We are proud to share that Ulula is a joint winner for the 2021 #StopSlaveryAward by Thomson Reuters Foundation in the Collaboration category, alongside project partners International Peace Information Service (IPIS) and local organizations in Eastern DRC for the innovative Kufatilia mobile-based impact monitoring project in the mining sector.
Since its launch in 2015, the #StopSlaveryAward by the Thomson Reuters Foundation has annually recognized a wide range of innovators including grassroots organizations, journalists and businesses for their efforts to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking within their supply chains. With over 40 million people worldwide estimated to be in modern slavery, the fight to end such widespread forms of labor exploitation is increasingly sustained by journalists, public awareness campaigns and impactful collaborations across sectors, NGOs and civil society.
Local CSOs can access the Ulula platform to review, address and track the resolution of incidents in a transparent and collaborative manner.
Kufatilia, an SMS-based incident reporting and monitoring tool for artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) communities, is a product of close cross-sector collaboration and support from local grassroots organizations. Developed with IPIS and initially launched in Eastern DRC, workers or communities in and around mine sites activate the platform by sending an SMS message of ‘Kufatilia’ (which means ‘to track’ in Swahili) to a local phone number. The system automatically deploys a survey for the informant to complete on their mobile phone. Through their survey responses, informants can report mine accidents, theft, corruption, fraud, child labor, environmental issues, and more. All incidents are funnelled into the Ulula platform’s case management system which local civil society organizations can access to review, address and track the resolution of incidents in a transparent and collaborative manner. A public online dashboard has been made available which visualizes submitted incidents and their status regarding follow-up.
Submitted incidences and their status are visualized on an online public dashboard.
The fight to eradicate modern slavery, human trafficking and forced labor within global supply chains is driven by constant evolution of policies, processes and practical solutions that are thoughtfully designed with affected stakeholders at the center of the process. We’re humbled to be in the company of inspirational organizations working tirelessly to promote more ethical and transparent supply chains around the world.