JOHANNESBURG – The ONE Campaign on Monday, November 24, unveiled the three finalists in the running for the prestigious $100,000 ONE Africa Award, 2014.

The finalists were unveiled at a glittering during the CIVICUS Innovation Awards Ceremony at Wits University, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Joining The ONE Campaign in announcing the finalists was Ms Mpule Kwelagobe, the former Miss Universe who currently heads the Mpule Foundation which advocates for inclusive growth and sustainable development in Africa. She is also a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Youth and HIV/AIDS.

Each year, The ONE Campaign awards the prize of $100,000 which is underwritten by an endowment from The Howard G. Buffet Foundation to recognize and reward the exceptional work of an African organization that seeks to fight extreme poverty and preventable diseases by working toward the achievement of one or more of the Millennium Development Goals. The award is in its seventh year running.

This year, over 120 impressive organizations from 22 countries applied for the Award, but only the top three have been shortlisted as finalists. These three were able to demonstrate innovation and proactivity in using advocacy as a means to transform lives in their communities.

The three finalists are:

 

1. BudgIT (Nigeria): BudgIT’s mission is to ensure that every citizen should have access and an understanding of the Nigerian budget. BudgIT uses mobile phone communication, print media, radio, television, games and community groups to help Nigerian citizens understand how government revenues are spent in the delivery of public infrastructure, how the country’s debt obligations are met and how the overall budget is made and spent.
2. Friends of the Global Fund (Nigeria): This organization is one of Africa’s leading health advocacy organizations that work with governments, the private sector, the international community and community-based organizations on mobilizing political and financial support for the Fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria.
3. The International Community of Women Living with HIV East Africa (ICWEA) Uganda – With a membership of over 10,000 women living with HIV, ICWEA targets decision makers at all levels in its campaign for full access to care and treatment services for those infected by HIV. ICWEA’s advocacy model, called the “Model of Advocates”, is based on evidence of the daily lived experiences of those with HIV so that their full reproductive, legal, financial and general health rights are respected.

 

The winner of the One Africa Award, 2014 will be announced on Sunday, November 30, during the eviction show of Big Brother Africa.

About ONE

ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization backed by more than 6 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. We raise public awareness and press political leaders to keep their promises to end extreme poverty by combating HIV/AIDS and other preventable diseases, increasing investments in agriculture and nutrition and demanding greater transparency in poverty fighting programs.

ONE is not a grant-making organization, does not solicit or receive funding from the public and nor does it receive government funding. ONE is funded almost entirely by foundations, individual philanthropists and corporations. We achieve change through policy advocacy. Our teams in Washington, D.C., New York, London, Johannesburg, Brussels, Berlin, and Paris educate citizens and lobby governments to shape policy solutions that save and improve millions of lives. To learn more, go to ONE.org.