Expanding access to open internet in censored societies

In the heart of a repressive regime, a quiet revolution was taking place — not with protests or weapons, but with job training manuals, laptops, and a belief in economic empowerment.

Under Sudan’s long-standing authoritarian rule, surveillance was not just a tool of state security — it was the state’s lifeline. Phones were tapped, internet cafes monitored, and even casual conversations could land citizens in detention. But what the regime didn't anticipate was how a simple employment training program could loosen its grip on civil society.

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In the photo above, taken at a transit station just outside Khartoum, hundreds gather under the warm evening sun. While it may seem like a typical crowd waiting for transportation, this was no ordinary movement of people. These were participants of a groundbreaking employment training initiative — one designed not only to teach job skills but to rebuild community agency and resilience.

Many of them had traveled from rural areas, conflict zones, or displacement camps. Their goal was not just personal development, but collective transformation. The program offered them more than training — it gave them access to tools that could make them economically independent and digitally literate, breaking their dependency on the state and allowing them to connect with the outside world.