This article is brought to you by the IFLA Indigenous Matters (IM) Section

At a time when collaboration has become the new competition, endogenous innovative solutions aimed at empowering local communities through collaboration and use of home-grown praxis-oriented approaches is gaining traction in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province of Makonde district. This project serves as a manifestation of the concept of a shared economy whereby the Indigenous communities rely on each other rather than to be at the mercy of corporate organisations in fulfilling their basic needs for a sustainable future.

In the aforementioned project, Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) and Musoromuchena Life Skills, a local NGO, have formed a powerful collaboration. Rural artists in Makonde District, Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe, are gaining the skills necessary to turn their creative talents into sustainable livelihoods. Through this community service initiative, ZOU staff and students learned how to market their products and services globally with digital tools and social media platforms, collaborating with local artists, such as sculptors, painters, traditional crafters, and performers. Prior to this initiative, many artists who contributed to the creative economy, had limited access to digital resources and training, yet they possess rich cultural heritage and exceptional creative skills that deserve international visibility.

Local indigenous languages were incorporated into workshops to ensure accessibility and respect for cultural identity; participants learned how to photograph their work and document it, create social media content, and connect with online marketplaces. The initiative not only improved technical competencies but also boosted confidence and pride within the community by empowering artists to tell their own stories, reach wider audiences and create digital footprints in an increasingly technology- driven world. This project stands as a testament to the transformative power of education and technology when rooted in community engagement. By bridging the digital divide, ZOU and Musoromuchena Life Skills are helping to preserve Zimbabwean Indigenous culture while opening economic opportunities for rural creatives.

In empowering local voices and talents, this collaborative initiative aims to strengthen communities and foster sustainable development by boosting the creative economy to make inroads into digital spaces thus turning the digital divide into a digital dividend. Such collaborative spaces are critical in enhancing cooperation, knowledge sharing through skills transfer and enabling community members to connect through meaningful and empowering epistemic experiences for empowerment. The project empowers communities with digital skills as well as promoting digital inclusivity in an era of digital transformation for a better future.

Authors:

  • Tirivashe Mafuhure, Lecturer at the Zimbabwe Open University’s Information Technology Department and Post -Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of South Africa , UNISA in South Africa
  • Maryjain Chisita, 2. Senior Library Assistant at the Zimbabwe Open University in Zimbabwe
  • Collence Takaingenhamo Chisita, Research Fellow at the University of South Africa, UNISA, South Africa , Department of Information Sciences and IFLA Indigenous Matters (IM) Section Member