The training of trainers workshop will focus on equipping indigenous women living in the front lines of conflicts (who are involved in peace efforts and or victims, survivors or witnesses) with digital knowledge and citizen media skills that will help them document and share their stories on and best practices in conflict resolution and peace building, with a global audience. These women are the most vulnerable in conflict situations and they lack time, skills and opportunities that will amplify the efforts they are making to promote love, dialogue, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Kaduna
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
The proposal was developed based on a needs assessment , inputs, feed backs and updates from grassroots women leaders and representatives drawn from communities affected by incessant conflict (between farmers and nomads) over grazing rights. The information gathering process brought to bare, the reality that a technology skills gap exists as majority of the women in these communities lacked internet access, and any form of basic digital literacy; notwithstanding their interest in learning how to use and maximize digital tools (mobile technology in particular) and web platforms. A new generation of grassroots women leaders is emerging online and I want the trainees to have an opportunity to bring their stories, needs, and solutions to the forefront of global awareness.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
Staff, volunteers and associates of the Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment will support us with skills and learning materials.
– Yusuf Leinge @yusufleinge, @deliberations, www.facebook.com/yusufleinge)
– Delphine Crisenzo @delphinecrisenzo, www.facebook.com/delphinecrisenzo
– World Pulse (www.worldpulse.com, @worldpulse, www.facebook/delphinecrisenzo)
– Gael Sylvia (www.sylviaglobal.com)
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
I envision grassroots women deploying and using digital tools and platforms to offer unique perspectives on and play active roles in conflict resolution and management as well as peace building. I want to deliver life transforming digital empowerment training programs that will ensure that women have access to and and understanding of the latest tools and trends in digital media; and a help them effectively engage, equip and empower grassroots women. The planned digital empowerment training for grassroots women will be used to harness and amplify grassroots women's voices and to spur (inspire and motivate) them to play active roles in peace building, conflict resolution and management. The citizen media output will include articles, profiles, videos, slideshows, photos, blogs, podcast.
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.
- I am and alumni of the Global Women's Leadership Network – www.gwln.org
– I am the host of ‘WE- Women and Environment’ on Sylvia Global Media Network (SGMN)- www.sylviaglobal.com
– WISE is affiliated to a number of local, national and international women's organization. Among others are the Attarkar Women Association of Nigeria (AWAN), National Council for Women Societies Kaduna State Chapter, Gbagyi Women's Association Kaduna and Local Women and Youth Skills Acquisition Programme, Global Women's Leadership Network (USA), Women's Earth Alliance (USA).
– World Pulse (www.worldpulse.com) is quite acquainted with my organization's activities
– WISE is a member of the A4AI- Nigeria Stakeholder Coalition
Increased engagement on Twitter, Facebook, Linked in and other online social netw
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
Twenty grassroots women leaders and representatives will be selected from a pool of grassroots women groups; to participate in a training of trainers workshop. The project will offer follow up support to participants to self publish a blog and also put social media platforms into active use and engage them online by providing feedback to their posts. help them create a community around their blog, create a women of peace group on Facebook and World Pulse and help them spread their voice to my existing networks. They will also enjoy periodical up to date support on how they can make web 2.0 work for them.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
I am a passionate women's empowerment advocate, a freelance writer and blogger; and community mobilizer and facilitator. I am a World Pulse Voices of our Future correspondent and I recently completed a six months online training in citizen journalism and digital media. As part of the Voices of Our Future citizen journalism and digital media training tasks, I produced a documentary about the indigenous Gbagyi women and I also conducted an 8 day digital empowerment training for 10 grassroots women leaders. I also grew my network online, posted several blogs. Mobile phones are very accessible to the target population and can easily be put into use for social networking and citizen journalism. I possess appreciable digital photography, digital video, social networking, blogging experience.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
I have already identified a conducive cyber cafe with 30 desktop computers which are connected to a high speed internet connection and also offers WiFi internet services.
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?
WISE the organization I founded and direct till date has over 5 years experience working with grassroots women groups in Kaduna State, Nigeria. As an environmental activist and women's empowerment advocate, my work and activities revolves exploring the potential for disadvantaged women to improve their social, economic and political status through developing and managing natural resources. Even so, creating opportunities for women to learn life's skills that will help them take advantage of alternative livelihoods. I have directly and indirectly engaged many of them in awareness, sensitization, mobilization and project planning and implementation activities. Over time I have continued to use digital tools and platforms to build my capacity, competence and relationships.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The following challenges may surface:
– Availability of identified training facility
– Shortfall of funds need for additional funding to expand the project
– Availability of participants
– Language barrier/ communication
– Shortfall in project staffing
The following are respective approaches I will adopt in overcoming the identified challenges:
– Take all necessary steps to secure the venue well ahead of implementation
– Explore additional fund raising options
– Draw up a workshop time table and make certain that participants commit to
attending all sessions
– Selection of participants who can read and write
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
- Feedback from participants e.g administration of project evaluation questionnaires
– Sustained communication with participants and review meetings
– Increased engagement of participants online- the number of stories developed – – – Documented and published online by participants during and after the
– Increased demand for training by other individuals and groups
– Social capital alliances formed and engagement in online activities
– Improved knowledge and skills transferred
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
- Three Months – Planning and preparation
– One Month Implementation 5 day Training Workshop
– One Month – Follow up,
– One Month Report Writing
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
- Pre Workshop cost (Mobilization and Sensitization, Logistics, Equipment) = $610
– Publicity and Communication = $120
– Training Workshop (Consumables and workshop materials, feeding, Training Facility)
= $870
– Follow Up, Monitoring and Evaluation, and reporting $320
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
Mentoring support and recommendation.
Contact name
Olanike Olubunmi Olugboji
Organization
Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment
2 comments
I am pleased to her about this project form Nigeria, in fact we share the same problem here in Rwanda post genocide. It is why I wold like ask the contact person to bee touch with us in order to share our experiences.
May God bless you.
Nice concept