Bridging Cultures

Just like the power of the Nile RIver flowing across thousands of miles of land, an idea is born in a small, unassuming, rural village in Bulike, Uganda.  An idea that contains the power to change the future of thousands of people's lives.  Today you'll hear the story of Dr Ronald Kaluya, a man on a mission.  A man with a deep faith focused on empowering and bringing light and love to a community that only a decade ago was ensconced in witchcraft, preventable deaths, and darkness.

The Goat. No...not the Greatest of all Time. We aren't talking about Patrick Mahomes or Michael Jordan. Join us in Haiti. Where gang violence, political violence, and decades of unhealthy human aid have crippled the communities. But hope is rising. Dreams are happening and they are coming true. But to get there...you've got to get yourself in the game. 

Learning, it turns out, is a relationship thing. Try to imagine any close relationship you have and take away the learning aspect of that person. So...there wouldn't be a relationship, huh. In this episode you'll hear from Wil Bailey and how we can utilize learning to love other well and accomplish more than we could on our own. 

It's the first thing needed in life. If you think about it...it really is. Want a good relationship? You need a humble heart. Want to learn something? You need a humble heart. Want to have meaning and purpose in your life? You need a humble heart. It's universal. Timeless and timely. A humble heart is what we need. In this episode see how one man is living that humble life and making a massive differense in the lives of countless people in Malawi. 

Bridging Cultures podcast exists to tell stories from around the world of transformation, grace, and empowerment. It's a big world out there. Lots of people. Lots of cultures. Even in your own neighborhood, let along all the neighborhoods in all the world. Our ability to bridge those cultures is at the heart of life and truly being alive. 

You're 16...where are you? Getting your DL? Hanging with friends at the school dance? Figuring out what college you want to go to? What if you were 16, lost both parents, had 4 younger syblings, had no food, or house, or way to get money? 

What would you do if you had the power to do anything? If you had the authority to lead your entire community? What would you do if you were named Chief? You might listen in on these to amazing men and find out what a good Chief would do. Empower others. 

Meet Silopeter. A changed life. From angry acholic to community leader. Here's how. 

Episode 2 of season 6 takes us to the story to two woman who, through the love and generosity of others, have found their lives empowered and fulfilling. The kind of love and generosity you and I can have for others every day. 

Season 6 begins! In this episode you will drop in on a conversation with Sheree, myself and Hugo...who is literally on the other side of the world! 

Goodness, hope, love. It's meant to be passed on. In this episode see how story of these 3 joys in life are received and passed on, and the world is better for it. 

7.0 magnitude earthquake hits Haiti. A forgotten community in Uganda. A supernatural experience and a group of people gathered for the purpose of sharing hope and opportunity. All this and more in episode 3 of the Bridging Cultures Podcast Season 5. 

In the most unlikely places and in the middle of chaos we at times find the most generous people. Meet Oleg and Yulia from war torn Ukraine. 2 people who have chosen to remain in the danger to love, serve, and give hope to those around them. They may in fact be angels. 

Welcome to season 5 of the Bridging Cultures Podcast. Ever been curious about supernatural things? Things that can't be explained? Or maybe how an ordinary person was in the right place at the right time with the right resource for you? In season 5, as we usher in the Christmas Spirit, we are going to talk about Angels. But perhaps not in a way you might not expect. In this episode we kick off S5 with a conversation as we are joined by Pastor Scott Chrostek of Resurrection Church in a primer for all things angels and how this season matters to you right now where you are. 

In this final episode of season 4 we look at the stories shared throughout the season. A surprising realization comes forward as we find some common threads that tie these incredible immigration stories together. 

In this episode journey with a 10-year-old boy, his mom, and his siblings as they risk everything to walk out of the Congo, away from threats of violence, and toward freedom and safety. 

There's immigrating from one country to another...and there's fitting in culturally to that new country. Assimilating is the shadow challenge of immigration. Most talk centers around getting from where they are to where they are going. But very few immigration conversations touch on what it's like when you actually get there.  In this episode you will hear first-hand what it is like and the challenges faced to "fit in". 

It's hard to imagine a place in the world right now more brutal and chaotic than the Congo. In this episode encounter one woman's struggle to stay alive through deeply traumatic experiences, being chased by gang leaders, and feeding the mouths of her children and family. Truly against all odds, Fabiana is alive to tell the story and putting one foot in front of the other day after day. 

You leave it all behind to come to a new country only to find the "camp" you signed up to be a part of is a scam! How do you keep going? How do find hope? In this episode you'll hear an amazing story about Lika, who is from Colombia, and found herself in this situation. Her story...is inspiring to say the least. 

Gangs are overtaking Haiti and the scene from today's story is all too common. A gang rolls into a neighborhood, takes it hostage, kills, rapes, and destroys whatever it wants whenever it wants. What do you do? Where do you go? Find out what one brave man who was caught in this chaos has done for his family. 

Fleeing from Taliban terrorists, leaving everything she owned behind, and not seeing her family for almost 2 years, this story of Marwa is harrowing and all too common. Imagine if you got a call today from your best friend that you had to leave your house, your town, immediately and get out of the US. Bouncing from country to country for the next 9 months and landing on the other side of the world for the next 2 years...indefinitely. This...is the human reality of migration.

What happens when you get two people with opposite political parties talking about immigration? Well you're about to find out. 

Bovine midwives, triathlons, camping, and psychotic animals are all a part of this episode's family meeting.  Get to know the podcasters behind Bridging Cultures and get a glimpse into Season 4.  A season that will be thought-provoking, challenging, yet filled with tenacious people focusing on a future filled with hope.

Meet two young adults that have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to become successful business owners!  Faith from Kenya and Alex from Honduras share their stories on how they went from vulnerable youth to be able to care for themselves, their families and are already giving back by helping others do the same.

When parents are too busy trying to make ends meet and feel the weight of the world on their shoulders, it's often difficult to have mental, physical and emotional bandwidth their children may need.  Escuchar con Amor, in Costa Rica, offers counseling and spiritual guidance to give parents the confidence they need as well as nutritional food for their families.  Costa Rica Mission Projects, through Escuchar con Amor, continue to make a difference in the lives of families in Costa Rica!

Before a child can even begin to learn anything, they must feel safe and they must feel loved.  Oftentimes, we focus on teaching when a child isn't in a position to learn anything.  In today's episode, we'll hear from Lisa Holliday who has spent the past 30 years working with families and children that have experienced trauma in a variety of ways.  Learn from her personal and professional insights into attachment theory.  Investing in children in a variety of ways can overcome some of life's biggest challenges.

When you have hope, you can dream the impossible and actually make it a reality!  Meet Reegan, the CEO of the global south for Zoe Empowers.  Since 2007, Reegan has led the way for thousands of orphan and vulnerable children to not only survive, but to thrive.  You'll hear the story of Rahab and how she not only has become a successful business woman, but she cares for her siblings and is helping other children become successful.

Everyone loves change!  (said no one ever) In today's episode, you'll hear more from Nabs & Olivia on how they were able to get everyone on board to transition the orphanage into family-based care.  Their success has allowed them to continue reaching out to more street children and helping them reintegrate into family.  Where at one time they were limited by their orphanage capacity, they are now limitless.  Time & money will allow them to reach as many children as possible.  Other organizations and other countries have taken note and are now asking Helping Children Worldwide to help them transition their orphanages to family-based care also.

Meet Nabs and Olivia, two survivors from the Sierra Leon Civil War. Nabs was a homeless child and Olivia was a local leader that wanted to help the many street children.  This is the first in a 2-part series on how the civil war in Sierra Leon created thousands of orphans.  In an effort to care for all of these children, orphanages began.  You'll hear their stories on how they experienced the war 

In Episode 2 you'll hear from Amanda, a local leader in Ciudad España, Honduras that spends hours helping vulnerable families.  Amanda leads a sponsorship program at the Juan Wesley School in an economically poor area of Honduras.  Many single parent families that can barely make ends meet can't afford school for their children.  Sponsors help close the gap between what the families can pay and what it actually costs to run a school giving children in the community an opportunity for a strong future.  The families volunteer some of their time to give back and the children must work hard in school to remain in the program.

Welcome to Season 3!  We will be talking with our global partners on innovative ways of caring for orphans and vulnerable children in ways that help children to grow and thrive.  Episode 1 will take you through a very quick tour on the history of orphan care as we prepare to launch into this new season.

Why is hunger still a global problem in 2022?  This week you'll hear from Jake Seager, a senior at Kansas State University majoring in global food systems.  He'll share why solving food insecurity is a wicked problem and how different organizations are starting to turn the tide.  BUT, it's going to take all of us doing our part to come close to helping the most vulnerable become food secure.

Being fed is more than just ensuring there is food on the table.  It's connecting with others in a shared meal or even connecting with others across some dirt.  In this episode, you'll hear from Alicia Ellingsworth from the KC Farm School in the creative ways they've found to address multiple types of hunger, not just the hunger that food can conquer.

COVID affected food insecurity globally, and in informal settlements like Mooiplaas, it hit hard.  By starting with food baskets, a "relief" response to a disaster, over time, they bridged towards long-term solutions.  Hear from our partners in South Africa as they share the challenge and their solution!

In Honduras, children often need to choose between joining a gang or going hungry.  Take a listen to Celeste, one of the local leaders in Honduras, and her solution to addressing hunger in her community.

Hear from our local leaders in Haiti as they describe their community efforts to combat chronic food insecurity & deforestation in one fell swoop.

Permaculture creates a holistic sustainable food system based upon the needs of the people, the land where the food is grown, and weather in that location.  You'll get to hear from Biswick again as he digs deeper into the impact of solving food insecurity for thousands of families in  Malawi - forever!

This season we will be diving into the complexity of food insecurity around the world and in our communities.  In today's episode, you will hear from Rachel Ibok, a Community Engagement Coordinator at Harvesters (a Community Food Network in Kansas City) as she introduces the challenges that hunger and food insecurity present in the Kansas City community and around the globe.

Bloopers, nuggets of wisdom, and deep connections make up the final episode of Season 1.  You'll hear from our partners in South Africa, Puerto Rico, Malawi, Honduras, Haiti, and Costa Rica.  It's a conglomeration of snippets of conversations that didn't make the other episodes, but needed to be heard.  Join us in our final bonus episode which we wanted to call "Nuggets from the Cutting Room Floor", but Courtney wouldn't let us....

Are you ever frustrated that people from different viewpoints can't get along?  Especially if they are religious leaders?  This week we'll get to know Josue Andre from Haiti and he'll share how he's gotten voodoo priests, catholic priests, and protestant pastors to all sit around the same table together to make a difference in their community.  He'll share his community development work that is happening in communities around Haiti and you'll get to know him a little better.  Visit www.cor.org/bridgingcultures to learn more!

When disasters strike - natural or man made - people want to help.  Sometimes, it's a small disaster that a community can, and should handle on their own.  Sometimes that "help" turns into a secondary disaster.  Sometimes the help lasts too long and turns into dependency.  But sometimes, it's just what a community needs to help them recover and get back on their own two feet.  Join us as we take a glimpse into the good, the bad, and the ugly in disaster response from our friends and partners in Haiti & Puerto Rico.

Sawubona:  "I see you" in Zulu is often used as a greeting, but it's more than just for politeness.  Sawubona means you recognize the worth and diginity of the person you are encountering.  Meet Wil, originally from the US, but has lived most of his life in Costa Rica.  Sawubona is a meaningful word to him and shapes how he interacts with others.

"Lots of organizations have literally killed Malawians by giving handouts to them....what they need is knowledge, not food."  Luwayo Biswick from Malawi says he can end hunger for a family in 3 weeks.  And not only does he say it, he's proven it.   To learn more, visit www.cor.org/bridgingcultures for Shownotes and join our Bridging Cultures Facebook group!

Only 46% of Malawians live within reach of healthcare.  Mercy, the founder of Wandikweza, works hard to bring healthcare closer to the people by training local leaders in preventative care, overseeing nurses on motorcycles, and mobile medical clinics.  She tells powerful stories on the importance of building strong relationships and empowering local leaders.  

Today you will hear from partners in Malawi, South Africa, and Haiti.  What's wrong with dependency and does it effect progress - personally and community wide?  Take a listen to community game changers as they share stories explaining why dependency is so detrimental to future success.

Meet Hugo - a Malawian that received his degree in economics so that he could work for World Bank or another large international organization to make an impact.  BUT, he felt called to start working for the church coordinating community development projects by bringing innovative Malawian organizations together to make a collective impact.  He is preparing to launch his own holistic community development non-profit called Opulence.  We hope you will learn as much from him as we've been learning! Check out our Shownotes at www.cor.org/bridgingcultures  and visit our Facebook page to learn more!

Empowerment of local leaders is a game-changer.  We begin by hearing from Carol Cartmill who unpacks what empowerment means in international development work.  Next we'll journey to Malawi where you'll hear stories from Hugo Ngwira and Funny Nkhoma and their perspective as to why empowerment can break generational poverty.  Stories that are inspirational and encouraging, although some heartbreaking.  Overall, these are personal stories of hard work and determination, yet doing both with a sense of humor.  To learn more and see pictures of these amazing local leaders, check out our Shownotes at www.cor.org/bridgingcultures 

Making an impact in someone's life is one of the most meaningful goals you could have.  Take a listen to Milton and see how he strives to bring about good changes in communities around the world by investing in the lives of the people that live there.  Check out our Shownotes to learn more and find ways that you can make a difference too!

Strong & trusting relationships are the foundation of every partnership, whether they be personal or professional.  Without a solid relational foundation, communication can be misinterpreted, partnerships can be fractured, and progress will be stalled.  Join us as we dig deeper into the importance of relationships as we hear from Hugo & Mercy in Malawi, and Milton in Honduras.  Check out our Shownotes to dig a little deeper.

Meet two different leaders in South Africa.  They work together in one of the most vulnerable communities near Johannesburg, Mooisplaas.  They come from two very different backgrounds and will help us unpack stereotypes and culture.  Learn a little bit more about South Africa, it's history, current intricacies, and two amazing men!  Visit our Shownotes to learn more about these men and Ditshego as well as ways to engage in the US.