Zainland Creatives – Photos and stories by Zainab Mejja
Zainab Mejja is a Wildlife, Environment, Street and Documentary Photographer and storyteller based in Mombasa, Kenya. With over eight years of experience, she has worked across a wide range of genres, including wildlife, nature and landscape, events, food, corporate, street, environmental, and portrait photography.
She enjoys bringing out the beauty and meaning in everything she photographs. Her camera has taken her across Kenya and parts of India, where she has captured diverse stories of nature, culture, and community. Her creative practice sits at the intersection of culture, environment, and social-impact storytelling. Over the years, she has collaborated with organisations such as KMFRI, YWCA, Foto Mtaani, Alliance Française, Sinema Mtaani, and Docubox’s TabiaNchi Program to document coral conservation, mangrove restoration, ocean stories, youth engagement, and climate action across Kenya’s coast.
Zainab’s work has been showcased on national and global platforms — including the 2021 Bahari Huru Festival in Mombasa and Kilifi, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Nikon Wall of Fame in Nairobi, the 2024 LETA Contest & Exhibition in Kenya and South Africa, the Mombasa Ocean Festival 2024, at the Foto Mtaani residencies and exhibitions in 2024 and 2025, and wildlife documentation projects with Canon, Nikon, and Nature Photography Group in Nairobi. She has been recognised among the Top 35 wildlife photographers in Kenya in the 35AWARDS International Competition, and was featured in Kenyan newspapers for her storytelling on marine pollution and conservation.
In her work, Zainab also enjoys documenting the richness of culture and heritage through projects such as Mombasa City, Swahili wood carvings, Barazani, and everyday expressions of coastal identity — preserving stories that reflect the beauty, depth, and history of the communities around her. Alongside her creative projects, she trains young people in film and photography across various programs at the Coast, using art as a tool for awareness, advocacy, economic development, and community transformation.
Through Zainland Creatives, she continues to blend photography, film, design, and digital campaigns to tell stories that celebrate culture, protect the environment, and amplify voices that drive meaningful change. She hopes that everyone who comes across her images gets to develop a deeper love and respect for nature and culture.
Find Zainab at:
Email: zainab@zainlandcreatives.com
Phone: +254 790 548424