#Staying the Course

Yampier Duranona

Gateway to Elation

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Robert Malunda is opening a gateway to the world for the blind with his organisation Gateway to Elation. he does this by providing training in computer literacy, daily living skills which include mobility and orientation, as well as social interaction. He was born in Makokoba, Bulawayo; in southwest Zimbabwe. At age 3 he was affected by glaucoma and became totally blind. In 2015 Robert joined the kanthari course. Upon return to Zimbabwe he started Gateway to Elation. Robert trains other blind people in the use of computers as well as daily living, orientation and social interaction skills so that they are able to become independent and are able to integrate themselves in society. If you´d like to support Robert or to know more about his experience, have a look at gatewaytoelation.org/

Transgender realities

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When we use the word transgender, we are referring to an inclusive umbrella term, that consists of binary trans people (trans men and trans women), as well as non-binary people and people who cross dress. There are a lot of ways that transgender people can describe their identities. Understanding the words and labels people use encourages respect. Today’s Episode offers a wide view about several topics – each of them deserving plenty of space in today’s world. And you might feel like being in a roller coaster, imagining how Gumisayi Bonzo, my guest today, manages to engage herself in all of them. She’s fighting for equal laws and acknowledgement for transgender persons in Zimbabwe. Helping to get proper healthcare and establish support groups for transgender and intersex persons, but also for HIV-postivie persons. She’s also helping HIV-positive prisoners since from her own experience, she knows how tough that can be. With the organisation trans smart trust they’re fighting for inclusion, using HIV as an enter point – since usually there is no legal acceptance for trans topics at all. Be ready to listen how a person that really went through so much could become so cheerful, strong, powerful and passionate.

Homepage
transsmartzw.org
Donations
admin@transsmartzw.org
transsmaet16@gmail.com
Other Websites
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/pronouns/using-they-them-pronouns-for-a-singular-person.html

https://www.un.org/en/gender-inclusive-language/guidelines.shtml

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/151780/GNL_Guidelines_EN.pdf

Sapphire Early Intervention Center

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kanthari alumni Pynhoi Tang was brought up in the Khasi tribal community in North Eastern India. She went to a local school but was thrown out because she was visually impaired. That moment influenced the rest of her life. Pynhoi Tang, is empowering the persons with disability through her Sapphire Early Intervention Center and Community Based Inclusive/Inclusion Development program, as part of Bethany Society in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India.

The Hummingbird

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In Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Carolina Ortiz with her Centro Colibri supports people who suffer from domestic violence – to participate in programmes, to heal, to learn how to speak up, look for help and gain self esteem. Centro Colibri offers a support system for victims of sexual violence, and it also runs Advocacy campaigns in Bolivia, the most violent country in Latin America for women. In this Podcast she’s talking about her own story, about how everything changed once she was ready and found help and how she learned to speak up and identify these experiences in others. Thank you so much for the very important effort you’re taking – empowering women and especially girls to achieve a mindset change and be ready to leave the nest, speak up against the very patriarchal society.

(re)Cycled

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Connecting informal waste collectors to the source. This app does it – cycled. Today we have a very enlightening talk with our friend of the Giraffe Heroes Foundation, Ayoola Brimmo. We talked about waste in Nigeria, smart bins and the Cycled App. This App helps users who want to recycle more, and reduce their General Waste collection bill, by using a SmartBin. The “SmartBin”, Ayoolas innovation, uses image recognition, and artificial intelligence, to recognize waste items thrown into it and sorts individual material types into separate inner bins. Learn about Ayoolas personal motivation, about what it needs to achieve a paradigm shift regarding our waste production and how he and his team are trying to contribute.

https://cycled.no/

Knock Knock… Who’s There?

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In the hopes to establish a cross-border collaborative platform for kanthari graduates and friends to share ideas, challenges and solutions. In March, kanthari started the initiative “knock”, as for kanthari network of change and knowledge.
„A network can only sustain if each person is contributing something“. My guest today, Meghana Raveendra took on the job to coordinate kantharis all over the globe to boost collaboration and amplify their impact. And we learn – it is all about using the connection one has – through a network. How she’s trying to manage this and what else she does, for example with her organisation “Moringa” (miracle tree), to help children and students to live with anxieties – she will explain in this very delightful talk.

A shared sentence

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When parents are incarcerated, their children are punished, too. Prisoners’ families, particularly their children, are often termed the ‘innocent victims’ of crime. Since 2012, the Global Network for Equality, founded by kanthari alumni K.R. Raja is doing an impressive job for the children of incarcerated parents. They are successfully breaking the circle of the crime. In our talk, Raja gives us first a very interesting general picture on how the situation of the families are and how the children can be identified and monitored, to guarantee they really get ideal support. In the second half of the talk he convinces us on how the organisation works in detail and proves the initial motivation. We also talked about how, since two years, they’re also working with children of women prisoners, who’s mothers are extremely stigmatized as soon as they are accused of a crime.

Website: http://gnequality.org/

Dangerous life by the Tracks

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Running away from abuse, violence and poverty, or simply being left behind, lots of Children use India’s extensive railway network to get to the cities, where they hope to find a better life. The stations are perfect for predators. With over 11 million children living on the streets in India, there is a lot at stake. This is another Episode of the Podcast to restore your faith in Humanity. Today´s guest Sanoj NT from India wants to see a child-friendly atmosphere at Indian Railway Stations. With his project “Child in Rail” he wants to get to railway children before the streets get to them.

Peace crops for Cameroon

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While talking to Joshua, I have to say, it’s incredible how witnessing everything he has experienced, he is still able to bring hope to the children in an unstable Cameroon. According to him, organic farming on its own has a lot to do with peace. This set of young farmers PEACE CROPS is training will be part of a new generation of environmentalists, that are trying to build communities in Cameroon which prefer health to wealth. PEACE CROPS uses Organic Agriculture as a building tool for community development as well as to promote a peaceful environment.

More info: https://peacecrops.org/

The strength to live

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Sherin Noordheen is from the 2017 generation of kantharis. She is a mental health activist and founder of Let’s Live. She experienced depression and suicide ideation at a young age and knows the value of emotional support to those who need it. Sherin is sharing with us very impressive projects she’s running. She explains how to get conversations started when it comes to the point where life becomes a choice. Her NGO focusses on mental health awareness, their mission: cutting down the stigma established on suicide and mental health issues in Kerala. There is a lack of life skills in our lives, she said. Convince yourself of the great impact and enthusiasm she’s spreading with “Let’s live”.

https://letslivekerala.org/