Yampier Duranona

People with albinism have been persecuted, killed and dismembered, and graves of albinos dug up and desecrated in some eastafrican countries. At the same time, people with albinism have also been ostracised and even killed for exactly the opposite reason, because they are also presumed to be cursed and bring bad luck. In today’s Podcast I’m talking with Jane Waithera about her experience with albinism in Kenya and her path to found Positive Exposure Kenya. With her organisation she is fighting to challenge the stigma that is being projected on people with Albinism, not only in her country. She has a very clear vision on how to change the current situation towards more diversity, a clear mission on how to improve the lives of people with albinism and change public vision and also the values they pursue. How exactly is her approach? Listen to our podcast and check her website at: positiveexposure-kenya.org

Sristi Foundation was founded by Karthikeyan, known as Karthik, a psychologist born and raised in Pondicherry generally known as ‘Pondy’ situated on the East Coast of India. Karthik, a 2012 kanthari graduate spent 15 years in an inclusive orphanage where disabled and non-disabled children lived and grew up together. The projects Kartik has founded with Sristi Villiage are absolutely admirable. Listen to his very personal story on how he ended up finding his path in devoting his life to improve the conditions for people with intellectual disability. With the projects he started in 2015, he supports plenty of people to lead an independent life, be part of the community and have an individual perspective.

Social Changemaker and kanthari alumni Faruk Musema explains us his concept of reverse inclusion. As an inclusive sports coach for children with disabilities at the Gulu Disabled Persons Union, Faruk is a passionate sports man and social Changemaker in his community in Northern Uganda. He is also passionate about sports and has set himself a goal: Ability Sports Africa (ASA) empower children and youth by running adaptive sports and literacy programs. They empower students and children with disabilities to stay in their schools. The idea is to see the abilities of the children, create activities in schools to engage their bias in different games. To reach that comprehension in the community, he found a way to create other bias, adaptive games that brings up all different kind of abilities. That’s how they encourage children without disabilities for example to sit in a wheelchair as well to play wheelchair basketball and thus understand what it actually means, to sit in a wheelchair.

kanthari alumni Kapila Rasnayaka promotes a genderless society. Not sure, what’s that about? Kapila explains: “Genderless means just representing yourself as you, without masculinities and feminities – it means you’re free to fly, anywhere…” A great joy talking to Kapila, who gives us a 360° insight of his vision and engagement to promote gender equality and create a genderless society. Join Kapila on his journey to “the Genderless Jungle” and “Voices of Humans” in Sri Lanka. Get to know how you can free your world of gender constructs through workshops, through activities, through being an example. Kapila wants to encourage people to see opportunities, to create love.

https://voicesofhumans.org/#
https://www.facebook.com/genderlessjungle/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYGQK60TnNGgA7nkFDsNFgg

Human rights activist and commended Giraffe Hero Jaz O’Hara founded „The Worldwide Tribe“ in a bid to highlight the humanity behind world issues and inspire positive social change. She is uplifting refugee voices and celebrating human differences. Founded in 2015, the Worlwidetribe has grown into an organisation and online community which raises awareness about the refugee crisis whilst also supporting those caught up in it in a sustainable way.

Ojok Simon is from Uganda. The 2012 kanthari graduate, is a beekeeper, an environmentalist, a human rights activist and also almost blind. At age thirteen, Ojok survived an armed attack to his village that led to his blindness. But also made Hive Uganda possible.

Enjoy listening about Ojoks activities and how he has managed to create a sustainable enterprise with wild beekeeping for the blind people in Uganda. We want and need to ask you for a little extra patience today. Internet connection and technical equipment in rural areas is not always as stable and up to the standard as we need it and are used to – but we’re sure – if you just slow down a little and let your mind travel with todays’ podcast, your conscience will overcome its rather poor audio quality and capture Ojoks message: “I want to leave a legacy, a history on how to change things and move on”.

Foto:kanthari.org

Trevor Molife, founder of the organization Purple Hand Africa is giving us a broad insight about how life might be for someone forming part of the LGTBQI community in Zimbabwe. Note, that this topic comes with traumatic stories – which makes it not less important to listen to his, on the contrary, one should raise attention and get engaged. To embrace each and everyone, no matter their gender or sexuality and see the actual human being. We learn about Purple Hand Africa, how they create a safe space for the community and offer especially mental help, strengthening individuals and reducing the suicidal rate of members of the community. We also learn about Trevors personal journey, impressive, persistant, sad and yet so powerful – a great person to get in touch with!
In this Podcast we use about 20 seconds of the original audio of Trevor´s dream speech at kanthari.

With Sristi KC, founder of Blind Rocks! in Nepal one can really feel the vibe and what she wants to transmit with her organisation. One of her most important statements: “There should be more of us all around the world dancing, more blind people who rock the world, so people can see us and realise that we’re just as able to do so instead of making us feel disabled and marginalised”. Sristi is a dancer, a public speaker, an actress, an adventurer, a motivator, an initiator and also completely blind. Blind Rocks! uses interpersonal skills training, dance, fashion and adventure sports to rock the blind and the society’s attitude towards them.

We have great respect for today’s giraffe – someone who literally stuck his neck out when being imprisoned, without having done nothing. We know these things happen – yet it seems so incredible at the same time. In today’s talk we get an insight on what it’s like, to bear this destiny and at the same time, what lessons it can teach. Since it is a very complex story, we talked several times and for Mohammed’s personal safety we had to leave certain details out, as well as his whereabouts today, Fighting to build a ‘normal’ life, not being able to release his true identity, trying to avoid to be stigmatized and persecuted, as it happened several times after he was finally granted “freedom” from Guantánamo.

The story of Mohammed EL-Gharani was turned into a graphic novel together with Jerome Tubiana and Alexandre Franc. The Book was endorsed by Amnesty International. The b/w illustrations by Franc, convey the harsh reality of torture, constant acts of racism and xenophobia in a bold, graphic style.

Foto: Mohammed in Morocco a few years back

Tony Joy is doing impressive work in Nigeria. With her organisation Durian, she’s helping out the most marginalized people in rural areas, transforming the image and comprehension of rural equals poor and marginalized towards rural is creative and cool. How she’s managing to do this, she explains in a very straight forward, precise way in today’s podcast. Tony Joy is showing women a way to succeed, break standards, showing up and doing the right thing. She also talks how they coped with COVID-19 and the space she created to help out while things were getting complicated and more difficult than usually. She’s fighting for community development, women empowerment and much more – what a great person!