Pollicy is a civic technology organization working to transform service delivery in Africa, primarily focused on Uganda and Kenya. They leverage data and digital technologies to address poverty and inequality through a feminist lens, and empower informed and accessible internet use. They work on a project-by-project basis, partnering with technology companies and NGOs like Mozilla and Access Now. In addition, their e-learning platform, Digital Services Academy, offers digital courses to private enterprises and individuals for a charge. They use this income to sustain civic tech work. Pollicy also crowdfunds through their digital projects.

COVID-19 Response

Responding to the consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on people’s lives, Pollicy developed the web game “Choose Your Own Fake News” to teach East African internet users - especially digital newcomers - how to evaluate the trustworthiness and credibility of information they see online. Pollicy has also trained activists and businesses to adapt to remote working and embrace digital tools.

Theory of Change

Digital transformation strategies relying on data collection, analysis, and visualization can lead to more open and citizen-centered government service delivery.

Activities

Since 2017, Pollicy has launched 24 projects. Currently, Pollicy has focused on four initiatives. Their Online Gender Based Violence project provided an interactive tool for African women to navigate the Internet and offers support to fill gaps in the legal framework on online harassment. Wetaase, an online platform uses open data to track and inform on cases of human trafficking and a toll-free phone number available in seven languages to safeguard young people and travelers in East Africa. Their Digital Services Academy provides courses on data analysis, visualization tools, machine-learning, etc. to upskill Africans and empower digital participation and innovation. Additionally, Pollicy’s VOTE:Women initiative uses online and offline media outreach and crowdfunding tactics to amplify female political candidates to promote the political representation and leadership of women.

Results

Wetaase and their team of seven counselors have reached 3,200 people in their effort to protect against human trafficking. Pollicy’s Digital Services Academy boasts 50 instructors across 12 locations in Africa, and there are 250 alumni to date. Their VOTE:Women program has engaged around 500 women. As well, their fake news awareness game “Choose Your Own Fake News” has reached 2,500 people.