Youth Bloggers for Development is a community enhancement project 40 targeting youth leaders and activists by equipping them with skills and information on how take advantage of the internet for information sharing. The training session will focused on the “big five” top social networking channels: Blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. These platforms will be explored including how they can use them to facilitate communication between audiences of all kinds. It’s hoped that youth leaders will be trained on the importance of information sharing through Blogging
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Kampala
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
We have secured a training space at Uganda youth Network a Network a youth led organizations that houses over 40 youth led organizations in the country. The organization will also play a key role in mobilizing participants to attend the training. In much as the media professionals in Uganda are technically youths, youth leaders find it hard to get their events covered by main stream media and there is virtually no meaningful utilization of the internet by the youth leaders. The media thus continues to under-represent the opinions and views of the youths, who unable to buy media platforms and they end up without avenues for free expression and share information about their work.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
I hope to work with energetic team of youth young people including Christopher Okello Igune a dynamic youth activist, a blogger, computer scientist and a social media trainer. He is currently employed with Uganda youth Network. Facebook Igune Okello, Blog Mr. FOWODE blog Twitter@crisigune. Another trainer on the team is Prudence Nyamishana a communication specialist and multimedia journalist. She is currently working with the Forum for women in Democracy (FOWODE) as a communication officer. Facebook Pru Nyamishana, blog: prudencenyamishana.wordpress.com. Twitter @nyamishana. These will offer guidance and advise to have a successful project in addition to facilitating
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Social media is one of the latest tools in as far as mobilizing and organizing the youth for social change. Blogs, Face book, you tube, and twitter among others have become so effective in generating action orient thoughts in addressing pressing concerns of young people. The project will train the youth in using these social media tools to allow further discussions on line in a constructive manner based on the adhering principle of tolerance and objectivity. Individual blogs will created and their face book, twitter accounts revamped. This will allow further interactions and sharing of information about their individual projects
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.
We shall also work closely with youth leaders, especially those committed to working for change. During project implementation, we shall build synergies, strategic relationships and continuously network with selected groups of partners and collaborators.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The project will target 40 youth leaders drawn from youth led CSOs, universities and media circles. This will be by application expressing interest to participate and will be selected based their application and level of interest. In order to sustain their participation throughout the project, we hope to create a specific face book group for continuous sharing online. We shall also make sure that the trainings are enjoyable through participatory approaches as opposed to teacher centered means.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
I am a dynamic youth activist with over four years of experience in the youth movement building as well as being at the forefront of many issues that promote pro-poor values, gender equality, good governance and social justice in Uganda. I am skilled in leadership, ICT and Business facilitation, Blogging and social media training/advocacy, research, Public speaking, Resource Mobilization. Social media is one of the latest tools in as far as mobilizing and organizing the youth for social change. Blogs, Face book, you tube, and twitter among others have become so effective in generating action orient thoughts in addressing pressing concerns of young people.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
We shall take of already existing resource centers provided by Uganda youth Network and Forum for Women in Democracy where we shall have most of the trainings. The venues have about 10 computers on average with secure wireless unlimited internet. It has enough space for outdoor activities as well as ample parking space. However, Participants will be encouraged to carry along their laptops but in case this does not happen, we shall use the few available computers. We shall also use a project to project most of the training content.
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?
We shall build synergies and strategic relationships and continuously network with selected groups of partners and collaborators once the project commences
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
It is also expected that with the existing political environment, some of our gatherings maybe mistaken for political activities which may invoke government anger and suspicion. This can lead to intimidation especially from government representatives in the areas of operation. To address these fears however, we will ensure that all our activities are conducted with knowledge of the relevant bodies in the area. We shall also continuously maintain a non partisan image in all activities.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
Success will be measured based on the following:
• Grasping of concepts by participants and terminologies used during the training
• Participants independently create online content and comfortably share and engage online audience
• The training will be participatory as possible and many questions will be asked. Depending on how the participants answer the questions asked. We shall establish their level of understanding
• Commitment to learning and actively contributing to online conversations established
• Evaluation forms will also be given to the participants to fill in. this will be analyzed in comparison with the baseline survey created
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
June Mobilization and Identification of beneficiaries
Conducting a baseline survey to establish understand the level of understanding among the identified participants about the training
Establishing training venue and ensuring that all training materials are available
Sending out invites to participants
July 2014 training commences
Training 1 Introduction to computers and internet – theory.
Content: Introduction to computer application packages (focus on Microsoft office); the computer architecture (hardware and software – operating systems and application packages); introduction to internet search (focus on internet explorer and firefox web browsers; yahoo, bing, and google search engines); e-mail and social networking (focus on Gmail, yahoo mail, Opera mail; and facebook, twitter, google+, linkedIn, mySpace, causes.com, petitions.com, netlog).
Late July Training 2
August Training 3
August Training 4
August Train
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Transport and subsistence for facilitators and trainees ($ 1,000)
Mobilization and communication (200)
Production of documentaries (300)
Stationary ($ 500)
Total ($ 2,000)
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
we shall need a camera,
flit charts and markers
stationary
and a banner for the project to enhance the project visibility
Contact name
Kaviri Ali
Organization
Youth Equality Center