ASKnet Retrospective: A Journey of Change and Growth

April was a truly remarkable month for us, not only because we gained recognition of the important strides made by our member hubs, but also because we had an opportunity to take stock of the journey so far. The stories of our community members, the difference #ASKnet has made in their lives and the indelible impact this has had on their livelihoods. In this article, we would like to invite you on a nostalgic and inspirational journey.

In the celebration of World Creativity and Innovation Day, we spotlighted the resourcefulness of host communities and refugee settlements in Uganda and South Sudan through training and invention of low resource power chargers and the cultivation of e-repair skills. During Girls in ICT Day, we had a chance to retrospect on the initiatives and projects that have helped girls learn media skills over the years at Community Creativity for Development (CC4D) and Creative Innovation Centre - C.I.Cug

We had the immense pleasure of one of the most passionate champions of Inclusivity in ICT for girls within our network, Eva Yayi , take part in an inspiring fireside discussion about the crucial importance of the inclusion of girls for digital transformation in South Sudan and her work as a Co-founder GoGirls ICT Initiative

While recognising the importance of preserving and nurturing our planet on Earth Day, we had a chance to be a part of global advocacy towards better and more sustainable e-waste management practices at a global scale through the work of Mathew Lubari , the founder of Community Creativity for Development (CC4D) and a beacon of sustainable practices in e-waste management regionally.

We continued to give refugees a voice through the incredibly moving film, Voice of Resilience which was directed and produced by KIRYANDONGO VIDEO ADVOCATE (KVA) . The film tells the remarkable story of Ohide Phillip, a refugee living in Kiryadongo Refugee settlement in Uganda, and the several trials he overcame. The film is available to watch here.

The greatest highlight for April however, was the opportunity to take stock, meet the real people who have benefited from our projects, and experience first hand, the brilliant and indomitable spirit of these communities that keep us motivated. r0g_agency was a part of this trip and we had a chance to see the outcome of some #ASKnet projects with their accompanying testimonials.

Platform Africa #ASKmobile project democratised access to media skills learning in far flung and often remote refugee communities in Uganda. Through their tireless efforts and the passion they embody for change in the community, they have trained more than 20 young people to be confident and proficient in creative theatre, drama, podcasting, and media production. Anna and Moses gave us testimonials of their experience and the valuable skills they obtained through Platform Africa’s #ASKnet collaborative projects.

Creative Innovation Centre - C.I.Cug used visionary and brilliant low-resource e-repair strategies and up-skilling the youth in communities to recycle and upcycle electronic equipment, engage in peer to peer learning, and mentorship programmes centred on educational and practical vocation skills. Grace and Robert gave us these testimonials about how #ASKnet enabled initiatives at CIC have proven invaluable in their lives.

Within Rhino Camp Refugee Camp and Yei River county, the story of impact continued through the collaborative #ASKnet project. We received testimonials about how #EcoTechRevolution training sessions helped beneficiaries to cultivate a mindset premised on sustainability. Lucia and Emmanuel spoke to us about the positive shifts and skills this project inspired for them.

#EcoTechRevolution and the beneficiaries in Yei and Rhino Camp

Through the development of an innovative collaborative project #MentorHer, The Youth Empowerment Foundation YEF built the capacity of women in Pagirinya Refugee Settlement in digital skills, media production, e-repair, and leadership. Jurua and Jackline told us about the skills they had accrued and how this has transformed their lives.

The life changing impact of #MentorHer project in Pagirinya Refugee Settlement

These are some of the stories that #ASKnet is proud to spotlight showing how our work has benefited real people positively. That rather than balk in the difficulty of access, we go to great lengths to empower the most vulnerable of us.

Our work is made possible by the support of Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and r0g_agency