Matchboxology

We have an exercise that we use to explain empathy in a workshop setting that always shifts a room. We ask our participants to take off their right shoe and pass it on to their neighbour. They receive a shoe from their neighbour, and we ask them to put it on. It's awkward. People laugh. And feel a little sweaty. And no one forgets the learning that to show true practical empathy, we need to re-create that feeling. #empathy #humancentreddesign #walkinginmyshoes #hcd #empathymatters #empathyinaction #humancentereddesign 

We are proud members of the Reach Network. Yvette Kruger participated in a special community on Impact Evaluation and our fabulous partners at Stby made a Podcast! Listen here - https://lnkd.in/d75_Gw6m #DesignResearch #ImpactEvaluation #ReachNetwork #Stby #HCD

Ending the year with a little self-care and gratitude for the amazing colleagues who make work feel like a true team effort - every step of the way. And never not laughing along the journey. We also reflect on the loss of our beloved colleague Mdu. His warmth, kindness, and laughter are deeply missed, and his family remains in our hearts, especially at this time of year. 

We're expanding our global reach! The Matchboxology website is now accessible in French to ensure more voices can be heard and empowered. Visitez notre site web pour en savoir plus sur ce que nous faisons - https://matchboxology.com/

Matchboxology is a proud member of the International Steering Committee for the 4th International Social and Behavior Change Communication Summit. Today’s big news: The #SBCC is coming to Panama City from March 23 to 27, 2026. To learn more, visit https://lnkd.in/dD7q2nma

Recently, in the small town of Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, we brought together representatives from a wind farm, community development trusts, the Industrial Development Corporation and numerous members of the community to co-create ways in which they might serve each other better. Our ‘levelling effect’ on participants created a safe space, allowing them to share and engage openly and then, having listened with ‘fresh ears’, they were able to stitch together their newly gained insights into fresh ideas previously unimagined. Proving yet again our belief that those closest to the challenge are best equipped to solve it. #africa #humancentereddesign #behavioralscience #behaviouraldesign #behaviouralchange #hcd #matchboxology #mbx

Our very own Caroline Deignan is a co-author on Agency for All Project’s latest article: “Using the 5C Vaccine Hesitancy Framework to Measure Contraceptive Acceptability in Sub-Saharan Africa” available here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dh49NxZ6 Most family planning programs focus on how many people use contraceptives, but these measures don’t always show what individuals truly want. We’re using a framework originally designed for vaccine hesitancy to create and test a better way to measure how acceptable contraceptives are in Sub-Saharan Africa. This new approach focuses on people’s unique needs, preferences, and values. By doing so, it can improve how family planning programs are designed and make them more effective. We’re proud to contribute to this important work! #AgencyForAll #FamilyPlanning #PublicHealthcare #SubSaharanAfrica

After attending the global YALI conference last week, Matchboxology has to send KUDOS to USAID for investing so heavily in the African continent’s most valuable resource: Young Leaders. Through YALI, Mandela Washington Fellowships and a host of online resources and in-person events, over 640,000 amazing young Africans are connected, capacitated and defining the future of their continent and countries. Africa rising for sure! #YALIconference2024 | YALI Alumni Expo and Trade Show (YALI Expo) #YALI #YoungLeaders #USAID

"At last week’s YALI conference in Cape Town, I met so many dynamic, determined and driven young founders who blew me away with their initiative and confidence. njoh Mbandi from Cameroon is pioneering organic farming and products for his market and the continent. I don’t know what those processed snails are used for but I predict his Cassava flour is going to be a hit!" - Cal Bruns #YALIconference2024 | YALI Alumni Expo and Trade Show (YALI Expo) #YALI #YoungLeaders

Evidence is the first “e” in Matchboxology’s e5™ humanistic problem-solving approach. Here’s some data presented last week by the Trevor Noah Foundation and Afrobarometer at the Young African Leadership Initiative conference in Cape Town that reminds us just how urgent our work is. #YALIconference2024 | YALI Alumni Expo and Trade Show (YALI Expo)