Kwenda: Angola’s centralised welfare database pools large amounts of data

Kwenda is a social protection program started in Angola in May 2020 to support people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and it is expected to last for 3 years. The program counts with 420 million USD funding from the World Bank and has 4 distinct components.

Besides aiding with the effects of the pandemic, the Angolan government additionally sees KWENDA as a way to increase banking and digital inclusion for populations. This digitisation includes the creation of a centralised database under the Unique Social Register, which gathers the data of citizens living under poverty and vulnerability. Without appropriate safeguards, this register can be a potential source of exploitation in the future.

Source: https://www.angop.ao/site/assets/files/42754/espaco_kwenda.pdf
Writer: Governo de Angola, Fundo de Apoio Social
Date: August 2021