Natasha Kimani: Understanding what our rights are and unashamedly demanding for better is the way to go

Natasha Kimani is the Head of Partnerships and Research at Africa No Filter. Her work entails leading fundraising and resource mobilisation and research within the organisation, and managing relationships with funders and all external partners. Natasha is a lawyer by profession with extensive experience in public policy, strategy, and programmes

1. Why is the narrative of a non-filtered Africa important to you, personally?
Africa No Filter exists because many stories about Africa still lazily revolve around the single story of poor leadership, poverty, corruption, disease, and conflict. These stories, while sometimes true, conceal the other more progressive side of Africa. They perpetuate the narrative that Africa is broken and dependent, and these harmful stereotypes continue to paint a rigidly negative picture of the continent despite the massive strides we are making. Our mission is to shift these stereotypes because they impact the way the world sees Africa and how Africa sees itself. We support African storytellers and the storytelling ecosystem through grants, research, community-building, and advocacy all with the aim of changing how the world sees Africa and Africa sees itself.

I believe that Africans are deserving of the complexity, dignity, and nuance that we only seem to reserve for Western countries. A perception can very quickly become a belief. The only way to shift a narrative is to change the underlying stories that feed them. I strongly believe that there is a socio-economic cost to stereotypical and harmful narratives about Africa and if we can begin to put this in perspective, then we can become even more conscious about how we tell stories and the dignity we accord Africans. A simple example is when we splatter images of hungry or dead Africans on the front pages of newspapers. Where else in the world do you see this happen?

2. How can Africans - especially young Africans - push for the abolishment of this single story?
I think we first need to all understand that you can’t out-earn or entrepreneur yourself out of poor governance and failed systems. Once this is clear to us all, then we will begin to collectively advocate for better healthcare, education, social services, and governance. There is no amount of money you can earn, even if you steal, that will insulate you against poor governance. So then, what is the solution? Collective engagement and action on things that affect us all. Holding our leaders to account – this doesn’t need to be grandiose. It can be a simple email or inbox message to your MP or MCA, sharing your views on issues that affect your life and the lives of those around you.

Understanding what our rights are and unashamedly demanding for better is the way to go. There is no progress that can sustainably take place without this. Even at a base level, let’s say you start a business and have all these brilliant ideas, what happens when the cost of doing business is too high? We can’t bury our heads in the sand and purport to just “focus on ourselves”.

Clarity on what potential means is important because it could be that we are chasing Western standards that don’t necessarily reflect the lived experiences of Africans. The only way we can realise this elusive potential is by first defining what success means to us as Kenyans. What does a Kenya that works for all look like? What needs to be put in place for young people to successfully operate and thrive in Kenya? Once we are clear on this, we should then begin to advocate for it in any way that we can.

3. What encourages you in your policy journey? What wins do you think Kenya has had, socioeconomically, politically, strategically, that makes a difference from where we were, say, five years ago?
What encourages me is a deep belief that Kenyans are deserving of policies and legislation that reflect their lived experiences and needs, but most importantly, we are deserving of dignity and care. I’m also encouraged by the small but mighty changes I’ve witnessed, thanks to great policy interventions. It isn’t some farfetched idea that things can actually work for the good of Kenyans. There are many wins that we’ve had: Our Constitution is one of those. It presented an opportunity for us to do governance and politics differently (whether or not this is actually happening, is another story!)

Strangely, I believe that the years 2011-2016 were some of our best years policy-wise. The advocacy, policy recommendations and legislative drafting that took place during this period, were quite transformative. I am not quite convinced that we are doing better now. Compliance to the constitutional seems to have gotten worse. There is definitely room for improvement in this space.

4. What units or courses do you think helped you most in school, or what course do you wish you would have taken?
 My law degree was a great starting point, however, I think my Master's in Public Policy was the real catalyst. It gave me a theoretical base to better understand what lay ahead. I think courses play a minimal role in determining one’s policy-making journey. Our fascination with only having lawyers, political scientists and economists as policymakers needs to end. We need more anthropologists, creatives, educators and others as policy-makers.

Working with or in government is essential to good policy-making because it exposes how government works and why it works the way it does. Policy making is a lot like sausage making – very little glamour in the in-between. So the one thing I encourage is to work very closely with or for the government. Many of my thoughts on policy is informed by my initial years working in government. It enabled me to have a deep understanding of the compromises needed to get the work done.

5. What is the one mistake you think people or organisations in resource mobilisation make when pitching? How can young people present themselves better for more opportunities?
In general, resource mobilisation is about relationship-building and storytelling. Getting funding through an already existing network and other funders and partners who know your work is easier.

Storytelling is the silent weapon before, during and after resource mobilisation. One of the tips I like to share repeatedly is that one should keep in mind that a grant-maker’s time is limited, and he or she has many competing interests. Therefore, when pitching, one should ensure that they have clarity on the who, what, why and when. Keep it short and clear. Also, we shouldn’t take rejection personally. If possible, find out what you could have done better or what you can improve. Resource mobilisation also requires a lot of patience. It could take up to eight months to secure a grant or opportunity.