The U-Report team on 26th May 2021 visited the NYSC IDP camp in Maiduguri. The visit came months after a thorough enrolment and engagement drive in October 2020. During the drive last year, more than 10 U-Reporters were involved in actively reminding the camp residents to sign up on the U-Report platform as a means of reporting issues of community importance.
The latter visit was effective in encouraging U-Reporters who are resident in the camp as U-Ambassadors to continue urging others who are not signed up on the platform to join the community of active citizens; to make their voices matter. During the visit, some active U-reporters were given U-Report branded T-shirts for easy identification while they continue in the enrolment and engagement of the residents within the NYSC camp. Two unique U-reporters were spotted at the Primary Health Care Centre in the camp. They serve as health workers at the PHCC and still enrol their patients after consultations. They were also given the branded shirts for easy identification.
The enrolment and engagement drive coincided with the relocation of IDPs from the NYSC camp in Maiduguri town to a distant village - Auno, following instructions given by the State Government. The U-Reporters expressed their appreciation on the visit, re-stating that they would continue to canvas for people to join the U-Report24x7 platform. .
Modu Kura noted:
“Thank you for remembering us today. Even when we leave this camp, we will continue to talk to the residents because that is the easiest way to let the government and others know what we need.”
Following the enrollment and engagement drive, we look forward to increased participation of U-Reporters.
U-Report24x7 is a free SMS-based social monitoring tool for community participation, designed to address issues that the population cares about. SMS polls and alerts are sent out to U-reporters and real-time response information is collected. Results and ideas are shared back with the community. Issues polled include among others health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, youth unemployment, HIV/AIDS, disease outbreaks, social welfare sectors, etc. Data received can be disaggregated by age, gender, state, LGA, ward and settlement in real time. Registration is voluntary with SMS free for users across all networks. In Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, active citizens share their views and report issues affecting them through the free SMS based platform. You too can join by sending the text SHIGA to 24453. Your voice matters!
