An AI-powered chatbot developed locally by Tregter and the Do More Foundation will be featured at the BRICS Youth Innovation Summit scheduled to take place in Cape Town in April this year.
The Eat Love Play Talk (ELPT) chatbot is designed to effectively collect data and can be leveraged to address challenges in early childhood development programmes (ECDs).
Caregivers, and NGO ground workers can now input data on child nutrition, education and well-being into the ELPT chatbot that is hosted on the widely-accessed Whatsapp platform where the data is collected, stored on a data lake, and analysed.
“This tool is a game-changer in capturing real-time, high-quality data from a diverse set of communities, including those in underserved and rural areas,” says Ferdinand Steenkamp, co-founder of Tregter. “By consolidating this information into a unified data lake, the project enables advanced analytics and predictive modeling to drive evidence-based decision-making.”
He adds that the project currently supports approximately 2 500 caregivers annually, benefiting over 6 000 children. “These caregivers gain access to actionable insights and resources, while the broader dataset informs policymakers, practitioners and government about trends and gaps in ECD services, and what resource allocations or potential changes in regulations and legislation are needed.”
The chatbot also strengthens engagement between caregivers and the Do More Foundation, creating and enabling a culture of shared learning and empowerment. Ultimately, this collaboration demonstrates the transformative potential of AI and big data in creating scalable, sustainable solutions for social good.
Data collection on ECD in South Africa remains largely inadequate, especially from underserved and rural communities. Traditional methods have fallen victim to resource constraints, logistical barriers and accessibility challenges.
Steenkamp believes that AI technology can change the game for the good of mankind. A Whatsapp chat bot goes a long way in accelerating the outputs of cash and resource-strapped NGOs who continue to serve as a vital bridge in data gaps of society.
“However, without a sustainable data governance framework, the world continues to lose out on key opportunities to identify trends and make predictions,” he adds. “Because our world is developing faster, there is a need for more predictability.
“While the data age we are now in comes with many positives, without a structured framework for sufficient data collection and analysis, mankind becomes lost in technology that becomes unreliable.
“The future development of AI requires human guidance, supported by the right data.”
Featured picture: Ferdinand Steenkamp and Stefan Gerber, co-founders of Tregter