The app that saved 1000 children

Siama is 11 months old. Tests revealed she had high levels of lead in her blood.

"Children are closer to the ground than adults, and often crawl, getting dust on their hands, which then ends up being ingested as they eat with those dusty hands, or simply put their hands in their mouths. Young children absorb higher percentages of ingested lead: around 40-50% compared to 10% in adults." 
                                                    Doctors Without Borders 

 









"We didn’t know that the soil was contaminated. The gold miners used to bring the soil to the house to wash. We would take from the soil and even use it in the house." Lukman's mother 

“There hasn’t been any help until now. People come to talk to us, but they won’t do anything.” Halima, a grandmother living in Bagega. Eight of her grandchildren died.

“We are losing so many children in Bagega, and the government is not helping us.” Sanni M. Aliu Bagega, an environmental health officer living in Bagega

“Seven children have died so far in this compound, if you include mine, that would make it 10.” Amina Murtala, 20-year-old mother



Photo: Lukman's mother stands in the entrance of her compound. 

" I felt I can add my voice to the voiceless children and hold the government to account by engaging citizens using social media."   Hamzat   

January 2013 - The Follow The Money campaign gets attention from Nigerian politicians. After a visit to Bagega, an influential senator tweeted “I have it on good authority that Mr. President has approved the immediate release of funds to Bagega.”

Follow The Money’s #SaveBagega hashtag generates 921,453 impressions

January 28, 2013 - The Nigerian federal government announces $5.2 million USD has been released 

February 2013 - The Federal Ministry of the Environment announces the start of lead cleanup activities in Bagega

April 2013 - Doctors Without Borders starts treating children in Bagega, enrolling more than 1,000 children in its lead treatment program

July 2013 - After 5 and a half months of work, environmental workers finally complete the lead contamination cleanup in Bagega. The cleanup was executed by the Ministry of Environment with Terragraphics International Foundation as a consultant. Nearly 450 compounds and 4 hectares of land were cleaned

September 2013 - Artisanal miners participate in a workshop conducted by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development on incorporating safer mining practices.

April 2014 - Follow The Money submits a letter to the Federal Ministry of Health to inquire if the ministry had received its money; Follow the Money takes to social media after discovering that the Ministry of Finance had not yet released funds to the Ministry of Health

June 2014 -  The Ministry of Health finally receives its funds

July 2014 - Follow the Money releases a report called “When you make government spending work, nothing works like it!”