Waste to Wealth: How African Innovation is Transforming Trash into Technology | Dr. Ben Festus

Tech That Frees: African Innovation & Global Justice Jillian Alexander

50 million people are trapped in modern slavery today. To meet the UN's 2030 eradication goal, we would need to free 10,000 people every single day for the next decade. In the UK alone, over 23,000 potential victims were referred to authorities in 2025 a 22% increase and the highest number ever recorded. Across Africa, 7 million people live in modern slavery, with children accounting for a devastating 62% of identified victims. This is not a history lesson. It is happening right now. In this episode of Discovering Africa Through Technology, host Raziah Quallatein Mwawanga sits down with Jillian Alexander a scholar with five degrees across sociology, human rights, criminology, and law who left the boardroom for the frontlines. Starting as a volunteer walking alongside survivors, Jillian built something radically different: Unbound Organisation, a coaching-led, strengths-based, tech-enabled social enterprise designed not to rescue people, but to unlock their own power to rebuild. We explore the five pillars of the Unbound framework Unlock, Unlearn, Unfold, Uplift, and Unbound and ask: How does technology help a survivor move from trauma to autonomy? We also issue a challenge. The UK's Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner warns that criminals now use AI and digital platforms to "recruit, groom and control victims at scale." If technology is being weaponised to trap people, then technology must be part of the solution to set them free. This episode is a call to the builders: developers, business owners, policymakers, and investors. Not pity. Partnership. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." Discovering Africa Through Technology  cutting through the noise to celebrate the visionaries building solutions from the ground up. https://www.instagram.com/discoverafrdatt/ discoveringafricadatt@gmail.com

Waste to Wealth: How African Innovation is Transforming Trash into Technology | Dr. Ben Festus

What if the waste we throw away every day could build industries, create jobs, and power Africa’s future? In this powerful episode of Discovering Africa Thru Technology, we are joined by Dr. Ben Festus a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Nanoengineering and Advanced Materials (CeNAM), University of Johannesburg; Acting Director of Research and Development at Federal Polytechnic Ede, Nigeria; and Convener of the Centre for Advanced Materials and Development. This episode dives deep into waste to wealth innovation, sustainable engineering, and the circular economy in Africa revealing how everyday waste can be transformed into high value materials, industrial products, and scalable business opportunities. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why waste is not useless but untapped wealth How agro-waste (like coconut husks) can become durable industrial materials Why Africa must shift from importing goods to building local industries How e-waste recycling can produce battery materials and lab-grade resources Scalable solutions for SMEs, startups, and local manufacturing The innovation behind CoolTech a smart vaccine cooling carrier How local techniques + modern science can drive climate smart industrialisation Why this is more than research but a movement for Africa’s economic transformation This episode is perfect for: Engineers | Entrepreneurs | Startups | Policymakers | Sustainability professionals | Students | Anyone interested in African innovation, green technology, and climate solutions Key topics covered: Waste to wealth | Circular economy | Sustainable engineering | Green technology | Agro-waste recycling | E-waste innovation | African industrialisation | Clean technology | Materials science | Local manufacturing | Climate change solutions Tune in to discover how Africa can turn waste into opportunity and lead the future of sustainable innovation.

Breathe Easy: How Tech and AI Are Transforming Lung Cancer Care in Kenya

Cancer is rising — Tech can turn the tide. Join us as we explore how Technology and & AI are Transforming Lung Cancer Care in Kenya With Dr. Elias Melly the CEO of the National Cancer Institute of Kenya & LAA-MEA Chapter Steering Committee Member. Did you know that 44,000 people are annually diagonised with cancer in Kenya 32,000 people die of Cancer Annually 92% cancer patients die annually There is a 5% survival rate for Cancer 90% of people diagnised with Lung Cancer dont smoke and not secondary smokers Your environment and upbringing can affect your genetic make up regardless of your race Join us to hear inspiring research, policy, information, advocacy and investment advice can reduce the burden of rising cancer. Dr Elias explores Targetted interventions and leveraging on technology to treat patients with targetted interventions get better outcomes with minimal side effects. Strategy Early detection, proper diagnosis, treatement and after care treatment, using Ai Powerered High Resolution X Rays, community engargement, intergrated screening programs and information are game changers in the fight against Lung Cancer. Dr Elias Melly NCI Twitter: @ncikenyaNCI Instagram: @nci_kenyaNCI LinkedIn: @National Cancer Institute of KenyaNCI Facebook: @National Cancer Institute of KenyaTwitter: @DrEliasMellyLinkedIn: @Dr. Elias Melly, M.DInstagram: Dr_EliasMelly Follow us on Twitter: @discoverAfrDATT Instagram:@discoverAfrDATT Facebook:discoverAfrDATT LinkedIn:@discoverAfrDATT Email: discoveringafricadatt@gmailcom

The Wisdom of Lived Experience: A Doctor's Journey through Cancer and Back

🌸 This Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A Story of Resilience & Transformation Meet Dr Sarah Jennifer Maongezi, Project Lead for the East Africa Comprehensive Women’s Cancer Project, a seasoned physician and public health specialist from Tanzania whose life took an unexpected turn. She had the textbooks. She had the solutions. Then she became the case study. One small lump on her breast transformed her overnight from advocate to patient, from protector to survivor. In this powerful episode, Dr Maongezi shares her personal journey: the fear, the diagnosis, the fight, and the victory. But she didn’t stop there. Her battle lit a spark for change, turning her story of survival into a national and regional campaign to raise awareness, drive early detection, and challenge the status quo for women’s cancer in East Africa. Join us for an intimate conversation about courage, purpose and hope. If you’ve ever wondered how one life’s shift can change many others, tune in and be inspired. What We’ll Explore 1. A powerful message for women about listening to their bodies. 2. Turn your story to a weapon of power, refuse defeat 3. How a clinician becomes the patient and what she learned along the way. 4. The Urgency of Breast Cancer Screening and Early Detection in Tanzania and the Wider Region. 5. Building a campaign: leveraging personal story, public health policy, partnerships and community advocacy. 6. How to move from surviving to thriving. 7. How and Why every woman’s voice matters. Whether you’re a health professional, a survivor, a supporter or simply curious about advocacy and change making, this episode invites you into one woman’s brave journey and the movement she now leads. CALL TO ACTION 1. LISTEN. Hear Dr. Maongezi's full, inspiring story and let her journey remind you of the power of resilience. 2. SHARE. Amplify this critical message. Share this with the women in your life your mothers, sisters, friends, and colleagues. You never know whose life it might change. 3. ACT For your health: Commit to a self-exam. Schedule that check-up you've been postponing. Listen to your body it's your most important advocate. For your community: Start the conversation. Break the silence around women's cancers in your circles. 4. JOIN THE MOVEMENT. Follow Dr. Maongezi's work and help turn awareness into action in East Africa and beyound. Turn awareness into action, message of hope and proactive health. #DrSarahMaongezi #BreastCancerAwareness #SurvivorStory #EastAfrica #EarlyDetection #WomensHealth #Tanzania #Podcast #AwarenessIntoAction

The Unspoken Reality of Cancer Surgery in Tanzania

A Surgeon's Story: Fighting Cancer with Courage and Compassion in Tanzania Dr Larry Akoko MD, MMed General Surgery and Surgical Oncologist Associate Professor at MUHAS Prepare to meet a man who is not only a skilled surgeon but a beacon of hope for his nation. Behind every statistic is a human face.Behind every surgery, a story of courage. This #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, we are privileged to share the experiences of Dr. Larry Akoko, a Tanzanian Oncologist whose hands and heart are dedicated to the fight against cancer. He shares: The hard truths about late-stage diagnosis. The profound challenges and how he overcomes them. The complexities of performing life-saving cancer surgery. The resilience of his patients and the dedicated medical teams. The moments of triumph that fuel his mission. His vision for building a stronger oncology framework in Tanzania. What the world needs to know and how we can help. This is more than a talk; it's a call to action. Call to Action: Show your support for global healthcare heroes. #MeetTheExpert#HumanStory #Oncology #BreastCancerSurgeon #Tanzania #HealthcareHeroes #PatientCare #CompassionateCare #PinkOctober #EarlyDetectionSavesLives #CancerAwareness#BreastCancer #GlobalSurgery #Oncology #PublicHealth #Tanzania #HealthcareAccess #MedicalImpact #Surgeon #FightCancer