TORODEV Presentation during the ICT4Democracy in East Africa Workshop December 2012 A case study of ToroDev Interventions in the Rwenzori region, Western Uganda

1. A case study of ToroDev Interventions in the Rwenzori region, Western Uganda
ICT4Democracy Network for East Africa Workshop,
Dar es Salaam Tanzania, December 4th – 6th 2012
By: Johnstone Baguma

2. Brief About ToroDev
 Established in December 2005 and started operations
in early 2006 as a community based NGO.
 Later became incorporated as a non-profit private
development institution (Limited Liability by
Guarantee) operating in Uganda. Current operations
cover seven rural districts of the Rwenzori
region, western Uganda.
 ToroDev envisions “a Uganda community that is well
informed, knowledgeable, empowered, wealthier, dem
ocratic and responsible for her own development
processes.”
 Mainly targets the marginalized rural women and
youth… definitely with support of men.

3. ToroDev’s main Themes/Programs
 ICT- Enabled Public Accountability for Improved
Service Delivery & Democratic Engagement
 ICT-Enabled Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Development ( Business Incubation Initiative)
 Website; http://www.torodev.co.ug
 Facebook Keyword; “Toro Development Network”
 Twitter; @torodev1
 Blog News; http://torodev.blogspot.com
 Phone; +256 464 66 0034

5. Understanding Freedom of
Expression & Good Governance
 Freedom of Expression
Enjoyment of a fundamental human right to
association, communication. In practice, however, the
enjoyment is not absolute in any country, and commonly is
subject to limitations such as
libel, slander, obscenity, sedition, inciting ethnic
violence, etc..
 Good Governance
Leadership that is sensitive to citizens’ priority development
needs, accommodative to divergent citizens’ views and
offering responsible guidance to social, economic and
political development processes.
 Sustain (-ing)ability:
The most appropriate, cost effective, relevant, people-owned
initiatives/approaches to development

6. Understanding Social Media
 In the interest and concept of this
presentation, Social Media may mean online tools
powered by internet to facilitate data
collection, information and knowledge sharing
for purposes of social, economic and political
development.
 This can be in form of text, audio, visual and other
multimedia communications. Most Web 2.o tools
are social media tools.
 ToroDev heavily relies on open source, social
media tools for data collection, information
access and knowledge sharing.

7. How ToroDev is facilitating the
process?.....Identifying Gaps;
 Already much of legislation is in place in Uganda (AIA
2005, Constitution (Article 29) 1995, ICT Policy 2003, LG
Act , etc. At District & Parliament levels PACs are in place.
 However, the local citizens hardly know that the above
pieces of legislation exist and actually protects them.
 ToroDev identified the broadcast media as most
appropriate ICT tool to converge other sources of
information, including the internet applications because
of challenges of both Basic and ICT skill illiteracy.
 ToroDev understands that, in a rural setting, hardy 3 out of
10 individuals can access print newspapers, neither
internet connectivity, let alone having skills to access it.

8. How ToroDev is facilitating the
process?
 Having a few well trained and committed individuals
(Rural Monitors) who can access online tools to gather
relevant information about service delivery/government
development processes…
 Repackaging this info (using likes of Ushahidi) and freely
communicating it through the broadcast media for the rest
of local citizens in local content…
 ToroDev facilitates the process of bringing together local
citizens and leaders to discuss development issues
together ( democratic engagement) through virtual and
physical platforms.
 Mentoring the Broadcast media practioners to innovatively
engage both local citizens and their leaders to sustainably
discuss priority development needs and address them.

9. Challenges & Efforts to Counter
them
 The participation of women in our initiative still
desirable. Issues of women
mobility, assertiveness, limited skills compared to
male counterparts, lack of resources to own simple
ICT tools like Mobile Phones, radio sets, etc always
arise.
 Limited financial resources that directly
influences, staff capacity at ToroDev, access to
equipment and facilitating interventions like
orienting local leaders on laws, organizing rural
debates where women views and concerns can be
recorded..
 Political leadership Luke warmness to support civil
society, manipulation and interference is high in

10. Conclusion
 When deploying any ICT tool for development in, any
community, a careful study of local people’s capacity in
terms of usability/skills, affordability – including the
costs, infrastructural roll-out, perceptions, etc have to be
carefully studied and considered..
 The convergence/combination of ICT tools also should be
explored and deployed. Whereas it may be expensive and
requiring special skills for a rural citizen to access internet
and use online social or print media information to engage
his/her leaders for improved service delivery, convergence
the same information on a local FM radio station, for
example, can empower the local citizens in any given
community to closely participate in good governance
processes. This is exactly what ToroDev does with
support from SPIDER.