Digitalizing Culture.

 Hi, my name is Sophia Njeri Karanja and I am a Digital Marketer Millennial.

You may be wondering why I’ve mentioned “Millennial” in my intro. Well it’s because I was born between 1900–2000: 1996 to be specific.

It’s also because I know very little of my culture. As is with my fellow Millennials.

Being in the digital space, I have a desire to digitize everything. Work, life, basically everyday activities.

But I always ask myself, if I, a Millennial, don’t know my culture, who will teach my kids about our culture?

What will happen to activities like Ruracio( dowry in Gikuyu tradition)? Who will be doing these things for us?

Which begs the question: Can Culture co-exist with Digitalization?

With close to 70 different languages and over 70 distinct ethnic groups spanning from Kikuyu to El Molo on the shores of lake Turkana, Kenya boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage that is unique to each group.

Unfortunately, the intricacies of this cultural DNA also means that many ethnic and indigenous groups are not adequately empowered. According to the UNDP’s 2018 report ,70% people still live below the poverty line in sparsely populated regions in Kenya.

Digitalization has brought about rapid changes. Take an example of the last 1 and a half years since Covid-19. The work culture has changed so much that now employers are adopting working from home and digitizing their processes.

Facebook has grown to a whooping 2.85 billion active users as of the first quarter of 2021. That means if Facebook was a country, it would be the most populous nation on the planet! This is to show how quickly new digitized tools get adopted.

As much as these rapid changes are taking place, there still remain marginalized areas that are oblivious to the advantages of digital adoption: What this leads to is extreme poverty and marginalization.

How can we help these people and still preserve our cultural heritage?

1. Communities can digitize their own cultural heritage in the form of digital photographs, audio visuals and sound recordings. This will provide the generation to come with materials that showcase their culture. World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO) helped the Maasai Community preserve their culture by providing material and equipment needed for the community to keep their heritage alive for generations to come. Read about it here.

I strongly believe that with the right tools, digitalization can improve many poverty situations in marginalized areas and address the issue of unemployment especially among the youth.

A couple of months back I visited Magadi. A very hot town in Kenya with most of the residents employees of the company Tata Chemi­cals Company Ltd. Throughout the journey, I couldn’t help but marvel at how interior it was, and how the people dressed in their cultural garments.

These people had very well preserved their culture! The lake Magadi full of Flamingos was a pink wonder, exciting my eyes. When I arrived and went to have lunch, I decided to take out my laptop and check a few emails and my laptop caught the eyes of 2 beautiful Maasai ladies who didn’t know what a laptop was. This to me was a shock because who doesn’t know what a laptop is?

I talked to a guy who had gone home to Magadi from Nairobi. He mentioned that many of the people living in and around Magadi were still relying on livestock selling(other than the factory workers): a business that has since dwindled.

My focus was with the youth. There were those that went to University, but ended up back in the village. Then when you go deep into the villages, you realize just how marginalized they are. They still uphold their culture, but consequently have to endure a life that is less favorable. No jobs, cattle keeping business failing, early marriages and early pregnancies.

The government and private sector can work towards having preservers of our culture, you know like guardians of the galaxy, but they would be guardians of culture and tradition!

The community can be involved in documenting and storing these valuable traditions to pass over to each generation, to ensure continuity of our unique ethnic groups.

I strongly believe that the use of the digital space can change the lives of many living in these marginalized areas.

1. Women in Magadi made beautiful bead works which they sell amongst themselves. There have been “outsiders’’ who have promised to find buyers but ended up duping them. With the right training, these women can have a wide market for their work. Both local and international audiences.

2. Lake Magadi has beautiful Flamingos. The area is a cultural hub. Youths in the area can showcase their beautiful town by starting youtube channels.

These are easily promoted via the online space. But, the skills and equipment are what is lacking.

We do not have to lose our culture, instead we can preserve it and educate others using the digital platform.

We can also help secure cultural differences by learning the importance of culture and developing new ways to keep cultural uniqueness despite the influences of the internet.

There’s still misconceptions about “online work” and consequently, many scammers use these opportunities to scam unsuspecting youth. With the right training, and reaching people in all areas including marginalized and poor areas, the online space can provide opportunities and improve the lives of residents and ultimately the nation.

So yes, I do believe that culture and co exist with digitalization if we work towards preserving our culture using digital means and also teaching and showing others what our culture is all about.

Sophia Njeri Karanja

Digital Marketer