Stella Rothenberger | N'NINKIE

Meet Stella from N’NINKIE

“We amplify the voices of African Changemakers, fostering a future where local solutions, rooted in their unique insights, shape the continent’s growth.”

Stella Rothenberger

Co-Founder, N’NINKIE

Why are you a member of the Hub?

I was born in The Hague, and even though I moved to Germany when I was young, I’ve always felt connected to this city. After spending 20 years working closely with local NGOs and communities in Africa, especially in Sierra Leone, it’s overdue to bring their voices into the conversations happening here. The Hub provides space to do that. It’s a place where I can connect with like-minded individuals and organizations and contribute to a dialogue between the global North and South.

But more importantly, I see it as a platform not just for myself, but for the African changemakers I work alongside. I hope that in the future, we’ll see more interconnection with the Hub community. Their stories and solutions are incredibly powerful and should be at the forefront. This space also gives them visibility in the global North, which is necessary to counter false stereotypes and change the prevailing narrative of “the West saving Africa”.

What do you like most about your organisation?

What I love most about N’NINKIE is that it builds on 20 years of work with local communities and pushes to reimagine the future of development. What began as PfefferminzGreen has now evolved into something bigger, a platform that bridges theory and practice by spotlighting local, African-led solutions.

N’NINKIE means “community” in Temne, and that word captures everything we stand for. What excites me is that we’re not just talking about localization or empowerment, we’re implementing it. We’re collaborating with scholars and policymakers to integrate local expertise into universities and policy spaces, which are often missing.

Together, we explore solutions for structural change, which we believe will ultimately lead to a gradual phase-out plan from foreign dependency.

What challenges do you face in your field of work?

One of the biggest challenges is disrupting the traditional aid narrative, which is deeply embedded in the development sector. Even now, many organizations continue to raise funds using harmful imagery and one-sided stories. That reinforces the idea that solutions must come from outside, and we know that’s not true.

There’s also a contradiction we live with: we are trying to phase out the need for foreign aid while still requiring support to get there. That’s a hard concept for many funders to grasp. But we believe in it. We’re not building dependency, we’re supporting a transition to independence.

“It’s like David and Goliath. Western aid is entrenched; in every village, a foreign NGO seems to be active, but the results usually do not match the investment. We should instead respect and understand the immense potential of existing social support systems within local communities.”

What do you like most about The Hague?

There’s so much to love. I often joke that I’m saying a city slogan, but truly, The Hague has it all. I love that you can be watching the sunset at the beach in the evening and be at a meeting in the city the next morning.

It’s a city that blends local charm with global purpose. The international community here is inspiring, and as someone passionate about peace and justice, it feels like the perfect home for the kind of work we’re doing at N’NINKIE. It’s a place where dialogue across borders and between generations is really possible.

Amplifying the Voices of African Changemakers

Through N’NINKIE, Stella, Co-Founder Neneh, and their team are shifting the power by spotlighting local changemakers and Indigenous solutions that drive sustainable change from within. They partner with local communities, activists, policymakers, and scholars across Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Sierra Leone, who are at the forefront of shaping their own futures and fostering long-term progress rooted in African-based strategies

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Humans of the Hub

The Hague Humanity Hub is at the heart of a thriving community dedicated to strengthening peace and justice. That’s what you read on our website, in our newsletter, and on our socials. But who are the individuals behind the organisations? Behind the initiatives, the research, and the actions striving for a more just and peaceful world?

Humans of the Hub takes you beyond the logos and formal titles to introduce you to the passionate people who form this unique community. It’s not just about the projects or institutions, it’s about the humans who dedicate themselves to peace and justice.