©UNICEF/Mokili/DRC/2022
"Just 6 months ago we celebrated 3 million U-Reporters. This is unbelievable. U-Report is spreading like wildfire in DRC". - Joyce Masiala, 19, U-Reporter.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) now has 4 million young Congolese active on the U-Report platform, more than 700% growth in less than two years, making it the fastest growing and second largest U-Report platform in the world.
"As UNICEF's new representative
in the DRC, I am pleased to see the enthusiasm of Congolese youth to make their
voices heard peacefully. I would also like to point out that these results have
been made possible thanks to the generosity of the private sector, especially
the mobile phone companies (Airtel, Orange, Vodacom and Africell) without whom
the enormous success of the U-Report platform in directly engaging communities
would not have been possible. " said Grant Leaity, UNICEF
Representative in the DRC.
"Your voice matters!"
It's not just a slogan, it's real. U-Report is an advocacy tool to
address some of the issues in the community. Since the re-launch of U-Report in
DRC in 2019, 36 U-Report surveys have been sent to Congolese youth and
adolescents. The results are available in real time on the website www.drc.ureport.in and
then shared via SMS, media, and the web, to raise social dialogue and influence
the decision-making process.
©UNICEF/2022/Kinshasa
U-Community
It is in this perspective that in June 2022, the U-Reporters presented the results of the survey on youth and women's participation in political and decision-making processes to the DRC's Minister of Youth, Yves Bunkulu, who committed to receiving youth on a monthly basis to discuss the survey results and also link them with other decision-makers, based on the various topics, to inform their decision-making and seek innovative and sustainable solutions.
In addition to surveys, U-Report allows youth to access information
anonymously 24/7 through 35 automated information centers. To access the
available information centers, young people simply send a trigger word via SMS,
Messenger or WhatsApp. To date, the information centers have been accessed over
9,500000 times.
Concrete actions for positive change
In the DRC, U-Report is more than just a virtual platform. It has become a movement for youth and by youth offline.
"I am quite touched when I remember that there was only one U-Report community in January 2021. Today, there are over 67 communities across the country, created by young people themselves. What is much more fascinating is that these communities are created by the youth themselves who have embraced the movement." said Mariette Mwesha, Innovation Officer, UNICEF DRC.
From environmental sanitation actions to free trainings,
life-saving vaccination awareness, youth commit to voluntary actions using
their own means (financial, material, etc). In addition, the automated ACTION
bot via SMS, Messenger or WhatsApp allows youth to record their actions and
measure the real impact in the community. So far, youth have reported more than
80000 actions.
©UNICEF/2022/Hervé
Mbala
In Mbuji-Mayi, central DRC, the U-Reporters organized a discussion
on gender-based violence between female experts and students from the Kanshi
General and Technical Secondary School. More than 200 students were mobilized
and asked all their questions. They also took the opportunity to invite them to
join U-Report and adopt good practices.
©UNICEF/2022/Lubumbashi
U-Community
In Lubumbashi, eastern DRC, U-Reporters visited the Karavia market to raise
awareness about hand washing and regular visits to health centers to avoid
self-medication.
Next project: Launch
of U-Report Girls
©UNICEF/2022/Hervé Mbala
Since 2021, DRC has challenged itself to reach out to engage even more girls in the U-Report movement. With the Voices of Change project in DRC, the primary objective is to creatively improve community participation and communication on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and accountability to the affected population (AAP). The first step to achieving that is to engage the most marginalized group and less engaged: “Girls”. This led to the creation of “U-Report Girls” a first of its kind community designed to increase the number of girls with access to life saving information, build a community of girls to be catalysts for securing their rights and becoming the voices of change in their communities.
"In November 2022,
UNICEF will officially launch U-Report Girls, a platform for and by girls that
will allow them to have their voices heard and access critical information on
issues that are of particular concern to girls. Over 150 participants are
expected to attend this world premiere. They will come from all U-Report
communities in the DRC and across the world. We have planned training
workshops, co-working spaces with businesses, inspirational talks, and
concerts." said Sophie Chavanel, Chief of Communication for
Development and Behavior Change, UNICEF DRC.
U-Report in DRC
U-Report is a free social platform
developed by UNICEF and implemented in the DRC in partnership with the
Congolese government and cell phone operators. Available via SMS, Messenger and WhatsApp, the platform allows communities
to express themselves on issues that are important to them. To learn more about
our latest actions, follow us on our website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Written by: Yann Moussé, Digital Engagement and Capacity Building Consultant
