CRECO Kenya in partnership with the Embassy of Finland Fund for Local Cooperation, invites applications from young ambassadors of digital democracy between age 25-35 years from media, academia and civil society professionals in the 47 Counties of Kenya to join the six-month Digital Democracy Fellowship (DDF) program running from September 2025 – March 2026 that will involve training, mentorship, and co-production of communication outputs based on Digital Media and Information Literacy (DMIL).The fellowship will have  total of 50 young professionals; a gender ratio of 50:50 with at least 15 fellows from each sector and affirmative action will be applied to have at least 5 PWDs interested in promoting online hygiene will be selected to join the program.

To enrich the fellowship experience, participants will take part in interactive workshops and peer learning sessions covering topics such as fact-checking, writing, public speaking, and leadership. The program will be led by three core facilitators and supported by six guest speakers. Fellows will also be grouped to design and implement community-based outreach projects, which they will present at an end-of-fellowship conference.

Fellows will be trained through weekly online sessions throughout the six-month fellowship while also leveraging on their various expertise as young professionals. The project shall assess the impact of the fellowship program and identify areas for improvement, recognize and celebrate the achievements of fellows through award of completion certificates during the end of fellowship conference.

Online Workshop Sessions

This program will entail an inception virtual training workshop for all selected participants on how to work together effectively; follow-up online training and mentorship sessions on specific topics; society readings, collaborative projects between the fellows to produce communication outputs for community outreach; and events that bring the fellows together to showcase their work with the general public during the End of Fellowship Conference to be held in Nairobi. Fellows will also attend the end of fellowship conference at the tail end of the program.

During the program, participants will then co-produce communication outputs based on their digital area of interest such as stories, podcasts, Twitter threads, blog posts, short videos, MoJo videos and others.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for the Digital Democracy Fellowship Program (Cohort 2):

• Age: Be between 25 and 35 years old at the time of application.
• Sectors:

1. Media (e.g., journalists, digital content creators, media producers)
2. Academia (e.g., researchers, lecturers, scholars)
3. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) (e.g., human rights defenders, program assistant/officer/manager/, advocacy professionals, communication assistant/officer/manager or the target sectors)

• Experience: Have at least one year of relevant work experience in media, civic engagement, advocacy, research, communications, or related fields.

• Nationality and Residency: Be a Kenyan citizen residing in any of the 47 counties.
• Interest in Digital Democracy: Demonstrate a clear interest in promoting digital rights, media literacy, fact-checking, data protection, digital security, and online civic engagement.
• Availability: Be available to actively participate in the full six-month fellowship program (August 2025–March 2026), including virtual training sessions, mentorship activities, and group outreach projects.
• Technology Access: Have access to a reliable internet connectivity and a digital device to participate in virtual sessions and assignments.
• Commitment to Inclusion: CRECO strongly encourages applications from marginalized groups, including persons with disabilities (PwDs).

Successful applicants will be required to cater for their internet bundles for the duration of the fellowship.

How to Apply 

Please note you will need to prepare for submission:

• Your updated CV with at least 3 referees who can be contacted via phone and e-mail.
• Your recommendation letter from your organization.
• Information/links to your portfolio
• Links to any public digital communication you have coordinated or produced in the past, such as democracy stories, blog posts or social media posts especially on fake news topics (if you are a journalist).
• Links to community project you have executed in the past, such online citizen mobilization for civic education or environmental conservation (if you are working for a civil society organization).