My Research & Insights
With a foundation in science, having studied both nursing and medicine, my approach to brand strategy is built on evidence-based research and thorough analysis. I believe that informed, top-down strategies are essential for creating meaningful and resilient brands, and that continuous learning, especially from a cultural perspective, makes all the difference. I’m not just a brand designer; I’m a strategist who understands that 80% of a brand’s success is rooted in its strategy.
Below is a collection of my own research, insights, and analysis, as well as my contributions, that illustrate this holistic methodology.
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AirBnB.org 2023 Impact Report
Collaborated with AirbnB.org to house 2,000 African Students who were displaced due to the war in Ukraine.
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Africans in Ukraine Humanitarian Needs Overview
In this project, I researched and designed a comprehensive intervention for approximately 150 African students stranded in the wake of the Ukrainian war. Submitted to both the United Nations and the Ukrainian Government, this initiative, supported by grassroots organisations, successfully facilitated the students' evacuation.
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Nature Human Behaviour Journal
I shared my firsthand experience of fleeing Ukraine’s borders in Nature Human Behaviour, highlighting the unequal treatment refugees. Through this personal account, I aimed to spotlight systemic gaps in humanitarian response and advocate for more equitable refugee policies.
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Global Citizen Article
My firsthand account, featured by Global Citizen, spotlighted the discrimination African students faced during the Ukraine conflict. As a Zimbabwean-born student doctor, I documented my own escape from Kyiv and assisted stranded students.
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Third Country Nationals Policy Brief
This policy brief examines the plight of approximately 89,000 third-country university students who fled Ukraine, including 1,000 African students who endured ten months of disrupted education. By highlighting the complexity of refugee status, visa policies, and academic transfer challenges, it exposes how miscommunications among Ukraine, the UN, the EU, and home countries led to inequitable treatment.
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The Self Advocacy Roadmap
I partnered with Glacie Health and Dr. Rumbi to develop and design a user-friendly guide that equips women with the knowledge and tools to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. Through thoughtful research and accessible design, this roadmap empowers patients to confidently engage with medical professionals, ask the right questions, and take an active role in their own well-being.
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Africans in Ukraine Impact Report
This comprehensive report laid the groundwork for campaigns focused on helping African students reintegrate into Ukrainian universities post-war.
Its data-driven insights were referenced by the press and featured by UNESCO, underscoring its significant impact on global education and cultural dialogue.
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UK Parliament | House of Commons
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Xi, 2023 - Compassion and National Interest: Race, Culture and Politics behind the Reception of Refugees of the Ukraine War
My story was referenced in this academic journal
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Brookings
The Russian invasion of Ukraine shows racism has no boundaries - Rashawn Ray
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United States Mission to the United Nations
Remarks by Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield at the 11th Annual Women of Power National 2022 Summit, Black Women’s Roundtable
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Forced Migration Review
How Black African students experienced forced displacement from Ukraine
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United Nations General Security Council | Permanat Mission of the Repubic of Kenya to the United Nations
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Student Action for Refugees
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Ukranian Refugees: (Un)Deservingness and the Politics of Exclusion
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Reuters
FEATURE-Education in limbo for African students who fled Ukrain
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Refugees Separated by the Global Color Line: The Power of Balogun (2023) Europeanness, Whiteness, and Sameness
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Vol. 61 No. 1 (2022): Quarterly on Refugee Problems - AWR Bulletin (QRP)
Noyoo , N., Kleibl, T., Madew, M., Matela , M., Lutz, R., & Boryczko, M. (2022). Will the welcome ever run dry? : Interrogating the hierachy of human categories - The case of Ukrainian refugees in Europe . Quarterly on Refugee Problems - AWR Bulletin, 61(1), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.57947/qrp.v61i1.19
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House of Commons
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African Union
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United Nations
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United Nations
UN Security Council
I was approached by the Kenyan delegation, one of the few delegations holding a seat on the UN Security Council; to share insights on my work supporting thousands of African students fleeing Ukraine. These insights helped inform their 2022 address to the UN General Council.