The Garden of Connection

A small core team is supported by a range of co-conspirators made up of artists, activists, academics, researchers, and elders.

The Core Team

Program Coordinator
Meimouna M. Elkory is a Pan-African feminist and organic intellectual committed to revolutionary organizing against interlocking systems of oppression, currently serving as Program Coordinator at Djolifon.
Email: conference@djolifon.org

Founding Executive Director
Mariam S. Armisen, is a feminist organiser, social researcher, writer, photographer, movement strategist, and international consultant from West Africa. For approximately twenty years, Mariam has worked across an array of fields, movements, and geopolitical regions, devoting her energies to championing causes often deemed "lost," specifically focusing on nourishing the political imaginaries and work of feminists and marginalised or criminalised communities. Her overarching goal is to collaboratively foster alternative pathways and possibilities, which she described as rhizomes of other and othered possibilities.
Central to Mariam's organising and artistic pursuits is a deep exploration of several key themes. These include the potent influence of aesthetics, the vital process of reclaiming human dignity, the intricate and often sensual nature of interpersonal relationships, the boundless potential of creativity, and the often-overlooked significance of the improbable and the seemingly insignificant, alongside the fundamental value of goodness in our individual-collective endeavours for transformation. Through diverse initiatives and collaborative efforts with co-conspirators, she actively engages in experiments and thoughtful reflections aimed at manifesting the seemingly impossible.
Email. mariam@djolifon.org
Photo: Hakima Abbas

Head of Communication
Edizon is a self-taught artist and visual communication enthusiast based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He grew up amidst the insecurity and instability prevalent in the eastern part of his country—an environment that has profoundly influenced his visual creations. It was at the age of twenty, shortly after finishing high school, that he first recognized his artistic talent. He resolved to hone his pencil technique and refine his artistic vision, excelling in both drawing and graphic design. Navigating the space between dreams and reality, he embarked on a quest for visual perfection, ultimately adopting hyperrealism as his signature drawing style. Generally figurative in nature, his works convey a sense of visual neutrality—a contemplative space in which his artistic thoughts reside. Ranging from the deeply somber to the more accessible—such as his graphic illustrations—his pieces offer an infinite scope for interpretation. A passionate visual artist, he won a local graphic design competition in 2021. He subsequently undertook a program of creative self-study to further explore this facet of the visual arts. He has since collaborated on numerous graphic design projects with both fellow artists and various businesses.
Contact: edizon@djolifon.org

Cynthia Fire Woman is an entrepreneur in the audiovisual sector—specializing in documentaries, marketing, graphic design, photography, and video editing—as well as a multidisciplinary artist (rapper, photographer, and DJ). As a rapper, her music focuses on women's causes, children's rights, social issues, and human rights. Her passion for hosting cultural and social events led her to take up DJing—one of her key activities as a cultural entrepreneur. Cynthia has collaborated with numerous Burkinabè and African artists in the fields of music and theater. In April 2025, she released an 8-track EP in the "Tribal" style—a fusion of traditional sounds with funk, electro, and techno music—in collaboration with Maître LV, a Burkinabè slam poet. As an artistic photographer, she has produced several photo series on gender-based violence, femininity, cowrie shells, and the celebration of Burkinabè cultural heritage.
Cynthia is the sound engineer for Djolifon’s podcast, Kan-Tigui.

Akey Fabrice Looky specializes in languages, communication, and event project coordination. He possesses extensive experience in translation, interpreting, and language pedagogy, working with diverse audiences—including professionals, diplomats, and institutions. His work is characterized by a practical and contextualized approach, emphasizing communication effectiveness, intercultural competence, and adaptation to the specific needs of learners and organizations. Passionate about writing, music, and sociolinguistics, he explores languages as living spaces situated at the intersection of identities, cultures, and social dynamics. His commitment also extends to issues of social justice, particularly the promotion of gender rights and raising awareness regarding mental health issues.
Fabrice is a committee member of Djolifon’s inaugural conference.

Anastasie is a visual artist, a cultural promoter, youth multimedia mentor and the CEO of ANAS VISION Group. She hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Through art and philosophy, she examines history, collective memory, and modernity, questioning established narratives. Colonialism's harms, modern slavery, migration, gender issues, conflict, womxn's societal roles, spiritual searches, and religious resentment are at the heart of her artistic and spiritual inquiries. By highlighting the inequalities between sociocultural blocks, her work examines assimilation, inculturation and acculturation in the intercultural exchanges between North-South and East-West societies. Her work has been regularly shown in Africa and Europe since 2018.
Anastasie is a curator at Djolifon.

Photo: Self-portrait