Building Digital Futures from the Ground Up in Juba
In a city where electricity is unreliable and internet access can be an expensive luxury, Koneta Hub is building a bridge to the digital world, one cardboard keyboard at a time.
From their small base in Juba, South Sudan, Koneta has become a lifeline for young people, women, and community members eager to learn basic digital skills but excluded from expensive private schools or formal education systems.
As Stephen Kovats from r0g_agency & the #ASKnet community observed: “Koneta is the kind of organisation there should be dozens of across South Sudan, practical, accessible, and completely grounded in local reality.”
Where most training centres cater to those who can afford it, Koneta opens its doors to those who can’t, creating a community of learning powered by curiosity, creativity, and inclusion.
A Human-Centered Hub for Change
Founded by Denaya Dennis, a former GoGirls ICT member and long-time tech advocate, Koneta Hub carries forward a lineage of grassroots innovation. The organisation applies human-centred design to local challenges, from health and education to digital rights and peacebuilding, ensuring that every solution starts with the community itself.
“We started with nothing but a few old laptops and a belief that innovation should belong to everyone.”
— Denaya Dennis, Founder & Executive Director, Koneta Hub
Denaya’s approach is pragmatic yet visionary: in South Sudan, where access barriers are social as much as technical, Koneta’s mission is to make technology feel possible.
That means finding creative, low-cost ways to teach digital literacy — like designing paper keyboards so learners can practice typing even when computers are scarce. It means creating community centres where women feel safe to learn, including those who are discouraged or even forbidden by family members from using technology.
Digital Skills as a Doorway
Koneta Hub runs programs that introduce basic IT, coding, and digital literacy to youth across Juba and beyond. These are entry points to agency, confidence, and opportunity. For many young participants, Koneta is their first experience of touching a computer, sending an email, or exploring online information safely. These small first steps are part of a larger journey toward digital inclusion and empowerment, ensuring no one is left behind in the country’s technological awakening.
Video: Koneta Hub: Digital Skills For Persons With Disabilities Hearing Impairment 2025
Digital inclusion is not just about access—it’s about agency, opportunity, and dignity. At Koneta Hub, we believe everyone deserves the tools to thrive in a connected world. Hear from participants, trainers, and advocates as they share their experiences and hopes for a more inclusive digital future
“We see technology as a tool for equality. Every person, regardless of income, gender, or background, deserves a chance to learn how to use it.”
— Koneta Hub Team
Beyond Technology: Health, Peace, and Human Rights
Koneta’s work extends beyond digital training. Their projects address a range of interlinked social issues, health, peacebuilding, education, and human rights, guided by the belief that sustainable development depends on community participation and ownership.
They advocate for digital rights as part of human rights, creating awareness about online safety and data privacy. They also run peacebuilding and conflict mitigation programs, recognising that social cohesion and digital inclusion go hand in hand in rebuilding South Sudan’s social fabric.
#CyberSafety Workshop Documentary
Cybersecurity is the protection of internet-connected systems such as hardware, software and data from cyberthreats. The practice is used by individuals and enterprises to protect against unauthorized access to data centers and other computerized systems. With an increasing number of users, devices and programs in the modern enterprise, combined with the increased deluge of data, much of which is sensitive or confidential, the importance of cybersecurity continues to grow. The growing volume and sophistication of cyber attackers and attack techniques compound the problem even further.
“When people gain access to knowledge, they gain the power to change their own lives.” Koneta Hub
By connecting technology with human dignity, Koneta positions digital literacy not as a privilege, but as a pathway to a more peaceful and informed society.
DSkills@EAC South Sudan Pitch Day - 14th Oct - Koneta Hub
Koneta Hub, a partner of the regional DSkills Project hosted the national Pitch Day on the 14th of October 2024.
Koneta’s impact is visible in small but powerful moments, a woman learning to type for the first time, a youth discovering how to repair a computer, a community discussion about online safety that sparks new awareness. These moments might not make international headlines, but they add up to something profound: a grassroots digital movement redefining what’s possible in Juba and across South Sudan.