ALT And FunDza Team Up For A Story About Data Privacy
ALT And FunDza Team Up For A Story About Data Privacy. To mark this year’s World Data Protection Day (28 January 2023), a group of literacy specialists and data privacy advocates have joined up to publish a new piece of YA (young adult) fiction about data privacy. This unique partnership, between the Fundza Literacy Trust and ALT Advisory, aims to spark a conversation about data protection with young people, particularly in South Africa.
“Stolen Dreams”, by South African author Zimkhitha Mlanzeli, tackles the unusual theme of data protection through a compelling human-interest story: Bongi, a young woman whose dreams of getting into university seem doomed when she becomes a victim of identity theft, must team up with her friends to investigate a shady businessperson who she suspects of stealing her personal information.
Stolen Dreams is now available in both English and isiZulu on Fundza’s mobi-site library, alongside thousands of other open-access books for teens and young adults.The organisations have included a set of user-friendly resources and learning materials to help readers unpack some of the themes and issues behind the story.
The goal of this project is to help equip young people with the tools and knowledge they need to protect their data in an increasingly digital world. There is growing awareness of the risks to people’s personal information in the modern era, whether due to cybercrime, unethical tech companies, or data breaches. However, any young person can take steps to protect themselves by being aware and informed and knowing their rights!
