternity leave with a newborn. Primack was working on the project while planning her wedding. And Nahra remembers sometimes spending up to 40 hours a week on it in addition to her regular job with UNHCR. They tested four prototypes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe probably moved forward with the project because we had no idea how much time all of this would take,\u201d Nahra says. \u201cDetails like navigating through the app. Do you use an \u2018X\u2019? Do you just swipe? It was like building a house and having to install every single switch cover, every single doorknob, and all without ever having done it before.\u201d<\/p>\n
On top of it all, everything had to be translated into the necessary languages. Arabic, Hebrew and English have shared the open-source code for text-to-speech. \u201cThat\u2019s fairly easy, \u201c Nahra says. \u201cBut Tigrinya? It doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d The team had to engage an NGO colleague to record all of the text in bites for each paragraph. And there were more than 300 of them.<\/p>\n
An important protection tool<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen the app, called Salaam, finally launched in June 2017, the exhausted three barely had the energy to cheer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was exciting and surreal to see the app we\u2019d been working on for so long on our phones,\u201d Nahra says. \u201cBut I was anxious \u2026 There\u2019s always that second-guessing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nahra and her partners remind themselves of the utility of the app they created. For refugees and even for UNHCR and its NGO partners. The information is reliable. It\u2019s available, without too much navigation, in the four principle languages and in audio form.<\/p>\n
The app requires ongoing translation that implementing partners must commit to, one reason Nahra and her colleagues chose an interagency model that keeps UNHCR as the \u201csuper-user\u201d and assigns updating duties to each participating organization for information within its niche. For under-resourced, overworked organizations, it\u2019s a big ask.<\/p>\n
The third iteration of Natalia’s prototype with Hebrew translation.<\/p><\/div>\n
But the need for accurate and updated information is more pressing than ever. A new law allows the Israeli government to take 20 percent of an asylum seeker\u2019s salary, the return of which will be contingent upon that person leaving the country. Furthermore, it will be important to be able to share information and analysis about a recently decided Supreme Court case involving the state’s voluntary departure program. \u201cAccess to correct information is really important because there can be a lot of panic and subsequent rumors that asylum-seekers will base their decisions on,\u201d says Nahra.<\/p>\n
Primack was hired by UNHCR as a Senior Program Assistant, where she meets regularly with local Israeli NGOs and has been training local focal points on how to update their pieces of the app with new answers and news alerts. She is able to remain a focal point for the project as the others go their separate ways, Cohen to further education and a design job with a cyber-security company and Nahra to an extended leave outside of Israel.<\/p>\n
The three plan to meet up and officially celebrate the app they created in November, when they travel to Lisbon to meet the developers they have yet to see face to face.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy then we will have a good sense of whether the app is working well, being used, being updated,\u201d says Nahra. She says every time they tested the app with asylum seekers they responded with excitement and positivity about Salaam. They, along with NGO partners, always encouraged the team to keep going. That positive feedback from the end users drove them forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see it succeed because I think it\u2019s really useful to people,\u201d she says. \u201cHaving access to accurate and reliable information is so important, particularly when one is displaced and trying to access assistance and make decisions about one’s life, rights, and durable solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an important protection tool to be able to say, \u2018We see you. And you have the right to have access to information.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We\u2019re always looking for great stories, ideas, and opinions on innovations that are led by or create impact for refugees. If you have one to share with us send us an email at\u00a0innovation@unhcr.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
The third iteration of Natalia’s prototype with Hebrew translation.<\/p><\/div>\n
But the need for accurate and updated information is more pressing than ever. A new law allows the Israeli government to take 20 percent of an asylum seeker\u2019s salary, the return of which will be contingent upon that person leaving the country. Furthermore, it will be important to be able to share information and analysis about a recently decided Supreme Court case involving the state’s voluntary departure program. \u201cAccess to correct information is really important because there can be a lot of panic and subsequent rumors that asylum-seekers will base their decisions on,\u201d says Nahra.<\/p>\n
Primack was hired by UNHCR as a Senior Program Assistant, where she meets regularly with local Israeli NGOs and has been training local focal points on how to update their pieces of the app with new answers and news alerts. She is able to remain a focal point for the project as the others go their separate ways, Cohen to further education and a design job with a cyber-security company and Nahra to an extended leave outside of Israel.<\/p>\n
The three plan to meet up and officially celebrate the app they created in November, when they travel to Lisbon to meet the developers they have yet to see face to face.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy then we will have a good sense of whether the app is working well, being used, being updated,\u201d says Nahra. She says every time they tested the app with asylum seekers they responded with excitement and positivity about Salaam. They, along with NGO partners, always encouraged the team to keep going. That positive feedback from the end users drove them forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see it succeed because I think it\u2019s really useful to people,\u201d she says. \u201cHaving access to accurate and reliable information is so important, particularly when one is displaced and trying to access assistance and make decisions about one’s life, rights, and durable solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an important protection tool to be able to say, \u2018We see you. And you have the right to have access to information.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We\u2019re always looking for great stories, ideas, and opinions on innovations that are led by or create impact for refugees. If you have one to share with us send us an email at\u00a0innovation@unhcr.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n