What’s in a name?
What’s in a name? As we launch our new name and brand – Shuga Global – this new name means a lot. Inspired by our groundbreaking coming of age drama MTV Shuga series first launched in Kenya in 2009 and adapted in other regions, Shuga Global reflects that we will continue to create brave, authentic and representative storytelling that changes young people’s lives. Co-creating stories that are felt across borders, Shuga Global will focus on the issues that have a universality for young people, adapted to their local contexts and realities. It’s something we’ve always done and believe is needed now more than ever. Because today young people everywhere are facing a unique, interconnected set of challenges, from misinformation, economic instability and the need to navigate digital life all in times of global uncertainty and persisting inequalities.
Over the past 25+ years the MTV Staying Alive Foundation has evolved and adapted reflecting the times we live in. This new chapter as Shuga Global marks a shift in our current partnership with Paramount for whom we are deeply grateful for their support and to everyone who has been part of our journey. Having always been an independent non-profit organization, we will continue to look at expanding our ecosystem of media partnerships and new opportunities to scale our reach and impact.
What remains the same
As we move into this new era, the essence of our Vision firmly remains a world where every young person is equipped and empowered to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Our Mission to engage young people with immersive storytelling which empowers them to take control of their lives is locked in. And our day-to-day Purpose continues to be storytelling that changes lives. Why? Because young people still don’t have accurate information and lack trusted and relatable sources.
We have always been known for the creation of multi-award-winning media, which weaves life-changing social and health messaging into storylines that are immersive and relatable to young people. We have never shied away from tackling often raw stories to help create real and lasting change, and our content is driven by creativity and always audience-centric.
But we know content alone – as good and award-winning as it is – is not enough. How that content reaches young people and the communities they live in is what makes the difference. Committed to digital innovation and a breadth of adaptable formats, we make sure our content reaches young people where they are, with content and characters that resonate and relate, driving positive behaviour change and social norms. We partner with communities to distribute our media on the ground, working with local and national NGOs, community groups, service providers, and thousands of young people through our peer education work. Only by doing this can we reach young people with deeper, sustained engagement.
Through both our work on content and community engagement we also intentionally build capacity. We are stepping up our efforts to train and support local production companies and young people to develop socially-focused content. Sharing and developing skills, knowledge and providing support is helping grow the next generation of talent who want to act as strong agents for social good.
With our new name and a new three-year strategy, we will consolidate our presence in four regional hubs – Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and India – whilst proactively exploring opportunities including in Francophone Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. And from our original focus on HIV/AIDS, we have evolved into addressing a range of issues and themes that impact young people and are universal.
At the heart of our work will remain the core thematic areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Gender norms. But increasingly we are looking at the intersectionality of the issues under a framework of empowering young people to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing.
And we are ready and willing to address emerging issues in our work, from mental health, TB, LGBTQI, to nutrition, climate change and economic empowerment.
So, what’s in our new name? Shuga Global represents an approach that is brave, authentic, creative and driven by the local realities of young people. And now, as one of our directors might say, “Roll Camera. Mark it. Action!”
