Purpose

• Citizen engagement

• Incisive conversations

• Inclusive participation

Why we embarked on the project

The initial goal was to drive an incisive conversation and share learnings on the wins, missteps, and impact of the Covid19 pandemic on the continent. However in later episodes, the theme expanded to engage the public on a discuss that draws light on issues on the path to equitable economic recovery, gender equality, healthcare and others related to our core thematic areas.

Our strategy and process

We decide on speakers who are experts or have been known to have vocal opinions on each thematic issuse or topic we decide on each month. The experts (speakers) are joined by a moderator handles the questions, and keeps the session in check. Each session lasts upto 90 minutes. To improve on the number of participants, we began taking cognizance of trendy topics which are related to our thematic area. The sessions are also recorded to allow people to listen to the conversation at any time.

Outcomes and learnings

Month-on-month, participation increased. We hosted over 24 speakers across 10 major topics.

Project partners

Open Cities Lab. This is under the Africa Data Hub Project supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation