Namibian students gain critical digital safety knowledge through DRIBLE tour

Dozens of young people in Namibia have gained critical digital skills through an innovative, gamified learning initiative designed to promote online safety and digital inclusion.

The programme, delivered under Paradigm Initiative’s DRIBLE Tour, empowered students with practical knowledge on how to protect their privacy, identify online risks, and responsibly navigate the digital space while embracing the opportunities it offers.

This follows the deployment of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Board Learning Experience (DRIBLE), an initiative by Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a Pan-African non-profit.

The move marks the latest stop in PIN’s African tour, bringing together students and young people to explore digital rights and online safety.

DRIBLE, developed by Paradigm Initiative with support from the Open Society Foundations, offers a fun, accessible entry point into digital rights and inclusion conversations through a custom-designed board game.

The Namibia launch follows successful pilots at the University of Lagos in Nigeria, the Dakar American University of Science and Technology (DAUST) in Senegal, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) in Nairobi, Kenya, and the University of Zambia in Lusaka.

PIN’s vision is to reach 20 million people through the organisation’s digital inclusion and digital rights intervention.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, ‘Gbenga Sesan, emphasised the transformative potential of DRIBLE and encouraged students to be bold, follow their passions, and build their skillsets within the technology sphere.

“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.”

In her welcoming remarks, Nashilongo Gervasius Nakale of NamTshuwe Digital Hub, the partner and organiser in Namibia, encouraged the young people to make the best use of the opportunity to learn about digital rights and inclusion and to understand the other side of technology, given that many envisage careers in technology-related fields.

She encouraged them to develop sensitivity to the different dimensions of how technology intersects with humanity beyond the ‘use’ aspect.

Head, Department of Computer Science at the National University of Science and Technology, Mr. Edward Nepolo, in his keynote address, affirmed: “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.”

Since its founding in 2007 in Lagos, Paradigm Initiative has expanded across six African countries: Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, impacting over 150,000 young Africans. DRIBLE builds on PIN’s ongoing work addressing digital exclusion, complementing initiatives such as Ripoti, a digital rights reporting platform, and Ayeta, a digital security toolkit for activists and vulnerable groups.

The DRIBLE launch in Namibia marks a key milestone in the organisation’s mission to equip African youth with the knowledge, skills, and tools to thrive safely in the digital age, ensuring their voices and rights are central to the continent’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.