Queer voices & visibility in hostile times

Inside Kenya's revolutionary school for teenage mothers

Two years after her first visit, host Lisa LaFlamme returns to the Greenland School for Teenage Mothers in rural Kenya to witness an extraordinary transformation. What began with 70 students has grown to over 200 young mothers and their babies, spread across seven schools nationwide. Co-directors Purity Sekikunda and Samuel Mokiliya share how a simple newspaper article, written by a journalist trained through Journalists for Human Rights, sparked a movement that's changing lives across the country.  We also hear from Greenland student Seraphina, who made a 12-hour bus journey with her 4-month-old son after seeing the school featured in the news. Once too shy to speak, she's now the top student in her class while raising 3-year-old Lemuel, proving that teenage pregnancy doesn't have to mean the end of dreams and every girl deserves a second chance at education.

In South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, one man takes on the digital frontline

In this episode of the JHR Podcast, host Lisa LaFlamme travels to Juba, South Sudan with Journalists for Human Rights to meet the man everyone calls when digital disaster strikes: Nelson Kwaje. From battling life-threatening disinformation to helping victims of online abuse reclaim their accounts and their dignity, Nelson is the force behind South Sudan’s most trusted digital safety tools, 211 Check and SafetyComm. Whether it’s a hacked account, a viral lie or an attempt to silence women online, the answer is always: "Call Nelson".  This is a story about the extraordinary impact of one man’s mission to protect information and lives in the world’s youngest country.

Queer voices & visibility in hostile times

In this special Pride Month episode recorded live at the Allied Music Centre, host Lisa LaFlamme joins Kenyan journalist/activist Kevin Mwachiro and Xtra Magazine Managing Editor Tara-Michelle Ziniuk for a powerful conversation about LGBTQ2S+ media representation across continents. With honesty and humour, they explore media’s role in shaping public understanding of LGBTQ2S+ rights -- examining where it falls short, how it can do better and why that progress matters. From their personal journeys of growing up queer in Kenya and Canada, to the challenges of telling LGBTQ2S+ stories in countries where same-sex relationships are still criminalized, the conversation unpacks the real-world impact of anti-queer rhetoric. They also highlight the importance of celebrating queer joy and resistance beyond trauma narratives. This episode is brought to you by CUPE, NAV Canada and TD Bank.

Uncovering South Sudan’s toxic truths

In this episode of the JHR podcast, Lisa LaFlamme speaks with award-winning investigative journalist Maura Ajak in Juba, South Sudan. Maura shares the story behind her powerful BBC documentary Poisoned Floods [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dg-0ik1NKM], which exposes the devastating impact of oil pollution in Unity State’s Bento displacement camp where contaminated soil and water have led to severe health crises, including birth defects. At great personal risk, Maura brought global attention to a story many would rather ignore. She reflects on what it took to report from the front lines, the emotional toll of the work and the family roots that shaped her career. This conversation is a masterclass in courage, resilience and journalism’s critical role in defending human rights.

Kenya’s Femicide Crisis: Stories, Data and Solutions

On a recent trip to Nairobi, Lisa LaFlamme sat down with journalists Patricia Andago, lead researcher for the Silencing Women Project that has tracked femicide in Kenya since 2016, and Janet Mbugua, a renowned media personality, host of Fixing the Nation, and founder of the Inua Dada Foundation. Together, they painted a stark picture of Kenya’s ongoing fight against femicide. In 2024, the country recorded its deadliest year for women. And 2025 is on a similar trajectory. Protests have forced the crisis into the headlines, but what happens next? Awareness must lead to action, from challenging the normalization of misogyny and dismantling victim-blaming culture to strengthening safety mechanisms and ensuring government funds are properly allocated. The fight for justice is just getting started.