How TAP is Bringing Together Students from Across UChicago to Explore Policy, Culture, History, and Innovation in Africa

From hosting thought-provoking conversations on Africa’s political economy and global influence to exploring cuisine and culture over plates of fragrant Nigerian Jollof rice and spicy Suya skewers, The African Perspective (TAP) student organization at the Harris School of Public Policy takes a novel approach to enhancing the academic and student experience at the University of Chicago.

“We have many different aspects that we try to cover,” said Emmanuel Mayani, MPP Class of 2025 and the organization’s co-president. “And our events, whether on policy matters or culture, are not only for African students at Harris. They draw students from throughout UChicago who perhaps have worked or plan to work in Africa or are simply interested in Africa and want an authentic perspective. We end up learning a lot from each other.”

TAP aims to amplify the voices of students interested in Africa at Harris Public Policy. Its leaders emphasize bringing together students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds to explore policy, culture, history, and innovation in Africa. While complementing other Harris student organizations, TAP is carving out a niche by leveraging the diverse insights of its members within both Harris and the wider UChicago student communities.

The group’s leadership brings a range of expertise. Co-president Judith Nguli, an Obama Scholar and member of the MPP Class of 2025, for example, draws on her background in governance and socio-economic research in Kenya to ensure TAP’s policy discussions reflect practical insight. Manda Bwerevu, MPP Class of 2025, TAP’s President of External Affairs, leads outreach and partnerships. Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and raised partly in South Africa, he built a startup in Kenya and worked with the Congolese diaspora. Together with Mayani and Head of Marketing Bethel Onah, MPP Class of 2026  and a Booth School MBA candidate, the leadership team works to make certain that TAP resonates with intellectual depth and cultural vibrancy.

A recently launched podcast, TAP into the African Experience, takes the organization’s insight to a broader audience. February's inaugural episode on “The Detty December Effect” pulled the curtain back on the myriad ways Africans mark the end of one year and welcome the next. “Detty” is West African slang for "dirty," meaning, in this case, unrestrained holiday fun, celebrating the African spirit of community, generosity, and thanksgiving. Future episodes will feature voices from within and beyond the TAP community, with conversations that range from anecdotal to data-driven.

Mayani, who arrived at Harris by way of Tanzania and Rwanda, co-hosted the inaugural podcast with Onah, who enrolled at Harris after starting her career in luxury retail in Nigeria.

She and Mayani co-founded the organization along with Kirgit Istifanus Amlai, MPP‘24, Radha Nayer, MPP ‘24, Marie Grace Giramahoro, and Nguli.

“Many students expressed a need for a student organization that offers firsthand knowledge about Africa, so we thought establishing one would be helpful,” Onah said. “But did we want it to be strictly for African students? No. We wanted it to be as diverse as possible — a space where students from all backgrounds could share their curiosity, insights, and understanding of Africa and explore the continent’s connections with the parts of the world they’re from.”

Last summer TAP organized a peer-led info session for UChicago students preparing to intern in African countries, including Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana. It offered logistical tips, but went beyond with honest conversations, where returning students shared what it’s like to live and work on the continent. Then in January, TAP hosted a “Careers in Africa” panel that connected students with peers who had worked in nations including Uganda, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast. Panelists told stories grounded in personal experience, offering practical guidance and a sense of possibility for those exploring professional paths in Africa.

Such firsthand perspectives dispel many misconceptions, Mayani said.

“What many outside Africa see are stories of conflict — wars in Sudan and Congo or energy issues in South Africa,” he said. “That constant negativity shapes people's thinking, especially when considering working in Africa. They worry about safety because that’s the image they’ve been shown.”

“But,” he added, “conflict and crisis aren’t unique to Africa — they exist in many parts of the world. There’s also a much brighter side. Africa is home to thriving innovation hubs in Kigali and Nairobi, successful democratic transitions including in Ghana, world-class universities in South Africa, and vibrant cultural scenes from Dakar to Addis Ababa. The full story of Africa includes resilience, progress, and opportunity.”

The organization also tackles thorny topics and went “Beyond the Headlines” for its February program on the decades-long eastern DRC conflict. That event at the Keller Center featured Senior Harris Lecturer and Executive Director of International Policy & Development Rebecca Wolfe, who developed conflict prevention and violence reduction programs globally, including in Kenya. She was joined by Assistant Professor Raul Sanchez de la Sierra, whose research is centered in the DRC; Assistant Professor Eduardo Montero, who does research in Central Africa; and Mvemba Phezo Dizolele, a senior fellow and director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Co-sponsors included The Pearson Institute and Harris’s International Development Policy Association (IDPA) student organization.

And, Onah noted, “we talk about and share food because African food is delicious and is so central to a rich African culture.”

The organization’s recent Taste of Africa drew nearly 125 students and faculty members for a three-course meal. Chicago Chef Dozzy Ibekwe’s Pan-African menu featured Jollof rice (with tomato and smoky spices); skewers threaded with grilled meat flavored with a peanut-spice rub; and Ugali (a cornmeal stew) with vegetables, a dish popular in East and Central Africa. Kenyan chai tea was paired with Mandazi (known as “Swahili doughnuts”). And to cap the meal, Malva pudding, a decadent South African sponge cake stuffed with apricot jam and drenched in a buttery sauce, and the chewy caramelized coconut candy popular in West Africa were served.

It’s through feedback, Mayani and Onah said, that TAP refines its programming. 

“One among many wonderful ideas we’ve received from members,” Mayani added, “is to host an event or podcast pairing Chinese and African perspectives on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has expanded in Africa.”

“TAP  programming,” he said, “is based on whatever we can do that touches those core pillars of what goes on in Africa — the joys, the sorrows, the aspirations — and brings that insight to the University of Chicago and beyond.

“It serves as a bridge that connects the rich tapestry of Africa with global communities, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation.”