Youth and influencers in Kwale taught how to fight digital abuse

CHARI SUCHE-KNA

Youth, community leaders, journalists, and social media influencers in Kwale have been trained on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV).

The training comes amid growing concerns over online harassment, cyberbullying, and digital abuse in the country.

The three-day training, organized by Search for Common Ground under the Catalyst Project, brought together TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube administrators, community-based organizations, journalists, and security stakeholders to discuss the dangers of harmful online behaviour and ways to create safer digital spaces.

Speaking during the training in Ukunda, Collins Mureithi, the founder of Change Makers Hub and Tech Center in Kinondo, said the sessions helped him understand the importance of responsible technology use among young people.

He added that as a community leader, he intends to train fellow youth and volunteers on responsible online behaviour to reduce cyber harassment, bullying, and other risky digital practices. 

Mureithi said many young people engage in harmful online activities without understanding the long-term consequences.

He noted that the training had empowered him with knowledge on how youth can protect themselves online while also helping others avoid dangerous online conduct.

Another participant, Marion Sidi from Ukunda, said the training opened her eyes to forms of abuse she previously considered normal social media behaviour.

Marion admitted that before attending the training, she viewed insulting comments and online body shaming as ordinary online interactions.

She praised the role of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and other organizations in supporting victims of online abuse, urging women and girls not to suffer in silence.

Another participant, Lucy Ndanu, a student from the Technical University of Mombasa Kwale Campus, described TFGBV as an emerging issue that many people still underestimate.

Ndanu emphasized the need for more public awareness campaigns, especially targeting women who may not recognize that they are victims of online abuse.