Nigerian, Kenyan, Gambian groups track over $100million for rural communities

- The Follow The Money team is making impact in Nigeria, Kenya and Gambia

- The groups advocate, visualize and track aid meant for rural grassroots communities in their countries

- So far, they have tracked over $100million in budgeted sums for contracts to basic amenities rural communities direly need

The Follow The Money team is making impact in Nigeria, Kenya and Gambia says they have jointly tracked over $100million in their various countries.

This was revealed during a press briefing on Wednesday, December 12, by representatives of the groups in Abuja.

The team leaders are Hamzat Lawal of Connected Development (CODE) - Nigeria, Evelyn Nicole Mathai of Slums Information Development and Resource Centre (SIDAREC) - Kenya and Marr Nyang of Gambia Participates - Gambia.

According to them, since 2012, their members have worked in over 150 grassroots communities in the three countries, impacting over 5 million marginalized lives by engaging national and sub-national governments.

Lawal said: “Connected Development in Nigeria, Gambia Participates and Slum Information Development and Resource Centre, Kenya; provides marginalized and vulnerable communities with resources to amplify their voices with independence and integrity; as well as information that ushers socio-economic development through online and offline platforms that close the feedback loop between citizens and the government to enhance social contracting and accountability.

“In Kenya, we have been able to track $30,000 annual budget for a primary health care centre in one of Nairobi's slums, where there were rising records of maternal and early childhood deaths due to corruption where funds often released, but never reaching slum dwellers. Today, even though we have secured $10,000 for the centre, we are advocating and strengthening citizen's capacity to ask the right questions of duty bearers.

“In the Gambia, we have asked questions about a $8.1million World Bank project for schools to move out of storehouses in to proper safe spaces for children to learn. Today, we are advocating for President Amadou Barrow's government to pass a law that provide freedom of information to citizens to demand accountability of duty bearers.”

He revealed that they have received requests across Africa from young people who want to replicate the Follow The Money model in their countries.

“This excites us, and that is why we have created the ifollowthemoney platform; where our social mobilization drive will raise the critical mass required, to pressure governments to adopting open government policies across Africa,” he added.

Responding to Legit.ng's inquiry about the Follow The Money progress in Kenya, Mathai said since its launch in 2018, the initiative is beginning to make a headway and increasing its visibility in Kenya.

Her words: “We are fortunate enough to have a radio station and apart from social media public engagement, we also utilize the radio station. Our area of reach is one of the most populated slum communities in Nairobi.

“Also through telling human centered stories, getting people who have been affected by people embezzling funds directly or indirectly in terms of service delivery in the education or the health sector.

“Using such stories, it evokes anger in people and it encourages them to take matters into their own hands, so through that, we have been able to receive many people interested in joining the movement.”

On his part, Nyang said the Follow The Money Team has recorded so much success stories in Gambia.

“We have broken down figures for citizens to understand how public funds are misused by officials.

“We have also trained over 100 young people in Gambia as volunteers for the Follow The Money Team in Gambia,” he said.

Highlight of the event was the launching of the 2017/2018 Follow The Money annual report in Gambia.

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Lawal recently addressed African leaders at the African Union (AU) high-level dialogue on democracy, human rights and governance which was held between Wednesday, November 28 and Friday, November 30 in Gaborone, Botswan.

At the event, he shared his experiences and results leading the largest social accountability movement in Africa, using innovative Follow The Money methodology and work process.

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