Ekasi Podcast

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Ekasi Podcast, host Julian Mashingaidze welcomes Oluwatosin Oludayo, a seasoned business analyst, mentor, and respected thought leader in the world of business analysis. With an academic background in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Edinburgh Business School, Oluwatosin has built an impressive career across major public-sector institutions, including the Scottish Government and the London Borough of Hillingdon. He now steps into a...

Send us Fan Mail Today on Ekasi Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Muturi Njeri, a creative entrepreneur, researcher, and educator with a passion for design, storytelling, and development. Muturi is the Founder and Chief Designer of Thriving Fig Studio, an independent creative studio working at the intersection of education, design, and storytelling. With over a decade of experience across finance, education, and talent development, he has played key roles in both large organizations and sta...

Send us Fan Mail Joining us on the Ekasi Podcast is Elizabeth Njambi, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Mastercard Foundation Scholar pursuing an MSc in Africa and International Development at the University of Edinburgh. Passionate about justice, education, and sustainable development, she is the founder of the Wakili.sha Initiative, a Kenyan organisation dedicated to promoting access to justice and education for children in conflict with the law. With over four years of exp...

Send us Fan Mail Phenny Omondi is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar whose academic journey reflects her deep commitment to sustainable agriculture and climate action. She earned a BSc in Agricultural Engineering from EARTH University in Costa Rica, where she developed a strong foundation in agronomy and sustainability, and later pursued an MSc in International Development at the University of Edinburgh. These experiences not only broadened her global perspective but also shaped her vision for r...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the launch of the 4th season of the Ekasi Podcast, we are excited to welcome Faithy Ngaira, the current Recruitment Coordinator at the Mastercard Foundation, @The University of Edinburgh. Faithy is an International Development professional, passionate about advancing education, gender equity, and opportunities for displaced and marginalised communities. Faithy currently leads the recruitment for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinbu...

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Send us Fan Mail In this episode Keitu Malatsi from the University of British Columbia in Canada comes to tell us of her experiences as an African student in a Canadian setting. We discuss on the mechanics of tokenism, the curium as well as tips for scholars navigating being a minority, so do tune in for a fun ride. Executive Producer: Julian Mashingaidze Music: Ifeanyichukwo Ezinmadu and Fraser MacDonald Editing: Henry Anumudu Support the show

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Send us Fan Mail In an interesting discussion with by Njoki Mburu a Kenyan alumni from the University of British Columbia we unpack the role of people and nature. We are leaving in the anthropocene and the reality of climate change. Topics such as the indigenous Canadian community, work in Kenya and the philosophical question of whether we are a part of nature are Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The third season of the Ekasi Season is kicking off. We will be speaking about our world today and some of the challenges that we are facing. Hosted by Julian Mashingaidze tune in for a myriad of Mastercard Scholar stories on how we plan to deal with issues such as mental health, climate change, social justice and so much. So stay posted in tune in! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Perspective shifting as a tool for social progress is what underpins Tumi and Tanatsei’s huge body of work both within and beyond their university life. Nigerian-born Oluwatumilara (Tumi) Akeke is a Mastercard Foundation scholar at the University of Edinburgh focusing on Biomedical studies. She has founded two non-profit organizations – Oncoreality which seeks to inspire conversations that would not only raise awareness about cancer but also protects the mental he...

Send us Fan Mail What does the fight for equality and the push for women empowerment look like in the African context? Tune in to this episode to listen to our hosts engage Irene Kinyanguli and Moneera Yassien on this pertinent topic among many other issues including their personal inspiration figures, the challenges faced in their quest for women empowerment and nuggets of wisdom obtained from their leadership journey. Having recently graduated from the University of ...

Send us Fan Mail Hammed Kayode and Lawrence Adjei – Giving back to the Community Once one learns how to read and write, then they have all the fundamental prerequisites for success - Hammed Kayode Hammed Kayode (Nigeria) and Lawrence Adjei (Ghana) are passionate educators keen to change the education space not just in the western region of Africa but across the continent. Kayode, a postgraduate Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Edinburgh is...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, our hosts engage Elyse Uwimpaye and Racheal Lawrence in an intimate conversation about their journey towards self-improvement while pursuing the goal of being agents of positive change in their communities. Elyse, originally from Rwanda, is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Edinburgh in his final year of Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Additionally, he is a published author of a motivational book titled ‘Soaring above L...

Send us Fan Mail The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled - Plutarch Benita Gaju Rutagarama, an adjudicator and contributing trainer/coach at IDebate Rwanda did not realize her passion for debate until when her then mentor suggested to her that she should give it a try. Successfully suppressing her initial resistance to the idea and overcoming the deep-seated fear of speaking in front of large groups of people, she went in on it and the rest was history.&nb...

Send us Fan Mail Man’s search for meaning is more pressing an issue particularly when the winds of life cast him into the darkest moment(s) of his existence. Such was the case with Mostafa Olwan when he fled Syria for Lebanon with nothing but his family. Thrust into a new environment (with difference in language and culture) and with the baggage from the Syrian civil war that was accompanied by loss of friends and other important connections, Mostafa was keen to not just make sense of...

Send us Fan Mail Shufaa Hame, a Tanzanian Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the American University of Beirut is keen to transform the education landscape in her country of origin through her two non-profit ventures – MSINGI-ELIMU and KITUO-SHULE. Growing up in a single-parent household, Shufaa saw her mother continuously struggle to avail the necessary education opportunities for her. Now in a position of relative privilege and having been greatly influenced by the women who were a con...

Send us Fan Mail Armed with three certified academic degrees – an undergraduate in accounting and two postgraduates in supply chain management and digital global education, Ghanaian Godsway Dorlah is keen to use technology in not just disrupting Africa’s perspective on agriculture but also revolutionizing the continent’s agrarian practices. Tune in to listen to Dorlah speak to our hosts about blockchain, leapfrogging, innovation in the agricultural field, the formation of his ground-br...

Send us Fan Mail “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” This simple truism is the mantra that has guided most of the choices that Nour Al Halabi has made in her journey of sustainable and impactful leadership Currently pursuing an MSc in Anthropology at the American University of Beirut under the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship, Nour strongly believes in the power of storytelling as a gateway for effecting change in the local Lebanese communities. Tune...

Send us Fan Mail Meet our hosts Geofrey Njovu and Julian Mashingaidze as they introduce Community Heroes - the second season of the Ekasi Podcast. After a successful debut season, Edinburgh Firsts, the podcast is back bigger and better! It features a more diverse range of guests and conversations. Our hosts sat down with incredible young people to understand what is at the core of their motivation. We have guests from Edinburgh University, Arizona State University, Science Po and...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to a special episode of Ekasi Podcast. This is a bonus episode in recognition of Black History Month . The conversation features Ayanda Ngobeni, Brindley Fortuin and Dr Pumla Madikizela who explore issues of micro-aggressions against people of colour in modern day society and how that relates to the past. They delve into a deep analysis of the aggressions that happened during the gruesome times of apartheid South Africa along with the scars left on both the vict...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the eighth episode of Ekasi’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts – Julian and Geofrey engage in a profound conversation with two guests – Daniel and Omar. At present, Daniel Mutia is an Electronics and Electrical Engineer in his final undergraduate year at the University of Edinburgh. Omar Kanyi, on the other hand, double majors in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the same university. Daniel is from Kenya while Omar is from The Gambia. Both of them ar...

Send us Fan Mail Thank you for tuning in. This week on episode 7 of Ekasi’s debut season is a lively discussion between three students; our hosts, Julian Mashingaidze and Geofrey Njovu along with our guest Cosmo Mwamwembe, who is a Chemical Engineering student, and an Edinburgh University lecturer in the Energy, Environment and Society Department, Dr Kirsten Jenkins. They discuss their first time being assessed academically at university and the surprises that came with, and the methods of le...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the sixth episode of Ekasi’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts – Julian and Geofrey sit down and chat with Vivianne Goetz and Quincy Namonje. Vivianne, who is from Switzerland, is an Agricultural Science major. Quincy, from Zambia, is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar studying Economics with Finance at the University of Edinburgh. In this deep yet lively conversation, our guests reminisce upon their arrival at the University of Edinburgh. They not only take us...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the fifth episode of Ekasi Podcast’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts - Julian Mashingaidze and Geofrey Njovu - have an insightful conversation on what the seemingly simple word of home means to Professor Peter Mathieson who is the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and Johanna Holtan who is the Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh. Professor Peter Mathieson and Johanna Holta...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 4: First Time Exploring Edinburgh – Blossom Kafumbata and Esther Mndeme. Welcome to the fourth episode of Ekasi’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts – Julian and Geofrey – engage Blossom and Esther in a vibrant conversation as they relive their experiences of getting lost and found as new international students in the city of Edinburgh. Both of our guests are recipients of the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at the University of Edinburgh. Blossom is pursuing ...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 3: First Day of Class – Christopher Kuamba and Brenda Mioniki. Welcome to the third episode of Ekasi Podcast’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts (Geofrey and Julian) engage two student guests in a reflective conversation about their first day of class and the expectations they had about the University of Edinburgh. The guests are Christopher Kaumba from Zambia and Brenda Mionki from Kenya. Chris is a philosophical young man who is currently studying...

Send us Fan Mail Edited by: Geofrey Njovu Soundtrack by: Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu Episode 2: First Time Exploring Edinburgh – Martine Irakoze and Jesse Solomon Jedidia. Welcome to the first episode of Ekasi Podcast’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts (Geofrey and Julian) engage two student guests in a reflective conversation about their first time to explore the beautiful city of Edinburgh. The guests are Martine Irakoze, an international relations student at Edi...

Send us Fan Mail Edited by: Geofrey Njovu Soundtrack by: Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu Episode 1: First Flight – Zoe Mebude and Blessing Mucherera. Welcome to the first episode of Ekasi Podcast’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts (Geofrey and Julian) engage two student guests in a reflective conversation about their first flight to the University of Edinburgh. The guests are Blessing Mucherera, an environmental development scholar from Zimbabwe and Zoe Mebude, a Zambi...

Send us Fan Mail This is the official trailer for the Ekasi Podcast season 1: Season of firsts. Our hosts, Julian Mashingaidze and Geofrey Njovu, introduce the concept behind the podcast and share a little bit about themselves and what listeners should expect from this season. "We hope to take you on an exciting journey as we take our guests back to their memories of challenges and milestones experienced as they navigated a different system and way of life." Edited by: Geofrey Nj...