Dozens of young people in Namibia have completed a gamified training programme designed to sharpen their digital rights awareness and online safety skills, as Paradigm Initiative (PIN) expands its continental push for digital inclusion.
The programme, known as the Digital Rights and Inclusion Board Learning Experience (DRIBLE), is an initiative of Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African non-profit focused on digital rights and inclusion.
Its rollout in Namibia marks another stop in the organisation’s Africa tour, where it is convening students and youth communities around conversations on online safety, data protection, and digital participation.
Developed with support from the Open Society Foundations, DRIBLE uses a custom-designed board game to simplify complex digital rights issues.
The goal is to make conversations about data privacy, online harassment, and internet governance more accessible to young Africans.
Namibia joins a growing list of campuses where the initiative has been piloted, including the University of Lagos in Nigeria, Dakar American University of Science and Technology (DAUST) in Senegal, Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Kenya, and the University of Zambia.
PIN says it is targeting 20 million people through its broader digital inclusion and digital rights interventions.
Speaking at the Namibia launch, ‘Gbenga Sesan, executive director of Paradigm Initiative, challenged participants to see themselves as more than passive users of technology.
“You are digital natives. So the question for you is, ‘what are the skills I need to pick up and invest in now?’ You must build the relevant skills that will make you stand out,” he said.
Nashilongo Gervasius Nakale of NamTshuwe Digital Hub, the local partner for the launch, urged participants to look beyond simply using technology.
She encouraged them to understand how digital tools intersect with rights, identity, and society, especially as many of them consider careers in tech-related fields.
In his keynote address, Edward Nepolo, head of the Computer Science Department at the National University of Science and Technology, called on African youth to move from consumption to creation.
“Africa is not a promise for the future anymore, it is a force to be reckoned with now. We should not be comfortable being consumers of technology; we should take our space and play our part in the development and shaping of technology,” he said.
Founded in Lagos in 2007, Paradigm Initiative now operates in six African countries, Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and says it has impacted more than 150,000 young Africans.
DRIBLE builds on its existing platforms such as Ripoti, a digital rights reporting tool, and Ayeta, a digital security toolkit for activists and vulnerable communities.
For PIN, the Namibia rollout is more than another campus event. It is part of a longer-term strategy to equip African youth with the knowledge and tools to participate safely and meaningfully in the continent’s fast-evolving digital economy, while ensuring their rights remain central to that growth.
