Jean Michel Habineza on genocide, the power of debate, and strategies for humans to live in peace

04/01/24 • 51 min

Jean Michel Habineza grew up in the wake of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, one of the gravest atrocities in recent human history, where almost overnight friends and neighbours became deadly enemies. Jean Michel is part of the movement to bring Rwanda back to a state of genuine, lasting peace. In this episode Jean Michel details the steps that can lead normal people to become capable of genocide, and how to reconcile former enemies when resentment and trauma levels are sky high. He also describes how to achieve peace through empowering people to debate the most contentious issues, without conflict. He is full of wisdom as well as practical advice that the world needs to hear right now; at the international level, between ethnic groups, and regular people trying to communicate with beloved family members with opposing opinions.

Get Involved!
Learn more about Jean Michel's work and how you can support him to promote critical thinking, and peaceful and healthy societies and families here: justpeoples.org/leaders/jean-michel
Why Give a Buck?
Because with $2,518 USD Jean Michel can educate a school of Rwandan high school students to debate tough topics without leading to conflict, and then implement projects to tackle local poverty-related issues.

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Mercy Kafotokoza on preventing maternal and child deaths in Malawi with nurses on motorbikes

Johanna and Christey speak with Mercy Kafotokoza, the midwife and nurse tackling Malawi's alarming maternal and infant mortality rate head-on! Mercy discusses how she trains nurses to ride off-road motorbikes so they can ride over rugged terrain to treat the furthest away patients. She also provides an overview of the complex cultural context she works in where consulting witch doctors is the norm, and how lack of education around maternal health leads many women to hide their pregnancies in fear. Mercy also describes how her powerful nurses use culturally appropriate techniques (like song and dance!) to educate, treat and ultimately save thousands of women and children in rural Malawi. You'll love her!
Get Involved!
Learn more about Mercy's work and how you can support her to reach more mums and their babies here: justpeoples.org/leaders/mercy
Why Give a Buck?
Because with $2,160 USD Mercy can buy a motorbike, train a nurse to ride it, obtain her license, and cover fuel and maintenance costs for a year.

And with $15,672 USD one hundred women can receive comprehensive pre- and post-natal care, and emergency support from Mercy's nurses whenever they need it for themselves and their babies. These mothers and children will be given the best chance to survive and thrive!

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Florence Namaganda on creating a truly inclusive society for children with disabilities.

Florence Namaganda, Ugandan founder of Mukisa Foundation, shares her journey as a neuro-pediatric therapist and physiotherapist who first encountered children with disabilities on her first day at medical school, a moment that left a profound impact on her.
Christey and Johanna chat with Florence about her need to comprehend why these children with disabilities were segregated from mainstream society and how her investigations revealed a troubling reality: many parents believed their children's disabilities were the result of witchcraft, or punishment for wrongdoing.
Florence shares her passionate determination to change this narrative and how through Mukisa Foundation she has supported over 4,000 children living with disabilities across Uganda. She also discusses her wider vision of creating an inclusive society where people with disabilities can really thrive, starting within their families.
Get Involved!
Learn more about Florence's work and how you can support her to deliver holistic support to Ugandan children living with disabilities and their families by visiting justpeoples.org/leaders/florence
Why Give a Buck?
Because with $3,520 USD Florence can support 5 children living with disabilities with comprehensive medical care and nutritious food for a whole year. These kids and their families will join the safe and supportive community that Florence and her team have created at Mukisa Foundation. Children who need them will also be referred to specialists to receive assistive devices and corrective surgeries.

Why Give a Buck? - Jean Michel Habineza on genocide, the power of debate, and strategies for humans to live in peace

Transcript

Johanna de Burca00:00:00.299

Why Give a Buck? is proudly brought to you by Just Peoples, an international nonprofit that directly connects givers and doers to address global poverty.

Johanna de Burca00:00:16.050

Hello, and welcome to Why Give a Buck?. I'm Johanna de Burca, and I'm Christey West. Each month on Why Give a Buck?, we highlight innovative individuals tackling poverty in their local communities across Africa and Asia, and exp