Radio Workshop

Bana Mwesige was 12 years old when he joined the church choir. Singing was his sanctuary. But now, at age 28, Bana can't bring himself to sing gospel anymore. It's not his faith in God that has wavered, it's his faith in the church. When his pastor tried to "cure" him from what needed no curing, Bana felt something inside of him break. Sources: Human Rights Council - The Lies and Dangers of Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Human Rights Watch - Dignity Debased: Forced Anal Examinations in Homosexuality Prosecutions International Religious Freedom Report for 2012 - Uganda Open Democracy - Anti-gay ‘therapy' offered at Uganda health centres run by aid-funded groups Outright International - The Fight To End Conversion Practices in Africa Ugandan Parliament - The Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 Victory City Chuch, Kampala - “If God Did It For Others He Can Also Do It For Me” Acknowledgements: The Stephen J. Hendrickson Foundation, the Ann Levy Trust, the Shin Creek Trust, and the Ford Foundation. 

Dating is complicated. Not to mention dating on the apps! And for LGBTQI+ folks on the African continent, where many countries criminalise queerness, it's even MORE complicated. We asked reporters in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya and Namibia to share how they navigate the highs and lows of seeking romance, community and friendship online. Despite all the pitfalls, love calls out to all of us. Sources:Amnesty International - Africa: Barrage of discriminatory laws stoking hate against LGBTI persons  Acknowledgments: Produced by Radio Workshop and Conext News. This episode would not have been possible without the support of the Free To Be Me program at Hivos.   

Oliver grew up in Kabwe, one of the most toxic towns in the world. His mom wouldn't even let him play outside because the land, wind, and air are so heavily polluted from nearly a century of lead mining. Now 18, Oliver sees a new wave of mining sweeping across Zambia. This time, mining companies want to extract minerals for the clean energy boom. Oliver faces a choice: fight the industry as an activist, or join it to change it from within?

Damola is waiting for an email that will change her life… A Canadian visa. Six months ago, she decided to emigrate. Despite a fulfilling career as a dentist, Damola wants out. And she's ready to leave behind everything and everyone she knows including her recently widowed mother. According to a recent survey, 70% of Nigerians aged 15 to 35 want to leave the country. How did Nigeria get here?

[Trigger Warning: Mentions of sexual harassment, rape and child abuse] Lella Miskir is tired of the constant harassment she and other women in Ethiopia experience on the daily. In response, Lella now walks through the streets of Addis Ababa, armed – with a small, red whistle. Her online campaign, #MyWhistleMyVoice, encourages women to blow their whistle every time a man catcalls them, acts inappropriately towards them or assaults them. It's giving women confidence and hope, but blowing the whistle on men's bad behaviour has been met with backlash and even threats to Lella's life.

South African spelling bee champion, Nonhlanhla Mashabana, faces her greatest challenge to date: her final year of high school and the precarious and uncertain transition to higher education. There's a lot standing in her way: growing up poor in post-Apartheid South Africa, the weight of carrying the family's hopes of a better life, and the fear of being the first to leave home. As she walks down a road that has caused so many to stumble, how will Nonhlanhla navigate a broken education system?

On June 18th, thousands of young Kenyans swiftly mobilized against a proposed tax increase that would significantly raise daily living costs, particularly affecting the most vulnerable. Thousands of peaceful protestors in the streets of Nairobi were soon met with a violent response from police. Reports indicate 39 people were killed, with countless others wounded and unlawfully arrested. The dust is now settling. Friends lost in the fray are being found. Grieving for the dead is just beginning. We wanted to find out: what have young people in Kenya actually won?    Sources: News Kenya's young protesters plot next moves after dramatic tax win, Reuters ‘I concede': Kenya's president pulls controversial bill after deadly protest, CNN After deadly protests, Kenyans tell of brutal abductions, New York Times Kenya on the Brink | A roundtable interview with President William Ruto, Citizen TV Kenya Kenya protests were 'treasonous' says William Ruto, BBC Africa Organisations  Kenyan Human Rights Commission  Acknowledgements: This episode was made possible through the support of Luminate.  

Many young South Africans weren't sure who to vote for ahead of South Africa's elections in late May. But, many of them told us they wanted new leadership. The results of the election reveal that uncertainty as no one party won a clear majority. In fact, the African National Congress will have to create a coalition government for the first time in their 30 years holding office. A development leading to more anxiety and uncertainty since no one knows what to expect. In case you missed it, we're revisiting our election episode to hear once again the voices of young people wrestling with where South Africa should go next.

Rihanna was just 19 years old when she was arrested for being trans in Uganda. It was 2014. She spent 9 months in prison - an ordeal that tore a rift between her and her God-fearing mother. In this episode, we hear how her arrest radically changed the course of their lives - and how Rihanna's mom unexpectedly became a staunch ally. This is the second in our two-part series on LGBTQ rights in Uganda, as the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023 turns a year old.

Young South Africans are confused about who to vote for. This year, there are dozens of parties to choose from on the ballot paper. But for many young voters, having lots of options doesn't make it any easier. With a presidential election just around the corner, Radio Workshop reporter Naomi Grewan asks young people "Why?” and "How are they going to figure it out?"  

It was May of 2023 and Musana was on a romantic getaway in Kenya with her girlfriend. It quickly turned somber when Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law. Now what? Should Musana make a new life in Kenya or risk returning home? On the one-year anniversary of the Act, Musana reflects on her decision. This is the first in a two-part series on LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda.

Our last episode was a World Radio Day special. We asked our listeners to send us their love letters for the medium. This month, we've got a little bonus love letter for you: When a national emergency strikes in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ruth Omar and her family turn on the radio to help them navigate the confusion.

This episode is a celebration of 100 years of radio on the African continent. Radio is our beloved grandmother. Our lifeline. And to honour her, we asked friends in Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda to share their best radio memories with us. Little love letters in sound…

Tricia Mpisi is a Congolese-South African writer, actress and content creator with a passion for stories. Superhero stories to be exact. And like most superhero stories, Tricia's life is also marked by tragedy. With TikTok as her unlikely sidekick, Tricia is finding her voice, facing her grief and defeating the ultimate villain: shame.

Sleep deprivation, hallucinations, and a pesky clock - that's what Nigerian teacher John Obot has to deal with during his Guinness World Record attempt. But with nearly 5 million online viewers and over 20,000 in-person spectators, John will push himself to his limits... and beyond.

Nigerian audio producer, Mo Isu, suffers from severe anxiety. It's gotten so bad that he thinks it might be time to get some professional help. But is that something his stern, old-school father would approve of? Mo decides to face his fears by having a tough conversation...

On 17 September our episode “This Coal Life” was featured on National Public Radio's daily news podcast Up First. The Sunday Story, hosted by Ayesha Roscoe, featured the Radio Workshop story that explores how the Skhosana family is going to cope with South Africa's transition to renewable energy.  The Skhosanas live a modest yet comfortable life in Kriel, South Africa. And they owe it all to coal. In fact, their family has worked in this industry for generations. But, now, the entire energy sector in South Africa is set to be rewired. Renewable energy will replace coal in a transition intended to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, while also making it a “Just Transition,” as the government calls it, with better jobs and cheaper energy - and maybe even healing past wounds. But what happens to the people who built their lives on coal? The world is watching to see how Kriel - and families like the Skhosanas - are going to do it.

Young people in Zimbabwe are torn. Not just about who to vote for, but whether or not they'll vote at all. Zimbabweans head to the polls on August 23rd 2023. It may be the first or second time young people can participate in the election of a president since the end of Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule in 2017. The coup that toppled him sparked new hope. But election violence, an unstable economy and lack of reforms in the years since have jaded Zimbabwe's youth.

We held an audio storytelling workshop in Cape Town, South Africa in early 2023, where nine producers from five different countries learnt how to produce a story from beginning to end in just 10 days. This episode features two stories made by new producers, Naomi Grewan from South Africa and Munirah Kaoneka from Tanzania. ‘I'm Just a Wes' is a story that explores trans joy, and 'Embracing Your Scars' - a thoughtful and empathetic story about surviving trauma.

The Skosanas live a modest yet comfortable life in Kriel, South Africa. And they owe it all to coal. In fact, their family has worked in this industry for generations. But, now, the entire energy sector in South Africa is set to be rewired. Renewable energy will replace coal in a transition intended to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, while also making it a “Just Transition,” as the government calls it, with better jobs and cheaper energy - and maybe even healing past wounds. But what happens to the people who built their lives on coal? The world is watching to see how Kriel - and families like the Skosanas - are going to do it.

Sibongile is trying to be a better friend to her colleague, who is living with bipolar disorder. Abigail desperately wants to improve her relationship with her father, but not at the cost of her mental health. And two sisters, pushed apart by a traumatic incident, find their way back to each other. These three intimate stories were produced by Radio Workshop youth reporters from across South Africa for the SNF Nostos Mental Health conference, which will be held in Athens, Greece from the 21st to the 23rd of June 2023. More information here: snfnostos.org

Climate change is already impacting billions of people worldwide. Floods. Droughts. Climate migration… The enormity of the crisis at hand can make it easy to lose sight of the individuals who are impacted. Like Grace Chileshe Chanda, a 21 year old Zambian climate activist, who's agreed to show us what climate change and the damage from increasingly heavy rains and floods looks like up close in Mtendere - the largest and oldest townships in the country's capital, Lusaka.

Smangele Mathebula was raised to be a strong black woman. Her mother, Irene, taught her to be tough in order to survive the difficult challenges of Apartheid. Smangele never learned to be vulnerable. Now she has her own daughter who's seventeen, and Smangele doesn't want her to hold in her emotions like she learned to. So the two sat down to talk about their mother and grandmother, Irene, sharing feelings, and not grabbing a knife by the blade.

Rebecca Mbaama knows grief. When she lost her mother suddenly, her world came crumbling down. But for the sake of her siblings (and herself) Rebecca had to keep going. Luckily, her mother left her with all the tools she needed to do just that. In this episode, Rebecca explains how she is facing her climate grief in much the same way - by taking action - not to mention her first flight ever to attend COP27, where she meets activists Emi Mahmoud and Maria Reyes. And just like Rebecca's mum, they inspire her to keep going.

Coming out as a trans man is risky. Doing it on Youtube - incredibly risky. Especially when home is the relatively small town of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, where Noks Simelane says there's no such thing as anonymity. Yet Noks did exactly that at age 19. This is our second story about finding allyship in surprising places - and this time, the unexpected ally was the internet…

Secrets. That's what kept “Ras That Guy” safe in Zimbabwe. At his wedding, he wore a traditional white dress to protect a secret. He found hormone injections on the black market which he could take in secret. But Ras is done with secrets. They've been eating him up inside. In this episode, he peels back the layers to reveal who he really is. To his surprise, he found allies in people he least expected.

In the third and final episode, Mary-Ann goes in search of “new songs” about her home. A chorus of young voices helps her to explore the contradictions of life in Alexandra. There are no easy answers, and not everyone will make it out of Alex, but there is something infectious about the energy and persistence of young Alexandrians - a spirit Mary-Ann embodies and hopes will take her out of Alex. Some day.

In episode two of three, Mary-Ann steps out of her comfort zone to explore parts of Alex she's been warned about her whole life. Her search for answers leads her to places where past and present overlap. How will she find her way out of Alex when the legacy of apartheid lingers, practically in the air she breathes? Meanwhile, things in Mary-Ann's personal life take a turn for the worse.

This story starts with a number: 70%. That's how many young people in South Africa are unemployed. Youth hustle and hope to find success, but how do you make it in a place like Alexandra township in Johannesburg? And how do you get out? In this three-part series, 23-year-old Mary-Ann Nobele brings listeners into her life in Alex and shows us why she's made this promise to herself: I will not grow old here.

This story starts with a number: 70%. That's how many young people in South Africa are unemployed. Youth hustle and hope to find success, but how do you make it in a place like Alexandra township in Johannesburg? And how do you get out? In this three-part series, 23-year-old Mary-Ann Nobele brings listeners into her life in Alex and shows us why she's made this promise to herself: I will not grow old here.

[Trigger Warning: Suicide] When Zambian law student Mulemba Mulando's best friend commits suicide, it sends her into a spiral of grief and guilt. But her own healing process ultimately leads her to becoming the kind of friend and advocate her friends and her community needed.

Africa is falling behind on vaccinating its citizens against COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy among youth is a big reason why. We speak to some young people in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and South Africa to reveal the extreme lengths youth will go to to avoid getting the jab.

When violence swept across Kwamashu, South Africa, Sibonelo Sithole was one of the only youth radio presenters that could make it to the station, Vibe FM. When he opened up the lines for callers, Sibonelo learned that division runs deep within his community. Months later, he is still trying to understand both sides of the story.

Youth activist Nonku Zungu found herself caught in the middle of the violence that gripped South Africa in July 2021. As things begin to settle down, she steps in to help her community make sense of it all.

Youth reporters from across South Africa take to the streets to speak with their communities in an attempt to reckon with the violent unrest that erupted in July 2021 following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.