Young FunDza Writers
(from back): Lukhanyo Matshebelele, Marché Arends, Amber Solomons, Ndibulele Sotondoshe; (front) Tamica Mopp; Busiswa Mahonono. (missing) Asithandile Tyulu.
By Marché Arends, Deputy Content Manager
Much of what we do at FunDza is content creation. Through our weekly blogs like Mindspace, Did You Know and Inspiring Tomorrow we hope to inform, inspire and entertain our readers. Written and researched by our internal team of writers and editors, these blogs are a mainstay on the live.fundza.mobi homepage and certainly garner much attention in the week they are published.
In February, we said goodbye to the Inspiring Tomorrow blog – a series of interviews focusing on leaders in local communities. To fill the space, we welcomed three new blogs to the family including Style Secrets (written by Amber Solomons and Busiswa Mahonono), Girl Talk (written by Tamica Mopp) and Ekasi with AmaJita (written by Asithandile Tyulu, Lukhanyo Matshebelele and Ndibulele Sotondoshe).
Style Secrets is a great space for young people to learn the ins and outs of fashion, hair care and new trends. The blogs are personal in nature, as the writers describe their own journeys with looking after their natural hair, for example, and identifying must-have items in their closets. Perhaps what is most heartening about this blog is the lively interaction in the comments section. Amber and Busiswa are regulars in this area, responding to questions and taking suggestions on board for future articles.
Girl Talk is really a labour of love for Tamica who draws on her own experiences in love, loss and the journey of self-discovery to inspire young women to stand up for themselves and acknowledge their worth. Tamica has tried, quite successfully, to create a community of support – something she wished she had had in her younger years. Topics tackled in previous pieces include toxic friendships, red flags in relationships, and how to deal with insecurities.
Finally, we have Ekasi with Amajita. This blog is so exciting because we hear the male perspective on many sensitive and topical issues in South African society. Ndibulele, Lukhanyo and Asithandile are not afraid to take on the often-taboo subjects of gender-based violence, fatherhood and unequal relationships. It is a refreshing perspective; one that has proven to create both discussion and debate.
Here are FunDza, we have made it our mission to serve our readers and writers in the best ways we know how. Through these new blogs, and others in the pipeline, we know we are producing responsive, relatable and enjoyable content. The qualitative data reflects this. It is an exciting time at the organization as we take advantage of the sharp minds on our team who are always eager to share their experiences in aid of our beneficiaries.
So, watch this space as we bring you content to make you laugh, cry and think deeply about the world around you!