Demere Kitunga

Demere Kitunga is a Tanzanian feminist, publisher, and literacy advocate known for her work in promoting feminist ideology, social change, and literacy as tools for empowerment. She is the founder of Soma, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a reading culture through initiatives such as the Soma Book Café, a hub for learning, dialogue, and cultural exchange. Kitunga has created platforms like Vavagaa, which challenges patriarchal norms and promotes gender equality through storytelling and community engagement.

Kitunga being a mentor and writer has contributed to various literary and feminist collectives, including Kisima cha Mashairi and the Waka Poetry Consortium. Her work focuses on the importance of creating inclusive spaces for dialogue, critical thinking, and grassroots organizing to bridge digital divides and address issues such as bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and societal inequities.

Early/Personal Life

Demere Kitunga was born in Tanzania, Africa. Alongside the late Professor Seithy Loth Chachage, she had four children, including Mkunde Chachage, a medical researcher. Kitunga does a lot of analyzing, organizing and recruiting allies in her personal life to support her cause.

Career

Demere Kitunga has worked in the world of literature as an author, translator, and publisher. In 2007, Kitunga co-founded E&D Readership and Development Agency (also known as Soma), a non-profit aimed at encouraging literacy, scholarship, and storytelling in Tanzania. This agency works alongside E&D Vision Publishing, where Kitunga has also supported Tanzanian authors. In 2004, she wrote the book Lupompo and the Baby Monkey. She continued her journey in print by translating the book When Trees Walked into her native language Swahili. In addition to her literary career Kitunga has also co-written and appeared in multiple research articles and books including: Reflections on Activism in Africa (with colleague Marjorie Mbilinyi), On Being Counted: Gender, Property, and "the Family", and Struggles Over Patriarchal Structural Adjustment in Tanzania to name a few.

Advocacy

Demere Kitunga is a human rights activist, literary activist, and feminist who uses her job as a writer to promote reading as a way to educate and empower. Kitunga's agency, E&D Readership, and Development, was founded with a feminist perspective, emphasizing gender equality and cultural upliftment. The organization also prioritizes research to illustrate the importance of reading, writing, and creativity for children in Tanzania. She advocates through mentoring and is a founding member of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme which helps promote gender equality in Tanzania.