“I am Chioma Chinyere Chukwuemeka, also known as @OmaSweetheartOnRadio across social media – everywhere! I am a multimedia, Development and Social impact journalist and broadcaster with Sapientia International Media Centre (Radio/TV Sapientia) in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria. I use communication for social change and impact, focusing on women and girls’ rights, health, education and technology.”
Chioma was part of the 2023 cohort of DefendDefenders’ Safe Sisters fellowship, the flagship programme of DefendDefenders Tech which offers digital safety and security training to women human rights (WHRDs), journalists and media workers.
“Safe Sisters fellowship was a 360-degree turnaround in my career, in my life. Everything about me turned 360 degrees after that encounter. After the fellowship, there was a chain of positive events, one after another, until today, I can proudly introduce myself as a digital security advocate.”
Chioma traveled to Uganda – her first trip outside Nigeria, to join the group of 15 fellowship participants.
“I got to meet other people from different parts of the world, human rights activists who are interested in defending others. That is huge, because now, all I need to do is just send a message and I can get help for anything I want from this network.”
“We were first trained on the fundamentals of digital safety and security. I learnt everything about digital security. Before the training, I was always online, and I had a few challenges online. I was trolled; I was cyberstalked. I used the ‘block’ button on different individuals at some point…But after the training, I knew what was happening. I am now securing myself, and I am also securing others.”
“When we were done, I did not want to leave Uganda. Every moment I had spent in Uganda was amazing. The care, the love, the food, everything was just amazing. It was more than just a training; we also built friendships from the fellowship. I gained a sister in Emma, our trainer from DefendDefenders Tech team.”
After the training in Uganda, there was a follow-up training, after which the participants were to pitch for grants to carry out a digital security project of their own.
“I pitched my idea, which was to train students in secondary schools on digital security and safety. Amazingly, my pitch was selected and in September 2023, during the school holidays, I trained over 150 students from different parts of South-Eastern Nigeria. I also printed educational materials, flyers that I still have, which I share whenever I visit secondary schools to talk to students about digital security and safety.”
When Chioma pitched her idea for the grant from the Safe Sisters Fellowship, which was sponsored by DefendDefenders, she wrote that she would visit three schools. But because the trainings in those three schools were so successful and impactful, Chioma has now visited over 20 schools.
“When people have the right information, they do things differently. When they don’t have this information, they are not safe online. It is not something anybody wants their friends and family to experience.”
Through the trainings she continues to give, Chioma now reaches thousands of students, teaching them about digital security and safety. She also crafted the “SMART-T Internet Safety Rules” curriculum, which she teaches in secondary schools, and is currently considering packaging it as a book. She published “Safety Code”, a book on body and internet safety for children. Beyond the Safe Sisters Fellowship, Chioma went on to become a Digital Safety and Security Advocate, through trainings with the Internet Shutdown Advocates and The Media Innovation Programme by MTN Nigeria, but she always traces her steps back to the Safe Sisters training.
“I believe it was through Safe Sisters that all these doors were opened for me. When I am writing these applications, I mention that I was part of Safe Sisters and that gives me the edge. I am now heading towards another fellowship, Tech4Dev, because from the Safe Sisters training, I am interested in technology. I am now an AI enthusiast. I am now heading towards technology, even as a journalist. Safe Sisters has impacted my work, my life, and the things I do.”
“I don’t ever want Safe Sisters to stop. I want them to spread and reach even more people. I want more people to be impacted. There is a lot of work to be done. We don’t need family members or friends to become victims of online trolling, online pedophiles, cyberstalkers or online bullies. We don’t have to wait for it to happen before we take action. We need to keep spreading information about digital safety and empower people with information. So DefendDefenders need to keep doing the work. Don’t stop. Safe Sisters Fellowship needs to continue. It cannot stop.”