Through our Matchbox Program, we partner with civil society organizations to strengthen their work by harnessing the power of data and technology. Our support includes technical guidance, strategic advice, and hands-on collaboration—enabling partners to develop solutions that are both impactful and sustainable.
We’re excited to welcome two partners to our Matchbox Program this year: Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda (TYI-Uganda) and TechHer. Both organizations work to confront pressing social challenges in their countries and regions, and we’re excited to collaborate with them over the coming months.
Both TYI-Uganda and TechHer share a commitment to amplifying marginalized voices, fostering safe spaces (both online and offline) and using technology responsibly to drive social impact.
Trans Youth Initiative-Uganda
Who they are
TYI-Uganda is a nonprofit organization led by transgender and gender-diverse individuals that champions the rights and well-being of rural transgender youth women and sex workers in Uganda. TYI-Uganda operates under a feminist framework, emphasizing empowerment, solidarity, and transformative action. Their mission is to build a broad, informed, and inclusive Ugandan society where the rights, dignity, and contributions of rural transgender youth women, transgender youth sex workers, and gender-diverse youth are recognized, valued, and celebrated.
Their work includes:
- Advocating for legal gender recognition and policy reforms that protect transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
- Ensuring equitable access to comprehensive, gender-affirming sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.
- Implementing safety and security measures to protect community members from violence and discrimination.
- Documenting human rights violations and advocating for justice and accountability.
- Creating opportunities for economic empowerment through vocational training and sustainable livelihood programs.
- Fostering transformative feminist leadership and amplifying transgender and gender-diverse voices through strategic networking and coalition-building.
- Enhancing transgender and gender-diverse youth participation in local, national, and international decision-making.
- Conducting research to generate evidence on the lived realities of rural transgender and gender-diverse youth.
What we’ll be working on together
TYI-Uganda wants to develop a secure digital platform to document and respond to human rights violations against transgender and gender-diverse youth in Uganda. Our joint efforts will involve:
- Secure platform development: Co-creating a user-friendly tool to securely collect and manage sensitive information on reported rights violations.
- Digital security measures: Building robust data protection policies and protocols that safeguard personal information and mitigate risks.
- Capacity building: Training TYI-Uganda staff in platform management, secure data handling, and responsible data practices.
TechHer
Who they are
TechHer is a nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap between gender and technology. Founded in 2015 in Nigeria, they work to empower women and girls through digital literacy, innovation, and community partnerships. TechHer’s overarching goals include:
- Upgrading community skills: Increasing women’s technical capacity by connecting them with educational resources and tech partners.
- Fostering collaboration: Building networks and coalitions that influence development at local, state, and international levels.
- Promoting empowerment: Providing opportunities for women’s economic and political empowerment through access to information, tools, and resources.
- Advancing women’s safety: Addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TfGBV) through advocacy, capacity-building, and policy influencing, ensuring women can navigate digital spaces safely and free from harm.
What we’ll be working on together
Under our Matchbox partnership, we will co-develop an Online Gender-Based Violence (OGBV) platform to support women and girls across Nigeria. Our joint efforts will involve:
- Co-development of the OGBV platform: Designing an interactive site featuring a self-assessment tool, an OGBV map for visualizing and reporting incidents, a digital safety resource library and feedback mechanisms.
- Robust security & data management: Implementing strong privacy safeguards, data management protocols and user protection measures to build trust and maintain confidentiality.
- Training & capacity building: Equipping TechHer staff with the skills to manage platform operations, handle sensitive data responsibly, and communicate effectively with users.
Interested in Matchbox?
If your organization is looking for data or tech support, get in touch or schedule a Light Touch Support call. We’re always eager to collaborate with passionate groups committed to social change.
Stay tuned to our blog and social channels for more on our partnerships with TYI-Uganda and TechHer. We can’t wait to celebrate the milestones and achievements ahead!
For more details on our Matchbox program, our approach, and how to get involved, visit our website or follow us on social media.
Image by La Propia Agencia.