We created the Digital Empowerment and Girls’ School Safety Initiative (DEGSSI) in response to the deep and interconnected challenges of digital exclusion, gender inequality, and unsafe learning environments experienced by girls and women in underserved Nigerian communities. Across many public schools and low-income neighborhoods, girls were being left behind by the rapid shift toward technology-based education, lacking both access to devices and the digital confidence required for modern learning. At the same time, school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV)—including bullying, harassment, and discrimination—continued to threaten their safety, limit attendance, and discourage participation in education.
Recognizing that true empowerment requires both access and protection, Rising Hope Girls Educational Foundation (RHGE) developed DEGSSI to integrate digital literacy, AI skills training, and safe-school advocacy within one transformative framework. The innovation trains girls and teachers to use technology not just as a learning tool, but as a means to build awareness, document cases, and lead campaigns against SRGBV. It establishes digital learning labs in marginalized schools, supports female teachers as digital mentors, and promotes the creation of Safe School Clubs that nurture leadership, empathy, and collective action.
By merging technology education with gender safety advocacy, DEGSSI empowers learners and educators to reshape their environments—turning classrooms i
In practice, the Digital Empowerment and Girls’ School Safety Initiative (DEGSSI) is a community-driven education model that combines digital skill training, gender-safety advocacy, and teacher empowerment within schools and learning centres across underserved Nigerian regions. It begins with creating digital learning labs equipped with computers, internet access, and AI tools—safe, inclusive spaces where girls gain digital literacy skills, STEM skills and AI knowledge through interactive, hands-on learning.
Teachers are trained as digital mentors and safe-school advocates, integrating technology into lessons while tackling gender-based violence and discrimination. They guide classroom projects, digital storytelling, and awareness campaigns, while students form Safe School Clubs that promote peer education, reporting, and leadership.
The program also mobilizes parents, community leaders, and education authorities through advocacy dialogues that strengthen collective ownership of safety and inclusion. Data and storytelling from each region showcase progress in digital access, girls’ confidence, and reduced SRGBV stigma.
Ultimately, DEGSSI transforms classrooms into safe innovation hubs, where technology empowers girls to learn confidently, teachers to lead ethically, and communities to champion education as a force for equality and social change.
The Digital Empowerment and Girls’ School Safety Initiative (DEGSSI) has been spreading through a community-led replication model that emphasizes local ownership, partnerships, and peer mentoring. Its digital innovation roots began with RHGE’s Digital Promise–Ciena Solution Award project, where digital storytelling and creative design were first used to drive gender-based advocacy and girls’ digital inclusion. Building on that success, DEGSSI expanded from Dutse Alhaji to Byazhin and Kubwa, supported by the dRPC NSI grant. Each new site begins with teacher training and digital lab setup, followed by Safe School Clubs that sustain impact.
Through partnerships with FCT UBEB, school principals, and community leaders, DEGSSI gained recognition as a model for combining digital literacy and safe-school advocacy. Its visibility has grown through AI literacy workshops, social media storytelling, and community campaigns, drawing replication interest from nearby schools. Trained teachers now mentor peers in over ten schools, creating a cascade network of digital and gender-safety advocates. With expanding partnerships and proven community impact, DEGSSI is becoming a scalable model for education-led societal change in Nigeria’s Global South.
The Digital Empowerment and Girls’ School Safety Initiative (DEGSSI) has continuously evolved through data-driven insights, community feedback, and collaboration with teachers and learners. Initially focused on basic digital literacy, the program expanded to include AI literacy, ethical technology use, and gender-safety integration after recognizing the need for deeper skill application and advocacy. In 2025, DEGSSI incorporated ReadBuddy AI for Literacy, a locally developed digital learning tool that helps students improve reading and comprehension through voice-based interaction.
To strengthen its impact, RHGE introduced Safe School Digital Diaries, enabling students and teachers to record and track cases of school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV) anonymously. The program also integrated teacher capacity modules on digital ethics, leadership, and community advocacy to foster sustainability. Monitoring tools were refined to measure both digital skill gains and social outcomes, allowing real-time feedback for continuous improvement.
Through partnerships with dRPC, Team4Tech, and Digital Promise, DEGSSI now blends technology, safety, and inclusion more holistically—creating a model that evolves with local realities while maintaining its mission of empowering girls and transforming schools into safe, innovative spaces for societal change.
To try the Digital Empowerment and Girls’ School Safety Initiative (DEGSSI), interested schools, educators, or community organizations can adopt the model through RHGE’s implementation toolkit and mentorship program. The process begins with a needs assessment to identify digital and safety gaps, followed by training sessions for teachers on digital literacy, AI tools, and gender-safety integration. RHGE then supports the setup of a digital learning hub using low-cost computers, open-source AI resources, and offline learning platforms adaptable to local contexts.
Once trained, teachers establish Safe School Clubs that lead digital storytelling, peer mentoring, and advocacy activities against gender-based violence. RHGE provides open-access materials — including the Safe School Digital Diary, ReadBuddy AI Literacy App (https://9462yl.csb.app/), and facilitator guides — to help replicate the approach sustainably.
Partnerships can start with a pilot in one school or community, after which RHGE offers continued remote mentorship and monitoring tools to track learning and social outcomes. Interested stakeholders can connect directly through the Rising Hope Girls Educational Foundation website or email to access the starter package, training modules, and collaboration opportunities.
See access view of our AI Readbuddy currently used in support of our students personalized reading literacy development. https://9462yl.csb.app/
