EVALUATION PRIZEWINNER ANNOUNCED

When we send people copies of our toolkits and guides, we follow up asking them to complete an online evaluation. To thank people for their feedback we periodically give out a prize based on the questionnaire response judged most intriguing/interesting/critical by a review panel at Tactical Tech. We regularly review the evaluation feedback people give us and make changes based on what people have suggested.

Some toolkit users tell us about software we should include (or not); others mention good case studies we should include. Many people tell us specific ways they've used the toolkits and guides and this helps us document the outcomes of our materials and to get ideas for new info-activism stories.

The latest toolkit evaluation prize winner is Major Alliance Education Centre (MAEC), in Bukoba Kagera Tanzania. Founded in 2001, MAEC’s vision is a society free of poverty, AIDS and drug abuse. The region of Bukoba Kagera recorded the first three cases of HIV/AIDS in Tanzania in 1983 and has seen a sharp rise in the number of HIV/AIDS orphans and young people vulnerable to drug abuse. Drug abuse is still a taboo subject and MAEC have made huge efforts to overcome the stigma of drug addiction and open a dialogue through the use of technology and multimedia to show the effects of drug abuse to communities in the region through their campaign CADA (Campaign Against Drug Abuse).

Godfrey Innocent completed an evaluation for MAEC and we were impressed with their inventive use of limited technology resources and the integration of Tactical Tech’s toolkits into their work. Godfrey says,

“It's not easy for us doing info-activism work in this region. Some of the barriers and challenges include the insufficient of power supply – in some remote areas there is still no electricity available. In addition we always face the problem of internet access. In our areas there are places with no internet access which hinder our activities. Where there is internet the costs are very high. But then again info-activism is very important for us. It's helping us get out information about the impacts of drug abuse in our communities.”

Despite technological obstacles, in May 2010 MAEC pulled together an informative and inspiring workshop that used 10 Tactics to inspire the use of new technologies for addressing drug abuse issues. The event attracted 30 activists and individuals from the surrounding areas. We hope the flipcam will be useful to MAEC in continuing to raise awareness about and de-stigmatise discussions about drug abuse issues in the region and across Tanzania.

PHOTOS: Tactical Tech toolkits being distributed at MAEC/ Godfrey Innocent leading a 10 Tactics workshop