Esther Njagi
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From Child Bride to Changemaker: How one woman’s story ignited a movement
Growing up as a girl here is tough. Right from birth, the path of our lives is beaten, leading us to places against our own will. In the heart of Shela, a small village in Malindi, a 13-year-old girl faced the grim reality of being married off due to her family’s dire financial situation. In…
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#FichaUchi: Insights from Focus Group Discussions on Data Protection
In 2023, the Ficha Uchi Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) covered 9 counties, aiming to delve deeper into citizens' perceptions of personal data. This is what we learned.
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#FichaUchi: Analyzing the Impact of the Campaign’s Messaging
After the successful Ficha Uchi campaign we ran in 2023, reaching over 100 million people digitally, we assessed the impact of our messaging using a powerful tool called Swayable. Swayable operates on the principle of test and control sampling, a method widely employed in research and marketing to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The test…
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Maono: Equipping Organizations and Changing Lives
We believe that citizens require a local support system that empowers them to take part in community development. This system involves local leaders, community-based organizations, and organizers, providing citizens with the knowledge and courage to engage in public processes. This network of social structures and community institutions aims to empower citizens by providing the tools…
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#FichaUchi 2.0: Your Data, Your Rights
In an increasingly digital world, our lives have become intertwined with technology, opening up avenues for both convenience and vulnerability. The digital age has ushered in new opportunities for scammers, and it seems no one is immune to their tactics. Building on our last data protection awareness campaign, we sought to address issues of data…
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Citizen-Generated Data puts power in the citizens’ hands
Traditionally, data collection initiatives have often been top-down, with external organizations setting the agenda and citizens responding reactively. In the traditional model, institutions play a central role in defining what data is collected and how it is collected. Citizens are seen as respondents, participating in data collection exercises initiated by others. While this approach is…
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The Power of Local Engagement: Reflections from the Global Goals for Local Impact Project
In 2015, we did some work to try and see what citizens care about enough to act and be engaged with the government. We had a simple goal – to stimulate active citizenship and foster responsive government using data to aid communities to provide input into government activities. This project showed us that citizens cared…
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From Global to Local: Local Communities are Key to Achieving the SDGs
In the grand scheme of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the spotlight often falls on national and global leaders making lofty promises. However, the real action, the actual implementation, happens at the grassroots level. It’s in the hands of mayors, governors, chiefs, and the local communities themselves. Unfortunately, the tracking and transparency needed to…
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A Decade of Devolution & The Pursuit of Transformation
This week, we join counties in celebrating a decade of devolution – ten years since Kenya’s 47 counties came into being. The counties were established under the 2010 Constitution, but were actualised after the 2013 general elections. At those elections, Kenyans elected 47 new governors for the first time. Scenes from the 2023 Devolution Conference…
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