The National Coalition on Freedom of Expression and Content Moderation in Kenya welcomes Tanda Community Network (Tandanet) as its newest member.
Tandanet is a community-centered connectivity organisation that employs participatory and “learn by doing” approaches to meet the community’s communication and information needs. Founded in 2015 and based in Kibera, it has since connected Kibera’s community schools, businesses, community hospitals, community media and activist groups to a robust internet infrastructure that continues to grow. Its strategic partnerships with other development partners and extensive work with grassroots communities is a valuable contribution to the Coalition’s mission to build a digital ecosystem that is safe, empowering and inclusive for all, and where freedom of expression is upheld in alignment with international human rights standards.
To effectively bridge the digital divide, Tandanet prioritizes local voices and needs to create a safer and more open digital environment in Kenya. This is achieved by continuously engaging and equipping local underserved communities to understand the opportunities and risks of the digital world. Together with community members, Tandanet co-creates programmes which promote digital literacy, digital rights, digital advocacy, online privacy and security, including workshops that empower individuals to protect themselves and their communities against technology-facilitated violence. It has also supported the design, deployment, operation, and sustainability of 12 community networks operating across various counties in Kenya.
With the inclusion of Tandanet, FECoMo now brings together over 20 organisations across Kenya under the EU-funded UNESCO Social Media 4 Peace project to strengthen cross-sectoral partnerships between national regulators, media associations, tech/internet/social media companies, fact-checkers, peace-building organisations, INGOs, CSOs and academia. In addition to designing innovative strategies and initiatives, the Coalition provides a platform for structured dialogue with big-tech platforms to advance the localization of content moderation and to address hate speech and disinformation, while promoting freedom of expression online in Kenya.
We look forward to more fruitful partnerships. Welcome Tandanet!
