The idea of space travel has been a childhood dream for Isaac Gathu and the idea of travelling to Mars inspires this Kenyan space enthusiast. An IT technician and businessman by profession, he is also the founding president of the Mars Society of Kenya and an “analogue astronaut”, someone who simulates space missions on Earth. Isaac’s passion is both serious and at times tongue-in-cheek. He wears his homemade space suit in public to encourage awareness of space travel, and he prepares himself physically and mentally through his analogue activities for his distant dream of one day being a Kenyan on Mars.

Lydia Matata is a screenwriter and filmmaker from Kenya. She has written on drama series for Netflix and Showmax and her latest documentary film Utapata Mwingine won the Best Emerging Filmmaker award at the UN Women’s Global Voices Film Festival.