Martha Laraba Sambe

A student of life and love, Martha Laraba Sambe is a multi-hyphenate queer creative from Northern Nigeria. Laraba has tackled social and development issues in Nigeria as a researcher, becoming the first Development Columnist for Stears, a Nigerian media publication cum market intelligence agency. She has also lent her expertise to research projects analyzing south-south migration funded by the Council for Development of Social Research in Africa and the Canadian Center for Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration. Laraba has also supported the research and archival work of queer language in Nigeria on a project led by Obodo, a queer Nigerian NGO and funded by Kampnagel, Hamburg. She has written several documentary scripts analyzing various issues, including gender-based violence, suppression of voter rights, the freedom to organize, and gang-related activities in Nigeria. In addition to weaving together stories from her life, which will feed into a memoir, Laraba’s first book, she continues to explore, initiate, and lead conversations about indigenous African spirituality as a basis for wholeness, community care, and the preservation of nature. She is the creator of Spring of Wellness (SoW), a non-profit organization and monthly publication aimed at educating and informing individuals about the path to a more heart-centered existence. Additionally, she is the curator of African Religions, a platform created to connect individuals of African descent to the rich spiritual histories and heritages of the continent’s diverse cultures. Laraba is a self-proclaimed animist and an advocate for right action. She is a gifted medium blessed with the ability to foster meaningful dialogue around difficult and uncomfortable topics. Although intersecting identities shape her life and artistic work, Laraba moves through the world as a multidimensional entity, a spirit whose being transcends all human-made labels and boxes.