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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!

In todays Podcast Abhijit Sinha is making a clear point: coming from a high education system doesn’t automatically mean that it’s teaching you how to make the right choices, regarding humanity. The kanthari alumni is introducing us to Project DEFY. Project DEFY is helping communities in India to create their own schools, using Nooks, learning spaces to enable the participants to look themselves on what they want to do and how they want to approach the topic rather then how it’s been done in most educational systems. Besides that, he’s also telling us about several of his other inventions – inshallah one could pursue everything….

We are proud to share every week inspirational stories from remarkable individuals. From now on, we should not only be talking to commended Giraffes Heroes, but we are also going to present you many of the kanthari alumni, People who are also sticking their necks out and changing their communities from within. We want to hear your stories, too. If you’d like to tell us about your front-line hero, visit us at giraffe-heroes.eu.
You´ll find the Giraffe Heroes Stories every Tuesday on Spotify, iTunes, our Homepage and every other place, where you hear your podcasts
Join us again next week!

Did you know you can train a dog as a beekeeper? Did you know that the bees need your help? What is the connection between the Bees and COVID-19? In today’s Episode Tom Amatt is talking with André Wermelinger, founder and leader of the NGO Free the Bees, Fribourg, Switzerland. He’s also a Giraffe Hero and will be talking among other things, about what could be a solution regarding todays bee keepings problems and how he fights to save the bees. Also, how can the bees be treated in a way that they’re still able to adapt to the climate change, as they have adapted to the evolution in the last 45 million years. This Episode it’s all about humans. About working for the bees and the trees and a society getting healthy again.

A kanthari is a plant that grows wild in every backyard of Kerala, a small but very spicy chili with a number of medicinal values. A kanthari is also a symbol for those who have the guts to challenge harmful traditions and the status quo, who have fire in their belly and a lot of innovative ideas to make a positive difference. In today’s Podcast I´m talking to Giraffe Hero Sabriye Tenberken. In 1998, she started the first school for blind people in Tibet and the foundation „Braille Without Borders“. After her experience in Tibet, together with Giraffe Hero Paul Kronenberg, she went to Kerala in the South of India and founded Kanthari. Kanthari offers a 12 months leadership program for visionaries who have overcome adversity and who are keen to drive ethical social change.

We are proud to share every week inspirational stories from remarkable individuals. Stories that come from many different places. Each Giraffe’s story is unique with the underlying theme of overcoming challenges present in all. Take a look at each individual experience, and although each person is different, they all have one thing in common: Heroism. We want to hear your stories, too. If you’d like to tell us about your front-line hero, visit us at giraffe-heroes.eu. You´ll find the Giraffe Heroes Stories every Tuesday on Spotify, iTunes, our Homepage and every other place, where you hear your podcasts Join us again next week!

“If we manage to get a stable ocean, there won’t be so many drastic climate changes and we will all look at a brighter future”.