NERIMA MAKHONDO

KENYA, 26

Project: Queer African Network
Pronouns: They/Them

Nerima is a social entrepreneur, performance artist, and scholar interested in how the arts harbor and shape culture while promoting self-expression and determination. They are the Co-Founder of Queer African Network, a social and professional website and mobile app built for LGBTQ+ Africans globally. They take a technological approach to solving the daily prejudice that imposes isolation on the LGBTQ+ community by building an online platform for LGBTQ+ stories, opportunities, and social features. 

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How does Queer African Network address the systemic inequity and injustice?

We recognise that being a Queer African comes with daily prejudice that imposes social isolation precluding us from living full lives. Many of us then turn to the virtual sphere to look for community. Our goal is to strengthen each member’s socio-economic capacity by creating an online platform that serves to connect our members with each other, resources and information.

“We are intervening to bridge the gap between Queer Africans and the rest of society by easing our members’ access to social and economic channels.”
Evan Wei-Haas