25/10/2024, African Business
Noel Kok and Pragna Parsotam-Kok are not your typical couple. The Durban-based duo is on a mission to reshape African wildlife and nature narratives, one story at a time. Both are filmmakers and National Geographic Explorers – individuals who receive funding and support from the US National Geographic Society (NGS) to help protect the world through their work.
Stories about the African continent have been shared around the world for decades, but rarely, if ever, have those stories been told by African people. As Noel puts it, “Black African nature and wildlife filmmakers were rarer than most of the species scientists and conservationists are trying to protect on the continent of Africa.”
Thanks to Noel and Pragna’s work, this is beginning to change. In 2017 they co-founded Nature, Environment, and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) to build capacity for African people to tell stories about their environment in a way that reflects their perspectives and experiences. The mission of NEWF is simple but transformative: “How do you change the story? You change the storyteller,” says Noel. Continue Reading >>
