The Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
recognizes the importance of public access to information for accountability
and good governance, and for enabling citizen participation to be meaningful.
It addresses this challenge by harnessing information communication technology
(ICT) solutions. The Pilot Aid Accountability project aims to make
interventions from DRC and other humanitarian agencies operating in Somalia
more transparent and responsive to citizen’s views and needs by strengthening
local level governance and community-based organisations.
The project utilises innovative ways to
gather feedback from beneficiaries using SMS via a local SIM card, posting the
translated and uncensored feedback on Ushahidi
page http://somcdrd.org/hif. We also use
social media to share findings and engage on-line communities.
Since the start of the
project in September 2011, beneficiary SMS feedback has been implemented in 31
towns and villages in the north and East of Somalia and in May 2012, it has
been extended to 3 districts in Mogadishu.
To date, we have received
280 SMSes.
Surprisingly, over 130 of these were sent within 2 weeks of rolling out the
feedback system to Mogadishu, majority from beneficiaries in IDP camps
receiving cash relief as a result of the recent droughts. In comparison to the
150 SMSes received from 31 locations in Puntland and Somaliland over a period
of 6 months. We we concerned the cost of
10 US cents per SMS, due to using SIM card based in Hargeisa, would deter beneficiaries
in Mogadishu.
Given the challenges in high
illiteracy levels, SMS cost, poor network coverage in remote villages and a
strong oral communication culture, 280 SMSes is very encouraging and the
response from Mogadishu has taken us by surprise.
Beneficiaries can submit feedback by SMS to +254 2
4000919, 24/7 including public holidays. Feedback is processed and followed up
by a member of the feedback team and SMSes are treated with the strictest
confidentiality.
Bellow
are the links to our social media pages with more information:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SomCDRD/
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