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Mthabisi Tshuma,[email protected]

Poet Rachael Voko has embarked on a mission to educate artists on digital safety, security, and risk assessment tools, focusing on artists from the Matabeleland region.

Supported by the Culture Fund and the European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe under CreativeACTIONs2, Voko’s project, the Digital Haven Project, aims to educate 60 young women from Matabeleland, specifically in areas like Bulawayo, Plumtree, and Gwanda.

The initiative has already trained 20 artists from Bulawayo, with plans to expand to other areas in the coming months.

Voko explained that the Digital Haven Project is part of her larger initiative called Skill a Community.

“In this project, female creatives are equipped with various digital safety, security, and risk assessment tools to reduce online gender-based violence and digital threats encountered in the digital world. The response in Bulawayo has been remarkable. It’s something that young people, especially those in the creative sector, look up to and are eager to learn more about,” said Voko.

“More than 80 female creatives from Bulawayo expressed interest, but we could only accommodate 20. As the world becomes increasingly digital, artists engage with online platforms to market their works, expand their networks, conduct business, and broaden their reach. However, they often face digital threats such as hacked accounts and tampered online data, diminishing their effectiveness and undermining their creative efforts,” she added.

Voko mentioned that one of the sessions includes panel discussions, with Ben Chest and La Dee being part of sharing their experiences with the digital world and how they have overcome violence and threats. – @mthabisi_mthire