Empowering Refugee Artists in Dzaleka Malawi

Over the past three months, our work has focused on preparing the foundation for a Digital Content Lab in Dzaleka Refugee Camp. The lab does not yet physically exist, but the vision, partnerships, and planning behind it are actively moving forward, with a target to complete by July 2026.

We are currently very close to finalizing an agreement with a major funder that would support the core build of the lab. This support would include professional training, mentorship, and essential digital equipment for refugee artists working in storytelling, video, photography, and writing. This partnership would make the creation of the lab itself possible.

What this GlobalGiving project supports is something equally critical: the ongoing operational costs that allow the Digital Content Lab to function once it is established. These include local coordination, internet connectivity, maintenance, facilitation, training and the day-to-day expenses that keep a creative space consistent, accessible, and rooted in the community.

In Dzaleka, opportunities for education, income, and creative expression are extremely limited. Many artists already create and collaborate informally, often without tools, reliable access, or sustained support. The Digital Content Lab is designed to respond to that reality by becoming a stable home for skill-building, peer learning, and creative production over time.

While the physical space is still in development, this period of preparation is essential. It allows us to build the right partnerships, plan responsibly, and ensure that when the lab opens, it is not a short-term intervention, but a space that can be sustained.

Donations through GlobalGiving help ensure that once the lab is built, it can remain open, active, and accountable to the artists who will use it. Thank you for supporting the long-term work required to turn this vision into a living, working space for refugee artists in Dzaleka.

Links:

• Story Website