Beyond the code: Building trust into technology for the women of the Sahel

Lesedi Bewlay
Mar 30, 2026

How do you build a digital lifeline for survivors of gender-based violence across six countries with limited connectivity, multiple languages, and complex cross-border realities? Over the past six months, we worked alongside JDWS to explore this question through the co-development of Deenal (meaning “protection” in Fulani), a multilingual alert system connecting survivors of gender-based violence to case managers and support services across Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mauritania, and Chad.

WHEN SAFETY IS POLITICAL: DIGITAL SOLUTIONS FOR TRANS YOUTH IN UGANDA

Lesedi Bewlay
Jul 8, 2025

Through our Matchbox Program, we partner with civil society organizations to strengthen their work by harnessing the power of data and technology. Our recent partnership with Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda (TYI-Uganda) offers a lens into how collaborative platform development can respond to pressing social challenges while also building long-term  organizational capacity.

Seeking support in using tech for Legal empowerment?

Lesedi Bewlay
Jun 10, 2019

Earlier this year, we released research on how legal empowerment organisations are using tech and data in their work. Inspired by that research, we’re excited to offer pro-bono, actionable and tailored support – through our Light Touch Support (LiTS) support programme – to legal empowerment organisations or activists who are interested in working more with […]

Lightweight support, big picture learning

Lesedi Bewlay
Apr 30, 2019

At The Engine Room, there are many different ways we strive to support our partners – our intensive Matchbox partnerships are year-long, dedicated collaborations, and our research work can take many shapes from helping build an organisation’s responsible data guidelines to conducting targeted field scans. Our Light Touch Support (LiTS) work, though ‘lighter’ in duration […]

A new chapter in our Light Touch Support (LiTS) Programme

Lesedi Bewlay
Feb 22, 2018

Why ‘light touch’ data and tech support matters In 2016, we launched our light touch support programme (LiTS) based on a hypothesis: targeted research and advice to social change agents can enhance effective and responsible use of data and technology. Last year, in partnership with Ford Foundation’s Internet Freedom programme, we continued to test this […]

This site is registered on wpml.org as a development site. Switch to a production site key to remove this banner.