RISING Creative Tanatswa Mukwacha has shared his recent journey to the Mozfest Festival in Kenya where he was invited to present on Empowering Communities: Bridging Data Gaps, AI Localisation, and Fostering Digital Collaboration.
Mukwacha is a writer, graphic designer, journalist, content creator and social innovator who has worked in Zimbabwe’s creative industry for 5 years–from newsrooms, creative agencies to hubs in both private and non-profit sectors. He has worked as a content creator for Magamba Network, Diplomat Business Networking Club, Zimbabwe Parents for Handicapped Children Association, iShah Business Magazine, and Africa Healing Foundation amongst others.
He is also a co-founder of CollaboMe — an online platform for creatives whose objective is to foster several collaborations on several creative projects.
Mukwacha says his presentation was a three-pronged approach on how to empower communities with his talk encompassing themes of collaborative creation, local curation of data for AI models, and how to improve access to the internet in connectivity-challenged communities.
He added that his talk focused on how socially conscious artists could digitally collaborate to address pressing African community issues, from climate change to human rights violations.
He further explored ways to ensure safety, revenue generation, and meaningful partnerships on a single digital platform as well as examining the impact of Artificial Intelligence in 2023 and the challenge of data unavailability in Africa.
With the African region's rich oral history and uncodified cultural insights posing unique obstacles for machine learning models seeking an authentic African context — Mukwacha stated that it was important to unveil 'Rural Kiosks,' technology designed for communities in rural areas with limited internet connectivity. This innovative solution, he added, would represent a commitment to inclusive, ethical, and culturally sensitive technological advancements.
Commenting on his experience in Kenya, Mukwacha stated that most African countries could take a cue from Kenya’s diversity.
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“I liked how Kenya is a very diverse country as compared to Zimbabwe. The are different tribes, languages and religions as compared to Zimbabwe. From Kenya we could definitely take a cue on embracing each other as Africans rather than being able to achieve common goals despite belonging to different ethnic groups or religions,” he said.
Mukwacha added, “Through my organisation CollaboMe we wish to gain more leverage on young creatives in Nairobi as well as take into consideration the networks and collaborations established during my recent visit to Kenya.”
Regarding his work in the creative space, Mukwacha stated that collaboration in several arts and creative projects remained the only way forward to foster sustainability and growth among creatives.
“A project can be a song, book, architectural design, digital illustration or short video. On Collabo Me, people don’t just post their own stuff, we make things together. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, whether you’re into writing, film, music, or any other kind of art, you’ll find our community a welcoming and positive place to be your creative self. Most times a creative person needs collaborations so the point is to be creative with other people and collaborate. Some projects are funded therefore contributing artists will be paid fairly,” he said.
Mukwacha has published a Research paper in collaboration with SAYWHAT organisation, which focused on disability inclusion in education, public health, SRH, and child protection.
- Fungayi Antony Sox works at Tisu Mazwi — a public relations and communication-centered social enterprise specialising in books, brands, education, and storytelling projects. He writes in his personal capacity. For feedback contact him on 0776 030 949, connect with him on LinkedIn on Fungayi Antony Sox, or follow him on Twitter @AntonySox.
