"If you're quiet about your pain, your pain will kill you. And someone will say that you enjoyed it, which again takes me to the fact that we must speak. Otherwise, our pain will kill us. Our pain will become a thorn. It will grow into something that we cannot control and we shall die."

Writing is an Act of Activism – Hilda Twongyeirwe

On Inspiring Open podcast this week, our guest is Hilda Twongyeirewe. Hilda describes herself as a feminist and women’s activist, traits she discovered at an early age when she found herself always in trouble defending women being unfairly treated in taxis, markets, classrooms and other public spaces. She is a literary activist and an independent writing development consultant focusing on fiction and social development issues, especially to do with gender. She enjoys working in safe spaces that allow African women the liberty to share their often difficult stories. 

As a founding member of FEMRITE, she initiated the Residency for African Women Writers, which is currently one of the most sought-after women’s writing programmes in Africa. Hilda Twongyeirwe is from Uganda and has published creative and non-fiction works in different anthologies and journals. She is a National Medalist whose work in the literature sector has covered programmes in development, advocacy, evaluation and organisational development.

Mulenga Kapwepwe is an award-winning author and playwright. Mukenga’s creativity was encouraged by her father, former vice president of Zambia, Simon Kapwepwe who was an author himself. She began writing her own plays early on in her career with a lack of formal theatre education. Mulenga’s passion is preserving the history and culture of her people. 

In 2016, she co-founded the Zambian Museum of women’s history, an initiative to spotlight Zambian women who have contributed to the country’s traditional and contemporary history. She believes African proverbs are life hacks, and so should be preserved and passed on to generations. Mulenga sits on many boards and chairs many art and literary institutions in Zambia. She also owns a football academy for women, some of whom have gone on to play for the Zambian women’s football team.

"The best thing in life is the air we breathe and is so open, it is cheap, it is free. It is there for everyone. And that is why we are surviving God in all His wisdom. Give us that. Okay, so why are we so myopic and narrow minded?"

Nigerian Professor Agbu is a laureate of the Institute of Open Leadership and holds an International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) Chair in OER and is a board member of Open Education Global. 

Prof Jane-Frances describes herself as a therapist who uses an open ethos to heal the world around her. Her need to be open in her work is rooted in the love and guidance she received from her mother and people in her life she describes as her significant others. She strives to pass this love on, making the lives of others better in multiple and important ways. Prof Jane-Frances has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Lagos. Her journey towards open education started in 2006 when she joined the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). She rose through the ranks and earned her professorship. She is a laureate of Institute of Open Leadership, holds an International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and a Board member of Directors, Open Education Global. In October 2021, she joined the Commonwealth of Learning as Adviser: Higher Education. Despite her many accomplishments, it was only when COVID-19 changed learning in traditional universities, did her colleagues in the Nigeria Psychology Association begin to understand the value of open education. 

After years of cynically referring to her as “that lady from that Open University” at conferences, they suddenly took note of the groundwork she laid for them and the name Prof Jane-Frances became one all turned to for assistance. 

This is her story, and it is one filled with light, love and laughter.

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Your host is Betty Kankam-Boadu. Inspiring Open from Wiki Loves Women is powered by the Wiki In Africa’s team. Subscribe to be part of the Wikimedia community and understand how Wikipedia and her Sister projects can solve some of our more pressing issues.

Find out more about Inspiring Open here: podcast.wikiloveswomen.org

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Music: High Funk by Crowander (www.crowander.com) CC-BY-NC 4.0.

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Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah – Inviting Pleasure into Your Life

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is an advocate for African women’s sexuality and sexual pleasure. She is a writer working across genres, including creative nonfiction, short stories and essays. She is the author of The Sex Lives of African Women, a book which celebrates African women’s journey towards sexual liberation. Nana is the co-founder of Adventures From The Bedrooms Of African Women, an award-winning website, podcast and festival that publishes and creates content that tells stories of African women’s experiences around sex, sexualities and pleasure. Her short stories have been published in It Wasn’t Exactly Love, and The Ports And Other Stories, The Guardian, Open Democracy and Essence have published articles and opinion editorials. Nana is a huge advocate of pleasure and wants everybody to open up to pleasurable experiences.

Where history meets technology: the importance of Heritage and Digital Citizenship

After the 2011 Arab spring in Tunisia, Emna Mizouni and her team realised that there was little to no information about the rich culture and heritage of their country, and that needed fixing.

Emna’s love for technology, history and monuments is what birthed Carthagina, an organisation that works to document Tunisian history and heritage for future generations, as well as promote that rich Tunisian culture worldwide.

She is also the co-founder of Digital Citizenship, an initiative and consultancy for the digital inclusion of women and girls. Emna is an advocate for open culture and open knowledge, a community leader in the Wikimedia Movement globally.

She is well known for her contributions to several international entities focusing on human rights and technology, and we are honoured to have her as a guest on Inspiring Open.

The Price of Speaking Truth to Power – Nana Ama Agyemang Asante

Nana Ama Agyemang Asante was once the most abused female public figure in Ghana. As a journalist covering politics, gender and business, Nana Ama has been speaking truth to power and holding governments accountable for years. She has provided the much-needed feminist perspective on national issues and debates on radio. Even though she loves what she does, her high profile and feminist views have opened her up to incessant abuse and made her one of the most targeted female radio hosts in Ghana. That’s not stopped her from using her platforms to fight for the oppressed. Nana Ama is a fellow at the Reuters Institute of Journalism at the University of Oxford and the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington DC. Her most recent work was the Ghanaian Women Expert project, which tracked the number of women experts interviewed in Ghanaian media.

Administrative Justice as a Tool for Change – Helen Turvey

This week on Inspiring Open we have Helen Turvey – CEO of the Shuttleworth Foundation, a small social investor that provides funding to dynamic leaders who are leading social change. Helen vacationed in South Africa and, like many others, fell in love with the country and its people. This love affair led to her working with the Shuttleworth Foundation for two decades. 

She has a truly internationalist perspective and has developed the Foundation from a South African residential programme to one that encompasses dozens of lifelong fellows from the West to the Middle East. Helen has moved the Foundation from traditional funding methods towards a fellowship model of co-investment and collaboration with potential leaders of change. Her 20 years of experience working with international NGOs and agencies has given Helen a deep-rooted understanding of where philanthropy goes wrong and how it needs to change. She is a big advocate of openness and administrative justice as integral tools to democratise philanthropy and improve education and economies everywhere in the world.