Highlighting Changemakers - Francis Maberi

Briefly introduce yourself

My name is Francis Maberi - many of my peers, those younger than I and the communities I have been engaging in public accountability for public services call me Ambassador and I have taken the title. I am a believer and practitioner for community mobilization and stakeholders lobbying as a mechanism for accountability, meaningful, visible and measurable service delivery and governance. My work spans from mobilising young people in faith institutions, co-chairing the global action youth team @Action2015Youth putting world leaders on pressure to commit to ending poverty, respond to climate change, and reduce inequality by adopting, domesticating and implementing of the SDGs leaving no one behind.

Why did you choose to become a community activist

My journey to becoming an activist started with mobilizing age mates in my village to demand for water by walking to the local government. Colleagues and I were always punished at our primary school for arriving late at school. This was because we had to walk about 8KM every morning to collect water for home use before going to school. We always left school late so we could not fetch water in the evenings. This worked the school came to know of our demonstration and the morning punishment stopped. Also, the local government responded by providing a borehole in our village. I believe when communities raise their voice and demand for what is rightfully theirs, they get it.

What kind of community work are you involved in?

The kind of community work I am involved in is evidence-based advocacy and activism. I do small scale data collection where community members are consulted around their satisfaction for public services delivery, levels of participation and government. After data collection, I identify gaps for lobbying stakeholders.

I also do model community youth income generation activities. I have a demonstration Piggery project and tree planning project in my village. My work has also created a network of activism /advocacy youth champions in the city where most of my advocacy happens as well as in the upcountry where I have built teams to engage with local government and other key stakeholders.

What inspires your work?

What inspires my work is the achievements reached as a team. Some of the champions have become elected as local government representatives at local government councils - while others have used our work to get scholarships and internships to high profile institutions like Harvard University. This is a result of all the work we have been doing. The @Action2015Y success speaks volumes. The communities have also liked our work, welcomed and supported us consistently. To be recognised in such a way has also created more inspiration. Needless to stress that stakeholders especially at local government levels have always responded to some of the concerns we have been raising although there is more that still needs to be done.

Are there some success stories that you can share from your work

In August, we were in Mbale, Namanyonyi sub-county and the biggest concern over the year has been land ownership. The over 80% of the whole sub-county land belong to an absentee landlord rewarded by the colonial government. The family of the absentee landlord has been threatening tenants with eviction. We successfully lobbied the government for intervention and just last mont the government agreed to compensate the absentee landlord family and let the tenants own the land on which they are staying. Our lobbying has brought over 50 boreholes in Namanyonyi sub-county. Election of our team leaders at community levels to local government councils shows trust from communities. At a personal level, I was invited to be a member of the national central SDGs awareness committee chaired by the office of the prime minister and Office of the UN Resident Coordinator

Any key lessons that you’ve learnt throughout your community work?

The biggest lesson I've learned from my work is that activism without lobbying is dead. Some politicians can easily isolate your activism as a competing force. I've also appreciated that local committees have huge influence on political decisions because politicians know that it is people in the rural areas that vote most but also recognise the influence of the urban voice. Having presence in both is central to delivering the desired change.

What are the main challenges that you encounter?

The main challenge is financial partners appreciating the approach of my team and financing our work. With no clear physical office, our work is perceived by many as just a movement. I don't contest this, but I am happy with what we have achieved.

How can other youth interested in being active in their communities start?

Young people in communities out there, if you want to start being active in your community it is in your hands. Am sure you are not happy with all that is in your community. Establish a relationship with your leader or an activist in your community. Have a discussion around what is not going right, it might be about a public service, a girl who is being abused, someone or some people being marginalised, bad governance or whatever. Find ways to reach relevant authorities or stakeholders so that they can address the situation.

What do you think is the most important SDG and why?

I was first asked this question by Youth Advocates Ghana the hosts of the Africa Youth SDGs Summit. I said to them and I maintain my answer that SDGs are like a balanced diet, you need each one of it to some measure. SDGs are not personal goals in that if you are hungry, then food is the priority. In SDGs implementation, advocacy, monitoring and reporting, we take a communal perspective and needs differ from one community to another therefore as an individual, its hard for me to say this SDGs is the most important

Any final remarks?

I enjoy SDGs work. I derive happiness and satisfaction from community happiness which results from the advocacy work that I do. I pray that more world leaders start seeking satisfaction from community happiness