“Sights and Sounds” is a new video series from the media platform For Africans by Africans (FABA). The second installment comes to us from Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage sight that used to be home to one of the largest slave markets in East Africa, but is now filled with artists and artisans selling their wares. Perfectly preserved stone structures give the neighborhood its iconic look, and you can get a sense of daily life in Zanzibar through this incredible, immersive video.

Chika Okoli started FABA in 2016 with the intent of showcasing the diverse African experience through sharing visuals on social media.

“There was a huge demand for proper visual representation online in the African community. A lot of Africans, including me, were tired of seeing the same tropes documented about us. As with any other number of cultures around the world, the African experience is multifaceted — that wasn’t being translated in the narratives published. There are so many consequences that rise up as a result of misrepresentation, so when I started FABA, my motivation was to change how we see ourselves first before even tackling the problem of how the world sees us.”

“I think especially when documenting in Africa, my foremost concerns are to seek out untold narratives, be intentional about not documenting from a monolithic lens or with any kind of bias, and to make sure that the stories being told open up spaces for deeper conversations within the community.”

“Inspiring people to travel to Africa is an unexpected benefit that I’m certainly not mad about!”

Zanzibar is made up of numerous archipelagos just off the coast of Tanzania, in East Africa. The main island is called Unguja (Zanzibar) and the second largest is Pemba. Here, there is beauty all around. From the heritage Stone Town, to the forests, to the villages, to the white sandy beaches, and the Indian Ocean; you can always find something to explore and fulfill your sense of adventure. — Nasrin Suleiman.

You can read more about For Africans By Africans on their website, and follow along for the next installment of “Sights and Sounds” by subscribing to their YouTube!