The Bertha Accelerator

Meet The Fifteen Activists Selected For The Bertha Accelerator Residency Programme!

The Bertha Accelerator is a two-week residency programme for activists working to build a more just world. It offers rare space and time in otherwise intensive and demanding schedules for activists to reflect, rest, and be re-inspired.

All are connected through a common focus on creating and holding physical spaces that advance social justice - work increasingly vital and urgent as activists come together to debate and plan how best to respond to today’s mounting challenges.

Participants can expect a facilitated experience in which they will connect with one another and other activists, brainstorm challenges and opportunities in their work, visit other spaces, record and reflect on their journey, and also take time for personal development and rest.

The Bertha Accelerator will be hosted in South Africa from 19 November - 3 December 2024. The first ten days will be spent at Bertha Retreat on Boschendal Wine Farm - a rural retreat space in one of the most beautiful and fertile agricultural valleys in the country - and conclude with a four-day stay in Cape Town.

To find out more about this or future Bertha Accelerator programs please email [email protected].

AnuOluwapo Adelakun

Organisation:Docutivism
Nominating Partner: Bertha Challenge
Location: Nigeria

AnuOluwapo Adelakun is a multiple award-winning Investigative Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker and Policy & development researcher working on underreported issues in Nigeria.

She is a founding member of the Women's Economic Imperative (WEI), a 2016 UNICEF Voices of Youth alumni, 2016 Carrington Youth Fellow of the US Consulate in Nigeria, 2017 US Consul General Award Recipient, 2017 UN WOMEN/Empower Women Global Champion for Change, 2017 UK Foreign & Commonwealth Chevening scholar, 2021 USGEEA Women achievers awardee, 2022 Royal African Young Leader, 2022 Bertha Fellow, 2023 Kevin Carmody Investigative Journalism Awardee and 2024 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award (AMVCA) Nominee in the ‘Best Documentary’ category and 2024 Oswaldo Cruz Foundation ‘FIOCRUZ’ award for the best investigative journalistic film at FICA 2024 in Brazil and a policy adviser to the Lagos State Government.

Her stellar journalistic film work has seen her contribute to policy-making, spur government action and deliver important addresses at the US consulate in Nigeria, the Cambridge Union, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office of the UK government, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and the British High Commission in Nigeria. She also serves as a member of the Technical Working group on Youth Engagement to the Lagos State Government. Anu continues to pursue research and impact in areas of corruption in public administration, policy implementation, social development, socio-economic and environmental justice.

She regularly reports in volatile communities with such bravery that has seen her survive even near-death experiences and outright intimidation.

Grace Gichanga

Organisation: Wasafiri Foundation
Nominating Partner: Ford Foundation
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Grace Gichanga is a social justice warrior who believes in the dignity of being documented. She founded Wasafiri Foundation, a community based non-profit that supports undocumented refugees, working migrants and South Africans. The organisation provides both legal and psychosocial support to its clients.

Having been raised with a strong sense of justice, Grace believes in advocating for systemic change that addresses inequalities and barriers to living a dignified life for people on the move.

Emre Güzel

Organisation: Roof Coliving
Nominating Partner: Postane
Location: Ankara, Turkey

Emre Güzel (he/him) is a transdisciplinary social designer and the founding director of Roof Coliving. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from TED University, with a minor in Global Citizenship. During his studies, he also pursued courses in Queer Theory and completed a semester as a guest student in the Women’s Studies master's program. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Urban Design at TED University.

Emre’s work focuses on placemaking, coliving, community building, participatory design, and civic engagement. Through the projects and programs, he has developed with an emphasis on citizen participation, he continues to address urban challenges in collaboration with the inhabitants of the city, aiming to create fairer, more inclusive, and common living space.

Zethu Hlatshwayo

Organisation: Khuthala Environmental Care Group
Nominating Partner: Environmental Justice Fund and RAITH Foundation
Location: Ermelo, Mpumalanga

Founded in 2000, Khuthala Environmental Care Group is one of the oldest community-based environmental justice organisations in South Africa. They are youth-led, a registered NPO, and based in Ermelo in Mpumalanga.

Most importantly for the purposes of the Bertha Accelerator program, the Khuthala Environmental Care Group have their own space that they call Khuthala Park, which they use as part of promoting an environmental justice agenda.They run an organic community garden there, as well as an indigenous nursery and seedbank. They also use the site to run education programmes for the community focussing on climate and energy justice, and they also run toxic tours to nearby abandoned mines from there.

Zethu Hlatshwayo, a founding member of the organisation, currently serves as the Climate Change and Energy Justice Instructor, as well as the Secretary. Born and raised in the local area, his personal connection to the community inspired the establishment of Khutala Park.

Evlin Hüseyinoğlu

Organisation: Nehna
Nominating Partner: Postane
Location: Ankara, Turkey

Evlin is a computer engineer with a master’s degree and over a decade of experience as a product manager. Throughout her career, she has successfully led various projects, specialising in mobile apps, product development, and user experience. Her deep technical expertise and strategic leadership have enabled her to bridge digital solutions with social impact, addressing both commercial and community needs.

Her involvement with Nehna, a civil initiative founded by the Arab Orthodox people of Antakya, began after the earthquake that devastated her hometown. Nehna’s mission is to preserve the cultural heritage, language, and unwritten history of this almost forgotten community. Motivated by a deep connection to her roots and a desire to contribute to the recovery process, she joined Nehna, bringing her skills in digital platforms and project management to support the initiative.

Sinethemba Kata

Organisation: Philippi Village
Nominating Partner: Philippi Village
Location: Philippi East, South Africa

Sinethemba Kata started at Philippi Village as part of a learnership. He then became an intern. He demonstrated a passion for storytelling and was then trained by Philippi Village (PV) as a mobile journalist and a space activator. He has been with Philippi Village for almost 4 years. During this time, Sinethemba Kata was fortunate to receive a bursary (through a PV partnership) where he is currently pursuing his level 5 in Project Management part-time. Sinethemba excels at connecting the community with opportunities that foster empowerment and growth.

He is based in Philippi East and is dedicated to enhancing community relations and connections and has joined the Stakeholder Engagement department. The role perfectly complements his studies, allowing Sinethemba to apply management principles to real-world community challenges. The Bertha Accelerator program will help enhance his skills and understanding of how spaces can be used as a tool to advance social and spatial justice in the community. He is hoping to build connections with other participants from other spaces and learn how they deal with social challenges and the kind of methods they use to solve social injustices, enhance space, and create connections.

Lihle Mantashe

Organisation: Philippi Village
Nominating Partner: Philippi Village
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Lihle resides in Philippi and is currently volunteering at Philippi Village. Her commitment to Philippi Village and the Philippi community is clear in her tireless support and engagement to our programs – even as a volunteer. Lihle also assists at the Philippi Village sound Studio to activate the Female DJ Workshop program, the Artist Fellowship program and helps with the Netball program in her spare time.

Philippi Village recognised this, and recommended her for their partnership with Cape Town Tourism. She is now studying to be an accredited Tourist Guide, at the Tourist Guide Institute. She is already using these skills to build tours of Philippi Village for the community and visitors. She will slowly become a permanent member of the Philippi Village team looking at tours and events.

Thandekile Moyo

Organisation: African Leadership Centre
Nominating Partner: Ford Foundation
Location: Gwanda, Zimbabwe

Thandekile Moyo is a Human Rights Defender and Certified Professional Mediator from Gwanda, Zimbabwe. She has reported extensively on human rights violations, using print, digital, and social media to document human rights abuses and to raise awareness about bad governance and corruption.

Thandekile is also a Leadership, Peace, and Security Fellow at the African Leadership Centre (King's College London) and holds an honours degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Midlands State University.

Lisa Mooney

Organisation: Radius Housing
Nominating Partner: Social Change Initiative
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Lisa is a dedicated Communities Officer at Radius Housing, where she works to foster inclusive and thriving communities through the Housing for All initiative. Her role involves developing and implementing five-year Good Relations plans and building community cohesion with and between tenants and the wider community. With over a decade of experience in the Northern Ireland Community Sector, Lisa has a strong background in community development and advocacy. Previously working with Building Communities Resource Centre and The Corrymeela Community, she has a deep understanding of local issues and the importance of creating spaces where individuals can connect, learn, and grow.

Lisa is passionate about building a more equitable and inclusive society. She believes that by working together and celebrating our diversity, we can create a community where everyone feels valued, respected, and safe to share their unique perspectives and ideas. Lisa is committed to supporting individuals and groups in achieving their goals and making a positive impact on their community.

Isaiah Mombilo

Organisation: Congolese Civil Society of South Africa
Nominating Partner: Bertha House
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Isaiaha Mongombe Mombilo, is a Congolese Activist who is ambitious about society transformation. He is the founder and the chairperson of the Congolese Civil Society of South Africa also the newly elected chairperson South Africa Refugee led network of Western Cape (SARLEN). In terms of project creation, he is the founder of the project called the Missing link of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which changed the narrative of the first atomic bomb. Isaiha is the initiator of the efficient social cohesion in South Africa to combat xenophobic sentiment in Africa.

He has organised many marches to South Africa's parliament for activities concerning the political issues of his country; protesting against genocide and holocaust happening in DRC. His vision is to educate the community wherever he can for a better community who is well informed about South Africa's laws and other forms of information for integration.

Njabulo Ndlovu

Organisation: KEEP IT Virtual
Nominating Partner: Bertha Retreat
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Njabulo Ndlovu is currently working as a Communications Specialist for the Fraude Film Festival, an annual event based in the Netherlands that aims to raise awareness about fraud. He is also the co-founder of KEEP It Virtual, a cooperative company and platform focused on addressing unemployment by connecting talented individuals with organisations in the Netherlands.

Njabulo is also the founder of Hand Picked For You, an online marketplace soon to be launched. The platform offers local traders the opportunity to reach a wider audience while ensuring they are fairly compensated for their work. Originally from KwaZulu-Natal, Njabulo spent his young adult life in Cape Town, where he worked as a youth care worker for Beth Uriel, a home for disadvantaged young men. Later, he moved to the Netherlands to study Communications. During his time there, he also shared his passion for food by running a proudly South African food truck in Amsterdam, the Bunny Chow Experience.

After several years abroad, Njabulo returned to South Africa driven by his desire to contribute to the country’s development and empower others. He is currently working on a long-term project to create a space where professionals and youth in rural areas can connect and exchange skills.

Sanelisiwe Nyaba

Organisation: Food Agency Cape Town
Nominating Partner: Bertha House
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Sanelisiwe Nyaba is a multimodal artist, writer, co-researcher and food activist. She is currently serving as a Board Member to Food Agency Cape Town, an organisation doing food research in communities in Cape Town.

She is also pursuing her Masters at the University of Cape Town where she is exploring the intersection of food and motherhood using qualitative art methodology. The overall theme in Sanelisiwe’s work is using storytelling as a method into a deeper analysis of empirical data in food security research, while also exploring ways of using art to simply tell stories about herself, her community and everyday lived experiences.

Edda Kruse Rosset

Organisation: Kaospilot+ Berlin
Nominating Partner: Atelier Gardens
Location: Berlin, Germany

Edda Kruse Rosset is a community leader, mediator and learning designer, performer, and entrepreneur. Her passion lies within systemic change and culture, critical thinking and education. She grew up in Berlin's squat and art scene, studied cultural sciences, sociology and politics in Berlin and Reykjavík, graduated from the 3 Year Kaospilot Enterprising Leadership Program in Denmark and is a trained conflict mediator and coach.

Currently she explores how to design learning experiences that offer new ways of creating and leading in complexity, ways that foster systemic change and social justice. Therefore she co-founded Kaospilot+ Berlin, to transform education through collaborative initiatives and to equip learners with mindsets, skills and practices needed to tackle the multitude of interconnected challenges of the 21st century! Kaospilot+ Berlin is based in Atelier Gardens, a campus for societal transformation in Berlin since 2021.

Katra Sambili

Organisation: Elba Hope Foundation
Nominating Partner: Elba Hope Foundation
Location: Kenya, Nairobi

Katra Sambili is a distinguished international development expert with seventeen years of multi-sectoral experience in public policy, leadership development, institution building, and strategic communications. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Relations from United States International University-Africa, a Master of Science in International Development from the School of Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, UK, and is an Edward S. Mason Fellow with a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

In 2021, she founded My Early Bird Africa, a Parent Partner organization advocating for the advancement of Africa’s neonatal health agenda. This initiative earned her recognition among Kenya’s Top 40 Under 40 Women. Following this, she served as an Adaptive Leadership Coach for Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education on its Transforming Leadership for 21st Century Africa programme.

Ms. Sambili has collaborated with various United Nations funds and programs, including UN Women, UNDP, and UNICEF. She is currently the Head of Diaspora Affairs for The Akuna Group and serves as a Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA)-NEPAD.

Nomshado Twala

Organisation: Craft Design Institute
Nominating Partner: Bertha Retreat
Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Nomshado Twala has experienced a variety of platforms in the media industry for over 30 years, that has afforded her an opportunity to learn and establish a wide network in this sector.

In between short breaks from broadcasting, she was employed by the Provincial Government of the Western Cape as the Premier’s Media Liaison and Public Relations Officer from 2005 to July 2008. During this period, she had an opportunity to gain an understanding of the workings of both the South African and international media. During these years she ran an Artist Management Agency promoting South African music at various festivals both in South Africa and internationally.

She is currently serving as the Chairperson of the Craft Design Institute. During Patricia DeLille’s tenure as Mayor of Cape Town, Nomshado was invited to Chair the Panel of Experts for the Gugulethu Street Naming process. She has also been a member of the judging panel for The Mbokodo Women in the Arts Awards and on South Africa’s Got Talent. She completed four years as Council Member for the Market Theatre Foundation where she also Chaired the Artistic Committee. She has recently completed a series of the OUT OF AFRICA SERIES podcasts for the Invictus NFT Lab.