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Until recently, I was living in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a war ravaged country among the poorest in the world. Just around the time when iPhones and apps were becoming fashionable among the tech-savvy, I was experiencing life stripped of all luxuries: I bathed with a bucket of water and spent my evenings reading by flashlight. The idea that mobile apps could ever benefit the millions of poor Congolese, many of whom lack electricity and are illiterate, seemed very far-fetched.