podcast

Music therapy has proven to be beneficial for various mental health conditions. Benjamin Spartos Komagum, recording and performing artist, dedicates a lot of his time and talent to hosting music sessions at the Gulu Regional Referral Mental Unit.

Having experienced depression, and the power of music and community in overcoming it; he highlights the ways in which artists need community, and community needs artists. More

Tereka Kenneth Desire, dancer and choreographer, is the director and vision bearer behind the Unseen Dreams Dance Arts Festival that has been running for the past 6 years. Through generosity, the platform seeks to empower and break barriers by promoting inclusivity for marginalized and differently-abled people who are usually overlooked. He shares with us his experience and testimonies of the unifying power of art, dance and generosity. More

Visual Arts Practitioner & Consultant, Owekitiibwa Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi, honored by the Kabaka of Buganda in 1992, joins us in episode 4 and trails tales of generosity across generations as he shares his life's journey.

It is made evident that the impact of generosity lasts beyond just the initial giver and receiver, and this has greatly influenced the artist and person that Owekitiibwa Nnyanzi has chosen to be. He is a living testimony of generosity and offers his art and knowledge in the same manner. More

Heritage activist, Emily Drani joins us in this episode as we dive into the value of generosity, especially in a society that is increasingly individualistic.

She trails her experiences of cultural diversity and generosity from her childhood to the season at which she worked as Executive Director of the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda. And through this points out the powerful effect of generosity on the greater good of the community and through generations. More

Tshaka Mayanja, renowned Ugandan musician who has transformed lives through his gift, describes himself as a mystic man.

As he takes us through his musical journey in this episode, it is evident that it has not been a one man journey. It is filled with generosity that he has shown as well as received.

He shares with us different stories on platforms he has founded like the Jazz Safari Festival and various ways in which he and fellow musicians have given back to the community. More

Sinza, a fictionally animated character who through educational videos teaches children and her wider community about health and nutrition issues, sits at the helm of The Sinza Project.

In episode 1 of this season, we are joined by Rita Kayeny, Executive Director at Sinza and Sonia Abiyinza, Managing director at Sinza. They walk us through the organizations origin and mission, highlighting the ways in which generosity has carried them and guides them. Emphasizing that even in its simplest forms, generosity is powerful. More

We travel to Kapchorwa for this season finale, and meet Mr. Joshua Cheptegei, Ugandan long-distance runner and current 5000 & 10,000 metres world record holder.

Kapchorwa, he tells us, literally means 'home of friends'. Generosity lies in their geography and in their DNA. And he shares anecdotes of ways his community propelled him towards his dream and ways in which he is doing the same for children and individuals in Kapchorwa. More

As we draw closer to the end of the season, we sit down with Pastor Moses Mukisa, founding pastor of Worship Harvest Ministries. Through wise and gentle words he brings to light not just the importance of generosity, but the importance of a justice driven generosity. One that builds bridges, transforms rather than sustains dependence and builds relationships.

These and other principles have been the foundation on which the Worship Harvest Church community has been. built. And in turn have been the principles that they seek to transform their communities with. More

Ms. Doreen Nawejje, CEO of Women and Children with albinism Uganda, joins us in episode 7 as we delve into her journey with the organisation and the role generosity has played in her immediate and extended community.

She is an artist and teacher who describes herself as positively living with albinism, and moved by the example of her own parents, sibling and grandmother, has dedicated her life to supporting people living with albinism.

As she shares, it is clear that a key element at the foundation of generosity is acceptance. More

Barbara Kasekende, Corporate Social Investments Manager at Stanbic Bank Uganda, aims to do two things every day; learn something new and impact a life.

It is her perspective on impact, tied to generosity, that drives her to give back to the community, particularly young people.

She shares with us how she uses her platform at Stanbic Bank, to implement programs that provide holistic education to young people and guide them on their journey towards self-awareness. Being self-aware, understanding your value and uniqueness are the first steps to making an impact and living a life of generosity. More….

Ruth Bahika, child psychologist and Founder, Director at Grace Villa (a sanctuary for at risk girls in Kabale) shares with us the journey that led her to start the home and the generosity that has kept it running for the past 7 years.

Grace Villa has been built and run on the generosity of community. And this has come out of people’s innate desire to give, which is strengthened by various examples and expressions of generosity that they are exposed to. More

Wetsemba Miriam, documentary photographer and Jim Joel Nyakaana, travel and documentary photographer take us behind their lenses in episode 4 of this season.

Commissioned by CivSource Africa, they travelled across various regions within Uganda, to document expressions and symbols of generosity.

Both share with us what they saw and learned from the communities they visited. They both underscore that stories are a part of the way you journey with a community into who they are. These very stories are important in highlighting our circular forms of giving, and the ways we spill into each other, despite colonial narratives and borders that have been created. More

“I was standing on the shoulder of giants”, says Mrs. Pheona Nabasa Wall, President of The Uganda Law Society, as she describes how generosity played a part in her campaign for the position.

Ms Wall joins us in episode 3 as we continue to delve into the beauty of generosity.

She shares stories of the individuals and organizations that took up her cause as their own during her campaign. She highlights how very often, the generosity of women helps propel other women into public office.

She also shares with us what generosity looks like in the fraternity of lawyers in Uganda, both externally and internally. More

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