Magnum: AWA

Magnum ice cream unveils AWA by Magnum with a campaign by LOLA MullenLowe to celebrate upscaling Magnum's female empowerment programme throughout their cocoa farming communities in Cote d’Ivoire. In collaboration with NGOs and partners through Magnum’s supply chain network, such as CARE International and 100WEEKS, the AWA by Magnum programme provides women in the cocoa farming communities with the entrepreneurship and literacy skills, funding (through direct mobile payments) and infrastructure of the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLAs). This helps the women to financially establish themselves independently, providing training to further their economic understanding and provide a lasting impact, with individuals participating in the AWA programme having 12 times more savings compared to the benchmark in Côte d’Ivoire. Further to this, the first cohort of graduates from Magnum’s female empowerment programme have successfully established businesses such as fashion retail and food production, with almost three quarters (74%) of people in the programme having already expanded their income generating activities. Women play a vital role in cocoa farming communities in Côte d'Ivoire. To support them, Magnum is amplifying their voices and work, while bringing awareness to its long-term strategy to financially and socially empower them this World Cocoa & Chocolate Day. The empowerment program is also brought to life by AWA, Magnum’s first ever digital ambassador, who was created using facial scanning technology combined with the live portraits of 128 Ivorian women of the cocoa farming communities and who have been positively impacted by Magnum’s long-term programme. 2022 marks the first cohort of programme graduates and, looking beyond this, AWA will tell the stories of achievement from the programme and how, by empowering them both economically and socially, the women have been able to diversify their income. AWA will model a limited-edition fashion collection created in partnership with Rebecca Zoro, using local materials and inspired by her Ivorian heritage and culture. The 5-piece collection, which is available for purchase from 1st October 2022 via the AWA by Magnum Online Store.