MAKAANI is here
[مكاني] /MA·’KA·NI/
Arabic for “my place”
A home for stories, heritage, and identity.
Makaani connects diasporas to their roots and brings cultures together from the Arab world to Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Where identity lives.
Where stories breathe.
Where home finds you.
MAKAANI IS NAIROBI
Our journey started started in Nairobi, where we asked ourselves the question what “the most liveable city” really means. We’ve all heard it’s Vienna, or Toronto, but is the best city about prestige, or where you truly thrive?
Karim shared how Nairobi offers a unique blend of opportunity, connection, and fulfilment—redefining what ‘home’ means on the African continent.
A truly liveable city is one where you feel like you belong. Where your values are shared. Where your identity isn’t something you need to explain or defend. Where joy is ordinary. Where living doesn’t feel like surviving.
MAKAANI IS VIENNA...
Home is not always a place. Often, it’s a feeling, but feelings can come and go.
Asma has experienced first-hand that the place she loves and calls home does not always love her back, which is why she set out to create a space that feels like home for her community and builds bridges through art.
Muslim’Contemporary is a space to connect, learn and unlearn, where people can meet, share and grow together, into a future where spaces like this are no longer necessary.
...OR IS IT PARIS?
In Paris, we met with Siam da Silva: fashion icon, designer, CEO, defender of women’s rights, mother of two, and so much more.
Siam knows that fashion is deeply personal and, while many assumptions are made based on a small piece of cloth, there is so much more to is than meets the eye. Her brand, Silk of Siam, is a celebration of heritage and identity not only as a guiding principle, but with every scarf they produce.
A CELEBRATION OF IDENTITY...
Just like Dubai - a place that pays tribute to the rich cultural tapestry of the whole region and beyond. Reclaiming the identity of what it really means to be Arab. This is why the heart of Makaani is the Middle East.
Zaid, founder of Zaid by Zaid Farouki, creates culturally infused garments that reflect the interconnected nature of Dubai, bringing together regional and international cuts, fabrics and designs. With every thread, he is reclaiming and reconstructing what it means to be Arab in today’s society.
“We are art, music, poetry, fashion, embroidery”, all things you will find in Makaani magazine.
...AND BRAZILIAN SFIHA!
The hearts of millions of Lebanese Brazilians beat to both Dabke and Samba!
Did you know that there are more people with lebanese heritage living in Brazil than in Lebanon? Mohamad’s is a diaspora story that is very close to our hearts, as it encapsulates everything we love about rich global cultures melting together and creating something beautiful.
His life has become a melting pot of language, culture, and food - what’s not to love about that?
MAKAANI IS RECONNECTING
…with our heritage and, in Sara’s case, the motherland. Born to parents from Somalia and Germany, she knows first-hand what it means to grow up in the West as a child of mixed heritage. It means being limited in the types of stories we hear about “where we come from”, and it means challenging the western media’s narrative in order to discover the truth.
For many of us, discovering who we are is often a lifelong journey, and reconnecting with our past can open windows to a world we never knew we were a part of - to a place where we really feel that we belong.
IT’S REALISING YOU’RE NOT ALONE
You would think that, in a city of 10+ million people, everyone would find their crowd. For Alia, a born and raised Cairene, the city is chaotic, but familiar. And yet, she struggled to connect, to feel like she belonged.
Then, she discovered that she wasn’t so alone after all - in fact, the entire city is full of people who feel the same way. She now hosts meet ups centred around meaningful conversations with anyone who wants to take part, no matter their background or social circle.
Alia realised that, in the end, we’re all trying to understand the same thing: ourselves, each other, and our place in this world.
MAKAANI CAN BE A FLAG...
No matter where you look in Napoli, you will see the Palestinian flag.
Ex-photojournalist Eduardo Castaldo is now globally renowned for taking a stand against the global narrative led by western media and politicians by creating statement street art in Napoli. He has dedicated himself to sharing the truth plain and simple — without a Western filter.
“I never felt completely confortable in being a Western photojournalist in the Middle East. Portraying the Arabs, the Palestinians and Muslims, transforming them into images suitable for Western audiences. So I felt guilty, I felt I was part of a mechanism I didn’t agree with.”
...OR A SPARK THAT LIGHTS A FIRE
At the heart of one of Rio’s favelas lies the First Chance Project — one that we wish did not have to exist. Its founder, Douglas, has a clear mission: to attend more graduations and less funerals.
After losing both his parents and a cousin to gang violence, Douglas decided to fight back the only way he knew how. By offering children and youngsters access to the very subjects that they were denied through social circumstance — such as Ballet, English, the violin — he is breaking the cycle and teaching that they have every right to self-determination and a bright future.
Despite the odds and without political backing, Douglas runs the project on donations alone, driven by the belief that no dream is too big when it’s shared.
MAKAANI IS CAPE TOWN
Cape Town may not be the perfect representation of South Africa, but when it comes to food, it’s the undisputed capital. For Zola Nene, food is more than just a meal — it’s a way to decolonise the kitchen and celebrate her heritage.
Zola uses indigenous ingredients to tell stories of her culture and educate others. As Cape Town grows in global recognition, there’s a newfound pride in showcasing indigenous foods, and Zola is at the forefront of that movement.
“I just want people to see US. There’s more than one version of a human being, and I think the best way to get to know somebody is to eat their food.”
MAKAANI IS LAUGHTER
Coming soon…
MAKAANI IS OLIVE OIL
Coming soon…