podcast

Mr. Shem Opolot, Co-founder and Managing Director of The Good Currency joins us in this episode as we delve into the eco-system of sustainable giving and volunteer work that the platform seeks to support and be a part of in various communities.

He shares the foundation on which the Good Currency was built, the mechanisms on which it functions, and their primary goals.

Mr. Opolot emphasizes the importance of both accountability within giving practices as well as the measurement of impact.

Our first guest of Season 3 is Mr. Jackson Twesigye Kaguri, founder and CEO of Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project, 2012 CNN Hero, 2015 Global Citizen Award Winner and author.

He shares with us the triumphant and intimate story that led to the founding and growth of the Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project to what it is today. As he weaves story and lesson together, he continuously reminds us that generosity is built on community, and one need not wait until they've reached a certain level to give. More

Her Royal Highness the Nnabagereka of Buganda, who is the Queen consort of Kabaka Ronald Mwenda Mutebi II, the King of Buganda, joins us in episode 10 as we wrap up the second season of comm-UNITY!

The Nnabagereka is an icon who is highly regarded in society for her leadership in various areas including the Nnabagereka Development Foundation, which she founded in 2000. Through the Foundation, she has done charitable work for children, the youth and women, in the areas of education, healthcare, and community development.

In this episode, we discuss generosity and its heritage, particularly in the Buganda culture. We talk about how expressions of generosity have transformed over time. We also touch on the importance of structuring giving on the African continent. More

Sameera Mehra, head of Global Alliance Development for Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), joins us in episode 9. Sameera shares from research conducted by CAF titled: “Growing Giving in Uganda.”

This important piece of work was borne of CAF’s desire, alongside their partners, to both identify the roadblocks and the opportunities to growing individual charitable giving in Uganda.

Focusing on civil society organizations, Sameera highlights the major findings and key recommendations from the research. She relates this information to what civil society is experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. More

We are joined by Mr. Keith Kibirangi, head of African Philanthropy at Save The Children UK, who quickly sets the tone for the conversation with the words “Africans are generous! Generosity begins in Africa!”.

Often African ways of giving are lost in the international narrative. But Mr. Kibirango gives an in-depth look into the work of African philanthropists, and the many forms of giving outside of grants and funding.

There is a whole range of people concerned about the impact they can have on the development of communities on the continent, in ways that promote self-sustainability. Indeed “Africans are generous! Generosity begins in Africa!” More

Carrying on in the spirit of UBUNTU, we sit down with Dr. Stigmata Tenga, Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Network (APN), who reminds us that philanthropy is both an act of giving and an act of power.

While that power has often been guarded by the Global North, Dr. Stigmata highlights the importance of shifting that power back in our own hands as Africans, dismantling systems of inequality, and recovering the dignity of communities that have been undermined and undervalued. More

Joining us in Episode 6 is our special guest Kwiz Era. He is a renown painter and illustrator and he collaborated with CivSource Africa to illustrate a book of African Proverbs on Generosity, joins us in episode6.

He starts by sharing with us why he felt the book of African Proverbs was a project he had to be a part of. And by extension how the themes that enticed him (Pan-Africanism, Local Philanthropy and Art) are important elements within our society. In many ways, art plays a part in preserving our ways of being, and this includes our stories and experiences of generosity. More

In episode 5, we sit down with Honorable Rhoda Kalema, former Cabinet Minister and Member of the Constituent Assembly. A woman who has given so much of herself, time and resources; we trace the roots of this generosity in her life.

From her faith, to the example her parents set and the culture of sharing during her school-going days, she drops gems of wisdom on what has become her way of life. More

It is interesting that even though UBUNTU is deeply embedded in African culture, the dominant narrative often portrays Africans as beggars in desperate need of aid. In episode 4 we sit down with LC5 Chairman of Gulu District, Mr. Martin Ojara Mapenduzi who shares with us stories that reflect the Acholi culture of giving.

It is widely believed that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And Gulu district is filled with stories of the local community coming together to share (big or small) and build. It is important that we are deliberate about telling African stories of giving. More

We continue to delve into the topic of generosity within the community with special guest Nalongo Alinda Ikanzi, Head of Subject at LDC (Law Development Centre) and a Partner at Amber Solicitors & Advocates.

She highlights that as a mother of four girls she is inspired to leave a better world for them as women. This includes leading a life in which giving is more than just cents and shillings, but is also about truly present and connecting with those she’s giving to.

Her own experiences of generosity have inspired and guided her acts of giving. She shares with us about leading the LDC COVID-19 taskforce, that catered to the needs of a group of students, while consciously respecting their dignity. More

In this episode we are joined by Mr. Ruganzu Bruno, an artist, teacher and community organizer. On the podcast, our discussion has largely been around the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown have had on our communities.

We now move into chronicling and celebrating the ways we’ve been community to each other through these changes.

Mr. Ruganzu takes us back in time to show how the philosophy of ubuntu is ingrained in our history and indigenous knowledge. He shows how Ubuntu is a necessary ingredient to how we practice community, now and in the future. He shares some of the ways that he and those in his neighborhood community have manifested Ubuntu to each other. More

We are back for season 2! Ms. Allen Asiimwe, Chief Technical Officer at Trademark East Africa, joins us in episode 1, chronicling the ways in which the trade community has been affected by and adapted to lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She shares stories from the ground on how the pandemic has put food security and livelihoods at risk, pushed for the integration of trade and health, and forced the East African community to act collectively in an innovative manner. The new normal is constantly requiring that we adapt. More

Fitness instructor and Founder of Kona Dance Workout, Mr. Felix Wamala joins us for the final conversation of the season. He shares his experience of working and staying connected to clients in a period of time where gyms are closed. And in a period of time where individuals have a lot more time on their hands and are looking for ways to remain active and healthy at home.

Our discussion mostly revolves around adapting to change and the power of using what you have, where you are. For Felix this has meant utilizing social media more and hosting free live workouts online. More

Dr. Olive Kobusingye, Consultant Trauma Surgeon and Senior Research Fellow, MUSPH, joins us in this episode as we look at Uganda’s healthcare workforce and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them.

One of the most important points that she highlights is that this workforce is a broad community (beyond the doctors and nurses that are our most common point of contact). And this broad community of individuals, who engage in a plethora of tasks and duties, are at a high risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. More

This week we are joined by Dr. John Mark Bwanika, Founding Partner and Director of The Medical Concierge Group Limited. We explore the various forms and the value of digital healthcare and telemedical services within the medical community.

COVID-19 has forced us in many ways to rethink and reinvent the ways we do things. In this case it has shone light on technological forms of healthcare services and prompted the medical community to see value in adopting these methods. More

Mr. Brian Kagoro, Pan Africanist, Founder and Executive Director of UHAI Africa Group, joins us in episode 11 as we unpack the ways in which the pandemic has both divided and united us because of collective fear and uncertainty. He describes COVID-19 as a testing of the glue that holds us together. On the one hand, it has revealed how little we know of each other, highlighting and adding to pre-existing prejudices, discrimination and stigma within the African community. More

This week we are joined by freelance photojournalist Sumy Sarduni, whose work is heavily centred around gender rights and women. Through her lens we walk through some of the experiences of the women that make up Kampala's sex work community. This conversation brings to surface the way we see each other, and the way we pick and choose who deserves to be protected within the lines of community. More

In this episode, we continue our conversation on social security amongst the community of workers in Uganda with Dr. Phiona Muhwezi Mpanga, Lecturer at The School Of Law, Makerere University. Focusing more broadly on social protection, which includes but is not limited to pay, she highlights the importance of this protection in maintaining workers' dignity (both in the formal and informal sectors). More

In this special episode, we are joined by Mr. Allan Kasujja, Ugandan Journalist and Radio Broadcaster at the BBC. We take time to reflect on the global community of black people, and in this particular moment the Black Lives Matter Movement. There is power in our dialogue and there is power in owning our narrative. More