The Get Healthy Africa Initiative (GHAi), a youth-led non-governmental organization, recently hosted a two-day digital advocacy workshop in Osun State, Nigeria, from August 14-15, 2024.
This event was part of the Change Champion Project, supported by the Nigeria Youths Future Funds.
The workshop aimed to equip Osun youths with essential advocacy skills to effectively navigate the digital media landscape and drive positive change in their communities.
The workshop was officially opened by the Osun State Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Honorable Moshood Olagunju, who commended the organizers for their efforts to bring the project to Osun State and urged participants to take full advantage of this significant opportunity.
The event featured expert facilitators who led interactive sessions on various topics.
Mr. Ayobami Awotayo-Johnson introduced participants to digital literacy skills, emphasizing the ability to use digital technologies to find, evaluate, and create needed, relevant, and informative content.
Zainab Fakunle, a broadcast journalist and digital advocate, led a session on social media campaigning, providing a thorough presentation on identifying target audiences, creating content, driving engagement, and guiding steps for creating a social media campaign.
Idris Animasaun addressed online petitioning, explaining how individuals can hold governments and organizations accountable for their actions and inactions through mild and non-violent means. He described online petitioning as signing to support a cause or issue to raise awareness and influence policy and decision-makers.
On the second day, Blessing Oladunjoye discussed online tools and platforms for advocacy, while Idris Animasaun also explained ways to engage with policymakers through digital channels in his second lecture.
Evelyn Ohiolei covered storytelling for impact, addressing the strategic use of narratives to drive social change, raise awareness, and inspire action on critical issues.
Participants praised the workshop, acknowledging the invaluable wisdom shared by the facilitators.
Barakat Sanni noted, “The workshop exceeded my expectations, the facilitators explained the sessions excellently.”
Tolu Morakinyo added, “The workshop provided insight into digital literacy skills and the usage of digital tools for advocacy.”
Aanuoluwaposimi Mary said, “The workshop was transformative, deepening my understanding of how digital tools can drive positive change.”
To further reinforce the learning experience, participants were grouped for a task that required collaborative effort and presentation.
This group activity aimed to evaluate their understanding of the concepts learned during the workshop.
Each group was assigned a specific topic related to digital advocacy, and they were tasked with developing a comprehensive presentation that showcased their knowledge and creativity.
The presentations allowed participants to demonstrate their ability to apply digital advocacy skills in real-world scenarios, think critically, and work effectively in teams.
The Get Healthy Africa Initiative was commended for bringing this valuable opportunity to Osun State.
After the just concluded workshop, Successful participants will be selected for the next stage of the project, a community fact-finding mission, followed by a fellowship program to become GHAi positive change fellows and change champion advocates.
This comprehensive program aims to empower youths to drive positive change in their communities and contribute to the progress of society.
