It was a busy week for #MACRA as it reached out to over a thousand students from five schools in the central region as part of the Safer Internet Day 2024 commemoration school outreach program. The Secondary Schools include Njolomole, Ntcheu, Umbwi, Dedza and Bwaila. In the central region we have partnered with the following organisations: Centre for Youth and Children’s Affairs (CEYCA), Zico Forward Foundation, and Centre for Child Affairs. Issues on the agenda include digital skills, good cyber hygiene, navigating spread of fake news and cyber bullying.
At Bwaila Secondary School, CEYCA Executive Director Desmond Mhango observed that students are becoming victims of different online vices such as abuse and fraud mainly due to lack of knowledge. Mhango said most youths especially students are being abused in different ways by people who take advantage of their ignorance. Mhango described the outreach program as critical in combating ignorance and enhancing knowledge among the students. “The biggest challenge is lack of knowledge, hence fraudsters are exploiting that aspect,” said Mhango.