All Episodes
The strength to live
Sherin Noordheen: When life becomes a choice… Let´s Live
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 […]
Leading to the light
Tiffany Brar and the Jyothirgamaya Foundation
Tiffani Brar is a tough woman, who knows what she wants and is going to go for it. Todays talk is really encouraging and uplifting. A delight. Tiffany Brar. An Indian community service worker who has been blind since childhood. A social activist and trainer, working to create awareness on disability. She is the founder of the Jyothirgamaya Foundation, a […]
OMLA, creating a new Africa
Lawrence Afere and the One Million African Leaders
Taking into account what my guest today, Lawrence Afere shared, According to UN projections, the population of Africa is going to increase to around 2.5 billion in 2050. All key sustainability challenges, social as well as environmental, will be on full display in Africa in the decades to come, and the most vulnerable people are likely to suffer the brunt […]
To fly like bats
Accompanying blind children on their way to independence
kanthari alumni Anja Pfaffenzeller started 2013 the Project "Bats in Action" in Sobral, a town in the north-east of Brazil. She realised how much blind people in Brazil are excluded from education and decided to get involved. She wanted the brasilian blind kids to fly like bats, to manage their own way. In todays podcast Anja tells us in a […]
A message of inclusion and equality
Lorena Julio and the Foundation Comparlante
While studying, Lorena already was very active trying to make the world a better place, volunteering for different organisations whenever she could. But there was one turning point, when she decided, she couldn’t just go on like that but really had to get engaged, change something and fight for the rights of all disabled persons. Let’s try to change our […]
Harriet´s Rhythm of life
Working in a Red Light District
“Equity in health means access to healthcare, regardless of who you are, regardless of what you do. I’m convinced health is everyone's right…” Harriet Kamashanyu in today's Podcast. As it is the case almost all over the world, women in Africa, including Uganda, are an economically disadvantaged group. The lack of economic power of these communities, especially among young women, […]
TCM – Prevention and Treatment for COVID 19
Efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine on COVID-19
The Coronavirus disease pandemic has been rapidly spreading globally and has caused worldwide social and economic disruption. As scientists race to develop a vaccine for Covid-19, China has been championing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a way to treat the disease. Todays podcast is a Special. We want to enrich the Media world with some really enlightening information on how […]
Ecological Balance for Cameroon
Conserving Natural Ecosystems helps rural populations
My guest today is Limbi Blessing Tata, a trained Botanist/Conservationist, who has been working in the field of forest conservation over a decade. After graduating from kanthari in 2018, she started the organisation Eco Balance which is valuing forests as a deposit of natural wealth accumulated over generations. Eco Balance is combining education and participation with active restoration efforts, thus […]
Addressing Taboos
Talking about things we’re taught not to talk about
kanthari alumni Aparna Gopan and Ruangtup Kaeokamechun (Ruang) do an amazing job in questioning taboos – talking about the things we’re taught not to talk about and therefore giving, especially children, an important tool to get information. Aparnas “Elephant in the room” in India and Ruangs “Little Firefly” in Thailand are dealing with taboos in their societies. In our very […]
Why nonviolence is stronger than violence
Giraffe Hero Dilip Simeon on the Indian farmers' protest
Thousands of farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, are staging a sit-in protest along Delhi borders. The farmers are demanding a complete rollback of the new farm reform laws and a guarantee on the Minimum Support Price system being retained. In today´s Podcast Giraffe Hero Dilip Simeon is giving us a thorough evaluation on the farmer’s protest in New Dehli. […]
The power of books
Yoshimi connects books to people and people to books. After the kanthari scholarship, she started “Always Reading Caravan”, a unique nonprofit that brings books, fun, and hope to rural communities in Northern Thailand. A mobile library for children and adults, both with, and without disabilities in rural Thailand, founded by a Japanese woman who happens to be blind. For Yoshimi, […]
Being black in a white skin
Jane Waithera: The positive Exposure
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 […]
Sristi Village: changing attitudes
kanthari alumni Karthikeyan and his village community for the disabled
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. […]
Reverse Inclusion
How Ability Sports Africa is providing social Interaction
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) […]
A world without gender
Kapila Rasnayaka - founder of Voice of Humans in Sri Lanka
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. […]
Living to support Refugees
Giraffe Hero Jaz O´Haara, founder of The Worlwide Tribe
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 […]
“Out of sight”
Hive Uganda - making changes last
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 […]
More than just sex
Purple Hands Africa: fighting for LGTBQI rights in Zimbawe
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 […]
Beyond sight: Blind rocks!
Sristi KC: enthusiastic and empowering
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 […]
After Guantánamo…
Giraffe Hero Mohammed El-Gharani
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 […]
Waste is the future
Tony Joy, founder of Durian in Nigeria
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 […]
Learning naturally
DEFY: challenging conventional mainstream education
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 […]
Kanthari: Empowering the marginalised
Giraffe Hero Sabriye Tenberken
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 […]
A new hope for corals
Restoring reefs: Giraffe Hero Aki Allagholi
“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”.
Challenging an unkind world
Ann Medlock - Founder of the Giraffe Heroes Project
Today's episode is sort of a special, since you get to listen personally to the one who started with the whole idea of nominating people sticking their necks out almost forty years ago. With Ann Medlock the Giraffe Heroes Project was born.
Not YOUR Bee
Giraffe Hero Dimi du Mortier
The Giraffe we want to introduce you to today is Dimi. Dimi is a filmmaker who has produced several documentaries on shoestring budgets. About his most recent one, which is still in the making Not your bee, he will give some fascinating insights in this talk. He’s asking the right questions, like who do insects belong to and what might […]
Imaginal Cells
Giraffe Hero Chris Malins
Chris is an educator and researcher in sustainability issues with a special interest in how today’s separation of people from nature is affecting their ability to cope with conflict, this especially with a view to younger generations. And he has developed methods to remedy this situation by reengaging us with nature.
Don´t stop till you drop
Giraffe Hero Hendrik Haers
Todays podcast is taken our look to a green desert– meaning an area without diversified culture – meaning no food for insects to survive. Hendrik Haers, my guest today, is living in the centre of a village built in such a green desert – where there’s hardly any ground left that the village autorities don’t sell for building.
Free the bees!
André Wermelinger. A Giraffe Hero, a beekeeper
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 […]