Tween CEO Alyssa Awuah on Ending Afro Hair Discrimination Through Her App Frobelles

Originally published in Popsugar UK: https://www.popsugar.co.uk/tec...

At 12 years old, I was obsessing over Little Mix, practising High School Musical dance routines and developing my first celebrity crush (I'll love you forever Troy Bolton). Alyssa Awuah has been far busier than me at 12, having won the London Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for her incredible feat in creating an app that's brought positive representation to those who need it the most — young Black girls.

In the gaming world, black characters are often underrepresented or misrepresented and both Alyssa and her mother Yvonne Ottley realised that there were barely any dress-up games that featured characters with Afro hair. To fill that gap, they created Frobelles, which follows three sisters Coco, Kelli and Krista with an individual passion for fashion.

While being a fun and creative game, Frobelles fills the need for greater representation, as a study by Dove found that Black women's hair is more likely to be deemed as unprofessional and they're 80% more likely to change their natural hair to meet social norms and expectations at work.

Devastatingly, this hair discrimination begins as young as 10 years old for most Black primary school girls, but 53% of Black mums whose daughters experienced hair discrimination said their child experienced it as early as five. The statistics of the report continue to show a dimming shine for young Black girls, as these micro-aggressions and discrimination they've experienced have impacted the way they see themselves.

On the positive side, Dove found that Black girls are strong in their belief that their Afros are beautiful and Frobelles is here to reinforce that belief further. The app allows children to experiment with their identities and sense of style, with everything from fashion collaborations and clothing, to a wide array of afro hair styles, via its three main characters.

During the hair styling phases, children are taught how to care for their Afro-textured hair, how to take part in a skincare routine and ultimately, how to get ready for the day. For mini CEO Awuah, she loves the app for its "edutainment".

Frobelles

"I love how you can learn so much from Frobelles, my mum calls it edutainment. But my favourite part is the new story mode, it makes game play a little more challenging and I like that you can get a feel for the different characters' personalities as you go through the different levels," Awuah tells PS UK.

As well as enjoying the app for herself, she's received glowing reviews from her friends too. "My friends have always been really supportive. I remember when we first launched the game, I was only eight at the time, and my classmates were all really excited to see me on TV or in magazines," she tells us. "A few of my closest friends actually helped with testing the app at the very beginning, so they've all been on the journey with me. I read the reviews when I'm watching TV sometimes, and it's always a really nice surprise to see them from people I know."

Having created an impactful game with her daughter, Ottley tells us that she's constantly learning from her wise-beyond-her-years business partner as she divulges into what's to come for Frobelles. "Alyssa's perspective as a young girl who just wanted to see herself represented has been invaluable, as she's the exact audience we're trying to target," Ottley says.

"Our focus will remain on showing children that their natural hair is beautiful".

She continues: "She's very meticulous when it comes to testing any new features or additions to the game and I'm always in awe of how creative she is. I've learned to be more adaptable, trust the process and embrace the unexpected ideas that often lead to some of our biggest breakthroughs. It's a constant learning experience, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be on this journey with her."

"We're currently planning new feature launches, big brand partnerships, and workshops — not just focused on hair, but also entrepreneurship," Ottley adds. "Above all, our focus will remain on fostering inclusivity and empowerment, showing children that their natural hair is beautiful and that they can achieve their dreams regardless of their background or age."

You can download Frobelles for Apple, from the App Store, or Android, from the Google Play Store.