Strengthening civic engagement in Congo through community-powered news
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$6,770
A £5,000 seed grant to Congolese entrepreneur Fidelia Okandze to scale Localee, a community‑powered news platform born out of the information vacuum during the 2024 conflict. The grant will fund her go‑to‑market strategy, allowing her to expand the platform into new cities, onboard more users and build strategic partnerships.
- Region 🇨🇩 Congo (DRC)
- Sector Infrastructure
- Stage Pilot
When violence erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2024, many people in the diaspora, Fidelia among them, struggled to find timely, accurate updates about events back home. News trickled through WhatsApp threads and Facebook posts, often late or unverified. Determined to close this gap, Fidelia designed Localee: an app that lets ordinary citizens share real-time reports from their neighbourhoods and verify each other’s information. It quickly evolved from a simple information-sharing tool into a trusted alternative to traditional media, with users reporting on floods, demolitions and political unrest long before these stories reached mainstream channels.
For Fidelia, Localee is more than a tech product; it’s a means of empowering communities. By enabling people to tell their own stories and check each other’s facts, the platform fosters civic voice, visibility and local opportunity.
Why this matters
In cities such as Kinshasa and Goma, accurate local news can be scarce. National outlets often overlook these areas and international reporting is sporadic. Without reliable updates, residents may enter unsafe areas, miss critical opportunities or disengage from civic life. Localee tackles this by putting the power of information in local hands. It builds trust and resilience from the ground up, strengthening community accountability and encouraging participation in public life.
How the grant helps
The grant will help Fidelia move Localee from pilot to launch. With our backing she plans to:
expand from Kinshasa and Goma into Dakar and Nairobi,
onboard at least 1,000 new users and train local ambassadors to verify and amplify reports,
form partnerships with community organisations and local media to widen the platform’s reach, and
refine the app’s notification and validation features so users can report and receive alerts about protests, storms, market announcements and more.
As Localee grows, it will not only make city life safer but also create dignified income opportunities for citizen journalists whose verified posts contribute to public awareness.
Updates
From the field
Major media exposure and partnership lead mark milestone month in DRC
Posted 1 Jul 2025
Excited to share some major milestones from the past month, including national media exposure and a promising lead toward a potential government partnership in the DRC.
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Achievements…
Growing Visibility: In just one month, we gained over 100 new followers across our social media platforms, reflecting increasing public interest in our work.
On-the-Ground Campaign in Kinshasa: We traveled to Kinshasa and successfully promoted Franck on three major media platforms: two television channels and one radio station, reaching a combined audience of over 3 million people.
Facebook Ads Launched: We launched our first Facebook ad campaign, which will run for one month. Within the first 24 hours, we received 21 inbound messages and calls from individuals across the DRC expressing interest in the app.
Cross-Border Information Flow: With a new team member based in Nairobi, we’re now receiving live updates from Kenya, particularly around current protests, enhancing our regional coverage.
Team Growth: Our local team has expanded to five core members across the DRC and Kenya. Each ambassador is now taking on broader responsibilities, promoting Franck in Goma, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Nairobi.
Rebrand Complete: We completed a full company rebrand, including a new name, to better align with our long-term vision and values.
Dedicated Inbound Line: We’ve established a dedicated contact line for incoming inquiries, now managed by a trusted team member to ensure timely responses to questions about sharing information on the platform.
What’s in the Pipeline …
University Outreach: We’re organizing app promotion rallies at three major universities in Kinshasa to engage directly with young people and onboard new users at scale.
Ongoing Media Exposure: We’re in active discussions to secure a permanent television segment to keep building awareness and credibility for Franck.
Government Partnership Potential: Thanks to our recent media exposure, we’ve been offered an introduction to a Congolese government official to discuss a potential data-sharing contract. If successful, this could allow public institutions to access anonymous platform data to improve public services. This is a major opportunity. Stay tuned.