NetWise: Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Online with YFTC Uganda

Status: Closed

Country: Uganda

Partner: Youth Focus on Transforming Communities

Impact goal: 500 people

About the project

This project will help people in Bidibidi Zone 4 and Yangani Zone 5 learn how to use the internet safely. Many people here are new to the online world and don’t know about things like strong passwords, avoiding scams, and how to keep their personal information private. YFTC Uganda will teach them in easy and local ways. To support this learning, they will also set up three small digital safety hubs that will remain in the community for ongoing use.

Results

Project Aim

The NetWise: Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Online project aimed to support youth, women, students, and first-time internet users in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement to use the internet safely and responsibly. As more people in the settlement began going online, many lacked the knowledge to protect their personal information, avoid scams, and navigate digital spaces with confidence. The project focused on building practical digital safety skills—such as creating strong passwords, identifying online fraud, and protecting privacy—while establishing three community-based digital safety hubs to ensure continued access to learning and safe internet use beyond the project period.

Project Results

Over four months, the project was implemented largely as planned and achieved strong results. Community mobilization activities were conducted across Kado Secondary School, Yangani Secondary School, and Zone 4 Annex, engaging 183 community members with support from local leaders, schools, and partners. Feedback from participants and stakeholders indicated increased awareness of online safety, safer internet use for learning and research, improved protection of personal accounts, and growing confidence among women using the internet for communication and small businesses.

Three digital safety hubs were successfully established—one at Kado Secondary School, one at Yangani Secondary School, and one at Zone 4 Annex. These hubs now provide ongoing internet access to both in-school and out-of-school youth, teachers, and community members. The hubs are actively used on a daily basis, with the Zone 4 community hub averaging around 70 users per day, and the two school-based hubs supporting more than 500 users daily.

Eight structured digital safety training sessions were delivered across the three locations, reaching a total of 540 participants, including students, youth, and women from both refugee and host communities. Training topics included safe browsing, password protection, scam identification, and personal data security. To support learning, the project procured tablets, connectivity equipment, and furniture for the hubs, developed a NetWise training manual, and distributed 300 printed copies to participants with limited access to digital devices.

To strengthen sustainability and peer learning, three Digital Champion groups were formed—one at each hub—with 10 members per group. These champions received additional training to support peer-to-peer learning, mentor new users, and help manage hub activities.

Beneficiaries and Impact

The project directly benefited 540 individuals through training sessions and reached an additional 183 people through community engagement activities, exceeding the original target of 500 direct beneficiaries. An estimated 11,000 people indirectly benefited through ongoing internet access at the hubs, peer-to-peer mentorship, shared learning materials, and community-led digital support. Participants reported improved confidence, safer online behavior, better access to educational content, and stronger digital skills for communication and livelihood activities.

Changes and Learning

While there were no major changes to the project’s original aims or activities, demand significantly exceeded expectations. Stakeholders—including the Office of the Prime Minister, education partners, and community leaders—requested that the program be expanded to additional schools and zones within Bidibidi. This highlighted both the relevance and urgency of digital safety training in the settlement, where internet use is rapidly increasing.

Challenges and Adaptations

The main challenges were the high number of users at the hubs and the wide range of digital skill levels among participants. These were addressed by introducing usage schedules, empowering ICT teachers and Digital Champions to manage access, and adapting training methods using simple language, local examples, peer support, and translated materials. These experiences provided valuable insights that will inform future expansions of the NetWise project in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement and similar contexts.

About the partner

YFTC is a youth led organization, devoted to promoting peace-building, youth empowerment, and advocacy activities.

YFTC began as a community-based initiative with its headquarters at Zone 4 annex, Bidibidi refugee settlement. The organization promotes youth, women, and girls’ empowerment through the use of technology to create socio-economic innovation for women and girls. They also facilitate access to information to both refugee and host community while addressing grass root concerns pertaining to conflicts within the communities. Ultimately, they work towards creating an environment conducive for children, youth and women.

View their website here