Arifu and Praekelt. Org, supported by Google. org have launched a suite of free interactive training and information to help small businesses and micro enterprises impacted by COVID-19 navigate challenges to their business, stay up to date on regulatory changes, and access products and services that will support their recovery.
By sending in the code “ABC” to 7205 on SMS or through Whatsapp + 23417006238 in Nigeria, MSMES are now able to chat with the Arifu Digital Adviser to access targeted digital trainings on services such as: COVID-1 9 specific advice on health, finances, business, education, and stress management, and digital literacy skills for business, which are adapted from GSMA’S mobile internet skills training toolkit.
Other services are: job seeking support tools, changing regulations relating to COVID-19 measures and reopening, as well as information and linkages to recovery products and services.
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The free service will be provided to low income MSMES, employment seekers, and small-holder farmers in Nigeria with the objectives of increasing employment, income and resilience to economic shock among beneficiaries. It will be available on Arifu’s Open Marketplace, accessible using interactive SMS and
Whatsapp through integration with Turn. io, an organisation incubated by Praekelt.org that helps social impact organisations have chat- based personal and guided conversations at scale that improve lives.
Craig Heintzman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Arifu, explains, “We are proud to join forces with
Google.org, Praekelt.org and Turn.io to play a part in supporting the economic recovery of people impacted by this global pandemic. Governments, NGOS, and companies can now easily support the employment of job seekers and resilience of small businesses in their communities with this free chatbot-based learning content”.
