THE ADVOCATE WITHIN; STORY OF AN ACTIVE U-REPORTER
Bukar Gana is a volunteer ward supervisor whose commitment to community development aligns with several humanitarian responses.
On a sunny Tuesday in November 2020, when the team at U-Report paid an advocacy visit to the National Youth Service Corps IDP camp in Maiduguri, he was sighted directing some women to a semi-permanent UNICEF tent constructed to provide healthcare services in the camp. He asked one woman if she had immunized her children, while looking at the card handed over to him by another middle-aged woman.
‘I have been assigned to U-Report for a long time now.’ He began, when the team finally got his attention. He pointed at a poster-sized flyer hanging on the mobile tent wall. ‘I have enrolled many people as U-Reporters,’’ he said.
During a subsequent day visit to the camp, the U-Report team whose aim was to engage camp residents already signed-up on the platform while also enrolling new users, Bukar was at the camp again, ready to welcome the team of seven.
“I have been a U-Reporter for 2 years and I know the benefits because through the U-Report24x7 platform, we complained about the lack of adequate toilet facilities in this camp. U-Report24x7 acted on the report promptly and a good number of toilet facilities were provided at the camp within a short time.’’.
“That is why I mandated volunteer community mobilizers whom I directly supervise to help at least 10 new persons in signing up on the U-Report24x7 platform daily. As a result, more than half of the residents of the NYSC IDP camp have signed up on the platform over the last two years,” he said.
Many active U-Reporters understand the usefulness of the U-Report24x7 platform. They find it easy to recommend it to others and ensure that they join. Becoming a U-Reporter is simple. Text the word SHIGA to 24453. Your voice matters.
VOLUNTEERING IN THE FACE OF DISPLACEMENT
Modu Kura has always been open to volunteering. At the NYSC IDP camp in Maiduguri, Bako joins the team of U-Reporters who visited the camp on an enrolment and engagement drive focused on getting new residents signed to the U-Report24x7 platform.
Like Bukar Gana, another volunteer who works in the same camp, Modu believes that the SMS based platform is an answer to the numerous questions the residents have on issues that concern them.
‘I live in this camp and I am also a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force Volunteer,’ Modu stated.
‘When I first joined U-Report; that was one year ago, I wanted to understand more from the platform. So, I constantly chatted on the platform.. I asked questions about many things and also reported camp conditions,’ he said.
He looked up towards the open space where several men were sitting, discussing in Hausa, the local language.
‘I even decided to show them how the platform works.’ He pointed to the men. ‘I told them it was free. Plenty of them are my friends and I have signed up more than 50 people in this camp alone,’ he said.
Many active U-Reporters understand the relevance of the U-Report24x7 platform as a community engagement tool where life saving information is shared. They find it easy to recommend it to others and ensure that they join. Becoming a U-Reporter is simple. Text the word SHIGA to 24453. Your voice matters.
MAJALISA- A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
As U-Reporters hoisted a supporting pole to reinforce a roll-up banner at the NYSC IDP camp last Tuesday, Bako Umara, a resident and U-Reporter, came closer to the team. The U-Reporters had just arrived at the camp to enroll more residents, find out the challenges of those already enrolled and take feedback for improved engagement with users on the U-Report24x7 platform.
‘U-Reporters?,’ he asked while looking curiously at a nearby banner with the image of some locals looking into a mobile phone together.
‘Come over here. You will be protected from the sun,’ he muttered, while directing the team to another place to mount their stand.
He collected some flyers written in Hausa language. ‘They will surely read this one.’
As the drive to engage with new U-Reporters and find out the challenges of old users continued, Bako recounted that he has observed the importance of U-Report. He joined the platform in 2019 and has enrolled many others since then.
‘So far, I have successfully helped about 70 people to sign up to the U-Report platform in this NYSC camp,’ he said.
‘Some people have said that they do not understand the platform. But this is because they are not using it. It is also because they lack the knowledge required to respond to the messages that U-Report sends. But I have educated many of them on how to engage better on the platform,’’ he said.
He smiled, as he adjusted his caftan.
‘Let’s go to the Majalisa (resting place), that is where we can find many people.’
He led the team on the mission, along with Bukar. At times, the team met an entire family in one location, in other places, the team met just the family head and his friends. Yet in a few places, there were women fixing their hair or chatting, as if they were waiting for the U-Reporters.
Majority of the people the U-Report team met already knew Bukar, Modu and Bako. It was easy to talk to them, find out their challenges and sign up new people. Some did not have mobile phones but promised to sign-up when they have one. It was this category of people who value the flyers the most.
Many active U-Reporters understand the relevance of the U-Report24x7 platform as a community engagement tool where life saving information is shared. They find it easy to recommend it to others and ensure that they join. Becoming a U-Reporter is simple. Text the word SHIGA to 24453. Your voice matters
