How do you create a digital space that feels like home for communities at risk? Over the past six months, our Matchbox partnership with Youth Initiative Foundation (YIF) helped us explore this question.
Together, we co-created RAMO (Resource Allocation MapOut), a secure mapping platform connecting LGBTQIA+ youth to safe spaces, health services, and essential resources. The goal was not only to deliver a community-centered platform but also strengthen YIF’s long-term digital resilience in a challenging environment for LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
Why Youth Initiative Foundation (YIF)?
YIF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQIA+ youth across Africa. Through awareness campaigns, capacity building, and digital engagement, YIF advocates for equality, safety, and dignity. In a context where anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been reintroduced, their work is both vital and vulnerable.
When they joined our Matchbox programme, YIF had three goals:
- Co-develop a secure GIS-based mapping platform to help young people find safe spaces, health services, legal support, and other essential resources
- Strengthen data security and responsible data management to protect sensitive community information.
- Build organizational capacity through training on platform management, secure data handling, and digital security protocols.
Understanding the landscape
Our assessment revealed an organization with strong community connections and awareness of digital security, but with room to strengthen digital infrastructure and formalize data management practices. YIF had built trusted verification processes through peer networks, background checks, and community referrals.
Young LGBTQIA+communities were struggling to find resources and safe spaces when they needed them. Where is the nearest safe space? Which health services can I trust? Who can provide legal support? YIF’s community survey revealed that most young people simply didn’t know what resources existed or how to access them.
The challenge wasn’t just about creating a directory, it was about doing so safely in a challenging context. Through interviews and process mapping sessions, we heard the concerns and needs clearly.
A home built by us, for us
Recognizing YIF’s need for a secure, community-centered resource mapping system, we collaborated to build RAMO using Uwazi, an open-source documentation platform.
The platform features an interactive map of safe spaces, health services, legal assistance, shelters, and other critical resources. Users can search by location and service type to find support when they need it most.
Each resource listing is verified through YIF’s established community processes before appearing on the platform. Users can report outdated information or safety concerns, keeping the platform current and responsive.
Building security and resilience
Security and sustainability were central to the platform’s design.Together, we embedded responsible data and security practices throughout YIF’s operations. Strong password management practices now protect accounts, with two-factor authentication adding an extra layer of protection. Clear user roles and permissions follow the principle of least privilege; only a few trusted individuals have administrator access, reducing the risk of compromise.
We co-developed policies around data collection, retention, and deletion that align with values around community privacy and dignity. YIF now practices data minimization, collecting only information necessary for mapping and advocacy. The platform integrates YIF’s existing peer-based verification systems, requiring new community members to undergo vetting processes before gaining access.
Capacity building for sustainability
Through hands-on sessions, YIF team members learned to customize the platform and manage its information architecture. We created detailed technical documentation that serves as an ongoing reference guide and practical tools, including:
- Data Security Best Practices Workshops covering digital hygiene, secure data handling, device security, and incident response procedures.
Responsible Data Management Training, emphasizing ethical considerations for vulnerable communities and practical guidance on data retention and secure deletion.
Learning and Adaptation
Our work with YIF involved continuous learning and adaptation. A key insight was the importance of balancing accessibility with security making the platform easy to use for community members with varying levels of digital literacy while implementing robust protections against potential threats.
We learned to integrate new technical tools with existing community practices rather than replacing them, deepening our understanding of LGBTQIA+ advocacy in highly constrained environments.
What comes next
As our formal partnership concludes, YIF is well-positioned to use the RAMO platform to address the critical information gaps facing LGBTQIA+ youth. The platform provides a centralized, secure system for discovering resources and safe spaces.
Their team now has the skills and knowledge to manage the platform independently, maintain ongoing security measures, and adapt the system as community needs evolve.
The platform provides new pathways for young people to safely discover support services and connect with trusted community resources.
Want to collaborate?
If you have questions about integrating tech and data more efficiently and securely into your social justice work, get in touch! We’re always eager to collaborate with passionate groups committed to social change.Read more about our Matchbox programme