Facebook Debuts New Campaign Featuring Surf Ghana!

If you were watching the Tokyo 2020 Olympic opening ceremonies yesterday you might have caught a new advertisement launched by Facebook that was all about skateboarding. The video titled Skate Nation Ghana captures the dynamic energy and vibrancy of the urban skate community in Accra all while highlighting the work that Joshua Odamtten from Skate Nation Ghana and Sandy Alibo from Surf Ghana, and the rest of the collective have done over the years to grow the skateboarding and surfing community in the country. 

In January I was fortunate enough to chat with Sandy, the founder of Surf Ghana to learn more about the organization, their fundraising efforts to build Freedom Skatepark (the first of its kind in Accra) and how they make room for more young girls to get involved with board sports through their Skate Gal Club.

To learn more about the organization and their work, make sure to tune into Episode 1: How Surf Ghana is Building the First Skatepark in Accra 

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Episode 5: How Gbobètô is Turning Waste Into Sustainable Energy in Port-Novo, Benin

In this episode, I discuss recycling and the importance of creating sustainable energy alternatives with Naomi Fagla Medegan, the founder of Gbobètô. Gbobètô is a non-profit based out of Porto-Novo, Benin that sees waste as a tool for social and sustainable development and through their various recycling programs works to make cities cleaner and communities empowered.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• how biomass briquettes can be a source of sustainable and affordable energy in areas with poor electricity access
• waste reclaimers and the work they do to keep cities clean
• the trials, tribulations and triumphs of getting recycling infrastructure up and running in a city
• and much more!

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Episode 4: How Hope Raisers Uses Digital Storytelling to Build Community Climate Resilience in Nairobi, Kenya

In this episode, I discuss a bit about community climate change adaptation and the importance of incorporating the youth voice in decision-making with Daniel Onyango, the founder of  The Hope Raisers Initiative. The Hope Raisers Initiative uses arts, culture, and sports to amplify the youth voice in the neighbourhood of Korogocho in Nairobi, Kenya. Through the organization, community members get opportunities to creatively transform public spaces in their neighbourhood whether that is through music, murals, or matatus (i.e. buses).

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• How their Future Yetu (Our Future) program is breaking down barriers between the public and public policymakers
• How digital storytelling can be used as an important tool in addressing climate change
• How Hope Raisers leveraged local transportation to gather community insights
• Why Daniel thinks integrating youth in city-building and climate adaptation initiatives is important
• and much more!

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Episode 3: How The Abibiman Project is Tackling Food Insecurity One African Dish at a Time

In this episode, I discuss a bit about the impact of food insecurity in cities with Chef Rachel Adjei, the founder of The Abibiman Project. The Abibiman Project is an initiative started by Rachel in October 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, that uses African cuisine and ingredients to help promote social justice and reduce food insecurity in Toronto's black community. Through the project, Rachel sells African dishes, spices, teas, chocolates, and more, and all proceeds go towards the Afri-Can FoodBasket, a non-profit that through its various programs helps promote food sovereignty and justice for Toronto's Black community. 

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• How The Abibiman Project got started and has grown
• Food security and its impact on newcomers
• The role of cultural appropriateness of food in food justice
• How Rachel uses food to build community
• and much more!

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Episode 2: How iAfrika is Helping Local Public Libraries Bridge the Digital Language Divide

In this episode, I discuss the role public libraries have in cities with Professor Lia Frederiksen. I also chat with Grant McNulty of McNulty Consulting a company that works on "creating and promoting access to digital cultural resources in Africa," and developed iAfrika. 

iAfrika is a new mobile-friendly platform that provides libraries and their patrons a unique service, that allows them to create content in their own languages, and contribute to closing the digital divide all the while teaching valuable digital skills. And by making library materials accessible on a mobile phone, iAfrika just might be the future of library access on the continent because instead of bringing libraries and knowledge to the community or vice versa, the community is the library.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• the roles public libraries play in cities
• the digital language divide
• what the future of public libraries across Africa looks like
• and much more!

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