ENTERPRISE54 – The ONE Campaign on Monday, November 24, unveiled the three finalists in the running for the prestigious $100,000 ONE Africa Award, 2014 which would be announced Sunday, November 30, during the eviction show of Big Brother Africa.

One of Africa’s leading health advocacy organizations Friends of the Global Fund,made the final list. The Nigerian organization works 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.

Another finalist is BudgIT, a Lagos-based social enterprise whose mission is to ensure citizens have access and gain understanding of the Nigerian budget. BudgIT uses mobile phone communication, print media, radio, television, games and community groupsto 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.

The third finalist is Uganda’s International Community of Women Living with HIV East Africa (ICWEA).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.

These three impressive organizations emerged from over 120 applicants across 22 countries. According to an official statement by ONE “these three were able to demonstrate innovation and proactivity in using advocacy as a means to transform lives in their communities.”

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.