Searching for the planet's best community projects and ideas. Sharing what we find. A monthly interview with someone behind an exciting, innovative community project. A podcast from Arukah Network. We're a global network of local people working to make our communities happier, healthier places to…
How To Build Community - Arukah Network
Radio enthusiast HAZEEN LATIF tells a story of how an isolated migrant community in northern Pakistan brought electricity, water, confidence and skills to their neighbourhood, through something called community centred media. Follow the work of Hazeen's organisation, Amplifying Voices Pakistan, at facebook.com/amplifyingvoicespk Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
JON is a recovering alcoholic from the UK. In this episode he shares a raw and powerful story of his struggle with addiction and journey of recovery. Along the way, he reflects on how best you can support people around you who are facing similar challenges. Learn about Alcoholics Anonymous at www.aa.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
What does it mean to love your enemy? Why is it important? And how can you go about doing it? In this episode we put these questions to world leading climate campaigner ALASTAIR MCINTOSH. His work is inspired by his Quaker faith, and in this interview he describes how he approaches encounters with his "enemies", as told in his most recent book Riders On The Storm. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Why is it important to make people who are different to you feel welcome? And what impact can it have when you do? MUNA ABU GHAZALEH from Jordan was born with various disabilities that meant she would struggle to ever talk, walk or live an independent life. But she is now an expert in the theology of inclusion, and in this episode she is sharing her story and expertise with us. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
In this episode CALLY MAGALHĀES shares a story so remarkable it's being made into a feature film. In the Brazilian prison in which she worked, she started a drama project where youth offenders reenact the crimes that put them in prison in the first place. But crucially, they play the role of their victims. Here she explains how this idea has led to a 70-80% reduction in reoffending rates. Learn more about the Eagle Project: bit.ly/33o8knM Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
How can you help the people around you to achieve their goals and reach their potential? CATRIONA HOREY is a Coach in the UK, where she helps leaders in charities, social innovation and education to set goals and achieve them. In this episode, she explains what coaching is, how it works, and how you can use coaching skills to support others. To learn more about coaching... Visit the MOE Foundation website: www.moefoundation.com If you're an Arukah member you may be able to access coaching for free - learn more at: www.arukahnetwork.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Since 2016, village elders, mothers and schoolchildren in a small community in the Democratic Republic of Congo have worked to reintroduce a species of edible caterpillar to their local area. In the process they've boosted food security, nutrition, biodiversity, local relationships, job opportunities and more. In this episode, VIOLET RURIA from The Salvation Army tells the remarkable story of The Caterpillar Project. Support The Caterpillar Project: donate.salvationarmy.org.uk/food Read the latest Footsteps edition on insects: bit.ly/2ZG3Yqr Learn about Arukah Network: www.arukahnetwork.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork Photo: The Salvation Army UKI
How can you help your community, organisation or team get better at problem-solving? In this episode, join 'Psychological Safety' expert ERIN LLOYD ROTICH from the USA, Tearfund's PRANAYA CHHETRI from Nepal, and FWANGMUN OSCAR DANLADI from the pioneering Jos Green Centre in Nigeria, as they help us search for answers. Learn more about... Jos Green Centre: bit.ly/3yDgfIC Psychological Safety: bit.ly/2U4Ipgx Footsteps: www.learn.tearfund.org Arukah Network: www.arukahnetwork.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
SHAYDANY URBANI helps people to identify and challenge fake news, as part of her work with the organisation 'First Draft'. Here she shares her top tips and advice, alongside case studies of people successfully fighting fake news around the world. Learn more about... First Draft: www.firstdraftnews.org Footsteps: www.learn.tearfund.org Arukah Network: www.arukahnetwork.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
What if you could turn litter into money? FWANGMUN OSCAR DANLADI leads a movement of young people in Nigeria who have found a way to turn the country’s huge problem of electronic waste into their own thriving and sustainable businesses. In this episode he tells us the story, and shares tips and advice on how you can do something similar where you live. Learn more about Footsteps at www.learn.tearfund.org Learn more about Arukah Network at www.arukahnetwork.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
10-20% of young people globally experience mental health conditions of some kind. But the majority do not seek help or receive support. Keeping in mind the saying that 'it takes a village to raise a child', in this episode we ask how can a village - or a community - support the mental health of its young people? Expert guests join us from around the world to help us find answers. Our guests include VINCENT OGUTU and RACHEL KITAVI from Cheshire Disability Services in Kenya, Protection Adviser KARLA JORDAN from the USA, Peace Building Consultant SAMER RAAD GEORGE from Iraq and Social Psychologist from Guatemala IVAN MONZON MUNOZ. Learn more about Footsteps at www.learn.tearfund.org Become a patron of the show at patreon.com/arukahnetwork Photo: Ivan Monzon
This isn't a normal episode of the show! Today we're pleased to announce that Arukah Network is joining forces with our friends at Tearfund's 'Footsteps' magazine in order to create this show together. In this episode our presenter JAKE LLOYD is joined by the Editor of Footsteps JUDE COLLINS to find out what this new partnership means for the show. Learn more about Footsteps at www.learn.tearfund.org Become a patron of the show at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
'Eco Church' is a scheme for churches in the UK who want to demonstrate that the gospel is good news for the planet as well as its people. Since it was launched by the environmental charity A Rocha in 2016, thousands of churches have worked to achieve 'Eco Church' status. In this episode, Eco Church founder RUTH VALERIO tells us how it began, its current leader HELEN STEPHENS tells us how it's growing, and participant IMOGEN NAY tells us how it has impacted her church and wider community. Learn more about Eco Church here: www.ecochurch.arocha.org.uk Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Arukah members TED LANKESTER, JUBIN VARGHESE and NATHAN GRILLS have recently collaborated on the fourth edition of popular book 'Setting Up Community Health Programmes in Low and Middle Income Settings'. In this episode, they share stories and insights from the book. It is published by Oxford University Press in association with Arukah Network, and you can buy a copy or download it for FREE here: bit.ly/37jg0WL Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
ASHLEY GOOD created the world's first ever 'Failure Consultancy'. It's called Fail Forward and it helps people and organisations to use failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. In this episode, she shares her top stories, tools and tips to help you "fail intelligently" in your life, work and community. Learn more about her work at www.failforward.org Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Since 2018, DANIEL SARA TURAY has been running a huge volunteer project in his region of Sierra Leone. The aim: to build over 100 miles of roads and to connect villages that have never been connected by road before. To do this, he’s recruited hundreds of local volunteers. He's been telling us how, and why. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
TARA WEST is a mediator from the USA who helps individuals and groups to resolve conflict and have productive conversations. In this episode, she shares stories, tools and techniques for using these skills in our own lives and communities. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Haiti in the Caribbean has a complex history. Following slavery, revolution, debt, exploitation and natural disasters, it is currently one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. In this episode, Haitian-born MARC ROMIYR ANTOINE from the international NGO Tearfund explains why local business and the local church are both crucial to the country's future, and to the elimination of poverty. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
How do you sustain community life under a lockdown? In this episode, our presenter JAKE LLOYD shares one possible answer. In his UK hometown of Crediton, he has helped launch CREDITON RADIO, which is equipping local people to make radio shows together - safely from the comfort of their own homes - in order to connect for fun, learning and support during the Coronavirus pandemic. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
GRAHAM FAWCETT is a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in helping groups of people to thrive under stressful conditions. In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, he shares with us ways that a community can be resilient to a crisis, how hardship can give rise to empathy, and why being kind to others is good for everyone's health. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
In May 2019, Arukah Network mentor and coach ELIZABETH WAINWRIGHT was elected to represent her rural community in the south west of England at local government level. In this episode, she shares some of her story, from nearly becoming a doctor, to unexpectedly becoming a politician. Along the way, we hear why the world needs more "generalists", how politicians can achieve more if they listen more, why climate change demands relationship change, and how we can better speak to our political representatives. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Nagaland is one of the most isolated and under-developed of the states of India. DR. SEDEVI ANGAMI runs a hospital in the state's largest city, Dimapur. In this episode, he tells the story of how he helped launch the hospital, and shares insights on how a hospital might become a centre for the transformation of a community. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
In this Christmas special, we hear how one woman's simple idea led to a whole new Christmas tradition in the community of Stobhill in the north east of England. FELICITY TUNNARD tells us the story of a nativity play with a difference, one that took place in the streets and shops of her local housing estate, and involved the whole community: from the parents who provided a real-life baby in a manger, to the local farmer who built a stable. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
LORD NIGEL CRISP used to run one of the biggest organisations in the world: the UK's National Health Service. Since leaving the 'NHS', he has become a global health advocate in British politics and around the world, with an aim of improving local healthcare by creating global partnerships. Amongst stories and lessons from his career, he's been telling us why global partnerships are important, and how to go about building them. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
In 1999, broadcaster and theatre specialist SHEILA KATZMAN was recruited by the United Nations to help develop a radio station for their peacekeeping efforts in Sierra Leone's civil war. This is the story of Radio UNAMSIL with its focus on community engagement, listener participation, and on-air peace talks. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
There is a saying that "only a demanding common task builds community". Perhaps no task is more demanding, or more common, than climate change. In this episode, one of the world's leading environmental campaigners ALASTAIR MCINTOSH talks with us about the challenges of climate change, the importance of building community, and how to become what he calls a 'spiritual activist'. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
How can storytelling be used to help heal or inspire a community? In our new podcast interview, the award-winning New York-based storyteller LAURA SIMMS tells us how she has used storytelling in communities all over the world to do exactly these things. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Galarc FC is a boys football club with a difference. Even though they have won 50 games in a row in their local Kenyan league, their biggest successes are happening off the pitch. In this episode, we hear the story of a remarkable team and its remarkable coach, SHARON CHEPKEMOI. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Over 20 years, in 30 countries and with 100s of communities, CORMAC RUSSELL has been a leading figure in the field of 'Asset-Based Community Development', or ABCD. But what is it? Why is it important? And what can we learn from it? Cormac has been sharing some of his stories and experiences. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
TOM CHAPMAN is founder of the Lions Barber Collective: an international network of barbers who are providing a space - and listening ear - to men around the world, so they can talk about their mental health. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Last year, the Thomas Reuters Foundation named India "the worst country in the world" in which to be a woman. HELEN MORGAN has spent the last four years in the country's rural north, where she trained community workers on gender violence and counselling skills. Upon returning to her home in New Zealand, she joined us to reflect on her experiences, and to tell us why - despite the headlines - she found considerable cause for hope. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
PEARCE GODWIN once worked at the heart of power in the United States political system. But as his country became more and more divided by politics, he set out for a new challenge. In this interview, he tells us why he launched the "Listen First Project", and how each time we make an effort to sincerely listen to people with whom we disagree, we help improve the health of our society as a whole. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
What if the best way to impact a community is simply to listen to its members? That's the idea behind SALT - a tool and lifestyle for having better conversations in a community. BOBBY ZACHARIAH is a social worker from the city of Pune in India. In this episode, he tells us how SALT changed not only a Pune community, but also a corporation. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Syria's refugees have fled a regime that denied them the opportunity to gather and talk freely as a community. When they arrive in a new country, what's it like to try and become part of a new community? In Manchester UK, The Rethink Rebuild Society is a pioneering Syrian community group that is tackling this question. MUSTAFA ALACHKAR is from the group, and he's been telling us more. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
How does a community's faith impact its health? A complex question requires a great mind, so we found one. Professor ANDREW TOMKINS OBE is an expert on faith and health, and a trustee for our network. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
FIONA DUNKLEY is a trauma therapist and counsellor who has helped people and communities affected by war, terrorism and sexual violence. Drawing on experiences described in her new book - Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Aid Workers - she tells us about the importance of community and its values in helping people overcome trauma. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
When ASSAD SERHAL set out on a career to protect bird habitats in his native Lebanon, it led him to discover and resurrect an ancient tribal practice called 'Hima'. In this podcast, we hear how his work with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon is using the 'Hima' approach to bring nature and community closer together across the Middle East. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
How can an elderly lady on a bench improve a community's wellbeing? 'The Friendship Bench' is a response to Zimbabwe's mental health crisis, but it's an idea that's been replicated as far away as New York City. In this episode we hear from a pioneer of the project, Clinical Psychologist at the University of Harare, RUTH VERHEY. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Whether you're a community volunteer or the head of a large charity, working to make the world a better place can take its toll on your health and wellbeing. So how do you not only stay strong, but thrive? A new organisation called Thrive Worldwide is working to help people answer this question, and we've been speaking with its CEO LEANNE KENNEDY. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
The ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict places unique mental health pressures on many civilians. In this podcast we hear how one organisation in the Gaza Strip has pioneered a community-based approach to try and alleviate these pressures. DR. YASSER ABU JAMEI is its Director, and here he tells us about their efforts to generate hope in a place where hope can be difficult to find. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
HAMID GBAWURU MARAH was recently named one of Sierra Leone's Most Influential Young Entrepreneurs. In this new episode, he tells us about a growing movement in the country: of social entrepreneurs rising up, doing things that aid agencies used to do, and starting to direct the future of their country. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Tensions during Kenya's recent election highlighted the problem of tribalism in the country. In our new podcast, DEBORAH LANGAT explains how her Cluster in Kericho works to break down tribal boundaries, in an effort to make the future peaceful and prosperous. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
When TED LANKESTER left his life as a family doctor in London, to help develop a healthcare system with local people in the Indian Himalayas, the idea for our network began to form. In our new podcast, he shares with us his story, and we explore the past, present and future of Arukah Network. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Civil War and Ebola brought Sierra Leone's Muslim and Christian communities closer together, to help bring an end to both crises. In this episode, WALTER CAREW and ADBEIN SMITH from the Freetown Cluster explain how. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork
Frome is not your average English town. Find out why as Jake interviews Adam Foster-Jones from the town's 'Library of Things'.
What is a Cluster? And how can a Cluster help its community be a healthier place to live? In the first episode, Jake chats with ROBINS ODIYO from CHGN's Kericho Cluster in Kenya, to find out how they are working together to meet their community's needs. Help us tell more stories like this at patreon.com/arukahnetwork