Started last semester, Campus Africa Network is a student-led initiative that hopes to help UNC broaden its horizon.
Although Campus Africa Network isn’t a part of the Campus Y, the group received grant money from the Campus Y to start a new initiative that will help bring the other groups realted to Africa together.
“We felt that there was disconnection between student organizations that are Africa related,” said Etiti Ayeni, co-director and outreach coordinator of Campus Africa Network. “A lot of these are smaller initiatives so they are much more isolated and detached.”
“We felt we needed to address that issue to try to bring them all together to talk about the work that people do on the continent, current affairs.”
Ayeni noticed that events which hosted speakers from Africa had high attendance from graduate students and professors rather than undergraduate students.
Wilma Mallya, co-director of the group, said increasing awareness was one of her goals.
“We want to create something that can inclusively come together, exchange ideas and highlight work that’s being done so people can have a clear understanding of Africa,” she said.
Many of the members of Campus Africa Network are also international students and are making connections with people in Africa — for example, their co-founder is currently interning in Senegal.
“This truly is about making connections,” Ayeni said.
