Minority Africa

16/11/2024

Fawziyya Zakari spoke to the founder of the DOHS care for vulnerable women and children to understand how they navigate the challenges that’s faced with femicide cases.

▶️Press play to watch full video.

13/11/2024

“Before the law was passed, I could still move around without constant fear. But now, I’m scared for my life. I feel like a prisoner in my own home, staying indoors as much as possible. Even where I live, I can only stay for short periods before I have to move again, afraid someone might discover who I am. If they do… well, that’s a whole other ordeal.

Things have really gotten tough. Just a few months ago, I was sexually harassed, and I had no one to turn to because of the law. I couldn’t go to the police, and even at the hospital, I had to lie to the doctors, afraid they’d report me. So, I had to endure everything alone.

Meanwhile, the person who did this to me is out there, living freely, while I carry the memory of that experience every single day. Right now, survival means staying hidden, keeping a low profile. If we’re all gone, who will be left to continue the fight? At least by hiding, there’s a chance to return and keep fighting another day. We’re better off alive and in hiding than dead.”

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We spoke to three individuals from Uganda, and they shared how life has changed since the 2023 anti-LGBTQ law. Their stories and photos reflect hope.

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12/11/2024

Despite setbacks, Willeam finds joy in researching, learning, and sharing his findings. His passion for history, research and discovery has resulted in an important database of content about Cameroon, making his TikTok a go-to resource for many seeking to understand the origin of names, things, places, and terms they hear and use regularly but are unaware of how it came about.

This work has fostered a renewed appreciation for Cameroonian languages and traditions.

Read new story on our website: https://minorityafrica.org/in-cameroon-solomon-grundy-turns-to-tiktok-to-challenge-stereotypes-about-albinism/

12/11/2024

“Be at the right place at the right time" was the quote written on the board of one of the dormitories at Wamy Orphanage where few friends and I have been doing charity work for the past few days. Many of Isiolo’s residents, a town 285km north of the Kenyan capital, are descendants of Somali soldiers who fought in World War I. I didn't know much about this town until the morning of January 13, 2013, when I received one of the most shocking news: My best friend of nearly ten years Jamal Moghe was killed by bandits on a nearby road and was to be buried there.

Brother Jamal was a tolerant, kind and above all a forgiving individual. He was the sort of friend you could have an argument with and regardless of whose fault it was, he would always be the first to call. If you did not answer, he will call again. He never took anything to heart. It was no surprise that one of his last tweets was: “Forgive me if I have wronged you, forgive those who have wronged you, for Allah forgives the forgiving heart.”

On the night of my wedding, Jamal was my best man. Having done so much to help me prepare for my big day, I wanted him to enjoy the moment without any responsibilities. However, being the kind of friend he was, he spent the evening outside in the cold welcoming guests at the door.

Following his sudden and tragic death his widow, some friends and I have been exploring charitable options to keep his memory alive. Eventually we came across 'Wamy School Children's Home' under-funded orphanage school situated under the mountains of Isiolo town - not far from Jamal’s final resting place.

One of the orphanage’s teachers remarked that they hardly had visitors so our visit alone was much appreciated. After we asked what we could do to help, they gave us a list of things. The list included fixing broken windows, buying water tank, mosquito nets, blankets, bed sheets, slippers, washing buckets etc. Thanks to money we collected from families and friends over several months we were able to provide all the items requested ourselves. I believe all our lives are somehow connected.

There was a reason why my friend's final resting place was to be in Isiolo, there was a reason why my friends and I ended up in that orphanage. In other words we will always be at the right place at the right time for what is destined for us.

However, miracles happen when we get out of our comfort zones, when we consciously and actively create chances for those who are less fortunate than us. Let's not rely on NGO's or other organisations whose business it is to help others. But let’s get out there ourselves with whatever money or resources we can afford and make a difference in the lives of our brothers and sister every now and then Insha Allah".

By sharing stories from across the diaspora, Somali Sideways builds a collective narrative that celebrates Somali heritage while embracing the diversity of experiences within the community.

07/11/2024

Our friends at AsEquals invited us to “M/OTHER” a combination of dance and theatre to break the taboo around postpartum depression and other maternal mental health conditions, this was how it went in slides.

Slide 1: A pamphlet highlighting how maternal health is crucial to the wellbeing of mothers, babies and families in Nigeria.

Slide 2: An energetic performance by

Slide 3-5: A heartfelt performance by

Slide 6: A Q/A session with Managing Editor, CNN on what the project was like from ideation to ex*****on.

Slide 7: Amazing chops because what’s an event without food?

05/11/2024

Our photo series collaboration with Somali Sideways

“I was born in Somalia and at a very young age was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather Professor Caalin was my everything. He was my hero and until today I love him more than anything.

Unfortunately, he passed away few months before me and my older sister went to Finland to reunite with our mother.

My childhood in Turku, Finland was the best childhood a child could wish for. I was fluent in Finnish and had a lot of friends. Few years later, we moved to Stockholm, Sweden. To start everything all over again was pretty tough but alhamdulillah Swedish is a much easier language than Finnish.

It took me only 6 months to be fluent in Swedish. After few years in Stockholm, we moved back to Turku. I was quite happy about it because I needed to leave Stockholm behind me and start my new life in Finland.

My mom was smart to put me and my older sisters in a Swedish school in Turku but we were the only Muslims, Blacks and Somalis in the whole school. We also spoke "Rikssvenska", the real Swedish language while in the school everyone spoke a mixture of Finnish and Swedish.

Almost every day people ask us "So where are you from?" Today I'm still trying to find a short way to explain where I'm from".

By sharing stories from across the diaspora, builds a collective narrative that celebrates Somali heritage while embracing the diversity of experiences within the community.

Stay tuned from more on this series.

30/10/2024

Our photo series collaboration with Somali Sideways

“It was December the 24th, the icy chill and an unforgiving cold crept through the cracks and edges of my hospital window on my 27th day of stay.

Undeterred, I set out to finish my research paper before the morning nurse rounds. My eyes strayed to the blinking notification light on my phone. There were thirteen missed calls: seven from my cousins Mustaf and six from Abdalla.

Despite our warm and peaceful greetings, Mustaf's voice bore an unspoken heaviness, a deep sadness in every word. “I just spoke with my mom and...and…um...your brother was killed last night." Silence blanketed the room as I grappled with shock.

Without thinking, I dialed Hamza's mobile number, hoping for some miracle, but it was my aunt who picked up, her voice merely a whisper as she confirmed the tragic news and delved into the details of his killing.

Soon after, my mother called, and I tried to comfort her, gently reminding her that death is a natural part of life we all must face. With a trembling voice, she urged me to inform my grandmother. I faced the challenging task of calling my father to deliver the devastating news of his son's death. Nothing could prepare me for such heart-wrenching conversations, but I mustered my courage and made the call.
Our conversation was brief, the signal flickering and unstable. After our initial greetings in Somali, the exchange took a grim turn.

My father met the news with an acceptance rooted in deep faith, “We surely belong to Allah and to Him shall we return."

The call ended abruptly before I could delve into the details. I knew the depths of pain he must have felt. He recently lost his father, a man he had dutifully cared for over a decade.

His call was followed by a futile attempt to reach the rest of our family. The lines remained silent, the world outside my hospital room wrapped in the quiet serenity of Christmas Day in Sweden.

The next call was the most difficult - my grandmother. Her scream was so piercing it woke my uncle. Still healing from her son's tragic death three years ago, she now faced the devastating loss of her grandson.

I knew that this was a pain from which there would be no recovery”.

By sharing stories from across the diaspora, builds a collective narrative that celebrates Somali heritage while embracing the diversity of experiences within the community.

Stay tuned from more on this series.

28/10/2024

🇰🇪 Learn more about the courageous Mau Mau uprising against British colonial rule.

Swipe to see their story and legacy through this carousel.

24/10/2024

Between 2018 and 2023, no less than 43 lecturers were accused or indicted for sexual harassment. Many of these cases were swept under the carpet, with only a few lecturers suspended or dismissed. Oga Lecturer continually reports on ignored cases to keep authorities accountable.

For instance, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka suspended Dr Chigozie Odum, a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Tourism, over sexual misconduct allegations. Similarly, the Federal College of Forestry, Plateau State suspended four lecturers for harassing female students. Oga Lecturer played a crucial role in the suspension of Cyril Ndifon, a lecturer at the University of Calabar following allegations from multiple female students.

Aiyetan said that because it is difficult to effectively get justice for victims and sources who speak out, the ICIR aims to redesign the Oga Lecturer project.

Read new story on our website here: https://minorityafrica.org/oga-lecturer-the-media-platform-combating-sexual-harassment-in-nigerias-tertiary-institutions/

23/10/2024

22/10/2024

Our photo series collaboration with Somali Sideways

Meet Rahma.

“My story started when we immigrated to Canada at the cusp of the civil war in Somalia. I went from being a happy child who fit in the sea of people who looked like me and spoke my language. My mother always recounts how early and clearly I spoke as a child. But all that changed when we immigrated, and I became the only Black Somali girl in class not talking or understanding this foreign tongue.

I got bullied alot by teachers with their eyes and words and physically by my classmates, and I had no one to lean on. We left behind all my cousins, aunts and my beloved grandmother who raised me. My parents were drowning in their own way and fighting their own fights.
The world is made of stories. There are the stories we hear, the ones we read and tell each other. Each situation is shifted by the story that surrounds it.

Each outcome is perhaps influenced by the story it began with.”

By sharing stories from across the diaspora, builds a collective narrative that celebrates Somali heritage while embracing the diversity of experiences within the community.

Stay tuned from more on this series.

16/10/2024

We were present at the event “The Politics of Queerness” and these 10 slides explain the amazing talents we met and artworks we connected with.

Slide 1: Egungun by Kehinde Awofeso explores ancestors who have gone to rest in Ajule Orun. Poetry was written and read to the Egungun as it was being made.

Slide 2/3/4: The Ivy Tree by Sigil is an abstract representation of a q***r family tree inspired by the q***r legend Fola Francis. This project was made from 10,001 beads that invites you to the family tree.

Slide 5/6: Through the shadows by Jeffrey Okosisi documents the lived experience of LGBTQ+ individuals in Nigeria showing various way the society creates unsafe spaces.

Slide 7/8: Girl Boy by Ajay Abalaka is a short documentary exploring complexities of being a masculine presenting woman in Nigeria.

Slide 9: Ajenda by Yahaya Abolarinwa explores the intersection between q***rness, witchcraft and the function of clothing.

Slide 10: Threads of defiance: celebrating q***r resilience in Nigeria by Rachel Seidu.

10/10/2024

In Epworth, elderly women trained to be community advocates have painted their doors purple to signal safety during the time of need for abused women.

Read full story here: https://minorityafrica.org/behind-every-purple-door-in-this-zimbabwean-community-someone-is-ready-to-assist-women-facing-abuse/

09/10/2024

In 2017, Mwanahamisi Makame’s son was admitted to study medicine at the University of Nairobi, 280 kilometres from their home on an acre of land in Kwale County. Makame, a woman leader in Kichaka Mkwaju village was excited, but she needed to raise USD 2000 to facilitate the admission of her son.

“I went to the bank and applied for a loan. They asked for collateral and when I offered my land they requested for a title deed which was missing.”

Despite the land being ancestral land belonging to Makame, she could not provide the title deed, as until July 2023, the Pemba people of which Makame is part, were not recognised as Kenyans.

“My son missed college and [the] frustration led him into drug use’’ she says.

Domiciled in Kwale and Kilifi counties along the Kenyan Coast, the around 7,000 Pemba community, who are mostly fishers and farmers, is believed to have migrated to Kenya from the Zanzibar archipelago during the pre-colonial era.

“Our forefathers lived on this land, our grandfathers lived here, our fathers lived here, and we have lived here together with our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but we have never had legal ownership of the land,’’ Shaame Hamis Makame, chairperson of the Kenya Pemba community, tells Minority Africa.

Read full story on our website:

After a long struggle for recognition, Kenya’s Pemba people were granted citizenship in 2023, but the battle continues as they seek to claim their ancestral land, where they’ve been forced to live as squatters for generations.

08/10/2024

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08/10/2024

07/10/2024

“Victory” for women’s rights in Ghana as the Gender Equality law was passed in September 2024. Despite the law not being so new, it promotes the progressive and active participation of women in public life.

Play to read more about the law.