Sofi Lundin Photography

As the year winds down, I find myself reflecting on the things I didn’t quite accomplish—goals that felt just out of reach, projects that didn’t fully come to life, and tasks that lingered on my to-do list. I decided to sit down and look back at the things I did accomplish and it made me feel proud.

This year took me across several African countries, uncovering untold stories often overlooked by mainstream media. I reported through challenging environments, from floods in Kenya to political protests and the ongoing femicide crisis in East Africa. Three of my stories were featured on front pages of respected outlets, shining a light on underreported narratives. On a personal note, I shared the joy of my mom’s first African adventure and created unforgettable memories with my son. Despite challenges and increasing restrictions on press freedom, I stayed resilient, telling the stories that matter most.

Captions:

1. The Gen Z protest in Uganda ended with a number of arrests.
2. Femicide in Kenya: The body of Irene Ng’endo Mburu lies in a light brown wooden coffin. She was murdered in her own kitchen on January 10. Irene was only 51 years old.
3. Kids playing football in Mathare - one of the largest informal settlements (slums) in Nairobi, Kenya.
4. Paulina Lazaro is the leader of the women’s group in Makame, Tanzania. Funds from carbon credit are slowly increasing women’s financial independence.
5. From my story about albinism in Africa and how brave activists are changing the narrative.
6. A portrait of resilience and the fight for equality in Malawi.
7. After the floods in Kenya, the government removed homes deemed too close to the river in Mathare, displacing families already grappling with loss.
8. Kids playing outside a school in Karamoja, Uganda.
9. Maasai women in Randelien, Tanzania, overlook their ancestral lands within the Wildlife Management Area (WMA), where tradition meets conservation. _______________________________________________