As part of its remit to build evidence on innovative approaches to develop better, more dynamic ways of tackling both acute hunger and chronic, predictable vulnerability, the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme undertook a pilot project to see how vulnerable people benefit from cellphones.

Ten cellphones were provided to women's farming cooperatives in Lesotho in August 2006 - to people with similar profiles to the beneficiaries of cash transfer schemes. The results show that, contrary to the arguments against using cellphones to deliver cash transfers, even illiterate vulnerable people are able to actively embrace the technology, and their vulnerability is not increased by providing them with a valuable asset.

These women's cooperative groups have greatly benefited from improved communications, both in terms of their farming activities and the reduced time and cost of staying in touch with each other. Furthermore, through selling airtime by SMS they have used them as effective income-generating tools.