Best Freetown Podcasts (2024)

1
Freetown Christiania 43:40

23h ago43:40

43:40

In 1971, a group of squatters took over an abandoned military base just across the harbor from downtown Copenhagen, Denmark. They created a a politically autonomous anarchist zone -- in other words, a commune -- with its own flag, marching band, and consensus-driven governance process, and they decided to call their community Christiania. The thous…

1
Christiania bonus episode 22:53

23h ago22:53

22:53

In the course of reporting my documentary about Freetown Christiania -- Copenhagen's famous anarchist commune -- for the 99% Invisible podcast, I took two trips to Denmark and recorded many hours of interviews that unfortunately ended up on the cutting room floor. In this bonus episode of Far From Home, I present some of the highlights as well as s…

1
Season 4 Trailer 1:48

8d ago1:48

1:48

In this era of wars, conflicts, and polarized politics, talking to strangers has never been more important. A new season of episodes launches Tuesday, October 8th. (Thanks to Ali Lemer for editorial support) On Far From Home, award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian documents fascinating stories from far-flung places like Iran, Chernobyl,…

1
Finding the Right Words 34:23

1M ago34:23

34:23

South African spelling bee champion, Nonhlanhla Mashabana, faces her greatest challenge to date: her final year of high school and the precarious and uncertain transition to higher education. There's a lot standing in her way: growing up poor in post-Apartheid South Africa, the weight of carrying the family's hopes of a better life, and the fear of…

1
Kenya Rose 22:27

3M ago22:27

22:27

On June 18th, thousands of young Kenyans swiftly mobilized against a proposed tax increase that would significantly raise daily living costs, particularly affecting the most vulnerable. Thousands of peaceful protestors in the streets of Nairobi were soon met with a violent response from police. Reports indicate 39 people were killed, with countless…

1
Revisiting How to Hire a President 24:43

4M ago24:43

24:43

Many young South Africans weren't sure who to vote for ahead of South Africa's elections in late May. But, many of them told us they wanted new leadership. The results of the election reveal that uncertainty as no one party won a clear majority. In fact, the African National Congress will have to create a coalition government for the first time in …

1
A Mother's Letter 34:45

5M ago34:45

34:45

Rihanna was just 19 years old when she was arrested for being trans in Uganda. It was 2014. She spent 9 months in prison - an ordeal that tore a rift between her and her God-fearing mother. In this episode, we hear how her arrest radically changed the course of their lives - and how Rihanna’s mom unexpectedly became a staunch ally. This is the seco…

1
How to Hire a President 22:02

5M ago22:02

22:02

Young South Africans are confused about who to vote for. This year, there are dozens of parties to choose from on the ballot paper. But for many young voters, having lots of options doesn’t make it any easier. With a presidential election just around the corner, Radio Workshop reporter Naomi Grewan asks young people "Why?” and "How are you going to…

1
Not Enough Sun 22:19

6M ago22:19

22:19

It was May of 2023 and Musana was on a romantic getaway in Kenya with her girlfriend. It quickly turned somber when Uganda's President, Yoweri Museveni, signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act into law. Now what? Should Musana make a new life in Kenya or risk returning home? On the one-year anniversary of the Act, Musana reflects on her decision. This is…

1
Eclipse Chaser 21:14

6M ago21:14

21:14

After missing the opportunity to see the last total solar eclipse in the United States back in 2017, I decided to add this experience to my bucket list and vowed I would do whatever it takes to see an eclipse in the future. A few weeks ago, I got my chance. Joined by my brother Drew and his friends Jeremy and Claire, I drove up to the woods of nort…

1
When the Sky Sets Alight 6:56

7M ago6:56

6:56

Our last episode was a World Radio Day special. We asked our listeners to send us their love letters for the medium. This month, we’ve got a little bonus love letter for you: When a national emergency strikes in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ruth Omar and her family turn on the radio to help them navigate the confusion.…

1
Dear Radio... 30:12

8M ago30:12

30:12

This episode is a celebration of 100 years of radio on the African continent. Radio is our beloved grandmother. Our lifeline. And to honour her, we asked friends in Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda to share their best radio memories with us. Little love letters in sound…By Copyright © 2021-2023 Radio Workshop

1
Superhero IRL 16:14

9M ago16:14

16:14

Tricia Mpisi is a Congolese-South African writer, actress and content creator with a passion for stories. Superhero stories to be exact. And like most superhero stories, Tricia's life is also marked by tragedy. With TikTok as her unlikely sidekick, Tricia is finding her voice, facing her grief and defeating the ultimate villain: shame.…

1
Episode 3 - Juliohs Siza 17:27

9M ago17:27

17:27

“Padi dem, kohntri, una ohl wey dey na Rom”. This is a Krio translation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines. Sierra Leone has a powerful tradition of poetry, song, and plays. In 1963, a playwright translated one of Shakepeare’s most complex works into Krio, Sierra Leone’s local language, in a defiant attempt to prove the worth and depth of Si…

1
Trailer - Salone Stories 2:06

9M ago2:06

2:06

Trailer - Salone Stories Sierra Leone looks like a sleeping lion. Soaring from Africa’s Atlantic coast, Sierra Leone symbolises the modern African continent: conscious of the past and inspired by the future. Presented by legendary playwright Charlie Haffner, this new podcast series adapts an ancient oral tradition to explore the personalities, plac…

1
Episode 1 - The Cotton Tree 15:45

9M ago15:45

15:45

Many countries have an iconic building. Sierra Leone had an iconic tree. The giant cotton tree which stood in the heart of Sierra Leone’s capital symbolised the country’s origins as a haven for freed slaves. Until the day it fell in 2023 it was regarded by locals as having mystical powers. In this episode (which was recorded before the tree came do…

1
Episode 4 - Geraldo Pino and The Heartbeats 15:31

9M ago15:31

15:31

African music has never been more popular. Selling out stadia from Lagos to London to LA, Africa’s top artists are slick, stylish and social-media savvy. But there is another story: the risk to more precarious local music traditions in an age of Spotify and smartphones. In this episode, Charlie Haffner listens to the distinctive Salone soundtrack a…

1
Episode 5 - Bruno the Chimpanzee 15:35

9M ago15:35

15:35

A chimpanzee’s daring escape from a sanctuary near Freetown in 2006 captured the imagination of Sierra Leone. Almost twenty years later, Bruno remains in the wild, with an almost mythical status, seen by many as a symbol of Sierra Leone’s fiercely free spirit. In this episode, Charlie Haffner visits Sierra Leone’s steaming green rainforest to learn…

1
Episode 2 - “High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free” 14:01

9M ago14:01

14:01

Sierra Leone became independent in 1961. As Independence Day approached, soldiers polished their boots, lawyers drafted a constitution, and two men wrote what would become Sierra Leone’s new anthem. In this episode, Charlie Haffner listens to “High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free” and uses it to chart Sierra Leone’s journey as a sovereign nation. …

1
Episode 6 - The Athens of West Africa 16:09

9M ago16:09

16:09

Fourah Bay College has produced some of Africa’s most influential thinkers and leaders. It has also given Freetown an enduring nickname. Though the college struggled during Sierra Leone’s civil war, today it is leading a resurgent culture of learning and innovation. In the final episode in the series, Charlie Haffner wanders around campus and consi…

1
Bookish 23:54

10M ago23:54

23:54

Sleep deprivation, hallucinations, and a pesky clock - that’s what Nigerian teacher John Obot has to deal with during his Guinness World Record attempt. But with nearly 5 million online viewers and over 20,000 in-person spectators, John will push himself to his limits... and beyond.By Copyright © 2021-2023 Radio Workshop

1
Every Country Without Flying 49:09

10M ago49:09

49:09

Thor Pedersen always felt like he was born too late. He grew up in a world where other people had already done most of the amazing things, like venturing to the North and South Poles, climbing the highest mountains, following the longest rivers, and exploring the depths of the deepest seas. But in 2013, at the age of 34, he discovered one record th…

1
Love Is a Conversation 19:36

11M ago19:36

19:36

Nigerian audio producer, Mo Isu, suffers from severe anxiety. It’s gotten so bad that he thinks it might be time to get some professional help. But is that something his stern, old-school father would approve of? Mo decides to face his fears by having a tough conversation...By Copyright © 2021-2023 Radio Workshop

1
Freetown to Pennsylvania with Kadrick Conteh 33:34

11M ago33:34

33:34

We're going visual cultured viewers! I present to you Kadrick who was born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He then moved to the UK in middle school where he experienced winter blues, middle school identity crisis and more. He ends up in the US and expresses the culture shock was that there was no culture shock, the fact he had gone to the US …

1
Cotonou to Montreal with Peace Marietta 44:46

12M ago44:46

44:46

Welcome back to a new episode cultured viewers. This week we welcome Peace Mariette on the podcast. She was born in Benin then moved to the US (Maryland), followed by Senegal and now she's living in Canada. In this episode we talk about the culture shock and bullying she experienced while living in the US. We talk about making friends as a third cu…

1
We’re on NPR! Listen to This Coal Life 30:40

1y ago30:40

30:40

On 17 September our episode “This Coal Life” was featured on National Public Radio’s daily news podcast Up First. The Sunday Story, hosted by Ayesha Roscoe, featured the Radio Workshop story that explores how the Skhosana family is going to cope with South Africa's transition to renewable energy. The Skhosanas live a modest yet comfortable life in …

1
Accra to Dakar with Kofi Baffour 36:52

1y ago36:52

36:52

This week we welcome Kofi on the podcast. Simply retain Kofi is a Pan African. He has lived in multiple places such as Ghana, Cameroon, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Senegal, US, India, UK and more. Where does he feel most at home? On African soil. In this episode we uncover some of the funniest, tough and best experiences he's had along his journey. Let us …

1
To Vote or Not to Vote in Zimbabwe 18:30

1y ago18:30

18:30

Young people in Zimbabwe are torn. Not just about who to vote for, but whether or not they’ll vote at all. Zimbabweans head to the polls on August 23rd 2023. It may be the first or second time young people can participate in the election of a president since the end of Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule in 2017. The coup that toppled him sparked new hope…

1
Level Up 21:09

1y ago21:09

21:09

We held an audio storytelling workshop in Cape Town, South Africa in early 2023, where nine producers from five different countries learnt how to produce a story from beginning to end in just 10 days. This episode features two stories made by new producers, Naomi Grewan from South Africa and Munirah Kaoneka from Tanzania. ‘I'm Just a Wes’ is a stor…

1
This Coal Life 29:33

1+ y ago29:33

29:33

The Skhosanas live a modest yet comfortable life in Kriel, South Africa. And they owe it all to coal. In fact, their family has worked in this industry for generations. But, now, the entire energy sector in South Africa is set to be rewired. Renewable energy will replace coal in a transition intended to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, while a…

1
Dublin to York with David O'Leary 33:03

1+ y ago33:03

33:03

Introducing David O'Leary, a globe trotter since the age of 18. He had left is home to pursue basketball which lead him to explore Florida, Italy, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This podcast episode contains so many anecdotes occurring along his journey, paranoia, culture shocks and more. I hope you enjoy! Check out David's mobile bartending service …

1
Prison Rodeo 8:15

1+ y ago8:15

8:15

After releasing my last episode where I shared stories from my time in Oklahoma many years ago, I came across one more short radio piece in my archives that I thought some of your might enjoy. It’s about another cultural phenomenon unique to Oklahoma that I experienced: the world’s only behind-the-walls prison rodeo. Before a stadium of 9000 cheeri…

1
Sense Bod and the 2023 Elections 12:38

1+ y ago12:38

12:38

This week we sit down with IGR’s Data Manager, Gilbert Allieu, to discuss the recent creation of a digital election’s app known as Sense Bod. Sense Bod is an election’s app for smartphone users that provides a high-tech civic education platform that seeks to educate citizens on Sierra Leone’s electoral system, laws & regulations that govern the 202…

1
Listen to Me 26:54

1+ y ago26:54

26:54

Sibongile is trying to be a better friend to her colleague, who is living with bipolar disorder. Abigail desperately wants to improve her relationship with her father, but not at the cost of her mental health. And two sisters, pushed apart by a traumatic incident, find their way back to each other. These three intimate stories were produced by Radi…

1
Stories From Flyover Country 46:06

1+ y ago46:06

46:06

Two decades ago, I was just starting out as a public radio reporter, applying for literally every radio job opening I saw, and somehow I ended up getting hired by a small station in Norman, Oklahoma. Given that the culture, politics, and geography were so incredibly different from anything I’d been exposed to up to that point. moving there from my …

1
The Importance of Political Party Manifestos 26:39

1+ y ago26:39

26:39

Ahead of the 2023 elections, political parties and candidates are busy developing their party manifestos and plans on which they expect citizens to vote for them. On Tuesday, 23rd May 2023, the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party launched the People’s Manifesto in Kenema. It is expected that other political parties, including the opposition APC, wil…

1
A Crisis of Biblical Proportions 13:40

1+ y ago13:40

13:40

Climate change is already impacting billions of people worldwide. Floods. Droughts. Climate migration… The enormity of the crisis at hand can make it easy to lose sight of the individuals who are impacted. Like Grace Chileshe Chanda, a 21 year old Zambian climate activist, who's agreed to show us what climate change and the damage from increasingly…

1
Lusaka to Cape Town with Kopano Chipwayambokoma 29:15

1+ y ago29:15

29:15

Welcome back cultured viewers! This episode was recorded with a special person, Kopano, who I met when we both lived in the UAE. We unraveled our experience growing up in the UAE, the highlights, the negative comments, culture shocks, and a bunch of funny anecdotes. I hope you enjoy!

1
A Race against the Clock: Addressing Electoral Ignorance amongst the Youth 16:52

1+ y ago16:52

16:52

This week we sit down with Mr. Kalilu Totangi from NaCCED (National Council for Civic Education and Democracy (NaCCED) to discuss youth and electoral ignorance in Sierra Leone. In particular, recent surveys from IGR have revealed a striking amount of ignorance regarding the PR system despite its recent adoption, a switch from first-past-the-post (F…

1
The BioMeter and the 2023 Elections 24:17

1+ y ago24:17

24:17

This week we continue our prior week’s discussion with Charlie Hughes to discuss the BioMeter (BM). The BM is an initiative funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to evaluate the campaign promises of President Bio that were made in 2018. All in all, President Bio made a staggering 536 promises in the Sierra Leone People’s Par…

1
The Citizen’s Manifesto and Citizens’ Commitments 10:58

1+ y ago10:58

10:58

This week we continue last week’s discussion with IGR’s Governance Officer, Emmanuella Sandy, to further build on our previous episode that discussed the demands of citizens as it relates to citizen policy priorities within the context of the Citizen’s Manifesto (CM). The CM was first introduced in 2018 as a way to identify citizen policy prioritie…

1
The Citizen’s Manifesto and Citizens’ Demands 19:04

1+ y ago19:04

19:04

This week we sit down with IGR’s Governance Officer, Emmanuella Sandy, to further build on our previous episode that discussed the second iteration of the Citizen’s Manifesto (CM). The CM was first introduced in 2018 as a way to identify citizen policy priorities and the desires of citizens that should be taken on board by political parties. In thi…

1
Room for Tears 19:41

1+ y ago19:41

19:41

Smangele Mathebula was raised to be a strong black woman. Her mother, Irene, taught her to be tough in order to survive the difficult challenges of Apartheid. Smangele never learned to be vulnerable. Now she has her own daughter who's seventeen, and Smangele doesn't want her to hold in her emotions like she learned to. So the two sat down to talk a…

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