A SECURE PLATFORM FOR EAST AFRICAN WHISTLEBLOWERS
A whistleblower is a person who discloses information regarding actions that are unlawful, illicit or against public interest, that he/she has witnessed, especially in the context of his/her work. By disclosing this information, Whistleblowers take the risk of facing reprisal from those who are alleged of wrongdoing.
HOW WE HELP WHISTLEBLOWERS
You can contact us through info at vuvuzela.org for general inquiries.
To contact us securely, consider one of the following options:
A) You can also contact Vuvuzela (in English or Swahili), through secured messaging application Telegram (download here) via Vuvuzela on Telegram.
All messages sent through Telegram are encrypted on your phone before being sent, and can only be decrypted by the intended recipient.
B) Send us an encrypted email using PGP Encryption. Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is a way to protect your email communications from being read by anyone except their intended recipients.
A relatively simple way to send PGP encrypted emails is with the Mailvelope browser plugin. Mailvelope can be used with popular browser-based email services like Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com and has comprehensive instructions online. We have also recorded a simple video guide to help you get started.
Alternatively, you can opt to open a Proton mail account. ProtonMail is an email service that is developed by a team of scientists who met while working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland. Their goal is simple: To protect people around the world from the mass surveillance that is currently being perpetrated by governments and corporations around the world.
What should you do if you need free legal assistance?
If you are considering or have already reported or disclosed sensitive information, contact us via the messaging service, online portal or hotline. We will connect you with the appropriate legal counsel at the local or international level, free of charge!
Please contact us if you need something published in your country as we have partners who will make it happen.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A whistleblower is a person who discloses information regarding actions that are unlawful, illicit or against public interest, that he/she has witnessed, especially in the context of his/her work. By disclosing this information, whistleblowers take the risk of facing reprisal from those who are alleged of wrongdoing.
Whistleblowing is a term and a concept that carries different meanings around the world. At its basic level, it is when a citizen or employee exposes secretive acts of corruption, injustice, abuse of power or public health threats. The action or omission exposed by the whistleblower can be illegal, but it can also be immoral or against the general interest.
What distinguishes whistleblowing from other kinds of reporting is that whistleblowers are in the position to suffer retaliation and reprisals, and that the inside information they have is critical in halting or preventing crimes, scandals and other threats to the public well-being.
A whistleblower can be…
…a bank employee who learns of a money laundering or tax evasion scheme within the bank and reports the operation to police or the public.
…a soldier who witnesses war crimes being committed by his fellow troops, films the atrocities and releases the video.
…a hospital worker who reports that doctors are selling treatments and medications that are supposed to be free.
…a public employee who discovers that a company has bribed a government official in order to win a public contract.
We know that reporting or disclosing inside information, particularly if it is of a sensitive nature, can pose many risks to your job, profession, financial security, reputation and even your personal safety and the one of your family.
We can help you assess and weigh these and other risks before you make a decision that could have serious unforeseen consequences.
Acting in haste, many employees and citizens have reported crimes or acts of corruption without first seeking professional advice. We are here to help you avoid this mistake. If you have any questions, please connect us at: info at vuvuzela.org
We believe that the price of doing the right thing should not include sacrificing one’s life, freedom, family, income, job, career or health. In this capacity, we plays the intermediary role by providing a community of in-house and external experts to ensure the process of ‘blowing the whistle’ is removed of the perils and threats usually associated with the same.
We are ready to help whistleblowers who wish to report information on crime, corruption, illicit economic activity – whether in the public or private sector, as well as environmental risks that concern East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda being our target). You may live or be based outside of East Africa, and you do not need to be a citizen of East Africa. As long as the information pertains to the region, we are here to help.