Project start
The start of this project was very daunting because i didnt realise how big a task it would be. Gaining a readership and action from an audience that is overseas is amazingly hard. I started off by informing friends on the blog of what the project was about and what it was intended to achieve. I asked them to consider their love for our mother land and how we needed to work together to to make our home the better place. I informed participants that this was going to be a forum to discuss how we can increase the participation of the community in the fight aganist corruption. I acknowledged that this was going to be a slow process and that patience was needed to ensure that it was a success. I talked about the development of a monthly news letter and encouraged their participation. I wrote about my project plan and invited participants to take part in the cause of fighting corruption in Uganda.
Consent.
I then wrote to several friends and informed them of the forum and of the plan to build knowledge of the importance of the community in fighting corruption (show letters of consent and information sheets). I recieved three responses to this post and people were encouraging even if they acknowledged that this was no small task and patience was needed for it to succeed. The next post considered the need to change peoples thinking and mindsets to encourage them to fight corruption. I looked at the need to develop an ethically consious community and to do this there is a need to build a body of knowledge that is encouraging to the people to join the fight. I considered one of my friends contributions of teaching children from an early age about right and wrong and how it was important to build an new generation that valued intergrity.
Frustration
At this point i was frustrated with the lack of response and wondered why people were not responding. I had sent out invitiations and i was hoping that this was a hot topic and that people would be happy to take part. I got a message from a friend of mine to stop whining like a baby and get with it hhahahaha. He informed me that there were those who didnt feel comfortable in cyber space and others who spent their time on social sites and were not interested in corruption blogs. He asked me to be patient and patient is a virtue i had to learn.
System
I then wrote about one of the major focuses of this project. Inter agency coperation is major in building this body of knowledge. Having worked in anti corruption before it was important for me to encourage organisation with virtually the same goal to work together to achieve success instead of separately. I feel that working together in interagency cooperation saves resources, man power and time.
Alternative communication on facebook and stalking
After being frustrated with the blog i sought an alternative way of communicating and literally started stalking my friends to take part in the blog hahaha. One of my friends said take the blog's ideas and put them on a simpler forum and so i opened a facebook page and pretty much did the same thing as the blog. However more interaction was encouraged and i got so many followers in a very short time. People came up with discussions and ideas and feed back was amazing.
Images and videos
It took a while before i could figure out how to use images and videos on the blog but when i did it i was like a dog with a bone. I found that with images and videos people had a more clear picture of what i was talking about and they were more encouraged to perform. I found videos of what was happeneing in Uganda in relation to corruption and how the members of parliament and anti corruption agencies were taking on big fish it was amazing.
Activities (Poll)
In looking to create more involvement i set up a poll where i asked participants to vote on whether community involvement would lead to an end in corruption and i only had three participants. These three were even more than i expected and i am grateful to them. In their voting 66% said yes there would be a change and 33% said maybe there would be a change. I think this gives us a feeling that we are headed in the right direction and i think polls are a great idea.
Reiterating the system
At this point i reiterated the system we were working within. I encouraged people to think of the groups involved in the fight as a machinery that needs all its parts to work well. The exclusion of the community does not encourage them to feel a sense of ownership and instead makes them feel excluded. I felt that it was important for the people to be involved for the machinery to work well. I also thought about the history of the country and how it affects people's perceptions and feelings towards corruption and this is a history that cannot be reversed but people want to be made to feel a part of the fight and this was what we needed to achieve.
I also discovered a program that had been started on the intiative of the people and was being piloted in some districts in Uganda before being rolled out across the country. This program is called ' Baraza' and it encourages the people to take government officials to task to account for the monies they have recieved to implement projects. They are made to account to the people basing on the work plans for the period which are also presented to the people. It is important for the people to embrace this and keep public servants on their toes.
Learning patience
At the start of the project i thought this was going to take off like a bush fire but that didnt happen and then i looked everywhere to see what could have gone wrong. I contacted my friends and found people had different schedules and busy time tables so it wasnt possible to expect them to take time to keep reading and following my blog. I imformed participants of the facebook page and invited them to continue to take part in the cause that was noble.
Newsletter
EUREKA!!!!! This is a goal i did not think would be achieved. I initially intended to publish a monthly newsletter. I later realised i needed to refocus my goals and look to produce atleast one newsletter during this semester. I stalked my collegues and requested them to submit pieces for the blog newsletter and they did and thus we have our first news letter. It is great and i am extreamly appreciative of your contributions.
Project growing legs
I am humbled and honoured by the participants involvement and i cannot thank them enough. It is amazing that i initially thought this was a process that would last the semester and i am now being asked to build it for the future. I must admit this is a daunting task and i will inform my fans that i am seriously considering it.
I would like to encourage everyone to remain in touch and i value your opinions and input.
All the best
Syl
