TROUBLEMAKERS

Epizode

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  Ep 57: Seek Safety in Support Networks with Paul Musyimi 02.10.2026 22min

  Paul Musyimi on what social movements really are, why peaceful organizing wins, and how activists keep each other safe when the work gets dangerous. With Malemi, Paul talks about the principle "Seek Safety in Support Networks": when activists are threatened, national and international networks can provide support and deter violence. Guest: Paul Musyimi, who works with social movements through Global Platforms P4C program (ActionAid). Passionate about young people strategically organizing and mobilizing for social change, and about keeping activists safe and alive to do that work. Three takeaways Social movements aren't automatically troublemakers. They use many tactics, and peaceful ones win better, longer-lasting results.  Safety is collective, not solo. Activists stay safer through support networks that watch over each other. Good governance needs an active citizenry. Opposing power carries real risk, from surveillance to threats to detention, but staying vigilant is the price of accountability. License of use © Troublemakers Podcast. Free to share with full credit. Not for reuse or resale without permission.
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  Ep 56: Claim that Seat! With Nancy Siatwiko 25.09.2026 37min

  Youth activist Nancy Siatwiko on why young Zambians are done waiting for permission to lead. Host Malemi talks with her about locked-out candidates, young women in politics, and using social media to organize. Guest: Nancy Siatwiko, Movement Manager for Youth for Parliament and the first female student president of Cavendish University Zambia. Twice locked out of party adoption for being young and female, she now helps other young people contest. Takeaways Youth for Parliament exists because young people kept getting locked out. It pushes the youth agenda across party lines, and with youth at 53% of Zambia's voters, representation is just math. If you're not given the seat, take one. The demand is inclusion at every level, based on merit, not age. Young women face an extra wall of patriarchy and smears. But the shift is real, and social media now lets young people back each other across any distance. License of use © Troublemakers Podcast. Free to share with full credit. Not for reuse or resale without permission. #Youth4Parliament
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  Ep 55: Youth, Power & Political Spaces with Tilvas Ngosa 18.09.2026 27min

  Ep 55: Youth, Power & Political Spaces with Tilvas Ngosa Recorded at the Global Platform studio in Zambia, this episode asks why youth political participation across Africa stays so low, and what it takes to change that. Host Malemi talks with activist Tilvas Ngosa about systemic barriers, youth leadership, and the real cost of getting into African politics. Guest: Tilvas Ngosa, Program Officer at ActionAid Denmark, based in Zambia. Activist and campaigner with roots in social movements. Host: Malemi Three takeaways The barrier isn't a lack of political education, it's the field itself: expensive, often violent, and gate-kept by leaders who won't step aside. Youth inclusion looks good on paper and thin in practice. Quotas exist, but representation stays low and mentorship means nothing without a real seat. The moment is still worth seizing. Civil society is building a new generation, and young leaders prove it's doable. The time to claim space is now. License of use © Troublemakers Podcast. Free to share with full credit. Not for reuse or resale without permission.
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  Ep 54: The Battle of Ideas, with Sefu Sanni 11.09.2026 22min

  Politicians pass laws, but culture shapes belief, and belief shapes everything else. In this episode, Thompson Luzendi sits with Sefu Sanni to unpack the battle of ideas: how culture becomes the real terrain of power, and how the creative arts can move people where speeches and laws cannot. About the guestSefu Sanni is a Kenyan musician, poet, and self-described communication strategist and propagandist. She leads the Pan-African Women's Network, helps coordinate the Kenya Left Alliance in Nairobi, and organizes from an openly leftist, feminist, Pan-African position. Three lessons from the episode Culture is the real battleground. Whoever shapes what feels normal, in dress, music, politics, and taste, quietly shapes what people believe is possible. Sefu names Hollywood and cultural imperialism as the force holding Africa in chains. Art is not entertainment; it is strategy. From Mekatilili wa Menza using the Kifudu dance to mobilise the Mijikenda against British invasion, to today's artivism and youth uprisings from Kenya to Nepal to Nigeria, creativity has always been a tool to organise and disrupt. Political education is how you win. Reclaiming African identity at the grassroots matters, but lasting change needs awakened consciousness: to unlearn, relearn, and build new knowledge, then take back the narrative from the ruling class. Follow Troublemakers wherever you get your podcasts, and share this one with someone who needs to hear it. License of use: © Troublemakers Podcast. Free to share with credit to Troublemakers Podcast. Not for commercial reuse or editing without permission.
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  TM Smoke Signals: Given's Feminist Utopia, With Given Kapolyo 21.08.2026 15min

  What does an ideal world look like? Given Kapolyo answers without hesitation: one where inequality does not exist, and leadership is not a male sport. In this Smoke Signals, she lays out her feminist utopia, then grounds it in the everyday realities that prove the fight is far from over. It doubles as a passing of the mic, recorded as Given steps in to host the seasons ahead. What you'll hear Her vision of a world where women lead from the front, unapologetically, and no one sits on the throne Why she refuses to define feminism for other women, or the ideal feminist man for men The real test of a feminist man: refusing to benefit from patriarchy, not just naming it In her words"I dream of a world where taking up leadership is not a male sport.""When a man counts what he owns, he begins with his wives.""Nobody is going to hand it over to us. We need to fight." AboutGiven Kapolyo is a Zambian feminist and activist, and the incoming host of Troublemakers. A Troublemakers production, made at MS TCDC in partnership with Beautiful Trouble and MOVE. Produced by Kijiweni Productions.
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  Ep 53: No One Is Coming to Save You, with Nalishebo Sinyama 07.08.2026 42min

  What makes someone walk to the utility company with a placard instead of posting complaints online? Nalishebo Sinyama has been answering that since 2019, when a load shedding protest in her Lusaka suburb turned her into an organizer overnight. She sits with Given Kapolyo to trace her path from a grassroots ward organizer to national work, and now to feminist organizing in Somaliland. With Zambia's general election a week away, her message to young people is blunt: no one is coming to save you. What you'll hear The 2019 load shedding protest that started it all, and getting arrested before she even knew what organizing was Finding Youth for Parliament as a safe space to be radical as a young woman Feminism as a hard conversation, and the question from a young girl she still cannot answer Being sexualized during the Patriotic Front adoption process, and naming it for what it is In her words"The principle of organising does not change. What changes is the context.""Activism is a way of life. It is not a hobby. It is not a job.""Gender does not define how radical or how powerful someone should be.""No one is coming to help you. You have to stand up and speak out for yourself." About the guestNalishebo Sinyama is a grassroots organizer from Zambia, now based in Somaliland, working to put young people and young women at the front line of change. CreditsHosted by Given Kapolyo. A Troublemakers production, made at MS TCDC in partnership with Beautiful Trouble and MOVE.
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  TM Smoke Signals: Silence! A poem by Sylvie Baziga 24.07.2026 2min

  TM Smoke Signals: Silence, by Sylvie Baziga A spoken word piece by Sylvie Baziga on the slow deaths that leave no bullet holes: the swallowed cry, the smothered dream, the word never spoken because speaking means disappearing. Here, pencils forget. But stones remember. This poem is a warning and a promise. The silence is not empty. It is boiling. It is preparing. And when it finally breaks, it will not ask for permission. Written and performed by Sylvie Baziga.A Troublemakers Smoke Signals production.
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  Ep52: The Moral Political Economy, with Joe Kobuthi 17.07.2026 32min

  Host: Thompson Luzendi (Zambia)Guest: Joe Kobuthi - philosopher, public theologian, political analyst, and curator of The Elephant Pan-African magazine. The rules of the house were written by someone who was never supposed to stay. Thompson sits down with Joe to unpack the moral political economy — what it is, how colonialism broke it, and what Gen Z across Africa needs to understand before 2027. What We Cover The moral political economy explained. Economics was never meant to be separated from ethics and politics. Neoliberalism broke that and turned it into a numbers game. Colonialism as a restructuring of the house. It did not just steal land and labour. It rewrote the rules of African political, economic, and social life entirely. Independence that changed nothing. For most African countries, colonial structures of governance remained intact and were turned against the same people they were built to oppress. Three drivers shaping Gen Z today. Debt, technology, and multipolarity are reshaping how young Africans see themselves, the state, and the world. 2027 and beyond. A fragmenting Kenyan elite creates opportunity. But history shows conservative forces usually capture hard transitions. Gen Z must know exactly what country it wants to build.
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  TM Smoke Signals: From Protest to Power, with Boniface Mwangi 10.07.2026 11min

  Human rights defender, activist, and presidential candidate for the Republic of Kenya, Boniface Mwangi joins Smoke Signals for a direct, unfiltered conversation on what it will actually take for Kenya's Gen Z movement to convert street energy into political power by 2027. This is not a motivational talk. It is a strategic briefing. What We Cover From occupation to ballot revolution. Boniface breaks down why "Ruto must go" is not enough. The movement needs political formations, a clear agenda, and serious civic education, not just for themselves but for the voters who still do not see young people as leaders. Decentralisation without leaderlessness. A horizontal movement still needs a council of voices. Boniface argues that formal leadership is no longer optional if Gen Z wants to win. Avoiding co-optation. You only get absorbed by the system if you have no agenda of your own. A movement with a clear vision is corruption-proof. Individual leaders may sell out. A movement with a mandate cannot. The cost of challenging power. Surveillance, arrests, infiltration. Boniface gives practical advice on operational security: no routines, no technology in sensitive meetings, cell-based organising, and leaking misinformation to identify moles. What governance must look like after 2027. Rule of law, social security, free education, free healthcare, land restitution, and full accountability for economic theft since independence. The biggest mistake Gen Z could make. Joining or aligning with the current political class. Stay as far away as possible. Closing message to those still in fear.When you lose your fear, they lose their power. Organise in spite of the threats. You are not only fighting for a better life. You are fighting for your right to exist.
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  TM Smoke Signals: Même Bêtise, by Frank Amani 03.07.2026 4min

  A spoken word piece by Frank Amani on the cycles we inherit and refuse to break. Same Stupidity confronts the ways human beings repeat patterns across generations, dressing up the same vicious circle in new clothes, chasing happiness while performing it, and calling it progress. The poem moves through denial, social conformity, collective forgetting, inequality, and the quiet violence of indifference. It ends where it begins: with the uncomfortable truth that we are not exempt. Not from stupidity. Not from death. Not from each other. Because even the undertaker ends up in the jaws of death.Translation here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BqUOFQJR3ELEn3evRRaGLGer-y1xBCRd3GuchLdB9po/edit?usp=sharing   Listen now.
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  Troublemakers Ep51: Put your target in a decision dilemma, with Willy Nkya 26.06.2026 38min

  Guest: Wilson (Willynkya), film & TV producer, content creator, and influencer based in Tanzania Rodgers sits down with Willynkya to unpack "Put Your Target in a Decision Dilemma" (Andrew Boyd & Joshua Kahn Russell) through the lens of content creation and film and what it means for activists and organisers trying to move audiences toward action. About WillynkyaFive years in film and TV before transitioning fully into content creation. Known for travel and lifestyle content on Instagram and TikTok, and branded work at the intersection of storytelling and commerce. What We Cover The Empty Grave: Willynkya was the production manager on this Kijiweni Productions documentary about Tanzanian ancestral remains taken to Germany during the colonial era. It's screened at festivals across Tanzania and is currently streaming in Germany. The Audience Dilemma in practice: How The Empty Grave was built to speak to four audiences at once: Tanzanian families, the German public, governments, and historians — each nudged toward their own decision. Emotion in content: Hook with a problem, let your experience transfer to the viewer, make the first 5 seconds count, and design for both sound-on and sound-off viewing. Industry challenges: Permits, financial literacy, the new Tanzania Film Board registration requirement, and the pressure to fake a lifestyle online. For Organiser-TroublemakersWhen designing an action, ask: what are the two decisions my target can make, and how do both move my cause forward? Drop how you've used this in the comments. Follow Willynkya: @willynkya on Instagram & TikTokThe Empty Grave: Follow Kijiweni Productions for screening updatesCredits:Production support: Thabit Kitamu
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  TM Smoke Signals: Africa will be saved: A poem by Opolot Emmanuel Solomon 19.06.2026 2min

  In this powerful spoken-word piece, poet Opolot Emmanuel Solomon paints a vision of an Africa that has moved beyond division, dependency, conflict, and limitation. Through repetition, imagination, and conviction, he challenges listeners to picture a continent where dreams become reality, borders no longer divide people, and Africans take ownership of their shared future. Meet the Poet Opolot Emmanuel Solomon is a Ugandan spoken word artist whose work explores hope, identity, social transformation, and the power of collective action. In Africa Will Be Saved, he invites us to imagine a future shaped not by outside forces, but by the choices Africans make today. What We Unpack in This Piece Imagining a Different AfricaA continent defined by opportunity, innovation, and shared prosperity. Beyond BordersThe dream of a more connected Africa where people, ideas, and opportunities move freely. Changing the StoryReplacing narratives of crisis and dependency with stories of achievement and self-determination. Key Takeaway Africa's future will not be written by fate alone. It will be shaped by the collective actions of Africans who dare to imagine a better continent, and work to make it real. Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox. Resources & Show Links Follow Troublemakers wherever you get your podcasts: https://linktr.ee/troublemakers.podcast
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  Ep 50: The Stop EACOP Project with Ziada 15.05.2026 25min

  What does “development” really mean—and who is forced to pay for it? Meet the Guest Ziada is a climate and gender justice advocate working at the frontlines of renewable energy and community resistance. Trained in medicine, her activism was shaped by real encounters with inequality, environmental breakdown, and lives lost to preventable conditions. What We Unpack in This Episode What is EACOP, really?A massive oil pipeline from Uganda to Tanzania—sold as progress, contested on the ground. The real cost of “development”Displacement. Lost livelihoods. Closed schools. Communities cut off from land and identity. Why women are hit hardestEconomic exclusion, social disruption, and power imbalances intensified inside homes and communities. Key Takeaway “We don’t lack solutions—we lack implementation.” Licensing Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Acknowledgment Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox. Resources & Show Links Green Conservers – connect via social media to support or collaborate
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  Smoke Signals: "Vous Allez-vous" A poem by Franck Amani & Sylvie Baziga. 08.05.2026 6min

  What happens when poetry becomes testimony?What happens when a voice carries the grief, rage, memory, and survival of an entire people? In this deeply emotional and politically charged episode of Troublemakers, we journey through “Vous allez où?”, a haunting spoken-word piece that confronts war, displacement, colonial violence, exile, and the persistence of hope in places the world often chooses to ignore. Through vivid imagery and painful truths, the poem paints a world where mothers bury children, rivers carry bodies instead of songs, and children draw rifles instead of suns. Yet even within devastation, there remains resistance the stubborn insistence on dignity, memory, and life itself. This episode reflects on: War as a lived daily reality, not a distant headline Forced displacement and the psychology of exile The silencing of oppressed voices Colonial legacies and systems of domination At its core, this episode asks:Where do people go when home itself becomes unlivable?And what does it mean to continue dreaming in a world built to erase you? This is not just poetry. It is testimony. It is mourning. It is resistance. Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.
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  Ep 49: Why do stories matter in social change work? With ActionAid Global Staff. 28.04.2026 1h 3min

  How do we move from gathering stories to creating impact? How can we be more strategic about story gathering? And who truly owns the narrative - organisations or the communities themselves? In this episode of Troublemakers, we explore the role of storytelling in activism and development, featuring insights from practitioners working across Brazil and Nepal within ActionAid. This conversation unpacks how stories are gathered, shaped, and used. It explores the role of ActionAid in story gathering and reflects on why rethinking storytelling is essential for justice-driven work. Guest Host ● Joan Njoroge – Moderator of this conversation, guiding a deep dive into how storytelling shapes advocacy, impact, and community voice within global movements. Guest Speakers ● Erika Azevedo – Coordinator of Public Engagement at ActionAid Brazil, with a background in journalism and documentary storytelling. ● Anish Shrestha– Communications Manager at ActionAid Nepal, working closely with grassroots communities to amplify lived experiences. Reflections This episode highlights a key shift: storytelling must be decolonial, feminist, and human-centred. It’s not just about telling better stories — it’s about better planning and collaboration to avoid overload, more focus on agents of change, and amplifying people’s voices to different audiences. License Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Resources & Show Links ● Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/troublemakers.podcast ● ActionAid Global: https://www.actionaid.org ● Beautiful Trouble Toolbox: https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/    
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  Ep 48: Truth, Power, and Human Rights in the Age of Social Media with Josué Mutanava 17.04.2026 22min

  How do we defend rights in a world full of misinformation? In this episode, guest host Jesué Mutanava speaks with Steward Muhindo, a human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of Congo and member of Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA). They explore how social media shapes activism, the dangers of disinformation, and how young people can push for change through peaceful action. Steward also shares simple ways to verify information and why truth is essential in the fight for human rights. Key Takeaways Human rights are universal. Peaceful action drives change. Misinformation can cause real harm. Truth is the foundation of activism. Licensing:Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.
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  TM Smoke Signals: Superhero. A poem by Phindu Banda 10.04.2026 4min

  In Super Hero, Phindu Banda honors the quiet courage of everyday people who rise, endure, and keep going. From childhood dreams to life’s hardest moments, this piece reminds us that survival, resilience, and showing up are acts of heroism. You didn’t wait to be saved. You became the hero. About the Poet Phindu Banda is a Malawian poet, performer, and activist whose work explores identity, feminism, and social justice. Through spoken word, she amplifies everyday experiences and transforms them into powerful reflections on resilience, healing, and change. Licensing: Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Resources & Show Links: https://www.instagram.com/phinduzaie/
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  Ep47: Practice What You Preach: Why Movements Fail From Within with Dale McKinley 03.04.2026 34min

  Why do movements that aim to transform the world so often fall apart from within? And what happens when the gap between our values and our actions becomes too wide to ignore?   In this episode of Trouble Makers, we sit down with Dale McKinley, a veteran activist with over 35 years of experience across South Africa’s most influential social movements. From the Communist Party to the Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Right to Know Campaign, Dale has witnessed firsthand how movements rise and how they implode.   Together with Phil Wilmot, they explore one of the most critical tensions in activism: the balance between changing the world and changing ourselves.   Key Conversations & Insights: The “personal vs political” gap—and how it destroys movements from the inside Why failing to confront internal issues (corruption, abuse, dishonesty) leads to collapse The danger of “don’t air dirty laundry” culture in activist spaces Real stories of movement breakdowns due to a lack of accountability How trust, relationships, and internal culture shape long-term impact   Licensing: Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.
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  Ep 46: Kenya’s Gen Z Voter Movement: How "Tukokadi" Is Changing the 2027 Elections 22.03.2026 21min

  “The secret is numbers.” What happens when ordinary citizens decide to take democracy into their own hands? In this episode of the Trouble Makers Podcast, host Tatiana Gicheru sits down with Kenyan journalist and civic mobilizer Ademba Alanns, the mind behind the fast-growing Tukokadi movement, an initiative pushing millions of young Kenyans to register as voters ahead of the 2027 general elections. What started as a simple tweet has now become a nationwide movement, mobilising thousands across all 47 counties. Ademba shares how one small action sparked a ripple effect, turning civic duty into a collective, youth-driven force. Together, they unpack: The power of grassroots organising in the digital age. Why voter registration is just the beginning of civic engagement. The role of civic and political education in shaping informed voters and so much more. Beyond Kenya, this conversation reflects a broader shift across Africa and the world, where young people are reclaiming their role in shaping governance, one vote at a time. This episode is a reminder: democracy is not passive. It is built, protected, and sustained by those who show up.
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  Ep 45: Misinformation in Conflict Zones: Voices from Eastern Congo. 06.03.2026 13min

  How does misinformation spread in conflict zones, and what are the consequences for communities and human rights defenders? In this episode, journalist Josué Mutanava speaks with Espoir Hamoni, a human rights defender based in Uvira, South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss how disinformation, rumors, and fake news in eastern DRC can fuel hate speech, community tensions, displacement, and insecurity, while making it harder for human rights defenders to document abuses. Originally recorded in French by Soma Media Lab in Goma, this episode highlights the importance of media literacy, reliable journalism, and community awareness in countering misinformation. The English transcript is available in the episode description, and the video can be watched on YouTube with English subtitles.English Transcript: https://bit.ly/4uirWle YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/4b8bxGW ................. Comment la désinformation dans les zones de conflit affecte-t-elle les communautés et les défenseurs des droits humains ? Dans cet épisode, le journaliste Josué Mutanava s’entretient avec Espoir Hamoni, défenseur des droits humains basé à Uvira, au Sud-Kivu, dans l’est de la RDC. Ils discutent de l’impact des rumeurs, fake news et manipulations de l’information sur les tensions communautaires, les déplacements de population et la sécurité, ainsi que sur le travail des défenseurs des droits humains. L’épisode a été enregistré en français par Soma Media Lab à Goma. La transcription en anglais est disponible dans la description de l’épisode, et la vidéo peut être regardée sur YouTube avec des sous-titres anglais.YouTube: https://bit.ly/4b8bxGW