Bareedo Platform Somalia successfully conducted the Induction Training on Civic Education, Electoral Participation, and Digital Engagement for Digital Civic Ambassadors under the DoorashoKaab Program in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
The one-day training brought together more than 35 young leaders from Mogadishu, committed to promoting informed civic participation, democratic governance, electoral transparency, and responsible digital engagement across Somalia.
The training forms part of a nationwide capacity-building initiative aimed at equipping Digital Civic Ambassadors with the knowledge, skills, and digital tools needed to educate communities, promote democratic values, encourage citizen participation, and strengthen electoral integrity through technology.
Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders
The training provided participants with practical knowledge on civic education, elections, democratic participation, digital engagement, and combating misinformation and disinformation.
Through interactive presentations, practical exercises, group discussions, quizzes, election simulations, and live demonstrations, participants strengthened their understanding of democratic processes and their roles as trusted civic educators, digital advocates, and community mobilizers.
The training covered five key modules:
- Module 1: Civic Education and Community Engagement
- Module 2: Understanding Elections in Somalia
- Module 3: Introduction to the DoorashoKaab Platform and Mobile Application
- Module 4: Digital Literacy, Digital Safety, and Combating Misinformation
- Module 5: Community Mobilization, Democratic Participation, and the Role of Digital Civic Ambassadors
Participants also completed practical exercises, election simulations, platform demonstrations, and knowledge assessments designed to reinforce learning and prepare them to undertake civic education and community outreach activities.
Learning the DoorashoKaab Platform
A major highlight of the training was the live demonstration of the DoorashoKaab Platform and Mobile Application, where participants received hands-on guidance on navigating the platform and effectively using its civic and electoral information features.
The Digital Civic Ambassadors explored how to access:
- Civic education courses and learning materials
- Verified voter and election information
- Electoral laws, policies, and procedures
- Election resources and updates
- Electoral incident reporting tools
- Community engagement resources
Participants were encouraged to become champions of DoorashoKaab by introducing and promoting the platform within schools, universities, youth networks, civil society organizations, and communities across Mogadishu and beyond.
Promoting Safe and Responsible Digital Engagement
Recognizing the growing influence of digital and social media platforms on civic and democratic participation, the training placed particular emphasis on digital literacy, information integrity, and online safety.
Participants learned how to:
- Identify and verify misinformation and disinformation
- Recognize manipulated and AI-generated content
- Use fact-checking and information verification tools
- Protect online accounts using strong passwords and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Identify phishing attempts, impersonation, and online scams
- Report harmful and misleading content across social media platforms
- Practice responsible digital citizenship and engagement
These skills will support the ambassadors in promoting safer and more responsible online spaces while strengthening public access to credible civic and electoral information.
Digital Civic Ambassadors as Community Leaders
Following the training, participants will serve as Digital Civic Ambassadors within their communities, supporting grassroots civic education, voter awareness, democratic participation, and responsible digital engagement.
Their responsibilities include:
- Delivering civic education within their communities
- Promoting informed and meaningful electoral participation
- Raising awareness about democratic rights and responsibilities
- Encouraging citizens to use the DoorashoKaab platform and mobile application
- Supporting community efforts to identify and combat misinformation
- Promoting peaceful, inclusive, transparent, and credible democratic processes
The ambassadors will also participate in continued mentoring, networking, refresher training, and community engagement activities under the DoorashoKaab Program, enabling them to apply their knowledge and expand the reach of civic education within their communities.
Expanding the Digital Civic Ambassadors Network
The Mogadishu training represents another important milestone in the expansion of the Digital Civic Ambassadors network across Somalia.
Building on the earlier induction training conducted in Garowe, Puntland, on June 24, 2026, the Mogadishu training expanded the initiative by engaging more than 35 additional young leaders and preparing them to become active civic educators and advocates for democratic participation.
Through this growing network, Bareedo Platform Somalia aims to strengthen community-level civic awareness and create a generation of digitally empowered young leaders capable of connecting citizens with reliable civic and electoral information.
Strengthening Democracy Through Civic Technology
The training forms part of Bareedo Platform Somalia’s broader efforts to harness civic technology and digital innovation to strengthen democratic governance, electoral participation, and citizen engagement in Somalia.
Through DoorashoKaab, citizens can access reliable civic education, verified election information, electoral resources, and digital tools that enable them to learn about, participate in, and engage more meaningfully with democratic and electoral processes.
Bareedo Platform Somalia believes that informed, engaged, and digitally empowered citizens are essential to building transparent, accountable, peaceful, and inclusive democratic institutions in Somalia.
Bareedo Platform Somalia extends its sincere appreciation to all Digital Civic Ambassadors, facilitators, partners, and stakeholders who contributed to the successful delivery of the Mogadishu training and demonstrated their commitment to strengthening civic participation and democratic engagement.
The DoorashoKaab Program is implemented by Bareedo Platform Somalia with the support of AfricTivistes under the AHEAD Africa and Digitalise Youth projects, led by the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI).
Learn More
🌐 DoorashoKaab: https://doorashokaab.org
🌐 Bareedo Platform Somalia: https://bareedo.org
📱 Download the DoorashoKaab Mobile App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.base69fea7d33aa61326b91c5ef1.app&hl=en_IN
