Pretty Abraham is a PhD candidate in the Department of Religion and Social Transformation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her work lies at the intersection of gender, religion, peacebuilding, and trauma. She has extensive experience working with communities and non-governmental organizations in Zimbabwe, where she has been involved in grassroots initiatives addressing peacebuilding, gender-based violence, and human rights advocacy.

Her academic interests include women in conflict and post-conflict societies, religion in peacebuilding, memory work, trauma, and decolonisation. Her current doctoral research critically examines how indigenous religious beliefs and rituals can support the healing of war-related trauma among women, offering alternative and culturally grounded approaches to psychosocial recovery. She is deeply committed to advancing African scholarship and decolonising knowledge production by centering indigenous perspectives and lived experiences in academic discourse: her work bridges theory and practice, contributing to sustainable, inclusive peacebuilding efforts in African contexts.

Ronald M. Bafana is a PhD scholar in Sociology at the University of Pretoria. His interdisciplinary academic journey spans Development Studies, Environmental Science, and Education. He holds a Master's degree in Development Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where his research explored the socio-economic impacts of protected areas on local communities. Ronald has lectured on Political Ecology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and contributed as a Research Assistant on a UNICEF-funded project at the Centre for Rural Health.

His professional experience includes environmental program coordination, youth empowerment, and civil society engagement. Ronald's research interests lie at the intersection of sustainable development, environmental justice, and community resilience. In addition to his academic work, Ronald is also a passionate creative. He produces visual and conceptual art part-time through Afro-Life Art, a platform that celebrates African artists and connects them to the market.

He brings to the fellowship a strong background in participatory research, program implementation, and academic mentorship, anchored by a deep commitment to advancing socially engaged scholarship on the African continent.

Baker Batte is a doctoral student based at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. Batte is pursuing an Interdisciplinary PhD in Social Studies, majoring in political studies and minoring in political economy. Batte holds a Master of Philosophy Degree in Social Studies from Makerere University, a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism and Communication from Makerere University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication also from Makerere University. Batte has been a journalist working in Uganda and South Sudan for the last 14 years and has vast experience in the political and security spheres of these two countries, owing to the nature of stories that he has written over the years.

Batte's areas of research interest include the state, the media, and the Muslim minority question. He is particularly interested in the relationship that the media has with the state, which in turn produces and reproduces a managed Muslim subject in a majority Christian state. Also, of interest to Batte is how this defined and redefined Muslim subject asserts their agency. 

Osasumwen Edobor is a Sociology doctoral candidate at Baze University, Nigeria, specializing in gender-based violence and related socio-normative behavior. She is a social development practitioner, researcher, and gender consultant with over twelve years of experience advocating gender-inclusive approaches through new media and technological innovations. Osasu holds a master's degree in managerial psychology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She is a 2016 African American Institute Scholar with certification in Social Sector Management from the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University and a 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow with Civic Leadership certification from Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. 

Osasu is the co-founder of THR Media, an agency that gives women a voice while fostering gender uniformity through media, research, and technological advancements, with flagship initiatives such as HERfessions mobile app, providing trauma-informed and anonymous support to sexual violence victims; Osasu's work in 2021 was selected for the finalist prize at the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law(HIIL) Justice Accelerator. Osasu continues to drive intersectional gender advocacy and evidence-based interventions for systemic social change in Nigeria and beyond.

Tammy-Lee Lakay is a Researcher and PhD candidate in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of the Western Cape. Her doctoral project, A Study of the Labour and Community Resources Project (LACOM): Educational Radicalism and the Informal Economy under Apartheid, examines the Labour and Community Resources Project (LACOM) of the South African Committee for Higher Education (SACHED), with a focus on labour education, radical pedagogy, and the production of political periodicals in the anti-apartheid struggle. Her research interests include popular education, archival silences, feminist publishing, and the intersection of labour and community organising in historical memory.

Tammy-Lee holds a Master's degree in Historical Studies from UWC, where her mini-thesis, SPEAK Magazine: Gender Dimensions of the South African Committee for Higher Education (1982–1994), explored feminist discourse and organisational culture in SACHED publications. She is also a Researcher on the SACHED Archiving Project based at the Robben Island Museum Mayibuye Centre, where she contributes to the preservation and digitisation of liberation-era educational materials. Her work blends archival research, oral history, and public scholarship, and she is passionate about making histories of resistance accessible to broader audiences.

Ingrid Masondo is a PhD candidate and a New Archival Visions fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research-Department of Historical Studies, University of the Western Cape. She holds a Master's in Public and Visual History from the same institution. Her practice in the art and heritage sectors spans more than two decades in a variety of institutions and capacities, particularly in music and photography. Amongst others, these include roles in artist and project management, production management, research, editing, curatorial, and archival work. She has worked at the Market Photo Workshop, Chimurenga Chronic, UWC-Robben Island Mayibuye Archives, Making Music Productions, and Badilisha Poetry Radio. Until recently (2023), she was the curator of photography & new media at the Iziko South African National Gallery (ISANG) in Cape Town, where she also served as Acting Director in 2017. 

As a researcher and photographer, Masondo's work has focused on the body, its habits, practices, and performances, and how a variety of institutions mediate these. Dance and gardening are her foremost forms of recuperation.

Desmond Farai Ncube is a PhD candidate in Land and Agrarian Studies at the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), University of the Western Cape. A passionate development practitioner and social justice activist, Desmond's research focuses on the expanding lithium extraction in Zimbabwe and its impact on land governance, property rights, and rural development. His work aims to influence academic and policy discussions around natural resource governance, climate justice, and land reforms across Southern Africa.

Danjuma Saidu is a PhD student in Library and Information Science at the Federal University of Technology, Minna. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Library and Information Technology from the same university and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a dynamic and innovative information expert with a strong focus on environmental information management, digital librarianship, and multimedia. A published researcher and experienced resource person, Danjuma has participated in numerous national and international conferences related to information science and technology. He is the immediate past elected Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA), Kogi State Chapter, and a certified member of the Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN). Passionate about open-access initiatives, digital transformation, and global collaboration, Danjuma is dedicated to advancing digital knowledge systems, promoting equitable access to information, and empowering students, researchers, and policymakers through innovative information services.

Anele Siswana is a Clinical Psychologist and Igqirha (Xhosa Divine Healer) and a thought leader affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand. He holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Rhodes University, a BPsych (Counselling) from Nelson Mandela University, and a Higher Certificate in Theology from Theological Education by Extension College (TEEC). He is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Anele's clinical experience spans public and private health sectors, including public institutions, and the private sector, such as Life Hospital and Akeso Crescent Psychiatric Clinic in Johannesburg. His work uniquely integrates African spirituality and African situated psychology, offering culturally grounded interventions within clinical settings. Currently pursuing a PhD at UNISA, Anele's research explores the role of AmaGqirha in developing integrative mental health models. His scholarly interests include African-situated psychology, decolonial theory, and epistemic justice in mental health care. He is a published scholar, corporate wellness consultant, and media contributor on mental health, identity, and African healing. Through public engagement and clinical innovation, Anele remains committed to transforming mental health services to be inclusive, accessible, and culturally resonant in South Africa.