Fatima Touré is the creator of the leather goods brand, Nilhane. The fashion-forward brand highlights the rich cultural heritage of the Sahel region and takes a lot of its design elements from traditional West African culture.

A Malian project manager living between Mali and Switzerland, Fatima spent the majority of her working career with a steady plan, and a clear understanding of the steps needed in order to fulfil that vision.

However, as with most people, the great pandemic of 2020 threw a wrench into her highly organized plans. In 2020 she encountered a loss of employment, during a critical time. This unplanned circumstance factored into her taking the leap of faith to launch her leather goods brand the same year.

For some fashion and creative businesses, the pandemic was not kind. Many businesses had to shut down, finding themselves unable to stay afloat. They were not able to gain support and or access to aid and other resources.

Resilience By Design With Fatima Touré

Ozoz Sokoh, known widely as the Kitchen Butterfly – is a Nigerian food explorer, culinary anthropologist and food historian. 

Her passion for all aspects of food - from cooking to researching and archiving, comes through on her site, Kitchen Butterfly.

At the start of the pandemic, Ozoz decided to relocate herself and her family. As such, the pandemic met her in entirely new circumstances, and unfamiliar ground.

During this conversation, we spoke about her journey to resettle in a new continent, her dedication to chronicling food - especially African food - and how her 21-year career as a geologist prepared her for the work she is doing now.

For many of the world’s citizens, the upheaval that the pandemic caused extended to their future. They had to learn to do more with less, and how to foster resilience in themselves and others, and how to retain optimism during entirely unforeseen circumstances. 

The pandemic helped foster community and advocacy in her own unique way. For creatives like Ozoz, undoubtedly their carefully planned dreams had to be deferred, in order to cope with the new way of things.

Curation And Exploration With Ozoz Sokoh

Somto Ajuluchukwu is the founder of Vortex Corp, a creative content company keen on exporting African culture through comics, animation and interactive media. 

Part of the impact the pandemic had on Somto was to further his re-affirmation of his ability to adjust to unforeseen circumstances. The conditions of the pandemic gave many creatives optimal conditions to create. It also provided an opportunity to engage people through entertainment, by crafting positive Africa-centric narratives. Somto’s journey to enrich the world through the arts undoubtedly helped people cope with the uncertainty exacerbated by the global crisis. 

Throughout the pandemic, creative industries have also helped promote sanity and wellbeing for the general public. A number of organizations were able to use arts and entertainment in order to promote equality, advocate for better governance, build community, and foster civic engagement.

Storytelling And Animation With Somto Ajuluchukwu

Lolade “LP” Pearse is a published writer and mixologist. Her dedication to entrepreneurship and creativity came early on in her career, with Lolade founding her first business at 20 years old. Ventures have ranged from launching a t-shirt line, to providing sound-related experiential events such as silent disco, weddings, and art exhibitions.

The multitalented writer, artist and entrepreneur met the pandemic at a crossroads in her creative journey. In conjunction with some personal matters in her life, the lockdown gave LP the opportunity she’d been looking for: a chance to slow down and re-evaluate her career activities.
LP’s dedication to building community and promoting inclusivity is expressed through her work. The discussion with her examines her creative journey, her work as an advocate, and the ways that, through her businesses, she supports and empowers women.

Throughout the pandemic, creative industries have also helped promote sanity and wellbeing for the general public. A number of organizations were able to use arts and entertainment in order to promote equality, advocate for better governance, build community, and foster civic engagement.

The Creative Journey Remixed With Lolade Pearse

Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies in West Africa and make governments accountable to their citizens

Resilience By Design With Fatima Touré

osiwa

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