W+K London Designer Kelly recently returned from a stint in Centro Das Mulheres do Cabo, Brazil via The International Exchange (TIE), where she spent a few weeks volunteering with youth-led organisation FOJUCA. Lending her time and design experience to the community group, Kelly helped FOJUCA craft a visual identity, manifesto, and set up social channels — all in service of rallying youth to speak out against local corruption and gender and race-based violence.

Chatting with the agency over pizza and photos from her time in Brazil, Kelly talked about the challenges of depending on a translator (and Google Translate) to communicate, facing different ways of working, and persevering through a bout of illness, and, at one point, a nearby shooting, to wrap up the project. The latter was a stark reminder of the reality that locals face on a daily basis, making her experience with FOJUCA all the more meaningful.

Kelly was especially inspired by the group of women involved with FOJUCA, as “they have done an incredible amount to mobilse women in the community over the past 30 years.” She was equally taken aback by their overwhelming hospitality and being “welcomed with the warmest hugs from [her] host family and the women at the charity.” Kelly was “totally blown away by their ability to make [her] feel so comfortable and welcome.”

Before departing the country, Kelly help craft a strong visual identity for FOJUCA — a graphic orange and black logo with standout typography that made its way onto the organisation’s Facebook page, postcards, and stickers which youth helped post in the local area. For Kelly, being able to apply her design skills to such a worthy project was a rewarding treat, as was immersing herself in Brazilian culture — an experience which encompassed her time with FOJUCA and “dancing, eating, and more eating!”

You can follow developments with FOJUCA by visiting their Facebook page and learn more about The International Exchange by visiting their official website.

To read about Kelly’s experience in more depth, visit her blog.