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.

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/

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.

“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.

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

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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

What makes a workplace meaningful? Is it the salary? The office setup? The title on the door? Or is it something quieter? Something human?

In this episode of Troublemakers: Smoke Signals, we step into the everyday spaces where we spend so much of our lives. From the vibrant grounds of MS TCDC, home to the Samora Machel Studio where The Troublemakers is produced, to offices, clinics and creative corners beyond Arusha.

We asked a simple question:

What do you love most about your workplace?

The answers surprised us in their consistency.

Broader Reflections

At a time when burnout is normalised and productivity is worshipped, reclaiming joy and solidarity in our workplaces becomes radical.

The workplace is not separate from the struggle for dignity, justice, and collective wellbeing. It is one of the spaces where we practice it.

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. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources & Show Links

Troublemakers Linktree: https://linktr.ee/troublemakers.podcast

How do movements shift people from neutrality or even opposition into active allies for justice struggles?

In this episode of the Troublemakers podcast, Monica hosts Sungu Oyoo, a writer, educator, activist, and Pan-Africanist. Sungu works with MWAMKO (Pan-African Popular Pedagogy Collective) as Director of Special Programs and Organisational Development and is also part of Kongamano Lamapinduzi, where he serves as National Spokesperson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Society Is Not a Monolith

Drawing from Beautiful Trouble, particularly work by Joshua Kahn Russell, Sungu explains that effective organising requires mapping society into segments, allies, neutral groups, and opponents rather than speaking to a vague “public.”

1. Lessons from Kenya’s Cost of Living and Finance Bill Protests

Sungu traces organising evolution from earlier cost-of-living struggles to the 2024 mass protests, showing how:

• Early movements often “preached to the choir”
• Social media + grassroots organising created rapid mobilisation
• Strategic escalation shifted demands from policy rejection → systemic accountability

1. Strategic Escalation & The Domino Effect

A core organising insight:

Shift easier blocks first (neutrals → passive allies → active allies) rather than focusing energy on entrenched opponents.

Once one segment shifts, others often follow.

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. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources & Show Links

Follow Sungu via social media (Sungu Oyoo)

Contact Mwamko Africa for book access and organising resources

Credits;

Host Monica Kamandau

Guest: Sungu Oyoo

Editor & Producer: Rodgers George

Music: Mwaduga Salum & Beautiful Trouble

What does it really mean to “build the nation,” and who pays the price for that work?

In this Smoke Signals episode, Monica Kamandau reads Building the Nation by Ugandan poet Henry Barlow, a biting and darkly humorous poem that exposes the everyday hypocrisies of power, privilege, and sacrifice in postcolonial African states.

This reading lands powerfully in our current moment, where ordinary people are repeatedly told to endure hardship in the name of progress, stability, or patriotism.

• Nation-building as performance, where power is exercised through routine and ceremony rather than service
• The quiet violence of inequality hidden behind jokes, lunches, and official duties
• Satire as resistance, and poetry as a mirror held up to political hypocrisy

Henry Barlow’s Building the Nation remains painfully relevant across Africa and beyond. It challenges listeners to question who benefits from the language of sacrifice, and whose hunger is normalised in the process.

Monica Kamandau’s reading brings fresh urgency to the poem, inviting us to reflect on leadership, accountability, and the everyday cost of governance.

• Poem: Building the Nation by Henry Barlow (Uganda).
• Reader: Monica Kamandau.
• Producer: Rodgers George.

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. The Beautiful Trouble toolbox inspires our podcast.