We have brought together five connected case studies:
- The I AM Collective, a digital learning platform co-created with Alexis Searle, helping people recognise and respond to gender-based and digital harm.
- MTN volunteers, three women who have turned their personal missions into action by helping build and shape The I AM Collective.
- MTN Eswatini & 1 Billion Rising, where women’s savings circles and MoMo-powered financial inclusion are unlocking independence and safety.
- MTN South Africa Foundation, supporting survivors and youth in Limpopo with digital skills and safe spaces to rebuild their futures.
- Our partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), driving global efforts to make technology protect children instead of re-victimising them.
Together, they show one story: MTN is using the power of connectivity not only to bring people online, but to make those digital spaces safer, more inclusive and more protective of women and children.
MTN + The I AM Collective
Evolving the Vision: The I AM Collective Comes to Life
Many people who experience digital violence or gender-based harm, may struggle to find the words for what they’ve been through. They remember the unease, the manipulation, the controlling behaviour or the digital violations – but they are not sure whether it “counts” as abuse, or what to do next.
For years, Alexis Searle noticed a recurring pattern in workplaces, in friendships and community spaces: stories that began with “Don’t tell anyone but…”. In last year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign, she shared how these quiet disclosures revealed a gap in language, learning and courage. People sensed that something was wrong but lacked the tools to recognise or name it.
This year, that reflection has evolved into something bigger: The I AM Collective, a digital learning ecosystem designed to turn those lived experiences into practical guidance. Co-created with MTN, it supports the 16 Days theme — End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls — by helping people understand boundaries, consent, digital harm and what it means to be a safe space, for themselves and others.
The I AM Collective emerged from a pattern Alexis Searle observed over many years: quiet confessions that begin with, “Don’t tell anyone but…”. During last year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign, Alexis shared how these whispiered disclosures (often made in meetings, friend circles, and corridor conversations) revealed experiences that people struggled to name. Those reflections became the foundation for this year’s continuation of her story. The same patterns persisted: relationships that crossed boundaries, emotional manipulation, digital violations, and moments that felt wrong but were hard to articulate.
These stories reaffirmed something Alexis highlighted last year – many people lack the language, tools, and safe spaces to recognise gender-based violence (GBV) or tech-facilitated GBV. Without that grounding, individuals remained unsure of what happened to them and how to prevent it from happening again. This year’s global theme, End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls, underscores the urgency of closing this gap.
Alexis realised this wasn’t just an awareness issue; it reflected a deeper gap in learning and courage. People need guidance to spot red flags, name harmful behaviour, and choose safer responses. The I AM Collective became her response: a digital learning ecosystem designed to transform lived experiences into insight rather than isolated trauma. Individuals can anonymously share their stories, clinicians decode the patterns, and the lessons are turned into practical, bite-sized content – videos, explainers, checklists, and reflections. Over time, these resources build a living learning library on boundaries, consent, digital harm, and what it means to be a safe space for oneself and others. It is not therapy; it is a companion that empowers people with clarity and choice.
Launching the initiative within MTN is intentional – a natural continuation of the journey Alexis sparked last year. Work, life, and digital spaces intersect constantly, and organisations can either reinforce harmful norms or actively support safer environments. By partnering with The I AM Collective, MTN signals that GBV and digital abuse do not stay outside the office gates; they follow people into online interactions, chats, meetings, and community engagement. Employees need real tools and language to recognise and respond to harm, especially digital forms of violence affecting women and girls.
The 16 Days of Activism internal launch marks the beginning of a larger movement that will eventually extend to the communities MTN serves. Employees who engage, learn, and share their stories help shape a blueprint for future users across the continent. This mirrors the broader story of this year’s campaign—whether through volunteer experiences, MTN Eswatini’s empowerment work, or MTN South Africa’s digital safety initiatives, MTNers are collectively contributing to safer digital ecosystems.
“I realised we didn’t just need more awareness — we needed language, learning, and courage. The I AM Collective is my response to that gap: a digital space that helps people name their experiences, understand what happened, and choose something safer for themselves and others.”
A key purpose of the platform is shifting from awareness to action. Real change happens in everyday choices: setting a boundary, checking in on a colleague, refusing to share harmful content, or speaking up when something crosses a line. The I AM Collective provides scripts, scenarios, and support to make these steps accessible – not perfectly, but consistently. This aligns strongly with the global call to end digital violence against women and girls, which requires not only policy but daily practice.
The name “I AM” reflects intention and identity. Statements like “I am learning”, “I am healing”, or “I am a safe space” mark a direction rather than a final state. The platform invites people to make these declarations together, transforming individual survival stories into collective insight and shared strength.
As MTN launches the programme internally, Alexis invites employees to be curious, honest, and engaged – sharing what feels safe and taking small steps toward unlearning harmful norms. When enough people choose not to normalise abusive behaviour, policy becomes practice and stories become action. This is the purpose behind The I AM Collective, and the reason she invites MTNers to take part in the movement – continuing the journey that began last year and stepping deeper into the work of ending digital violence against all women and girls.
MTN Volunteers – Personal Missions to Build a Better Future
Zandile – taking action to create freedom
The I AM Collective is not just an idea – it is being built by people who carry this issue close to their hearts.
Behind the platform are three MTN women volunteers who have chosen to turn their own experiences, grief and convictions into action. They are more than contributors; they are co-creators of the I AM Collective’s journey:
- a volunteer who wants women to have a safe digital space to recognise red flags and seek help,
- a friend who transformed the loss of a loved one to GBV into a commitment to speak out and support others,
- and a woman in technology determined to ensure that African women and girls are represented not only as users of tech, but as its builders and innovators.
Together, they bring the platform to life – shaping its content, technical design and purpose so it truly reflects the realities African women and girls are facing. Their stories show the heart of MTN’s approach to 16 Days of Activism: our people are not bystanders; they are active agents of change, using their skills and personal experiences to create safer digital futures.
“Resetting the Narrative: MTN Volunteers Building Safer Digital Spaces for Women”
I chose to volunteer for this project because, as a woman in South Africa, I am deeply alarmed by the increasing rates of gender-based violence. It has become a painful norm to wake up each day to news of yet another woman harmed or killed. This should never be our reality.
I believe that having a safe and reliable platform where women can express themselves, access information, and learn more about GBV can be transformative – especially for those who may feel trapped in toxic or abusive environments. When everyone around you has normalized the situation, it can be incredibly difficult to recognize the danger and take action.
By learning and sharing information, women become better equipped to identify red flags early. More importantly, access to guidance from trusted experts empowers women to make informed decisions and take the necessary steps to protect themselves and seek help.
Sonia – This is MY story.
I chose to be part of the “I AM Collective” because gender-based violence stole someone I loved. Not so long ago, I lost a close friend — a kind, beautiful soul – to GBV. Her partner, the father of her children, took her life in the most brutal way, right in front of their child. She had finally found the courage to leave him and go back to her family home, but even there, she wasn’t safe.
When I got the news, I was shattered. I kept thinking – maybe if I had called more, checked in more, or been there somehow, things would be different. I blamed myself for not being able to protect her. That pain stayed with me for a long time.
But now, instead of sitting in that pain, I want to turn it into purpose. I never want to feel that kind of helplessness again — and I don’t want anyone else to go through what she or her children did. Joining this project is my way of standing up, of saying no more silence, no more fear.
I’m here to speak for her, and for every woman who couldn’t. Because we all deserve to live, to be loved safely, and to be heard. This is how I honor her memory – by standing up, speaking out, and helping others find safety and hope.
Mabedi – A Personal Mission
My journey as a woman in technology has been shaped by both professional experiences and rigorous research on the representation of women in the technology landscape. A significant finding from my research is the growing concern that the underrepresentation of women in technology sectors may limit their contributions to global economic growth, as well as business and societal innovation. Furthermore, this suggests that innovation will remain predominantly shaped by male perspectives due to the absence of women in these discussions. Based on publicly available information, my observation is that gender-based violence primarily affects women. Consequently, I believe that as a woman in tech, it is my responsibility to participate in addressing and resolving this serious issue through technological solutions (For-Us-By-Us).
By serving as the technical lead in developing the I AM Collective platform, my objective is to contribute to an environment that highlights and supports young female coders as innovators. The intention is to inspire more young women to pursue opportunities in STEM fields, recognizing the importance of representation: “You cannot be what you cannot see.”
Serving on the I AM Collective platform team represents a significant professional commitment. I am dedicated to fostering opportunities for women and girls to succeed in technology, whether as creators or users. This platform enables the translation of insights into meaningful impact, and I believe it is an important way to support African women and children.
MTN & 1 Billion Rising
Recognising harm is one part of safety; having the means to leave dangerous situations is another. Financial dependence keeps many women trapped in abusive relationships or unsafe environments. That’s why MTN’s approach to 16 Days of Activism also focuses on economic independence as a pathway to safety.
MTN Eswatini, in partnership with 1 Billion Rising, is strengthening women’s empowerment by supporting financial independence as a long-term pathway out of gender-based violence. Through 15 women’s circles across the country, including the newest group at the Vusweni Community Centre, women are building community enterprises, gaining essential skills, and creating supportive networks that help transform their lives. The Emasisweni circle has launched an agricultural venture and is reinvesting profits to grow their operations and expand opportunities for more women.
A key driver of their progress is the She Rise savings and lending scheme, powered securely through MTN’s MoMo platform. By enabling women to save, borrow and access funds digitally, MoMo removes barriers to financial access and reduces vulnerability to harmful financial dependence. As member Sincanelo Camp notes, “Financial independence gives us freedom and a real solution to the horrific experiences women face.” This initiative reflects MTN’s commitment to the 16 Days of Activism theme by using technology, partnership and community strength to help women rebuild independence and shape safer, more empowered futures.
MTN South Africa Foundation
Safety is also about what comes after violence — the opportunities survivors have to rebuild, regain confidence and step into new futures. For many women and young people, digital skills are now a gateway to employment, entrepreneurship and connection.
In Limpopo’s Capricorn District, MTN SA Foundation and the Department of Social Development are supporting survivors of gender-based violence and unemployed youth through a Basic End-User Computing programme delivered with Khuphulanani Training Institute. For participants, the training offered more than digital skills – it provided a reset, rebuilding confidence, autonomy and access to new opportunities. Learners continued their journey on the MTN Skills Academy platform, completing over 1,000 self-paced digital courses, demonstrating how digital inclusion can unlock employability and personal renewal.
To ensure lasting impact, MTN is refurbishing the Polokwane Khuseleka One-Stop Care Centre’s computer room into a fully equipped 12-seater multimedia facility, giving survivors a safe, connected space to keep learning and rebuilding their futures. As a long-standing refuge for women and children escaping violence, the Centre offers counselling, legal support and reintegration services. By enhancing its digital infrastructure, MTN strengthens this essential work – showing how technology, compassion and partnership can enable healing, dignity and long-term independence during 16 Days of Activism and beyond.
IWF & Child Online Safety
It began with a question posted deep within a dark-web forum—casual, unashamed, and utterly chilling: “Anyone trained a LoRA for ‘Olivia’ yet?”
Behind that question is not a technical curiosity. It is a stark reminder of how emerging technologies, when misused, can deepen the suffering of children who have already experienced unimaginable trauma. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has brought this issue to public attention because understanding it is essential to protecting children online.
“Olivia” is a pseudonym for a real survivor. Abused between the ages of three and eight by someone she trusted, imagery of her abuse was widely circulated online. In 2013 she was rescued; yet more than a decade later, the digital echoes of her trauma have never stopped.
IWF analysts whose mission is to find and remove images and videos of child sexual abuse online encountered Olivia so frequently that they watched her grow up through the material documenting her abuse. They have spent years trying to remove this content. But technology has evolved faster than the systems built to protect survivors.
Today, Olivia faces a new frontier of harm: AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AI CSAM).
“A Survivor’s Story in an Era Where Technology Must Protect, Not Harm”
There is #NoExcuse for Digital Violence Against Women and Girls
Across these stories — Alexis’s journey with The I AM Collective, the personal missions of MTN volunteers, women’s savings circles in Eswatini, survivors rebuilding in Limpopo, and Olivia’s story through the lens of the IWF — one message is clear: Digital spaces must be places of safety, dignity and possibility for women and children, not extensions of violence.
As a technology company, MTN has a responsibility to use our platforms, products and partnerships to help make that vision real. That means:
- backing innovative digital tools like The I AM Collective that give people language, guidance and courage;
- enabling financial independence through solutions like MoMo so women are less vulnerable to control and abuse;
- investing in digital skills and safe learning spaces so survivors and youth can build new futures; and
- supporting global child online protection efforts that push technology and legislation to keep pace with emerging harms.
There is #NoExcuse for digital violence against women and girls. But there are many ways to stand against it — through the stories we tell, the tools we build, the choices we make online every day, and the partnerships we form. Explore the case studies, learn from the voices featured here, and join us in using technology to connect people to something safer, stronger and more just.