Ayeta: The digital toolkit that protects your human right

In a move to continue to protect citizens right in the digital space, Paradigm Initiative has launched a new digital tool kit – Ayeta – that provides information and resources that prepare civil society actors for when their work puts them in harm’s way.

Ayeta is a Yoruba word for bulletproof. The digital tool kit was launched to coincide with the celebration of 2020 Human Right Day.

“We felt having done about seven years of training on digital right, what we haven’t done is to provide more information on how to protect yourself in the digital space,” Paradigm Initiative’s executive director Gbenga Sesan said during the launch.

“Human rights are digital rights and digital rights are human rights, but that opportunity to protect yourself, either you have been involved in a peaceful protest, or you are working to train other citizens, or you are working on policy initiatives that can help everyone across the continent, as far as digital rights is concerned, or you are a litigator, a lawyer, basically, helping people to make sure that they seek redress successfully, whichever category you fall into, or you are a journalist, who has to protect his source, this is an opportunity to protect yourself.”

Sesan said the toolkit, provides digital security tips and measures that can be taken against potential threats in the digital space
“If you have ever seen a policeman with a bulletproof vest, just think of a local version of it that used to be worn by the hunters, the age-old hunters in Yorubaland, who were warriors, who went to war and you would shoot at them and they would keep charging towards you because, they were not affected, as they had on their Ayeta”, Sesan said.

Sesan said Ayeta provides detailed information about digital security actors, a calendar of relevant digital rights events in Africa and links to resources, such as digital security case studies from selected African countries, model policy briefs and media releases, as well as model coalition statements.
He said this tool kit is available in French, English and Swahili and would be translated to other languages in future.

The executive director said the tool kits also provide information on VPNs, two factor authentication and other security measures to help digital advocates and citizens across the continent.

Sesan said the platform ayeta.africa also has a game section, which also helps users in building their digital knowledge and understanding.