Nakuru slum girls get tips on digital skills
Mr James Wakibia (left) an environmental activist giving tips to girls and young women on photography during the International Day of the Girl Child in Nakuru Town on October 10, 2021.
More than 50 girls from Nakuru Town East slums marked the International Day of the Girl Child by receiving digital skills
The exercise saw young mothers doing small scale businesses in the slums and schoolgirls receive tips on improving their digital, photography and art skills and how to avoid pitfalls that could endanger their social lives while leveraging on digital space to make money.
The ceremony was organised by the Young African Women Initiative (Yawi), a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for the rights of women, girls and children and supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).
The session saw girls bombard experts in Information Technology and photography led by environmental activists Mr James Wakibia and IT expert Churchill Jomo with questions.
Yawi founder Fidelis Wambui Karanja said this year's theme, "Digital generation our generation' was timely since it came at a time when many girls and young women in the slums were hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Photography
"The tips will help the girls and young women cope with adversities brought by the Covid-19 pandemic by using social media platforms to their advantage. We want the girls to know how to use social media platforms, get tips on photography to enable them to tell their stories positively," said Ms Karanja.
She urged the girls and young women to use the digital platforms to improve their lives.
The official called on the ministry of Information, Technology and Communication (ICT), Innovation and Youth Affairs to monitor sites that expose girls and young women to abuse.
Information Technology (IT) specialist Churchill Jomo (centre) shows girls and young women how to operate various social media platforms during the International Day of the Girl Child at Young African Women Initiative centre in Nakuru Town on October 10, 2021.
"The ministry needs to make sure only digital sites that are helpful and connect girls and young women to the rest of the world by sharing their stories to improve their lives are allowed to operate in our digital space," said Ms Karanja.
She said that if not monitored, social media platforms can be dangerous to young girls.
"We have cases of girls posting nude photos, while others are dying by suicide after cyberbullying. These are some of the dangers we need to protect our girls from even as we push for a digital awareness campaign," said Ms Karanja.
She said some of the video sites were sponsored by terrorists and were dangerous to young girls and boys.
"Some of these sites are to blame for the recent increase of radicalised young boys and girls in the country. The government should monitor these sites round the clock for the sake of these young boys and girls," said Ms Karanja.
