It’s about that time of year when many reflect on how the year went. For us at DODO, the word that comes to mind when we think of 2024 is adventurous.

We achieved a lot of firsts this year, many of the goals we set for ourselves as a team we were able to accomplish.

First, we set out to run a rigorous mentorship program for young designers and user researchers in our region. Many wonder why this is seen as a feat. You would have to take a closer look into the practice of Human-centered Design as it plays out in social impact and development work within the African context to see why this was a much-celebrated undertaking.

In their quest to answer to the Sustainable Development Goals, Global organizations seek actionable insights that create impact towards societal change and shifts. To attain these insights, accurate, high-quality data must be gotten, and to get quality data, the researchers on ground must put their best foot forward.

In our work over the years, we have seen this gap exist, this has led us to take on the responsibility of helping to hone the skills of on-ground researchers, both as they assist our work when we’re on the field, and in mentorship programs such as the one we ran earlier in the year. 

The program enabled us to sharpen the design and research skills of these young professionals who are keen on making a mark in their communities and in the larger society. About 15 eager designers embarked on an intense 6-week deep dive into human-centered design, with in-depth training in critical areas like data gathering, analysis, and synthesis, as well as storytelling to adequately communicate the relevant insights to stakeholders for action.

In another fist, we also partnered with the Gender Equality part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to engage a panel of women in a labs format to get their feedback on areas affecting their reproductive health. During these in-depth sessions, we sought out and recruited female participants across different cities who fit the right criteria. We designed multiple days filled with deep engagement, fun activities, gifts, and community aimed at making the women feel special.

Last, but certainly not least, we got the results of a year-long project we had previously embarked on with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where our team worked with over 500 participants across several regions. Our team in Nigeria kicked off the project which ran over a few years and across many other African countries. Having run a few years, the project just completed in the final African nation and the work was accumulated and shared with stakeholders.

Our partners just recently shared the information with the Gates Foundation and it was well received, we are excited to share more of this subsequently!

We hope your 2024 was as exciting and filled with action as ours, however, no matter what it was like, we hope your 2025 will be even better. 

Here are some highlights from a couple of members of our team from the past year.