Net#work BBDO strategist Kerry Hibberd has been selected from 5,000 applicants to be part of Vodacom’s Change the World programme, which sponsors volunteers to work at an NGO of their choice for a year.
“For the next 12 months I’m swapping creative strategy for volunteering, for a NGO that makes maths make sense to school children,” says Hibberd. “This is an incredible opportunity to make 365 days of difference, and is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Boniswa Pezisa, Net#work BBDO group CEO, says it’s not often that a staff member’s resignation fills her with pride: “I’m so proud that Kerry is going to be making the world a better place for South African school children. But, it’s not surprising that Vodacom sees in her what we’ve all seen over the past few years as colleagues. Our door will always be open!”
Over the past year with Net#work BBDO, Hibberd masterminded the Vagina Varsity campaign for Libresse, which has won 15 awards local and international creative and effectiveness, and counting.
Every year, Vodacom calls on young South Africans who are keen to volunteer their time and skills to their communities, to apply for a place on the Change the World programme. The criteria is strict and only the most passionate volunteers are chosen for the chance of a lifetime to work for the NGO of their choice for a year, fully funded. Hibberd is one of just 20 successful applicants for 2018.
Kerry Hibberd will be working with OLICO Education, an NGO based in Diepsloot, that uses a mix of tutoring and technology to help township school learners improve their maths skills. Specifically, Hibberd will be helping OLICO to develop and promote their completely free and CAPS-aligned maths content to as many school-going youths as possible.
OLICO currently has programmes and resources for learners from grades 1 to 12, and will soon also offer training to education providers and other partners who are interested in helping learners in their communities.
