Sandra Awilli highlights the importance of data management in driving organizational success, stating, “Understanding your business’s performance is essential for its survival. Data is the foundation for making informed decisions, whether for social impact projects or business growth.”
She points out that the absence of proper data management often leads to mismanagement and unaccountability, allowing for potential misuse of funds. To counter this, Sandra has developed tech solutions like Sharecard, empowering beneficiaries by giving them the tools to track and confirm their receipt of resources, fostering transparency and trust in the process.
Sandra Awilli, Team Lead at ShareCARD Uganda, describes herself as a social innovator committed to building technology solutions for better data management. “I started as a digital marketer at the age of 19. My first opportunity to interface with the internet was during my senior six vacation, and I have never looked back since then,” Sandra shares.
Sandra’s entrepreneurial journey began with her determination to overcome the educational limitations she faced growing up. With early exposure to work, she developed a strong sense of responsibility and used her curiosity to excel in various roles, including a stint at Blue Flamingo. After four years, she launched her digital marketing agency, driven by a desire to create solutions that addressed real-world challenges.
Her challenges, particularly in accessing necessities like menstrual hygiene products, motivated Sandra to create Pad Share, a tech-driven solution to combat period poverty. The platform connects community agents with girls in need, significantly reducing the time it takes to get pads to those who need them and ensuring accountability in distribution.
Sandra explains, “We questioned how to ensure direct accountability from the beneficiaries to whom we provide resources. One of the challenges we encountered in seeking partnerships stemmed from widespread mistrust in organizations’ accountability processes, especially regarding pad distribution.”
Auditing resource distribution and ensuring donor accountability were significant hurdles. Sandra tackled these by implementing systems that verify identities and provide real-time accountability, moving away from unreliable paper-based processes.
Recognizing the critical role of data management in the success of impact projects—whether in menstrual hygiene, general hygiene, or agricultural programs—Sandra began innovating with ShareCARD technology in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The PadSHARE pilot project was a ground-breaking initiative that provided girls with decentralized access to menstrual hygiene essentials, even amidst lockdown challenges.
Sandra’s vision for ShareCARD is to empower organizations with the tools needed for effective data management, allowing them to make informed decisions and clearly demonstrate their impact to funders. According to the 2017 IATI report, 70% of organizations in Africa lack an effective system for standardized data management and reporting. This leads to missed opportunities for progress, impact, and, more critically, funding mismanagement.
“We built Sharecard as a comprehensive tool, designed by Africans for Africans, to help organizations manage their data and grow their impact,” she explains. “We realized that if organizations have the right tools to manage their data, it can build trust with funders, especially since many grassroots organizations struggle to meet international accountability standards.”
By addressing the accountability issue inherent in many grassroots initiatives, ShareCARD seeks to build trust with both beneficiaries and funders. Through their software, organizations can track their activities and ensure transparency in resource allocation. Currently, ShareCARD is piloting with two companies and aims to onboard more.
“At ShareCARD, we envision a world where organizations of all sizes can access, analyze, and act upon real-time data, facilitating informed decisions that drive lasting positive impact. Our commitment to empowerment, transparency, innovation, and impact serves as the guiding light for our endeavors,” Sandra says.
ShareCARD is dedicated to advancing both technological innovation and sustainable practices, striving for a greener and more environmentally conscious future. By digitizing last-mile data collection and eliminating excessive paperwork, the platform helps companies reduce their carbon footprints and minimize environmental impact.