TROUBLEMAKERS

TM Smoke Signals: Superhero. A poem by Phindu Banda

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/

Ep47: Practice What You Preach: Why Movements Fail From Within with Dale McKinley

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.

Ep 46: Kenya’s Gen Z Voter Movement: How "Tukokadi" Is Changing the 2027 Elections

“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.

Ep 45: Misinformation in Conflict Zones: Voices from Eastern Congo.

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
 

TM Smoke Signals: The Workspaces That Shape Us

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

Ep 44: The Spectrum of Allies with Sungu Oyoo

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
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.”
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
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

TM Smoke Signals: Building The Nation. A read by Monica Kamandau

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.
Key Ideas and Highlights
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
Why This Poem Still Matters
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.
Credits
Poem: Building the Nation by Henry Barlow (Uganda).
Reader: Monica Kamandau.
Producer: Rodgers George.
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. The Beautiful Trouble toolbox inspires our podcast.

Ep43: Fail Forward with Njuki Githethwa

What does it mean to fail forward in organising, and how do movements survive across generations?
In this episode, recorded at Mashujaa Heritage Archives in Kibichuku, Monica Kamandau sits down with veteran Kenyan organiser and scholar Njuki Githethwa. With nearly three decades in resistance and movement building, Dr. Njuki reflects on the evolution of Kenya’s struggles, from the Mau Mau movement to today’s Gen Z protests and the Kenya Left Alliance. 
 
Key Ideas and Highlights
Failing forward as a movement practice
Movements must evolve, regroup, and shed their skin in order to survive. Failure is not an end point, but a foundation for renewal.
Mobilising versus organising
Life and death issues bring people to the streets, but ideology, identity, and belonging are what sustain movements over time.
Liberated zones as paths to revolution
Small, tangible victories and spaces of freedom inspire people and show what justice and liberation can look like in practice.
 
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 Beautiful Trouble toolbox inspires our podcast.
Resources & Show Links
Mashujaa Heritage Archives, Kibichuku
Fail Forward
 
Credits
Host: Monica Kamandau
Guest: Njuki Githethwa
Producer & Audio Producer: Rodgers George
Music: Beautiful Trouble & Mwaduga Salum

Ep42: Civil Disobedience with Faith Kasina

Ep42: Civil Disobedience with Faith Kasina
When does breaking the law become the only way to survive?
In this episode, we sit down at the Kayole Social Justice Centre with organizer Faith Kasina and members of the Centre to explore civil disobedience in moments when the state fails its people. Faith walks us through protest organizing during COVID, the realities of living under Article 43 violations, and how communities confront gunism, police violence, and the politics of being branded as criminals while demanding dignity. This is a direct, honest conversation from those living the struggle daily.
 
Key Ideas and Highlights
 
Civil disobedience emerges when government directives clash with lived reality, especially in informal settlements lacking food, water, housing, and healthcare.
Gunism is rooted in economic deprivation and political manipulation; organizers share how political education and exposure are used to reclaim young people from being weaponized.
Peaceful protesters are often branded as violent, yet protest remains a constitutional right. The community shares strategies for navigating this risk while staying grounded in justice.
 
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. Our work is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.
 
Resources and Show Links
Kayole Community Justice Center
Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution
Civil Disobedience Beautiful Trouble toolbox
 
Credits
Host: Monica Kamandau
Guest: Faith Kasina and Kayole Social Justice Centre members
Producer: Rodgers George
Music: Beautiful Trouble and Mwaduga Salum

TM Smoke Signals: Gun Violence and the American Myth with Phil and Rodgers

What is the true story behind America’s gun culture beyond Hollywood’s dramatised scenes?In this Smoke Signal, we unpack the myths, realities, and politics behind gun violence in the United States through lived experience, global perception, and the unchecked power of the gun industry.
Growing up outside the U.S., many of us see America through movies: chaotic streets, armed civilians, danger at every corner. But how much of that imagery mirrors real life? In this conversation, we explore how easy access to guns, racialised oppression, economic precarity, and political mythology fuel a crisis that has become tragically normalised. From childhood gun training to mass shootings, from Walmart gun aisles to parents organizing for their children’s safety, this is a raw look at a nation shaped by firearms.
Key Ideas and Highlights
Hollywood vs. Reality: Movies exaggerate, but the core problem is real — guns are incredibly easy to access in the U.S., shaping both culture and violence.
Race, Power, and Mythology: America’s obsession with guns is tied to white settler identity, political polarisation, and billion-dollar lobby groups like the NRA.
Everyday Consequences: From children pretending to be armed for safety to families losing loved ones over a bag of food, gun violence reflects deeper economic and political failures.
Licensing
Anyone can use this podcast for free with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and may be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.
Resources & Show Links
Home | Moms Demand Action
Research on the U.S. gun lobby and NRA influence (https://bit.ly/4asCSFc) 
Articles on Walmart’s role in firearm sales (https://bit.ly/445b71C) 
Credits
Hosts: Phil Wilmot & Rodgers George
Music: Beautiful Trouble & Mwaduga Salum