Niko Njiani…Nimefika

“Niko njiani…Nimefika” – Transit/Arrival: Women and Being in Urban Spaces

aa noun

Niko Njiani…Nimefika is an arts-based research project by poet, historian, and sound practitioner Alma Simba. Anchored in SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Simba conducted interviews with women and collected field recordings in Tanzanian urban spaces, including Goba, Buguruni, Tabata, Mwanza, Stone Town, Kendwa, and Mikocheni.

Engaging with the themes of Inclusive and Safe Cities and Sustainable Transport and Inclusive Public Spaces, the project examines the gendered experiences of key transport systems: daladala, boda, and bajaj. Niko Njiani…Nimefika, Kiswahili for “I am on the way… I am here,” is the title of the project because these commonly used phrases signal women’s transit and arrival. This signalling highlights the realities and challenges women face along essential pathways to livelihoods, including harassment and exclusion.

Using experimental sound and poetry, Simba explores unequal access to public transport systems, collaborating with her intended audience of women commuters to begin a dialogue on the gendered limitations of public space and the importance of movement for livelihoods.

The project culminates in a listening exhibition and workshop at Ajabu Ajabu audio-visual collective space in Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam. The event will invite women from urban communities, researchers, artists, and students to engage with these issues.

Through her multidisciplinary project “Niko njiani…Nimefika” Alma is exploring women’s histories, realities, and challenges in Tanzanian urban spaces.