Nalotuesha. Nemaiyan. Namunyak – Three Tales launches in Nairobi.

Nalotuesha. Nemaiyan. Namunyak – Three Tales, a new comic by Chela Yego, Karolina Wambui and Felistus Thairu launched at the Alliance Française Nairobi on Friday, June 30, 2023.

In 2022, LDComics Director Dr Nichola Streeten and Kymsnet Media Network Director Msanii Kimani Wa Wanjiru came together to spearhead the REVEAL! project. It was aimed at spotlighting the historical and contemporary status of women comic artists in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and UK artists with family heritage in this region. The project, supported by the British Council, called out for women comics to submit work for consideration.

After judging by Jessica Horn (UK), Grace Kerongo (Kenya), Meloddi Mazola (Kenya), and Anaïs Mutumba (UK) eight women comics from the UK and East Africa were selected. They were Marcelline Akinyi (Kenya), Nancy ArtMusic (UK), Gwantwa Lucas Mwakalinga (Tanzania), Charity Atukunda (Uganda), Seraphine Umutoni (Rwanda), Birungi Kawooya (UK), Jennifer Msekwa (Tanzania), and Chela Yego (Kenya).

In Kenya, Msanii Kimani Wa Wanjiru worked with Chela Yego, Karolina Wambui, and Felistus Thairu to run a comics workshop with Kenyan activist Agnes Leina and the Il’laramatak Community Concerns members. From this interaction, the comic Nalotuesha. Nemaiyan. Namunyak – Three Tales that speak of the horror that the girls have to go through to become women in their community is told. These trials include physical assault, neglect, starvation, female genital mutilation (or cutting as it is called in other countries), and having to deal with marriage and childbirth while being children themselves. This initiative is the textbook case of “comics with a cause.”

The comic partly funded by the British Council was first introduced to the world at the Alliance Française in Nairobi on Friday, June 30. The event was moderated by Grace Kerongo, a journalist and one of those who selected this cohort, with the comics Chela Yego, Karolina Wambui and Felistus Thairu speaking about their experience of working with the community to get the work done.

Here are some images from the event courtesy of the organisers;