Who We Are
Zeda Media is a Pan-African media company that platforms and amplifies women’s voices through an online magazine, podcast, and boutique events.
Why The Call-out
Sparked by ongoing economic disparity, June 2024 marked the beginning of historic protests in Kenya that have ignited national conversations about the future of the country.
We believe that the full story of the Kenyan protests cannot be told without amplifying the voices of those who have been most affected and whose perspectives are often marginalised.
Zeda is seeking essays, op-eds, and poetry that delve into the experiences, perspectives, and demands arising from the 2024 Kenyan protests in a bid to play a part in archiving the multiplicity of voices that are part of this movement and moment.
What to Submit
We are particularly interested in submissions from:
Women: Sharing their experiences of the protests, including their roles, challenges, and demands, as well as quirky stories of getting ready for maandamano, unlikely friendships and romances and the joy of protests.
Youth: Highlighting the perspectives and aspirations of young people who were at the forefront of the protests, as well as the digital activists “baddies” who kept the conversation going.
Other marginalised groups: Including but not limited to people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and those living in rural areas, offering insights into their experiences, demands and hopes around the protests.
We welcome submissions that explore a wide range of themes, including:
- Personal narratives and reflections e.g. accounts of the protest experience, mental and physical health ramifications from the protests, finding love at the protests.
- Analysis of the political and social context of the protests and Kenya at this moment e.g. history of protests in Kenya, political leadership or lack thereof, poverty and gender and other lenses of the violence.
- Visions for a better Kenya e.g. reimagination of a country, youth as active citizens, women in leadership.
- Next step initiatives e.g. the push to dissolve parliament, the implementation of the two-third gender rule, the implementation of the constitution, the importance of civil education.
- Profiles and interviews of voices from the protests we need to hear more from.
We can currently only accept pieces on spec in English or Swahili as our team is lean. Submissions should be between 500 and 1200 words for essays and op-eds, and a maximum of 2 poems per submission. Send your submissions as a word doc or pdf in Arial font size 12.
Submissions can be sent to submissions@zedamagazine.com by October 10th 2024. Use the subject “Kenya Protests Submission” in your email and use the title of your submission as the file name. Please include a brief bio of 100 words with your submission. If you would like to be published under a pen name, please indicate this in your email.
We encourage a variety of writing styles and formats, including experimental approaches. You don’t need to be a professional writer to send in your piece(s) as we will work with you to make your submission publication ready.
As a small and growing organisation, we are currently unable to offer payment for submissions. We are actively working to fundraise and if successful, we aim to offer a fee retrospectively to contributors. The LAM Sisterhood, a content studio that tells stories for African women to feel seen, heard and beloved, has come on board to offer editorial support on this project.
We look forward to reading your powerful and insightful contributions.
