Digital Stories are stories produced, stored and disseminated using digital media. The objective of Digital Story Telling is to highlight issues which impacts people’s behaviour, attitudes and their thinking concerning gender based violence, HIV/AIDS, Disability and the use of ICTs in human development in the global village. EKOWISA in collaboration with PADARE adopted the use of digital story telling as a tool for development in Zimbabwe.
The tool fits in the African story telling culture and facilitates open sharing of experiences on gender based violence, living positively with HIV/AIDS, living with disability and related development issues.

Ten digital stories were made and produced by community representatives from PADARE Men's Forum on Gender, Disabled Women's Association and EKOWISA Community ICT Project participants.

EKOWISA and PADARE Men’s Forum on Gender acquired the knowledge and the skill to produce their first Digital Story DVD from the Women’s Net first Digital Story CD and booklet called “I have listened, I have heard” which provided guidance and support during the production of the DVD. Women’s Net has used digital media since it’s inception in 1998 to amplify women’s voices and share information and knowledge.

Women’s Net South Africa, a feminist organization, is a vibrant and innovative networking support programme designed to enable South African women to use the internet and other relevant information and communication technologies (ICTs) to find the people, issues, resources and tools needed for women’s social activism and empowerment.

In addition Women’s Net amplifies women’s voices; using ICTs to ensure women’s and more specifically South African women’s lives are reflected in media content. Women’s Net approaches its mission through partnership with non-governmental building their capacities to use ICTs strategically while facilitating content development and networking.

Below are summaries of transcripts of the people who participated in sharing their stories using digital media.

Alayika Basikolo “I was beaten severely to the extend of being hospitalized for three months and at one time I thought of committing suicide …” Read more…
Benhilda Marume “I was involved in a car accident and broke my spinal code which left me paralyzed…” Read more…
Charles Chigwada “My girlfriend would still visit me at my workplace and assault me verbally and physically in front of my colleagues who could only watch in astonishment…” Read more…
Christopher Mtetwa “I got employed soon after completing my Ordinary Level as a bus conductor and started sleeping with my female workmate …” Read more…
Deliwe Chiriseri “My husband secretly went for HIV testing and tested positive but did not tell me. He later told me that he was HIV positive and encouraged me to go for counseling…” Read more…
Joao Zangaroti “I knew l was HIV positive when l got married. I infected my wife and children because l could not disclose my status to them…” Read more…
Norman Mubape “I would sleep with six to eight women after every show without condoms, paying every one of them and sometimes would not sleep at home with my wife. If confronted by my wife l would beat her up until she becomes unconscious...” Read more…
Simon Tambudzai “I would beat up my wife, verbally abused her, told her she shouldn't talk back to me because I paid lobola…” Read more…
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