Ethiopian women give birth to an average of five children mainly because less than a third of them have any access to contraceptives.

A new mobile phone based voucher scheme, targeting young Ethiopian women between the ages of 15 and 29 years of age, wants to increase their access to birth controls and lower the birth rate in Africa’s second most populated country.

The scheme is based on teams of health volunteers who offer rural women the chance to learn the benefits of birth control and have an opportunity to order intra-uterine devices (IUDs) and other birth control measures.

The voucher system, which is run by the non-profit Marie Stopes International and funded by the government of the Netherlands, is meant to increase use of health services while addressing the unmet need for contraceptives.

“It is a pro-poor approach,” Abebe Shibru, deputy country director of Marie Stopes International, Ethiopia told Voice of America.  “So women who want to get the service can get it free of charge. So it would enable us to reach the underserved community in Ethiopia.”

It started out as a program passing out vouchers in five districts before it was expanded to20 others. The paper voucher system was later replaced with a e-voucher that allows women to received electronic vouchers as texts on mobile phones of the local health volunteers.

“The voucher distributors go from home to home, organizing community forums such as traditional coffee ceremonies,” said Shibru. “So the coffee ceremonies will serve as an opportunity to discuss about family planning. If the discussant wants to get any service and can’t afford it, she will be eligible for a voucher program.”

Three  well trained community workers equipped with cell phones are stationed in these facilities and offer clients contraceptives of their choice, plus counseling and basic health care information.

Vouchers in the form of text messages are sent to client’s phones. Another coded message is sent by phone to facilities called MSI Ethiopia Centers where the e-vouchers can be redeemed for free or subsidized family planning services.

Currently, 86 percent of clients who visit clinics run by Marie Stopes International own mobile phones, Shibru said.