Stories of change

Lira NGO Forum initiates next stage of teacher monitoring project

2013-04-12T10:39:49Z

The Ugandan media has reported on the development of Lira NGO Forum's Mwananchi project, tracking value for money in primary schools.

Let us talk... about women's participation in local politics

2013-03-25T11:02:36Z

A new report from the World Bank on gender norms has shown how in many places around the world, people believe that by working together women can increase their ability to ‘move up the ladder’. Moses Massa, Communications Officer for the Campaign for Good Governance, Mwananchi's partner in Sierra Leone, shows how a Mwananchi project helped women put aside political differences to work together for greater female representation in last year’s elections.

Accountability starts with acknowledgment: local media and health care in Ethiopia

2013-03-04T10:46:05Z

Admitting a problem is the first step towards accountability and change. Developing countries face a number of challenges in delivering core services and the gap between policy and practice can leave communities ignored and marginalised. This story comes from a Mwananchi project in Ethiopia, where a radio station used its status as an independent organisation to help create the space for health officials to acknowledge challenges in how health services are delivered and reduce conflict between health workers and local women.

Building political ground, undermining accountability? Linking voice and accountability in Kalangala, Uganda

2013-02-14T10:54:23Z

Working with political realities is a fact of life for civil society organisations trying to create opportunities for citizens to express their views and wishes to their political representatives in low accountability contexts. So when a local MP in Kalangala district, Uganda, used a citizen forum to promise community benefits that seemed more designed to ensure voter support than build sustainable public services, Mwananchi partner the Kalangala District NGO Forum (KADINGO) had to think hard about how to work with the MP to deliver the best outcome for local people.

Welcoming unexpected outcomes: media for good governance in Ghana

2013-02-06T12:00:09Z

Some of the most interesting outcomes from a project may be the least expected. This is the story of how Mwananchi Ghana formed the Media for Good Governance initiative, a network of 75 civil society practitioners and journalists focused on promoting good governance and accountability. Our Ghana coordinator, Glowen Kyei-Mensah, explains.

Using 'village voices' to facilitate development at the community level

2013-01-21T12:15:29Z

Our first series of blogs from Mwananachi's country programmes is rounded off by this story from Malawi. Hassan Nkata explains how local radio and community discussion can facilitate service delivery changes in village level education.

New video: introduction to Leh Wi Tok, the Mwananchi Programme in Sierra Leone

2013-01-14T10:47:52Z

This video introduces the Leh Wi Tok project, the name of the Mwananchi Programme in Sierra Leone. Leh Wi Tok means 'Let us talk': the programme focuses on creating peaceful and constructive dialogue between ordinary people and their representatives, particulary women and youth.

In this video, meet several Mwananchi partners in Sierra Leone and hear them talk about their work helping women and young people reach out to their representatives and communicate their views and wishes.

'Young people, jobs and accountability in Sierra Leone: from marginality to dialogue?

2013-01-07T16:42:55Z

Following a trip to Sierra Leone, Mwananchi communications officer Jessica Sinclair Taylor, blogs about a project working in the diamond district to help young people talk to their representatives about unemployment and accountability. Watch Ibrahim Fanday, Youth Chairman for Kono, talk about his work with the Mwananchi Programme.

Local radio turns up the volume on local voices

2012-11-27T09:33:05Z

Local radio is a powerful phenomenon across Africa. In this blog, our coordinator for Zambia, Pryd Chitah, explains how despite a poorly regulated national context, local radio is thriving and championing the voices of the vulnerable.

What is our theory of change?

2012-11-22T14:27:23Z

The Mwananchi Programme’s theory of change is based on a rigorous evidence base, built through our experiences working with citizens, civil society and elected representatives in six African countries.

We rely on our theory of change to guide and interpret our interventions, and we also look for feedback from project outcomes to help refine the theory and to understand what works in different contexts for strong accountability relationships.

This diagram explains our theory of change graphically:

Do you find a diagram a useful way to present a theory of change? Do you agree with our theory? Let us know in the comments below.

To read about our theory of change in more detail, click here.