Today’s African innovators do not have to look too far for inspiration. Often, it is in our backyards and reflected in the richness and vibrancy of our cultures. Growing up in a town called Owerri in Imo State, Nigeria, Muoka Mills, an entrepreneur, explains that the African culture rooted a sense of unity and community in him. So when at age of 14, he had to leave his home and immigrate to New York, the culture shift left him constantly homesick.
As a young African student in the United States, Muoka’s priority was education and building a solid career. “Being that I was single and always focused on my career and professional growth, I didn’t go out a lot and my opportunities to meet people were limited.”
Little did Muoka know that this “snag” that he and and apparently most of his friends faced was going to introduce him to a completely different perspective on meeting people – one that would eventually reconnect him with his African roots.
Social networking and online dating are not unfamiliar terms to this generation. A vast number of social networks exist with their various target audiences and specifications. However, realizing that there was little or none of these social platforms and online communities available solely to Africans ignited Mills’ imagination and led to the birth of the All-African app, “Khedoo”.
Muoka Mills, the 25-year old creator of the Khedoo app. (Photo: Muoka Mills)
Khedoo, pronounced “Kay-Doo” is derived from the Igbo word “kedu” meaning “hello” or “how are you”. It is an app that connects Africans with other Africans near them in as easy as one swipe.
Elucidating on some features of the app, Muoka says,
Our top concern is our users’ privacy and safety, so we’ve been thorough in completing the steps necessary to ensure the information in our database is secure and users’ information is kept private.
That and a number of interestingly crafted, user-friendly features ensure that ultimate satisfaction is achieved. So far, Khedoo has bagged over 30,000 users since its official launch on December 24th, 2015.
Mills’ biggest challenge has been finding ways to promote and expand the brand. He believes many Africans tend to shy away from social media platforms and this has somewhat limited the scope of the app. Not fazed by the already existing number of available online platforms, he expects the uniqueness of Khedoo to make it stand out over time.
Mills’ interest lies in developing a platform to connect and meet new friends from Africa. He says the app was created to generate a sense of value and convenience in Africans’ social lives and to help families and friends connect. While stating his long term goal for the App, he explains:
I’m hoping to expand the distance and kinds of connections people can make, so it’s easier to connect Africans to find other Africans to connect with – whether professionally, for friendship, or dating- whatever you choose.
Free on the App Store and Google Play, Khedoo is on a path to revolutionize social networking and online dating for Africans around the world.
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