Skip to content
✳
Knowledge grows through dialogue and participation.
n
NTHAKA
RESEARCH & ADVISORY
Rooted in Knowledge. Growing Possibilities.
African-grounded research, evaluation and advisory practice.
What we do
Our approach
Selected work
Our people
Contact
© 2026 Nthaka · Lilongwe, Malawi
Concept website preview · AI-generated images are illustrative, not real project photographs or team portraits. Verify biographies and permissions before publishing.
n
NTHAKA
RESEARCH & ADVISORY
What we do
Our approach
Selected work
Our people
Get in touch ↗
African-led research & advisory
Evidence that helps development do better.
Across gender justice, climate resilience and education, we connect rigorous research with the realities of institutions and communities — helping organisations learn, adapt and make better decisions.
OUR THEMATIC EXPERTISE
Gender justice & inclusion
Climate resilience & governance
Education & social change
Explore our expertise
↗
See selected work
→
Rooted in Knowledge. Growing Possibilities.
01 / WHAT WE DO
Two areas of expertise.
One connected approach.
We focus on the evidence and institutional questions that matter to organisations working toward more equitable development.
Research, Evaluation
& Learning
We design and carry out rigorous, participatory research and evaluation that makes evidence useful for programme decisions and continuous learning.
How we can help
Applied and mixed-methods research · Programme evaluations · Theories of change · Monitoring and learning systems · Evidence and learning reviews
Inclusive Development
& Institutional Change
We examine how power, gender, participation and institutional systems shape development outcomes — and support organisations to respond more effectively.
How we can help
Gender and inclusion analysis · Institutional and governance assessments · Participatory programme design · Strategy and organisational learning · Capacity strengthening
Our thematic expertise in gender, climate and education is supported by these two interconnected services. Each assignment draws on the expertise most relevant to the question.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
We look beyond “Did it work?”
Strong research should illuminate the people, relationships and institutions behind an outcome. We connect African-grounded knowledge with interdisciplinary analysis and experience of development practice.
01 / INCLUSION
For whom is change happening?
02 / POWER
Whose knowledge and voice count?
03 / CONTEXT
Why does change happen here?
04 / ACTION
What should organisations do differently?
02 / HOW WE WORK
Research with purpose.
Participatory, ethically grounded and practical — from the first question to what happens after the findings.
01
Ask better questions
Understand the context, the challenge and whose perspectives need to inform the work.
02
Generate useful evidence
Combine appropriate methods with meaningful engagement and critical reflection.
03
Turn learning into action
Support interpretation, dialogue and practical decisions that can improve programmes.
KNOWLEDGE INTO PRACTICE
Learning happens through dialogue.
We value research processes that bring knowledge into conversation, create space for critical reflection and help partners act on what the evidence reveals.
Conceptual imagery created for this website sample.
03 / SELECTED WORK
A little of the work
behind our approach.
Examples of research, practice and scholarship described in the Nthaka profile.
PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH / MALAWI
Participatory monitoring and learning
In Lilongwe and Phalombe, co-designed tools including drawing, video diaries and storytelling supported locally facilitated learning processes.
2019–2022 · Research tools and scholarly outputs
GOVERNANCE & ENVIRONMENT / MALAWI
Community-led fisheries governance
Participatory research and dialogue in Nkhotakota contributed to a governance plan for more equitable use of post-harvest technology.
Nkhotakota · Dialogue, governance planning and learning
SCHOLARSHIP / KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION
Decoloniality in Gender Discourse and Praxis
An edited Routledge volume bringing together Global South perspectives to question dominant framings of gender and knowledge.
2025 · Edited scholarly volume
Imagery is conceptual, including AI-generated scenes; it is not photographic documentation of Nthaka projects or portraits of the consultants.
04 / OUR PEOPLE
Complementary strengths.
Shared purpose.
Nthaka works through a flexible team of researchers and practitioners. These three areas of expertise can be brought together according to each assignment's needs.
AK
Alinane Katenga-Kaunda
GENDER, POWER & INSTITUTIONS
Brings feminist and gender-responsive research, inclusion and institutional perspectives to development questions and organisational practice.
FK
Fundi Kayamba-Phiri
ENVIRONMENT & APPLIED RESEARCH
Connects environmental governance, community realities and interdisciplinary research in complex development contexts.
MK
Mtisunge Isabel Kamlongera
CRITICAL EDUCATION, GENDER & MEDIA
Brings expertise in education and critical pedagogy, gender and media training in development, participatory research, evaluation and organisational learning.
START A CONVERSATION
Have a question worth investigating?
Tell us about the challenge, programme or decision you are working on. We welcome research and advisory collaborations.
Visit nthaka.org
↗