(Tsamba is Shona a word meaning letter or mail, and incwadi is a Ndebele word also meaning letter )The project involves developing a (website) blog with the name tsamba incwadi We will also train a group of young adults from marginalised communities in Zimbabwe who will use the blog as citizen journalists to write their (Tsamba/ Incwadi) blog telling the the world about their communities. The blog will have a twitter handle and Facebook page.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Harare and Bulawayo
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
Young adults (age 25-35) in Zimbabwe are neither young enough to be called youths nor old enough to be called adults. Their voice is usually ignored. Most of them do not have regular access to the Internet but have had basic computer training from their schools. A number of schools in rural Zimbabwe have benefited from computer donations from the government and donor community
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Gamuchirai Masiyiwa gmasiyiwa.wordpress.com
Chris Musodza http://www.secureitzim.com
Charles Saki www.shoamillionchild.org
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Community news, pictures, opinions , and developments in their communities. Members of the community will get to work on their own feature articles about issues pertaining to their communities and the country at large, putting their voice and story on to the international arena.
Social media has the power to empower communities like no other medium ever seen before, citizens will publish their individual and community news blogs and social media sites that will be instrumental in engaging the local leadership, demanding accountability directly and indirectly.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
work with media centre http://www.mediacentrezim.com
link with local newspapers
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
we will train 20 participants. We intend to run a competition and award the best blogger with a tablet to encourage more posts. The launch will have a guest blogger who will encourage the participants. In the event that a blog is picked up by a local newspaper the blogger will be paid.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
I am a blogger and trainer myself . My colleague is also a blogger and trainer. Have been a conulstant for media centre MISA zimbabwe , MMPZ VMCZ for years
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
Work shops will be held at media centre. Participates will get free internet access at media centre for the duration of the project. media centre has a resource centre with 10 computers that share a 2mbps dedicated fibre connection
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
have worked with the community under media centre ,Misa Zimbabwe VMCZ and a UNDEF funded project.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
In working as an individual it might be difficult to mobilise people. will use media centre and Misa Zimbabwe structures to overcome this obstacle.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
Number of bogs (tsamba, inwadi), number of tweets, Page likes and blog hits.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
Blog will be launched within the first 2 week
2nd week we will have the 3 workshops in harare
3rd week harare people are posting
4th week 3 workshops in Bulawayo
5th combined workshop and launch of competition with guest blogger
end of third month we announce the winner of blogging competition with invited guest
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
blog website development ,hosting and domain registration 450
Harare workshop venue hire from media centre Free
Internet form media centre free
3 harare workshop expenses teas, transport 450
3 Bulawayo workshops expenses teas, transport 600
combined workshop and competition launch with guest blogger in harare 250
Android Tablet prize 180
cordinator exepenses for travel fuel 400
Printing and staionary 50
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Promoting the (tsamba/incwadi)blog, putting links to the page
Contact name
Christohpher Musodza
