“We Are Together” is an intervention by a group of tech entrepreneurs who are using the influence of technology to leverage the power of networks that they have developed from their companies to crowdsource a fiscal stimulus for Nigeria.
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Speaking on who they are,
“We are not angels. We are not saints. We are like you – men and women looking at the world, aghast, shell shocked and wondering how an unseen enemy has been able to turn the entire world upside down. We are also not a charity. We are not an NGO. When this is over, we will return to our day jobs.”
The Beginning
This intervention started in the month of April 2020 and will go on till December 2020 after which it will end. Donations started coming in on the 16th of April, 2020 and disbursement started that same day
In a note by the organizers, they talked on the inspiration behind the cause:
“What if government spending isn’t the only way? What if we can crowd fund a fiscal stimulus because it is in our collective interest to do so? This is what this is. We are crowd funding a fiscal stimulus. Those who have some will give to those who do not have a lot in order to stem mass civil unrest and keep the economic engine churning.”
One may then ask, how do they disburse the amount to those who need it?
Using a mix of Sociology, Economics, Psychology, Conflict Theory and understanding of the current situation, the team built a decision engine to ensure that donor funds get in the hands of those who need it the most. Since its inception, over 9million naira has been donated and over NGN 8.49 million has been disbursed to 849 recipients.
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Due to the sensitivity in handling money, an audit of the amounts donated and the amounts disbursed are displayed real-time on the website. Each receiver gets NGN10,000 when their application is approved and is only eligible to apply again after 3 weeks.
What do you need to apply?
You will need to submit data on your BVN and location. This is to ensure that people they reach the people that really need it and the platform is not abused through multiple requests from a single applicant.
The disbursement of donation is done every day of the workweek, from Monday through Friday, once a day. The time of disbursement is usually announced 30 minutes before the window opens on their social media channels like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so that applicants can apply on the website.
When citizens take it upon themselves to solve a problem in the society, it becomes easier to believe in hope and to know that in spite of what is happening in the nation, people with golden hearts still exist. A big shout-out to the team and sponsors – Ibiyemi Adewakun, Favour Ogunlana, Wale Martin, Adekoye Akinhanmi, Albert Oboh, Habeeb Bombata, Chris of Digiscript, Jessica of Wimbart, Mark Essien, Iyin Aboyeji and Oo Nwoye.
Confucius once said:
“To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.”
-Confucius
Source:
We Are Together
Featured Image Source: Wearetogether NG
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