You recently joined the team at Khaya. What inspired you to work with Khaya?
I have always been very interested in traveling and exploring the world, combined with the idea of making a difference in other people's lives. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to contribute my knowledge.
How has your background in Media Science helped you in your current position?
My studies in Germany have been both practical and theoretical. On the one hand, I learned theoretical strategies for marketing and communication, and on the other hand I learned skills like filming, cutting, and editing. A combination of both of these skill sets really helps me to improve the Khaya’s social media efforts.
Together with the students/volunteers on a weekend trip in Plettenberg Bay
Describe a typical day at work for you.
A typical day at work for me starts at 8:30 a.m.. First thing in the morning is a short marketing meeting to discuss what everyone is planning to do and accomplish. After that, I start to work.
The content for the different Khaya social media channels is a big part of my daily work. I look for pictures and captions and schedule the posts for Instagram and Facebook. I also create new video content for our Youtube channel on a regular basis, and I prepare Newsletters for the email marketing campaigns. I try to visit different projects at least twice a month to get fresh and new content regularly.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am currently working on the Youtube content. I recently created explanation videos for different purposes (short videos with drawings and very short explanations). Additionally, I am working on a video which shows a typical day in the life of a Khaya volunteer.
Helping out at the Human Dignity Center in Port Elizabeth
How do you get your inspiration for marketing and social media campaigns for Khaya?
I mostly get my inspirations from the projects themselves. Every time I visit a project and see the great work the volunteers are doing there, I am so inspired. It is very inspiring to see how they make a difference and how grateful the people they are working with are.
What makes Khaya special and easy to market to an audience of potential volunteers and interns?
Khaya offers a huge diversity of projects. We have different community and wildlife projects. Most of the projects are located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa (PE), but we also have some in different parts of South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, and Malawi. Basically everyone can find a project that suits their wishes.
Another big benefit of Khaya is the Volunteer House in PE. We have a wonderful house very close to the beach. The volunteers live together which makes the volunteers feel at home. Khaya offers an all inclusive service, which means that we will organize everything for the participants.
Once you book your stay with us, we will take care of you: from the moment you arrive at the airport until you leave Khaya again. You don’t have to worry about anything.
Traveling through South Africa. Picture taken in Port St. Johns
If you could participate in a program that Khaya offers, where would you go and what would you do?
I have already visited all the PE projects and I really like them all. My favorite one is probably the Missionvale Care Center. There are a lot of different departments that you can work in and the people in Missionvale are very grateful for the work of the volunteers.
I also would love to visit the projects in Tanzania, Malawi, and Namibia to see more of beautiful Africa, and to get to know the working habits in other parts of the continent.
A day at work, all smiles!
What is your favorite part of working for Khaya?
My favorite part is that everyday is different. There are always different tasks which need to be accomplished. I can also use my creativity to come up with new content and campaigns, and I can realize and create them on my own. I also really like that I have the possibility to visit different projects around Southern Africa.
Are there any special projects you are working on or that Khaya is developing that we should know about?
We are currently working on expanding our project range in Namibia. New projects will be added to the Khaya portfolio soon. So we are busy visiting potential projects and doing research in order to make this happen!
