We are proud to announce the opening of a youth digital broadcasting television; Access to information is increasingly becoming expensive for young people and so is media visibility in amplifying their voices. Keeping the young people more marginalised yet they have a lot to not only share but engage in but with fewer opportunities for expression. As traditional media houses continue to disregard young people’s creativity and relevance, the latter have turned to non-traditional media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter to share their ideas and thoughts. Which has also given room for the mushrooming of FAKE NEWS.

Hence increasing the need for developing youth-centred and media-driven solutions in this digital age where timely communication is key. With a focus on creating a youth-centred space, Faraja has created a digital television and platform to amplify African young people’s voices and creativity. Faraja Television (also known as FarajaDTv / FDTv) is opened therefore for all young people in Eastern Africa and the rest of Africa.

Faraja Television’s programming module is to reach out to her audiences through the already existent digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, satellite cable, website and other platforms. In so doing, creating a platform that can get young people’s voices amplified to the right audiences, in a timely and digital savvy medium; for civic awareness/engagement, promotion of the social entrepreneurial culture, African heritage among other youth developmental initiatives. It is a youth channel targeting not only a young audience but also that of key decision-makers (inter/governmental actors, civil society, private sector, etc.) and development practitioners. This will help aid in bridging the gap and developing youth-centred policies, programs and well facilitate the development process of young people.

Therefore, FarajaDTv seeks to create a platform for youth to inform, inspire, and empower each other through relevant, trustworthy, and regional-class quality television programs and services. Television is an open platform for all young people regardless in East Africa and not limited.

For more information, Follow us on Twitter @FarajaDTv for up-to-date news and for live shows please visit https://farajadtv.com \

Over 400,000 young people are released into the job market every year in Uganda according to the World Bank; the majority of whom live under the poverty line. This number is expected to increase by 1,000,000 youth in the next year but that hasn’t equated to the jobs available. This is the same plight most African countries are facing. Recently, we have seen most of the African states going into lockdown, with no businesses operating thus limiting young people and their family adequate access to basic needs. Mostly, we discovered how poor our saving culture has been.

Usually, it’s not the first thing on young people’s minds. We depend highly on a gig-economy hence as young people we practice hand-to-mouth. We enjoy ourselves with the little we earn and have absolutely no financial responsibilities. We have not been taught to seriously take the art and importance of saving at an early stage. Which explains the difficulty we are facing in this COVID19 lockdown driven financial crisis. It’s said, “…wealth collected in small quantities accumulate…” and also, its key to note that if you can’t save in the days of 1000 shillings, you will never save in the days of 1,000,000 shillings. Hence, its key to note that savings are important drivers of economic growth of one’s self.

As young people, we should make it point to build our saving culture by starting with the little we have. Because it’s from these savings that we are able to build capital for future investments if we intend to create a business. This intern will help us get the income and attain personal financial goals. There are three relationships we should cultivate when it comes to money and that is;

• How to make the money
• How to keep/save the money
• How to grow/invest the money

A successful livelihood and financial freedom depend on how you handle that above three. Having a good saving culture as a young entrepreneur is essential to helping you grow your money, invest in bigger deals and more. It also increases your capacity to make more money. Once you make it a habit you will not overspend on unnecessary things that do not need hence, helping you optimize your resources.

Savings means that as a young person you have a fallback plan, insurance (assurance of sustainability). That’s because just as wisdom is a defence, so is money. Building your financial literacy knowledge is key and reducing access to bank accounts will ease your journey in saving. This is the fastest way to fight poverty, unemployment and grow more youth businesses owners who also promote the country’s economic growth (social entrepreneurs).

Therefore, as young people it’s imperative we embrace saving as a lifestyle. For if we are to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal in fighting poverty, we all have a role to play.  No matter how hard or difficult it may be, building a wall of savings will always help create a smooth and secure future. As Faraja Africa Foundation, we are committed to ensuring we facilitate the process of social engagement and economic empowerment of young people, but this begins with you, so save today. Remember, time is money, using it well is a form of saving and investment.

By Sharon Nantanda, Program Officer

The Social Entrepreneurs and Leaders Fellowship (SELF)

Faraja Africa Foundation

The COVID-19 Pandemic has globally affected our cultures, ways of social interactions, habits, but most importantly our economies. Many companies and organizations find themselves struggling to cope with the uncertainty in measures set to control the spread of the Corona Virus. As a result, most businesses are down, organizations are non-operational and even some individual self-employed entrepreneurs to seem to be affected. As Faraja Africa Foundation, we would like to say, you don’t need to shut down! We would like to share a few tips on what you could consider in reworking your digital strategy to fit the working home environment for a self-employed person, companies and organizations i.e. employers, employees and the Gig-economy freelancers;

1. Self-Discipline: The key first thing to accept is that you are going to face resistance from yourself, hence need for a mindset shift and adaptability to working from home if you are new to this. Set objectives and goals (in the form of tasks to finish) and ensure you have indicators in the form of result you need to accomplish. To comfort, you can also dress the part, cleanup go if need be as you prepare to work.
2. Time Management; The power of prioritization is a treasure in living an accomplished life. Map out what you are meant to accomplish inform of the to-do list and follow it to the dot, but if you skipped a deadline, go easy on yourself and make time to do. Remember to reward yourself after you have accomplished your to-do list with breaks.
3. Designating a Working Area; Work from your area of productivity comfort with fewer distractions. To some of us, this may mean a physical place, others it may be virtual etc. what matters is you limiting destructions as much as possible, from your mind, social media, environment, etc. Imagine the designated place as your office and only go there when you are going to fulfil your day’s work. Learn to build focus and concentration minimizing movements until your set break times.
4. Communicate with The People You Are Staying with Home: Inform your family members or housemates about your work schedule, designated place and need for their support in you attaining the respective set targets. If possible, ask for help to help simplify what you’re doing that’s if it’s in their capacity.
5. Set Reminders on Tasks and Appointments: Committing things on paper or writing. Don’t allow your mind to rest hence allowing it focus on other things. It could be meetings, deadlines, tasks to do etc. We will share on some of the resources you could use to achieve this. This needs to be done daily after setting out a monthly target with weekly objectives broken down to daily to-do lists.
6. Constant Communication with Workmates; Build a social support network with fellow workmates, effective communication through calls, online meetings, emails, video chats and Office WhatsApp group chats. They become accountability partners as you would be to them collectively supporting each other’s work will reduce the burden of having to struggle alone hence giving moral support.
7. Improvise and Use of Available Recourses both Offline/Online;

• Notebooks: Keeping this will best be used for scheduling, capturing your ideas, keeping a record of notes as reminders, plans, minutes etc. You can later choose to transfer your content.
• Phones: This can be used as your communication and coordination tool. If it’s a smartphone, then it can also be an extension of your virtual office especially with apps like; email, social media, MS word-excel, calendar for scheduling and reminders, zoom and skype for digital meetings, browser if you don’t have one, etc.
• Computers: If you have one, great! They can help simplify your work, knowing most of our work is about writing and creating content, computers usually have a larger surface to do your work from faster. However, observe best practices such as; charging, saving work done, don’t reduce it to being a tool of entertainment. Train your mind to respect it as a virtual office and tool to accomplish the work you seek to do. Movies, games and music, if necessary, avoid doing them on the computer.  Ensure you have updated windows or operating systems, turn off auto-updates to save data usage.
• Make Use of Online Platforms; If you have a smartphone or computer ensure to have accounts such as Skype, have your email app installed both on Gmail, Outlook and more, Zoom, MS etc.
• Coordination Tools: If you are working with a team, make use of G-Suite, comes with emails, google drive for backing up your work, calendar, spreadsheets, and more. One can also use Microsoft Office 360 for Non-profits if you are an organization, it costs less than $3-4 a month and you can have your organization purchase it to be shared with a larger group of people. That way you can coordinate through teams, work on a document in real-time for both of you and more.
• Use Cheaper Internet Bundles; The cost of internet has not gone down. However, most telecom services have created special work bundles that we can use. However, it’s key you learn how to sustain your data usage by keeping away from non-work-related or irrelevant things. internet is nebulous, hence it can be used for good, so can it be used for bad leading to addictions on social media, pornography and much more, so watch out.
• Heavy Content Sharing: If you are sending information, you may use WeTransfer and many more others. However, if you a working as an office team and what to share folders, then we encourage the use still of Google Drive, One Drive, and these can be accessed by the GSuite, iCloud or Microsoft 360. Both have a free and paid-for version, whatever works in your means, use it.

8. Digital Transactions; In as much, we have a lockdown, use of such platforms can help ease work. Things like Mobile Money, e-banking from banks and internet banking may be the new normal. If you have not subscribed for these services at your bank, you may need to do so fast. That way you can transact at the comfort of your home allowing your business to be operational.
9. Exercise and Entertainment; Before or After a long day of work take some time off to engage in physical activities or exercises to refresh your mind. Entertainment too is good just as building yourself spiritually and reading outside your daily work routine and does not cover beyond 30% of your productive time.

In conclusion, these are just tips, feel free to do more if you feel you can. Always remember to keep following the guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the government of your country. We, however, are committed to supporting you in any way we can.

Share this blog to your networks. Stay Safe, Stay Home!

By Emmanuel Wabwire