About The Writers

Welcome!

Unchain Africa Press is an interactive forum for upcoming scholars, activists, and development professionals who represent various subgroups of the African Diaspora. The forum aims to break the chains of oppression by challenging mainstream ideologies that include widely accepted theories of economic development, international affairs, as well as political, social, and cultural affairs.

The experiences of the contributors represent the reflections of young people of African descent who have spent considerable time living, studying, and working in Africa or the Diaspora.

The aim of the forum is to invigorate vibrant dialogues and encourage new ways to address the critical challenges communities of the Diaspora face through empowerment. As well as provide a platform for underrepresented voices of African descent to the discourse.

If you are of African descent and interested in becoming a regular contributor, please send your resume and letter of intent to evelyn.sallah@gmail.com.

The Contributors

Evelyn Sallah

Miss Sallah is a Sierra Leonean-Gambian American who is an international development professional currently based in Niamey, Niger. She has a B.A. in Economics and French from Spelman College and a M.A. in African Studies from Howard University. Prior to her work in international development Miss Sallah has years of experience working on local and global advocacy in Washington, DC as well as acquired International Financial Institutional experience.

Her expertise areas include Female Genital Cutting (FGC/FGM), gender related issues, human rights, health, and Africa foreign economic relations, project managment, and Monitoring and Evaluations (M&E). She has worked as a volunteer for an American NGO in Dakar Senegal educating communities on the health risks of FGM. Her role included grant management for the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), and working with a team to track project activities in Djibouti, Somaliland, Mauritania, Guinea, Senegal, and Gambia.

A delegate of the 2007 World Social Forum in Nairobi Kenya, Miss Sallah has spoken on many panels as a resource for analysis on the Darfur conflict, HIV/AIDS and the Africa’s economic debt crisis. As a community organizer Miss Sallah has mobilized university students and religious leaders throughout the U.S. Miss Sallah was raised in New Rochelle, NY, Ethiopia, Zambia, and has travelled to Djibouti, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and throughout West Africa. She recently took a short sabbatical in Paris, France.

Anyango E. Reggy

Anyango was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Kenya where her family moved during her early infancy. She returned to the United States to pursue a BA in Psychology from Eastern University; an MA in International Affairs and Development from Clark Atlanta University; and a Ph.D. in African Studies and Research from Howard University. The focus of her dissertation research was on post-conflict reconstruction and women in Rwanda.
For the past decade, Anyango has been actively involved in education and advocacy on international issues with a particular focus on women and youth. She served as the Program Director for International Affairs and the U.S Coordinator for the Youth Leadership and Exchange Program with American Friends Service Committee; interned with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Benin; and she was as a research fellow with the University of Nairobi’s Institute of Anthropology, Gender, and African Studies. In addition, she has taught and developed undergraduate courses for Howard University and Princeton University. Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor at Beulah Heights University teaching two online courses: Exploring Gender Differences and Global Perspectives on Community Development. She is also developing a Leaders for Social Change program for Yale University and Stanford University which will be launched in July 2010.
Anyango has a deep interest in cross cultural issues which has led her to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Benin, Togo, Mali, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Puerto Rico, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Alvin Singh II

As an online entrepreneur for the past 8 years, Alvin has followed cutting edge technology and guerrilla marketing tactics using social media tools.  He has worked for non profit organizations, print media, corporations, and small businesses.

As curator of the Lead Belly Archives, he has provided memorabilia for exhibits at the Grammy Museum, Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and various institutions.  He recently co-authored a book titled Lead Belly: A Life in Pictures that featured in O Magazine and the New York Times Book Review.  Alvin is also a producer in the first full length documentary on the life of the “King of 12-String Guitar” Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, the blues musician who was awarded a U.S. Postal Stamp in 1998.

As a journalist, Singh has traveled to countries in Africa and the Caribbean documenting cultures while reporting on global issues concerning each region.  He has produced two short documentaries on Haiti and Zimbabwe for the web.  He speaks across the country providing a multimedia presentation and interactive exhibit.

Nana N’dow

Nana is a project officer for the Tatiana Giraud Foundation based in London. The foundation aims to contribute to the restoration of women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and aims to create communities where women are valued and respected.

Prior to joining the foundation, Nana worked for the Ministry of Health in the UK as a policy support officer. She has worked for various International organisations in London and West Africa, researching and campaigning on gender and health issues in Africa.
Nana was awarded a First class Honours Bsc in Biological sciences from the University of Warwick and was amongst the top students of her class. She also holds an Msc in Women’s reproductive Health from Queen Mary school of Medicine and Dentistry and dedicated her thesis to Female genital mutilation in West and East Africa. Nana has a deep interest in social and cultural rights, gender inequities and global health concerns with a particular focus on Africa. Wishing to engage more deeply with gender theory in relation to regional specialisation, Nana is doing a MA in Gender studies and development at the School of Oriental and African studies (SOAS) in London. She is currently in the final year of the programme.

Nana is a Ghanaian-Gambian born in the UK and has lived in Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and France. She is fluent in French and intermediate in Spanish.

Christopher Daniels

Christopher Daniels is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and received his Ph.D. in African Studies from Howard University. His primary research interests are economic development, governance, conflict resolution and terrorism. He gained international experience by interning with the Department of State’s Bureau of African affairs at the U.S. embassy in Maseru, Lesotho. While serving as an intern he developed the country’s first PEPFAR Community grants application and helped analyze several community development projects.

He also has traveled to and conducted research in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. He served as the president of Howard University’s African Studies Graduate Student Association for three years and helped to lead the team of student who launched the African studies department’s MOSIAC online journal. In the fall of 2010 he will be teaching a course on African Governance and Politics in Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign affairs. He is the son of Donald and Brenda Daniels and has two brothers Donald and Charleston and a sister Yolanda. He can be reached at cdaniels19@hotmail.com.

Illenin Kondo

Born in Lome, Illenin Kondo is currently a Ph.D. student in Economics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

He received a Masters degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and a Diplome d’Ingenieur from the “Ecole Superieure d’Electricite” in France.

He is passionate about questions of socio-economic inequality and development.
He has worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, the World Bank, Goldman Sachs, the Advanced Technology Development Center, and the European Investment Bank.

Bernard R Londoni

Son of a refugee, Bernard ran from the war in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and settled in Harare, Zimbabwe with his family in 2001. He lived and traveled to several African countries including Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Bernard has a BA in International Relations and Political Science and Minor in International Business from Lynn University, Boca Raton Florida. He served as the student body president at Lynn University. Bernard is currently working on his MS in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University.

Bernard is a Regional Analyst for Africa at iJET Intelligent Risk Systems in Annapolis. He covers West Africa, and other Afrique Francophone countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Madagascar.  Before joining iJET, Bernard was a staff intern at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Africa Program.

In February 2007, Bernard was appointed the South-East Region Representative for Africa Action Student Network, and served in the steering committee. Bernard also served as the Regional Director for Americans for Informed Democracy 2007-2008.

Before coming to study to the US, Bernard interned at the American Embassy, Harare Zimbabwe (2004-2005) at the public Affairs Section, Education USA Advising Center where he was selected to join the Unites States Student Achievers Program (USAP). He obtained his advanced Diploma in Computer Science and Business Studies from theAssociation of Computer Professionals, London. He also received his Business Marketing and Public Relations Certification from the London Chamber of Commerce Institute.