February 06, 2018

MMA and partners launch children’s digital literacy programme for 2018

Media Release
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Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and partners are proud to announce the successful launch of the 2018 Web Rangers Programme, on Safer Internet Day (SID), 06 February 2018.

The programme was launched in Cape Town and Johannesburg with both events bringing together civil society, children, educators, government and the private sector to promote online safety and positive use of the internet, in line with the 2018theme for SID.

SID is an internationally celebrated day and therefore provided an opportunity for Web Rangers to share important lessons locally on online safety with hundreds of young people in other parts of the country who are not directly involved in the programme.

Web Rangers is an international digital literacy programme implemented in various countries such as New Zealand, India and Kenya. The programme is designed to allow young people to gain critical skills and knowledge around online safety. These digital champions use their skills to make the world a better place through innovative campaigns that promote safe internet usage and champion their rights in the digital world. In South Africa the initiative is led by MMA in South Africa together with local partners, Google SA, Facebook, the Film Publication Board (FPB), MTN, PPM Attorneys and Digital You.

The activities for the day included messages from programme partners, industry experts and 2017 Web Rangers Ambassadors who shared their messages of online safety in line with Safer Internet Day.

Erin McKay, from McAuley House, spoke during launch in Joburg said:

“We as Web Rangers don’t actually go around rescuing people like “Superman” or “Ironman”, but what we do is teach people how to be safe online and by doing this we are able to help more people, than “Batman” ever could!” 

Other selected schools were also invited to participate in an interschool digital literacy competition where learners played MMA’s Hashplay Board game, an edutainment game centred on online safety and general knowledge that allows participants to learn about safety while competing against each other.

Since its inception in 2016, the programme has made successful gains with over 300 young people inducted into the programme, therefore reaching direct and indirect beneficiaries (conservatively calculated at 900 additional people) through the programme.  

During the launch, Web Rangers Programme coordinator, Phakamile Khumalo stated, “This year will see Web Rangers expanding on its successes by piloting the programme, specifically looking at recruiting from the Western Cape Integrated Community Access Network (I-CAN) centre. This will increase our reach to include an additional 50 learners in the Western Cape, as well maintaining our Gauteng intake of 200 learners.”

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Phakamile Khumalo

Web Rangers Coordinator

phakamilek@mma.org.za

Media Monitoring Africa

Tel: +2711 788 1278