The IT Nerd

United For Iran, a Bay-Area NGO working to promote civil liberties and civil society in Iran is announcing the release of Michka: a new Android app that serves as an e-book designed to help adults teach their children how to identify and report sexual abuse.

Michka is the story of a gender neutral insect whose wings are a private part that should not be touched by others. When one day Mr. Koopoom, an adult insect, touches Michka’s wings, Michka becomes confused about what it should do. The story tells a tale of how children can talk to their parents about things that are confusing.

Sahar Shams, the project lead behind Michka, is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She created the app, with the approval of child psychologists, as a resource for Iranian parents to talk about the difficult topic of sexual abuse in a language that is appropriate, understandable and non-threatening for children.

Unfortunately, there is no data on the prevalence of sexual abuse of children in Iran. But, in 2016, the issue of child sexual abuse became part of the national conversation when number of complaintants came forward in Persian media outlets accusing Saeed Toosi, a prominent qari (someone who recites the Quran), of sexual misconduct, including rape of children.

Michka is the sixth app to come out of United for Iran’s app incubation project, the IranCubator.

Key facts about United for Iran’s IranCubator app development project – The IranCubator:

• United for Iran launched its new app incubation program in June 2016, seeking to match civil society activists with app developers and programmers to build smartphone applications for the 40 million smartphone users currently living in Iran.
• IranCubator provided financial and technical support to winning developers and activists with projects that advance civil society in Iran.
• All submissions were judged by the IranCubator Advisory Board consisting of notable technology and security experts, internet freedom advocates and social entrepreneurs including Allen Gunn, Christopher Allen and Danny Kennedy.
• Ahead of the IranCubator competition, United for Iran conducted an extensive Community Needs Assessment with Iranian activists to determine the specific tools for advancing civil liberties. Based on those findings, the IranCubator Advisory Judges prioritized apps and ideas that fight against the legal and socio-cultural discrimination against women, immigrants, people with disabilities and LGBTQ communities, as well as projects that promote education for underserved communities.

Today, United for Iran, a Bay-Area NGO working to promote civil liberties and civil society in Iran is announcing the release of Haami: a new android app that is designed to provide help for recovering from addiction.

Haami, which means “ally,” is a mobile health application that will aid Iranians dealing with addiction by assisting them with dialing back compulsion and offering buffers for dealing with triggers. Haami offers a range of resources to recovering addicts including a tried and tested roadmap to sobriety through Narcotics Anonymous’ Basic Text, and other educational information to guide them on the road to recovery. A section of the app is designated to support family, friends and allies of recovering addicts.

Additionally, Hami offers an index of recovery centers in various Iranian cities and provinces. The app has a feature, called “I’m Not Ok,” for those who are experiencing an immediate urge to use. In this section, app users can find inspirational stories of people who have successfully been able to stay clean for many years.

According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Iran has one of the gravest addiction crises. Health ministry officials in Iran estimate there are 2.2 million drug addicts in the country of 80 million, 2.75% of the population. However doctors working with recovering addicts believe the actual figures are higher.

Haami is the fifth app to come out of United for Iran’s app incubation project, the IranCubator.

Key facts about United for Iran’s IranCubator app development project – The IranCubator:

• United for Iran launched its new app incubation program in June 2016, seeking to match civil society activists with app developers and programmers to build smartphone applications for the 40 million smartphone users currently living in Iran.
• IranCubator provided financial and technical support to winning developers and activists with projects that advance civil society in Iran.
• All submissions were judged by the IranCubator Advisory Board consisting of notable technology and security experts, internet freedom advocates and social entrepreneurs including Allen Gunn, Christopher Allen and Danny Kennedy.
• Ahead of the IranCubator competition, United for Iran conducted an extensive Community Needs Assessment with Iranian activists to determine the specific tools for advancing civil liberties.  Based on those findings, the IranCubator Advisory Judges prioritized apps and ideas that fight against the legal and socio-cultural discrimination against women, immigrants, people with disabilities and LGBTQ communities, as well as projects that promote education for underserved communities.

United for Iran is an independent nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area working for civil liberties in Iran.