From 9 –11 September 2026, women in Tana River County took part in the SheConnects EmpowerHer Trainer-of-Trainers workshop, a practical program supporting women’s digital empowerment and digital inclusion in Kenya.
The three-day training equipped participants with skills in smartphone use, internet access, online safety, digital entrepreneurship and financial literacy. The participants will serve as Women Digital Champions, sharing their knowledge and helping more women in their communities use technology safely, confidently, and meaningfully.
The workshop provided a supportive and interactive space for participants to learn, ask questions, exchange experiences, and explore how digital tools can improve communication, access to information, business development, and community participation.
Building Women’s Digital Confidence
The first day of the SheConnects EmpowerHer training focused on facilitation skills and the role of Women Digital Champions. Participants explored how to guide peer-learning sessions, communicate effectively, encourage participation, and create inclusive environments for women with different levels of digital experience.
Leadership and confidence were also important parts of the training. Participants learned about peer mentorship, communication skills, digital content creation, and identity building. These skills can help women participate more actively in online spaces, promote their work, and become trusted sources of digital information within their communities.
The Trainer-of-Trainers model is designed to extend the program’s impact beyond the workshop. After the training, participants can share their knowledge with other women and adapt the lessons to their communities’ needs in Tana River County.
Practical Digital Skills and Internet Access
Day 2 focused on practical digital skills, including smartphone navigation, useful mobile applications, safe browsing, and cost-effective data bundle management. Participants learned how to understand their devices, manage data consumption, and use the internet more efficiently.
Affordable and reliable internet access remains important for women who want to communicate, learn, find markets, or access digital services. By learning how to monitor data use and identify useful applications, participants can make better use of their smartphones and reduce unnecessary costs.
The sessions also introduced market discovery and digital entrepreneurship. Participants explored how WhatsApp Business, Facebook Marketplace, social selling, and digital invoicing can support small businesses. These platforms can help women showcase products, reach customers, manage inquiries, and improve business communication.
Online Safety and Digital Resilience
Online safety and digital resilience were central themes throughout the SheConnects EmpowerHer workshop. Participants learned about privacy settings, cyber hygiene, account protection, safe browsing, and how to recognize online red flags.
The training also addressed technology-facilitated gender-based violence, or TFGBV. Participants discussed how online abuse can affect women and explored practical steps for documenting incidents, seeking support, and reporting abuse through appropriate channels.
These lessons are especially relevant as women increasingly use digital platforms for business, financial services, education, and social connection. Women Digital Champions will help others protect their personal information, devices, accounts, and wellbeing while using technology.
Financial Literacy and M-Pesa Skills
The workshop included financial literacy sessions covering mobile-money management, M-Pesa optimization, digital savings, safe credit access, and budgeting. Participants discussed how to manage digital finances responsibly and identify potential risks linked to fraud, hidden charges, and unsafe lending services.
Improved financial literacy can help women make informed decisions, plan their spending, protect their mobile-money accounts, and use digital financial services more safely.
Introducing AI Business Tools
Participants were also introduced to practical AI business tools. The sessions showed how everyday AI tools can help women save time, organize tasks, draft content, improve communication, and streamline business workflows.
The focus was on simple and responsible uses of AI that can support entrepreneurs and community trainers without replacing human judgment. These tools can be useful for preparing social-media posts, creating basic business messages, organizing ideas, and improving productivity.
Taking Digital Inclusion to the Community
As part of community engagement activities, the team visited Imani Radio to raise awareness of the SheConnects EmpowerHer program and the community engagement taking place in Tana River County.
The conversation brought together Margaret Thoya of Imani Radio, John Gathii, Digital Resilience Fellow, Neema Mujesia, Communications Advisor at KICTANet, and Kiti Numious, Tana River County Coordinator.
The radio engagement helped take the conversation on women’s digital empowerment beyond the training room and into the wider community. It highlighted the importance of local media, accessible information, and community leadership in advancing digital inclusion in Kenya.
Creating Safer Digital Opportunities
The SheConnects EmpowerHer Trainer-of-Trainers workshop in Tana River County marked an important step towards building a network of confident and capable Women Digital Champions.
Through practical digital skills, online safety awareness, entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, leadership development, and AI business tools, participants are better prepared to support other women to connect, learn, create, earn, and participate safely in the digital world.
The training demonstrates that digital empowerment is not only about owning a device or accessing the internet. It is also about having the knowledge, confidence, safety awareness, and support needed to make technology work for women and their communities.
Tatua Digital Resilience Centre offers digital resilience training on request, including board leadership training, capacity-building sessions on online safety, cybersecurity strategies, digital resilience, and artificial intelligence. To request a training or learn more, contact Tatua at info@tatua.digital.
