Youth poverty in Africa is an urgent problem. Yet Young Africa believes the solution can be simple: give young people practical skills, and they build a future with work and income.
To win attention in the crowded NGO landscape, I was appointed Brand & Communications Manager to develop a long-term plan.
Although Young Africa has an impressive history, the brand was still unknown in the Netherlands. Time to show the world: Skills make the difference! But how do you reach the hearts of Dutch donors? And how do you create urgency for the cause of African youth? With these questions as the basis, I developed a 2-year strategy that put the brand on the map.
We took off with a repostioning of the brand identity, visuals and copy, based on the core values of the brand. The fresh look and modern tone of voice, enabled us to convey the message of ‘youth empowerment’ on all platforms. Following the repositioning, I developed a new website in collaboration with Utrecht-based agency Elke Dag Beter.
With the powerful tagline ‘Skills make the difference’ we launched a campaign on social media and outdoor. In it, we showed how skills help young people make a difference – for themselves and their communities. The result? A reach of 200,000 people and €2,000 in donations. An important start in increasing our visibility.
To bridge the physical distance to Africa, we organized an inspiring event at the SDG House, Amsterdam. During a festive evening, founders Dorien Beurskens and Raj Joseph told the story of 25 years of Young Africa. Talks and African music and dance brought our mission to life and strengthened connections with donors and followers. The evening not only raised awareness, but also generated significant donations – a testament to the power of connection.
The campaign Skills make the difference was rewarded a bronze Anthem Award in the Category: Education, Art & Culture.
Additionally, during the two years of my tenure, I was responsible for hiring and managing a team of 2 FTE.
