In the hills and towns of Uganda, a quiet revolution is taking place over the airwaves. Across Africa, interactive radio shows have long allowed citizens to voice their concerns, but in Uganda, a tech-for-good organization called TracFM is taking it further. It’s pioneering a program that keeps the conversation going, turning public feedback into real action.

The nonprofit’s key innovation is not the radio show itself. It has software that transforms thousands of scattered opinions from SMS messages into clear, structured data, offering policymakers undeniable evidence of citizens’ needs.

By systematically collecting and analyzing this citizen-generated data, TracFM is amplifying voices to reduce poverty in a way that is measurable, targeted and impossible to ignore. This data-driven approach is creating a new, more responsive relationship between the Ugandan people and their leaders.

Quantifying Invisibility: Data on Identity

One of the most profound barriers to escaping poverty is invisibility. This lack of legal recognition has tangible consequences, barring individuals from enrolling in school, accessing government health programs or even securing a formal job. Recognizing this, TracFM’s VOICES Campaign tackled the issue by engaging citizens on the importance of civil registration.

The campaign did more than talk; its polls generated quantifiable data, revealing concrete problems like limited knowledge about civil registration and its benefits. This data produces change at a subregional level, allowing local governments to deploy registration units with greater precision, shifting the issue from a collection of anecdotes to an evidence-based policy challenge.

This new civil registration data will undoubtedly support African leaders and the World Bank Group in their goal of ensuring every citizen has a digital identity by 2030. They believe proper identification enables “financial inclusion, improved governance and the empowerment of women and girls.” It also unlocks a wide range of additional benefits.

From Identity to an Individual’s Rights

Another campaign of TracFM targets the complex issue of governance and human rights. Without a clear understanding of their fundamental rights, citizens may be afraid to speak up or assemble. TracFM’s Human Rights Awareness campaign, known as the Sauti Stream, directly confronted this by educating people on their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

The data from the SMS polls created a vital feedback loop, essentially a report on the state of civic literacy, “with 64% of respondents either unaware of their rights or lacking access to information.” Additional data from the reports offer educators and civil society groups insight into which rights are least understood, helping them to tailor their outreach programs accordingly.

This process is a grassroots application of the principles championed by the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) “Human Rights-Based Approach to Development.” The approach argues that development is most effective when people are empowered agents of change. The data of TracFM produces change by providing the concrete evidence needed for that empowerment to translate into responsive public engagement, ensuring resources for civic education can be directed where they are needed most.

A Look at Land Ownership

Armed with an identity and knowledge of their rights, citizens can tackle core economic issues like land. Insecure land rights are a primary driver of poverty and conflict, particularly for women and farmers. TracFM’s Land Rights in Uganda campaign addressed this by polling citizens on their knowledge of land laws and their experiences with local land management.

These polls developed data that highlighted where legal literacy was lowest and where citizens felt most powerless. Surprisingly, only 18% of respondents said they had registered their land, stating that the process is “too expensive or complicated.” About 68% of respondents believed that their registration would only benefit the elite and they were not misled in their assumptions.

Given their reduced access to legal counsel and information, the average citizen is vulnerable to land fraud and corruption. Such issues point toward a clear need for greater transparency and more responsible collection of information. The concept of citizen-generated data to improve economic stability is at the forefront of global development. The World Bank’s 2021 report, “Data for Better Lives,” details how such data can help design more effective public services, including land registration programs that secure property rights for people experiencing poverty. This data-driven model also aligns with global trends in governance.

Conclusion

Ultimately, TracFM’s power lies in its process: it captures the human voice, translates it into the language of data and presents it as clear evidence. It proves that data produces change and that citizen-driven information is most effective when voices are not just heard, but counted and given weight.

– Levi Ravnsborg

Levi is based in Summerland, BC, Canada and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr