Founder/Editor-in-Chief
Julia Chanda Zvobgo was born in Zimbabwe and raised in The Netherlands. As an Afropean she is always looking for new and creative ways to “make the invisible, visible”. She is a co-founder and a member of ethnovision a collective of visual anthropologists and filmmakers. Julia also volunteers as the Director of Communications & Development for Tariro House of Hope an NGO that transforms the lives of children and their communities in Zimbabwe. Julia has a BA from the University of British Columbia in Political Science with a Minor in African Studies and an MA in Cultural Anthropology & Development Sociology, specialising in Visual Ethnography and Global Economy & Culture from Leiden University.
Co-Founder/Managing Editor
Naliaka Odera is a freelance writer, editor and social media consultant. She is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of ‘Of Africa’, an online platform that celebrates women of African descent while fostering editorial talent. She is a proud Kenyan who has lived in Belgium, Canada and Thailand. While in Canada, she earned a BA at the University of British Columbia. She has an ongoing love affair with words and loves great conversations as well as all genres of literature. Her writing can be found at www.naliakao.com. Through Of Africa and her consultation, she stresses the importance of people learning vital communication skills to be able to speak for themselves.
Editors:
Stacey Mac Donald grew up on a small Caribbean island, Curacao, which is one of the six Dutch Caribbean islands. She has a BA in Child and Family Studies and an MA in Social & Organizational Psychology. Currently she is working on her PhD research on nature and cultural heritage preservation in the Dutch Caribbean at the Royal Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean studies (KITLV).
Shivani Shah is a young Kenyan who recently moved back to London from Nairobi. She completed her Masters in Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) while there she joined the Royal African Society’s writing space. Shivani is a self taught photographer with a passion for travel, loves all things food and, when pressed, can always find the perfect pun.
Reggie Nyamekye lives in Ghana. She is an advocate, poet, photographer, storyteller, a dreamer, a lover of humanitarian causes and will easily join any movement that exists to impact, empower and do better for society. Reggie is an associate of the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance, a network of highly motivated and educated young African thinkers and change makers. Reggie is also the founder of the DAANES Initiative, an organization that focuses on education, leadership and mentorship of young students through dialogues and activities to empower them in their dreams and ambitions.
Past Team Members:
Tendai Nzuma (Editor, August 2016 – March 2018). Tendai is a social entrepreneurship enthusiast who works in the health and wellness industry where she researches and develops standards of practice for different health practices. Through her work with Of Africa, Tendai hopes to showcase the stories of Mama Africa through the experiences of her children. Zimbabwean born, she currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta.
Marianne Mesfin (Social Media Assistant, October 2016 – November 2017). Marianne is an Ethiopian, born in Uganda and raised in Rwanda. She has a degree in Gender Studies and International Relations from the University of British Columbia in Canada. Being a passionate feminist and Pan-Africanist, Marianne hopes to put her passion to work while being a part of her continent’s growth. She loves reading and is particularly drawn to contemporary African literature for its unique ability to make her feel like her story is being told.
Tapiwa Makaka (Social Media Assistant, January 2017 – July 2017). Tapiwa was born in Zimbabwe and lives in England. Tapiwa enjoys writing poetry and performing in various underground clubs in London. A typical 20 something, she is pursuing her academic and career goals while managing the occasional existential crisis.
Sibylla Chipaziwa (Editor, March 2017 – March 2018). Sibylla is a Zimbabwean-born citizen of the world, having settled for America in the New York metropolitan area. She is a multimedia editor and content creator, and her dream job is to be the black Anthony Bourdain.