Jidovanu Natalia

About

Natalia Jidovanu is an independent photojournalist from the Republic of Moldova, based in Nairobi, Kenya, where she has been active in the field of visual arts and photojournalism since 2014. Born in Moldova, she emigrated to Portugal at the age of 16 with her parents, where she studied psychology at the University of Minho, obtaining a bachelor's degree and a postgraduate diploma in forensic psychology. She initially worked for the Portuguese judicial police, providing support in investigations into sexual abuse of minors, and then at a psychiatric hospital with schizophrenic patients, experiences that later influenced her commitment to documenting social inequalities. Passionate about photography as a means of expression, she has dedicated herself to artistic projects addressing gender, forced displacement, and social injustices in East Africa. In Kenya, Natalia initiated the "My First Camera" project, through which she provided cameras and photography courses to children from the Kibera slum, culminating in an exhibition at the United Nations in 2017. She established a foundation for school scholarships, prioritizing girls from poor communities and those rescued from female genital mutilation, expanding the program beyond Nairobi. Her works, published in publications such as Público, Visão, Al Jazeera, UNESCO, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Voice of America, document human stories from Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Togo, and South Africa. She collaborated with the International Journalists' Network, Ziarul de Gardă, and other international platforms, contributing articles on photography ethics and the defense of truth in Moldova. Natalia's personal life reflects a journey of identity seeking, marked by separation from her Moldovan roots and adaptation to multiple cultures. After 12 years in Portugal, where her parents initially settled for economic opportunities, she chose Kenya, where she lives with her new family and two children. Occasional returns to Chisinau confront her with the pain of forced emigration but inspire her to explore themes such as cultural belonging. Today, she sees Kenya as a place full of untold stories, where photography becomes a tool of resistance and hope for vulnerable communities.