In this episode of Speaking Through My World, Rosie Motene turns the spotlight on Sudan, a country whose ongoing war and humanitarian crisis remain underreported and overshadowed. While the world rightly raises its voice against the genocide in Palestine, it is equally urgent to keep Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in our global conversations on war, displacement, and justice.

Rosie is joined by filmmaker Zahra Hayder, director of the powerful documentary Sitahen, produced by Waey Organization. Sitahen (meaning The Lady) amplifies the voices of six Sudanese women who fled their homes, endured dangerous terrains, and now live in the Kiryandongo refugee camp in Uganda. Despite unimaginable hardship, they share stories of survival, faith, and their dream of rebuilding Sudan.

Together, Rosie and Zahra unpack the making of the film, the challenges of producing under the weight of war, the absence of psycho-social support for displaced communities, and the resilience of womxn who hold onto hope for a free Sudan.

This episode is a call to awareness and solidarity — reminding us that womxn’s voices are not just stories of survival, but blueprints for healing, resistance, and justice.

In this episode of Speaking Through My World, titled “Conversations on the Spirituality of the Land, Women, and Reclaiming What Is Ours,” we journey deep into the soil, into our roots, and into the enduring wisdom the land holds for us as African people.

My guest is the remarkable Michelle Festus, a powerful voice in the land justice movement. Michelle has worked extensively on land rights, policy, and advocacy, ensuring that the historical dispossession of African people, particularly women remains at the centre of our struggles for justice. Beyond legal frameworks and activism, Michelle embodies a profound spiritual connection to the land, one that calls us to remember, reclaim, and heal.

In our conversation, Michelle shares her journey of learning to listen to the land, reclaiming ancestral rights and heritage, and nurturing connection. She reflects on the inspirations, challenges, and vulnerabilities that have shaped her path, offering listeners insight into the courage and care required to work intimately with the land.
This episode is a meditation on ancestral wisdom, reclamation, and the transformative power of the land, and an invitation to engage with the world and our heritage, with awareness, reverence, and responsibility.

Connect with Michelle Festus: https://www.instagram.com/michellefestus/

Learn more about Aba Te Farm: https://www.instagram.com/aba.te.home/

In this episode, I sit down with Frankie Murrey, the heart and programme coordinator behind the Open Book Festival, a space that, since 2011, has created room for brave, bold, and necessary conversations through literature.

We explore the festival’s beginnings, its evolution, and the critical funding crisis it now faces. Frankie speaks with passion and clarity about what’s at stake, not just for Open Book, but for the future of South African literary culture as a whole.

This conversation is both a reflection on what’s been built and a call to action for what must be protected. If you believe in the power of stories, cultural spaces, and collective imaginatio, this one is for you.

This episode is proudly supported by the Open Book Festival.

To support the festival’s future, visit https://openbookfestival.co.za