Aselo

Modernizing processes of crisis response helplines.

Past and Current Partners

One Family Foundation, Child Helpline International, the End Violence Fund, Twilio.org, Schmidt Futures, Facebook and the Jenesis Group

Active Countries
Zambia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, Brazil, Jamaica
Thematic area(s)
Crisis, Gender
Technology
Open Source
Organisation Name
Beneficent Technology, Inc.
READ MORE ON THEIR WEBSITE

The Problem

Aselo was co-designed with ten child helplines and every feature and capability they added was based on helpline needs. They have already proven that the platform is equally useful to the general crisis response movement, having already expanded to support a gender-based violence helpline and internet-harm helpline.

The Solution

Aselo is an open-source contact center platform that modernizes the work of crisis response helplines by enabling callers and texters to reach out to helplines using their preferred communications channels including voice, webchat, SMS, and social media channels.

How it works?

  • Step 1: Working with crisis response helplines to upgrade and modernize their technology, expanding the ways children and adults can reach out for help
  • Step 2: Children and adults reach out for help via phone or text-based channels (SMS, web chat, social media channels).
  • Step 3: Counselors provide counselling, referrals, and other types of support.
  • Step 4: For serious cases, the creation of police reports for direct response, as well as providing a case management system is maintained to ensure follow-up action.
Digital X Solution Aselo

Bridging the digital divide

Aselo is designed to serve even those with the most basic of telephones by providing free phone calls. Its technology is fundamentally more accessible to people with disabilities since it offers multiple modalities for connecting (not just voice calls for those who can speak and hear).

Impact and highlights

Aselo has helped nearly 15,000 children and youths in Zambia and over 4,000 youths in South Africa.

Plans for expansion

Aselo will go live in India and the Philippines before the end of 2022. Funding has been provided by the End Violence Fund to bring Aselo to Zimbabwe, Chile, and Thailand (grant funding through May 2024). There is also funding to bring Aselo to the United Kingdom (Revenge Porn Hotline), and Colombia as well as a partnership with Kids Help Phone to bring Aselo to Canada. Aselo expects to have signed up and/or launched at least 50 helplines by the end of 2025.

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