Author: khwezimagwaza

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Launching Girl Effect’s first global brand, Springster

facebook-header-3.2e16d0ba.fill-790x400After 2 and half years as the digital content mama on Girl Effect Mobile (GEM) working with the amazing media non-profit Girl Effect, I’m excited to finally be able to reveal our new rebrand as global girls digital brand Springster!

We traveled to 5 countries to talk to girls about what they wanted from GEM and girls told us they wanted to be part of something, as well as support and celebrate each other. We listened and responded with Springster, a brand that aims to build a community-focused identity and attitude, celebrating the diverse, inspirational and convention-defying experiences of all girls.

The branding is beautiful and it was an amazing collaborating with the incredible team at Design Studio in London. But it’s not just our new illustrations (all done by an amazing female team we handpicked from almost every corner of the world) and fun UX that made this an amazing project for me, it was seeing how we’ve grown and evolved and learned with girls to bring them an even better version of our platforms.  I have to give us all a pat on the back… we did good!

You can learn more about Springster in our factsheet

03_girlconfidence_feature_Look in the mirror…

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Springster series Hara Huru Dara featured at YoutubeFest

fanfestWe hooked up with Youtube to create a ten-episode web series for Springster Indonesia!

The show adapted some of our most popular on-site content into a fun, conversational format covering everything from a takedown of catcalling culture to tips on preparing for job interviews, to a light-hearted deconstruction of harmful period myths.

The series was hosted by an inspiring group of young female influencers including actress and pop sensation Sheryl Sheinafia.

Thanks to our incredible Indonesian creative team Percolate Galatic we were able to secure some of Asia’s coolest creative talent including award-winning director and filmmaker Lucky Kuswandi, and we even scored a jingle by rising 18-year-old Indonesian singer-songwriter Heidi Nasution!

 

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My African travel diaries series for Essence.com

Screen Shot 2018-07-05 at 11.23.30One of my favorite things to do… writing about awesome women who inspire me. This travel piece for Essence.com was such a labor of love and admiration for my passport gang woman crush Lerato Mogoatlhe.

Oh and I can’t wait for her book Vagabond coming out later this year.

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Women and Girls Speak Up and Stay Safe: Media and Mobiles

vodafone 1.jpgI was invited by the Vodafone Americas Foundation and Internews, to be part of a panel discussion about empowering women and girls with tools to make their voices heard, but also we explored how we can keep girls and women safe in these digital spaces.

Alongside me on the Panel was Kat Duffy, Vice President of Global Technology Programs at Internews, Emily May, co-Founder of Hollaback!, Alli Maloney, the News and Politics Editor at Teen Vogue, and Solange Nyasoso, a human rights advocate and journalist from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They are all inspiring women who are doing great work to amplify the voices of women and girls online, and I was honored to share a platform with them!

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Digital content for financial literacy

I worked on a really cool Girl Effect project with Save the Children in Indonesia recently.

As lead content strategist on the Dooit app, a financial literacy tool targeted at girls in school between 16-18 years old.

We wanted to adapt the successful Save the Children’s Skills to Success program curriculum into a fun mobile-friendly experience for girls.

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Using User Centered Design we worked with girls to design a product and content that would help them save money and reach their financial goals.

Understanding the constraints of low-income girls for whom banks are inaccessible or untrusted, it made sense to create a personal money mentor. Dooit guides girls in setting financial goals and then helps them to track savings.

Plus, it wouldn’t be a Khwezi content strategy for girls without fun quizzes, and games.  Dooit encourages and supports girls while helping them to shift behaviors and improve their financial literacy.

Dooit .jpg

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GEM shortlisted for prestigious Mobile World Congress GLOMO award

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This article was originally published on Girl Effect.Org

 

In recognition of mobile innovation in emerging markets.

Girl Effect Mobile (GEM) has been shortlisted for a Glomo (Global Mobile) award for its work on connecting girls to important information, engaging content, and to one another.

GEM has been nominated for the ‘Best Mobile Innovation for Emerging Markets’ award in the Social and Economic Development category. The awards will be presented at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Contin…

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It’s a good day when Mark Zuckerberg gives your work a shout out

I’m not one for industry hot air blowing and bro-butt-slapping (which tech has a lot of) but it’s something special when the work you do makes you feel something deeply. I am so proud to have had Facebook’s Founder Mark Zuckerberg highlight Girl Effect Mobile today with a touching video about the impact Internet.org has had in Africa. It was also how Facebook chose to launch its global incubator for Free Basics project (which is also coincidentally being lead by the amazing South Africa team at my employer Praekelt Foundation).

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The moral of this story though is that when your work gives you warm, fuzzy and inspired feelings you know you’re on to something good, and Girl Effect has been that and so much more for me. #Grateful to get paid to do what I love AND do my bit to change the world in the process.

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Editor in Chief of Seventeen

011011SEM006Under my editorship seventeen South Africa saw exciting growth and changes…this is the highlights package…

Awards

2010

WINNER: AdMag Award Best International Title

SILVER: AdMag Award in the Youth Culture Category

GOLD: AdMag Award Innovative Digital Publishing Category

2009

WINNER: PICA Best Consumer Title International General Interest

HIGHLY COMMENDED: PICA Consumer Publishing Excellence Online Solution

HIGHLY COMMENDED: PICA Consumer Publishing Excellence Supplements: Deluxe in seventeen

2008

HIGHLY COMMENDED: PICA Best Consumer Title International General Interest