Empowering Ethiopia's Digital Future
Yididya Tewodros, a bright-eyed 11th grader at Abune Gorgorios School, once scrolled through her phone with a mix of curiosity and uncertainty. Today, thanks to My Digital World Ethiopia 3.0, she confidently navigates the digital landscape. Now in its third year, this initiative is a collaboration between KEMMCOM and Meta to raise awareness about safe and responsible digital media usage.
KEMMCOM, leveraging its expertise in corporate affairs, communications, and community outreach, has led the implementation of the programme, while Meta has been instrumental in supporting its mission to address Ethiopia’s unique challenges. From its inception, the programme has evolved to meet the needs of its audience. In the first phase, adolescents aged 13 to 18 were trained through schools, while the second phase expanded to include the general public via Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). This year, the programme has reached new heights, engaging over 8,700 participants through a combined approach of schools and CSOs.
Wengel Tesfaye, Project manager
“The programme’s strategy evolved significantly—from building foundational networks in schools to leveraging CSOs for peacebuilding in conflict-affected areas, and finally combining these efforts to address diverse community needs while promoting long-term impact,” shared Wengel.
By focusing on youth online safety and combating misinformation, My Digital World Ethiopia equips participants with critical thinking skills, fosters awareness of societal issues, and promotes the safe and effective use of digital platforms. With Meta’s steadfast support, KEMMCOM continues to empower Ethiopians to confidently and responsibly navigate the digital age.
“The programme’s strategy evolved significantly—from building foundational networks in schools to leveraging CSOs for peacebuilding in conflict-affected areas, and finally combining these efforts to address diverse community needs while promoting long-term impact. Our partnerships with schools and CSOs ensured that the programme reached both structured learning environments and broader community groups, enabling us to achieve sustainable and widespread impact,” added Wengel. The programme’s impact now provides sound evidence for a national digital literacy policy implemented through schools. See policy brief.
Transformative Reach and Impact in 2024
In its third year, the My Digital World Ethiopia Programme reached new heights. Partnering with Live for Generation Organisation (L4G) and ten private, public, and community schools: Abune Gorgorios School, Assai Public School, Bashewam Academy, Kids New Flower School, New Era School, Neway Challenge Academy, Nolawi Academy, Pan Nation Academy, South West Academy, and St. Joseph School. The programme successfully engaged more than 8,700 trainees, including teenagers and members of the general public.
The programme dedicated a microsite that is proven instrumental, enabling seamless registration, sharing resources, assessing trainees via quizzes, and issuing certificates. As of December 2024, over 8,150 trainees have registered on the platform, with 4,006 successfully completing quizzes and earning their digital certificates. The microsite not only simplified logistics but also became a motivational tool for participants, creating a sense of achievement and engagement.
Feedback from trainees has been overwhelmingly positive. Many expressed newfound confidence in navigating social media, managing privacy, and avoiding misinformation. Some even suggested expanding the programme to cover coding basics and income-generating activities through digital platforms. This enthusiastic reception underlines the programme’s profound impact.
Individual Journeys of Transformation
Here’s what our trainees have to say about the impact of the training. Their words reflect the real-life transformations, skills gained, and opportunities unlocked through this programme. These testimonials highlight the difference the training has made in their personal and professional journeys.
Yididya Tewodros – Grade 11, Abune Gorgorios School
For Yididya, the programme provided crucial insights into online privacy and managing social media addiction. One key takeaway was the importance of thinking about the long-term impact of sharing photos and posts online. “We shouldn’t only think about the present but also how our posts might affect us in the future,” she reflected. Yididya encourages her peers to participate in this training to better prepare for the challenges of the digital age.
Yonatan Dereje – Grade 12, Abune Gorgorios School
Yonatan describes the training as a game-changer in his approach to social media. He learned how to identify accurate information, filter out misinformation, and evaluate trustworthy sources. “This training gave me the tools to use social media responsibly and proactively,” he shared. Yonatan now feels more confident navigating the complexities of social media and strongly believes such training should be mandatory for everyone venturing into the digital world.
Milka Mulugeta – Grade 12, Neway Challenge Academy
Milka highlighted how the training shed light on important issues such as cyberbullying, hacking, and online privacy. She’s already applying lessons like two-step verification and avoiding suspicious links in her daily life. “This training didn’t just improve my technical skills but also made me more socially aware,” she said. Milka strongly believes this programme should expand to reach more students, emphasising its relevance in today’s digital world.
Rahel Getaneh – Grade 8, New Era School
Rahel entered the programme with limited digital literacy but left with a newfound confidence in using social media responsibly. She learned to create strong passwords, safeguard her personal information, and critically evaluate her online presence. “The training has equipped me with the skills I need to succeed in the digital world,” Rahel shared.
Imen Mesfin – Grade 10, New Era School
Imen expressed gratitude for the training, which taught him to focus on educational and valuable content instead of purely entertainment-based material. “The training gave me control over my digital presence,” he explained, emphasising the importance of leveraging digital tools for personal growth and education.
Helena Hailu – Grade 9, Abune Gorgorios School
Before attending the programme, Helena had a negative perception of social media. However, the training helped her see its potential as an educational and empowering tool. She appreciated the emphasis on using digital platforms responsibly and encouraged parental involvement to guide younger users. Helena believes this programme has lasting benefits for everyone who participates.
Testimonials from Trainers
Testimonials from Trainers
Zerihun Workeye – ICT Teacher, Neway Challenge Academy
“As an ICT teacher, I’ve seen many students use technology without understanding its risks. This programme transformed their digital habits and made my job easier by reinforcing the principles of responsible online behaviour. The interactive nature of the training, combined with its practical examples, helped students grasp critical concepts like cyberbullying and online privacy. Watching them grow confident in their ability to navigate the digital world has been incredibly rewarding.”
Etenesh Girma – ICT Teacher, Abune Gorgorios School
“This training has made a significant difference not only for the students but also for me as an educator. I noticed that many students were previously unaware of how to protect their digital identities, but after the programme, they started taking proactive steps to safeguard their privacy and security. One student even approached me to thank me for helping them learn how to avoid phishing scams. This experience affirmed how crucial this training is, and I’m excited to incorporate these lessons into my teaching methods to ensure its impact continues.”
Tamrat Habte – ICT Teacher, New Era School
“My Digital World Ethiopia Programme exceeded my expectations in every way. It’s not often you see students so eager to engage with topics like misinformation and online ethics. I was impressed by how quickly they began applying what they learned, such as creating strong passwords and using two-factor authentication. I’ve also started using some of the programme’s methods in my own teaching, which has improved classroom engagement. The students now see technology not just as a tool for entertainment but as a means for personal growth and learning.”
The testimonials, along with many others, showcase the transformative power of the My Digital World Ethiopia 3.0 Programme in equipping diverse audiences with the knowledge and tools to navigate and succeed in today’s digital landscape. The programme fosters critical thinking skills, promotes safe and responsible online behaviour, and has left a profound impact on students, teachers, and the broader community.
The feedback highlights the depth of the programme’s influence. By providing essential digital literacy skills, the initiative is empowering a generation of informed, responsible digital citizens who are well-equipped to address challenges such as misinformation, cyberbullying, and online privacy risks.
Over the past three years, My Digital World Ethiopia has grown from a visionary idea into a transformative programme, empowering over 30,000 individuals with the skills needed to navigate the digital age safely and responsibly. From its humble beginnings training adolescents in schools, to engaging the general public through Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the programme has steadily evolved to address Ethiopia’s unique digital challenges.
Through KEMMCOM’s expertise in programme implementation and Meta’s unwavering support, My Digital World Ethiopia has not only raised awareness about online safety but has also nurtured critical thinking, combating misinformation and fostering responsible digital citizenship. Participants have gained confidence, and communities have become better equipped to navigate the complexities of the digital world, leaving a lasting impact on the nation.
Building on this success, the programme design team has expanded its horizons, researching the modalities and conditions for scaling this initiative across East Africa. By studying digital literacy levels and societal contexts in neighbouring countries like Eritrea, Somalia, and South Sudan, we aim to adapt and replicate the programme’s success in empowering even more individuals across the region.
As we look to the future, My Digital World continues to stand as a beacon of empowerment—helping individuals not just to participate in the digital age, but to thrive in it. With each step forward, we remain committed to our vision of a digitally literate, informed, and responsible society across Ethiopia and beyond.
The journey continues, and the best is yet to come!
