An initiative promoting digital safety through school awareness campaigns continues to make a significant impact.
Over the past two years, Storymoja’s premium imprint, Redhot, in partnership with META’s My Digital World Program, has spearheaded the initiative, using African storytelling as a powerful tool to engage students.
So far, more than 120 schools have been reached, leading to the formation of book clubs where students explore and discuss key issues such as online safety, digital wellbeing, and responsible digital citizenship.
The first edition of the program, Deception and Other Stories, brought together voices from across the continent in a groundbreaking Anthology of Digital Stories.
“We are thrilled to partner with Storymoja to positively impact educational communities through the Anthology of Digital Stories,” said Phil Oduor, Head of Policy Programs, Sub-Saharan Africa at META.
“This initiative, which is part of the My Digital World Program, is dedicated to empowering students and advancing our mission to provide valuable resources to students, educators, and guardians… Together, we are committed to fostering a secure online environment and equipping youth in Africa with essential digital skills.” He added.
The book clubs have since evolved into critical platforms for student-led discussions, fostering collaboration, creativity, and deeper engagement with digital safety themes.
This phase of the initiative culminated in the Online Safety Code Challenge—a competition in which students co-created customised online safety codes for their schools and peers.
The winners, Lions Embu (mountain region), Agha Khan Primary (Coast region) and Zeal Covenant (Metropolitan Region) were unveiled on Friday, 26 September, during the Nairobi International Book Fair, an event that also marked the launch of the initiative’s next chapter: a Pan-African Anthology of Digital Stories.
“This partnership goes beyond books,” said Linda Were, Editor-in-Chief of Redhot, It’s about raising a generation that is not only digitally literate, but also responsible, critical thinkers who can thrive in a connected world,” she stated.
The new anthology expands the reach of the programme, showcasing diverse stories from across Africa and continuing Storymoja and META’s mission to blend storytelling, digital literacy, and online safety education.
