In Conversation With Street Child

Brand new podcast episode on ‘In Conversation with Street Child’ This month, we speak to Jummai Musa, Street Child’s Country Director for Nigeria, and Matthew Page, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and former Nigeria expert for the US intelligence community. It’s been a decade since the armed group Boko Haram kidnapped more than 250 girls from a school in Chibok, around 90 of them are still missing. Abductions in the northern regions of Nigeria have become a recurrent theme – whether for ransom, or to pressure the government to meet certain demands. Last month alone, the country faced another ‘kidnapping crimewave’ with dozens of people snatched by bandits. We discuss further how the continued abductions are challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government, which promised to tackle insecurity while also managing the country’s growing economic crisis. Listen to the full podcast through the link in our bio. #bringbackourgirls #chibok #nigeriasecurity #nigeria #chibokgirls #inconversationwithstreetchild

Listen in to our latest episode of ‘In Conversation with Street Child’ featuring award winning Times photographer Richard Pohle, Times reporter Poppy Koronka, and Street Child’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Alice Lowden. Following Street Child’s hugely successful collaboration with The Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal, we discuss the importance of storytelling, photography, and humanising global issues – in a world of increased conflict and crisis, it’s easy to forget the real people behind the statistics. The appeal helped bring those issues to life – putting faces to the stories that often go unreported.

Joining us this week is Doctor Jessica (Jess) Espey, political economist, and lecturer at Bristol University in south-west England. In the early part of her career, Jess worked for an international NGO, her focus was on women and children’s rights and how to advance them in policy development. During this time, she was given the opportunity to serve as a special adviser on the post-2015 sustainable development goal agenda within the office of the President of Liberia – this, she tells me completely altered her view on priorities for sustainable development. “At the beginning of the process, had someone said to me we need a goal on cities and urbanisation, I would have laughed them out of the room.” Today, she tells me, “urban expansion is fundamentally transforming the face of our world.” Following her time in Liberia, Jess took up a position as Associate Director of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network in New York. Being a part of the development agenda negotiations “was an incredible experience” she says. “No other negotiation in the history of the UN lasted this long.” Asked if the goals are ambitious, she tells me “If they hadn’t been, it would have been a waste of time. They are aspirations – and we must strive to reach as many as we can.” As for the global institutions themselves, she says they’re crucial, but totally out of date, as people grow and change, it’s time for our global governance to do the same.

Joining us this week is Ntakamaze (TK) Nziyonvira, CEO of CIYOTA, an organisation empowering youth in Uganda. TK's journey began in the Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing the horrors of war at just 11 years old. Finding refuge in Uganda, he navigated the challenges of being a young refugee. Despite the initial lack of motivation for education, TK persevered, driven by his father's guidance. Winning scholarships, he pursued education in Uganda and later in the United States. With over 36 million refugees globally, TK highlights the importance of equipping refugees with tools—capacity, knowledge and skills—to empower them to contribute to society. Collaborations between organisations like Street Child and refugee-led initiatives such as CIYOTA foster sustainable solutions to global challenges. TK challenges misconceptions about refugees, emphasising their untapped potential. Refugees aren't solely dependents; they possess skills and abilities, what they don’t have are opportunities. Join us for an insightful conversation on resilience, empowerment, and the untapped potential within refugee communities, as TK shares his remarkable journey and vision for a brighter future for youth worldwide.

Joining us this week is photographer and documentary filmmaker Apochi Owoicho. Street Child's recent F I F T E E N photography exhibition was inspired by a successful pilot programme which Apochi hosted in Nigeria in 2022. He was a key consultant on the development of the London exhibition, and helped facilitate the workshop in Nigeria. Host Sam and Apochi dive deep into the powerful idea that every image tells a story, intentional or not. They explore how the stories we tell about ourselves shape the way others perceive us and how important it is for individuals to tell their stories on their terms. Apochi Owoicho and Sam discuss the importance of empowering children to tell their own stories. "This is not just a story of chaos but a story of victory, laughter, family, and community. A story of people in need but who are also happy, strong, and powerful." Apochi shares how his personal experiences have profoundly influenced his approach to photography and storytelling. From his humble beginnings growing up in Nigeria, the loss of his father and the strong influence of his mother, who filled their home with books and educational tools. Apochi emphasises how his mother's education was a game-changer, underscoring the critical importance of girls' education.

Joining us this week is Kelfa Kargbo, Street Child's Country Director for Sierra Leone. A veteran in the field of humanitarian work, Kelfa teamed up with Street Child CEO Tom Dannatt in 2008 to create an organisation that has fast become one of the biggest international children’s charities today. With an initial target of helping 100 children living on the streets of Makeni, they’ve gone on to transform the lives of tens of thousands of young people and families across the country giving them access to education, sustainable living and a life outside of poverty. Sierra Leone has witnessed a number of tragic events since the end of the brutal civil war - the country has endured economic hardship, Ebola, a deadly mudslide, and of course COVID. Despite the crises, Kelfa tells us, "We continue to go where the cameras don’t, we help those most in need, and we will never abandon the children."

Where do International NGO’s get their money from? What does sustainability mean, how is it impacting humanitarian aid? How can the international community keep up with the increase of global crises? Join us for ‘a Conversation with Street Child’ with Sam Ryder, international journalist and part of the Global Communications team, as we generate discussions which affect one of the world’s fastest growing children’s charities. Hear from local partners, front-line workers, global experts, CEOs and celebrities. Witness the powerful unity of diverse backgrounds rallying behind the same cause, to ensure all children are safe, in school and learning.