Dreamers
Executive
Dreamer
IRIS NXUMALO-DE SMIDT
Iris increasingly identifies as a feminist systems innovator, who leverages research, facilitation, and organisational development to support feminist movement-building to end GBV and systems change in philanthropy. She is the founder of Lorha Nakambe Consulting, a feminist philanthropy infrastructure organisation that works to co- create systems of healing justice, connection, care, and abundant resourcing for intersectional feminist movements. She has spent a decade supporting strategic grant-making and systems change initiatives through feminist movement-building, Pan-African youth advocacy, lecturing and conducting research in five countries spanning three continents.
She holds an MSc in African Studies from Oxford University, and is currently reading for a PhD at the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business, focusing on feminist organising for systems change in philanthropy.
Lead
Dreamer
Bongiwe is a curious and motivated African Feminist seeking to make meaningful contributions to the African philanthropic and feminist organising spaces. She seeks to leverage her research, writing, and experimentation background to support organisations' dream and design transformative approaches to 'doing' philanthropy, informed by an Afrocentric praxis. She is the Founder of Bongiwe Mahlangu Academic Consulting (BMAC) and an Associate Dreamer for Lorha Nakambe Consulting, providing a range of writing, research, strategic support and organisational development interventions for feminist collectives and Pan-African feminist philanthropic actors.
Bongiwe holds an Honours degree in Public Administration and Management, and a Bachelor of Political Sciences in Political Studies. She is excited to be engaged in work that honours her values and commitment to advance social justice in small and massive ways.
BONGIWE MAHLANGU
Associate
Dreamer
LUCKY KOBUGABE
Lucky is a Pan-African feminist, skilled convener, and story-teller, interested in feminist movement-building and organising. She is dedicated to exploring decolonial ways of organising and documenting feminist work.
Lucky has spent over half a decade supporting feminist approaches to ending Gender Based Violence, initially as the Technical Manager for Raising Voices, coordinating the GBV Prevention Network with over a thousand activists, organisations, and stakeholders in the field of EVAWG.
She is co-currently the Communications and Advocacy Consultant for COFEM and the East and West Africa Regional Advocacy Lead for the UK- What Works to Prevent Violence Programme. At Lorha Nakambe, she focuses on the intersection of EVAWG, knowledge production, and shifting resource flows to African feminist movements.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ethics and Human Rights from Makerere University.
Associate
Dreamer
An award-winning feminist activist, consultant, and women's empowerment coach, Yasmina has dedicated her career to advancing gender equality and uplifting women's rights. As the visionary founder of @Politics4Her, she passionately champions the political participation and representation of young women and girls from Global Majority countries, with a keen focus on climate justice, forced migration, gender-based violence, and peacebuilding.
Yasmina's influential work has not only garnered international recognition, but it has also inspired change on global platforms, earning her features on HuffPost, Al Jazeera, and BBC, as well as the opportunity to speak at the United Nations. Her list of accolades is extensive, including Forbes 30 Under 30, MADRE Champion, and being named one of the BBC 100 most influential and inspiring women of 2023, in addition to her recognition as a UN Women Peace-builder in the Arab States.
With nearly a decade of experience in building bridges between various stakeholders, Yasmina now brings her invaluable expertise to Lorha Nakambe. Together, we're set to make significant strides towards transforming the funding ecosystem for African feminist movements.