Appropriate ICT tools & Advocacy forums yielding to delivery of improved services to communities

Appropriate ICT tools especially radio and the formation of advocacy forums have helped improve service delivery through effective monitoring, advocating for improved service delivery and mobilization of the local communities to demand accountability.

ToroDev’s supported People’s Rights and Forum for Development (PRIFODE) through the use of ICT tools like phones & FM Radio Broadcasting as the most accessed media channels in the rural areas of the Rwenzori Region to demand for better services in communities has yielded to the repair of a water source in Mugusu trading centre having been not functioning for  a period of around five months living the trading centre without water yet we know that ‘water is life’.

‘’As a forum leader, we got complaints from community members on the issue. I got a phone and called a leader Hon. Ampaire Sedrack who is a sub county councilor representing Burungu parish who did not respond to my call then I sent him a message explaining how people were suffering without water yet water is life and told him if they are not able to rectify the situation they should let us know so that we mobilize the community on solving the issue’’, said Mr. Mukwano Senyojo the forum leader.

On 1^st September 2015 the water source was repaired by the sub county authorities and now people are accessing safe and clean water in Mugusu trading centre.

A mechanic, Advocacy forum members & Community members witnessing the repair work going on

ToroDev realized that leaders were not visiting their electorates to ascertain the problems in communities and as a way to bridge the gap between leaders and the citizens, the use of radio programs, phone calls, sms platform like Trac fm were introduced to help people demand for improved services and accountability from their leaders.

‘’ ICT tools have helped us reach our leaders faster even when we do not meet them physically and the cost of moving from one place to another looking for them is reduced. We shall keep encouraging our citizens to use ICT tools to demand for improved services & accountability from their leaders’’, said Ms Tumuhairwe Oliver, a citizen of Mugusu trading centre.

 We thank ToroDev for having looked at this dilemma and coming up with a solution, from the training we got on ICT tools, no leader can now hide him/herself, if we call and he does not pick the phone, we send a message which will put them on pressure and they will respond positively to what is being demanded in order to improve the living conditions of our people in communities’’, said Mr. Kusemererwa Sam, a member of the forum.

We are grateful to our partners for the financial & technical support and the work of advocacy forums in the communities of the 7 districts in the Rwenzori region.