By the Mumwe Heart of God Foundation, Uganda

In villages and towns across Uganda, a new sight is becoming a common place: a child, seated under a mango tree, completely absorbed in the glowing world of a smartphone. This image reflects a profound global shift and technology has arrived, bringing with its incredible opportunities for learning and connection. At the Mumwe Heart of God Foundation, we see the promise in this new frontier, but we also see a pressing challenge: how do we guide our children towards digital wellness in a world that is increasingly screen-dominated?

Impact of digitalization:

For generations, Ugandan childhood has been defined by community; It’s the sound of laughter during a game of dodgeball, the stories shared by elders in the evening cool, and the hands-on learning that happens in family gardens and community chores. Today, this vibrant, tangible world is competing with the endless, often passive, entertainment of a digital screen.

The rapid influx of affordable smartphones and data has outpaced our collective ability to establish healthy norms and many parents are less digitally savvy than their children thus, feel ill-equipped to set boundaries, fearing they might be holding their children back from the progress they so deserve.

The stakes are higher than just a few lost hours of play and excessive screen time can impact a child’s development in profound ways. It can affect their sleep, their physical health, and their ability to focus in school and more subsequently it can shape their worldview.  The constant exposure to curated, often unrealistic, online personas can foster anxiety and dissatisfaction, erodes the deep, empathetic connections formed through face-to-face interaction, which are the bedrock of our strong communities. Our mission is to nurture the whole child from their mind, body, and spirit and this requires us to be intentional stewards of their digital lives.

So, how do we find balance?

It is not about rejecting technology, but about mastering it we advocate for a philosophy of “tech with intent.” This literary means using screens as a tool for purposeful activities which includes; accessing educational resources, learning a new skill, or connecting with relatives far away rather than a default babysitter.

We encourage families to create “digital-free zones and times.” The family dinner table, for instance, can be a sacred space for conversation and connection, the hour before bed should be for winding down with a book or sharing stories from the day, not for scrolling through social media and most importantly, we must champion and invest in the offline world.

Our foundation gradually works to provide resources for community libraries, sports clubs, and arts and crafts programs for stance the Mumwe football academy established in 2023. We celebrate the richness of our own culture i.e. the storytelling, music and dance which offers children a deep sense of identity and belonging that no algorithm can replicate.

This journey towards digital wellness is a community effort and requires open conversations in our homes, schools, and churches. At the Mumwe Heart of God Foundation, we are committed to walking alongside parents and caregivers, providing workshops and resources to build digital literacy and confidence we as well believe that by working together, we can raise a generation that is not only digitally savvy but also emotionally resilient, socially connected, and grounded in the love of their community and their faith.

Let us join hands to ensure that our children can harness the power of technology without losing the richness of the world right in front of them connect with us for the better establishments towards championing this cause via our [email protected] or call +256700135510, your contributions are highly valued.