Muhsin Hendricks, the world's first openly gay imam, was shot dead in South Africa on Saturday, leaving many in mourning.

The 57-year-old was a trailblazer, known for his advocacy and for creating safe spaces for queer Muslims.

From founding The Inner Circle, a support group for queer Muslims, to leading an inclusive mosque, his work gave many a sense of belonging.

Alan Kasujja speaks to those who knew and were inspired by him—including activists and religious leaders—to explore the impact of his life and tragic death.

Presenter: Alan Kasujja

Guests: Nicole McCain, Rev. Sharon Cox and SimSim.

“Our minerals, yes, are important for the advancement of the world, but they are also important for the progress of our people. We could share these minerals with the world, but our people must come first” - Shanty Tshiela Byart-Mutombo, DRC company owner

Midwife or mid-husband?

That’s a common question on social media posts highlighting the work of the very few men who help women to deliver babies.

Midwifery is a profession that has traditionally been dominated by women.

Less than 1% of people registered as midwives globally are men.

According to research conducted by the University of Northampton in the UK, 19 countries have no men registered as midwives and five countries legally prohibit men from being midwives.

In today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to 63-year-old Robert Aule, a man who has helped to deliver more than 500 babies over the last four decades in one of the most remote regions in Kenya. Could the recruitment of men help to deal with the shortage of midwives?

“The writers of our time who used to criticise the government are no longer there.”

Today on the podcast, Alan has the pleasure and privilege of speaking to one of Africa’s great writers: the South Sudanese author Taban Lo Liyong.

In the 1960s he rubbed shoulders with independence politicians like Jomo Kenyatta and Kwame Nkrumah and with giants of African literature like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Ngugi wa Thiong’o.

He was taken to Uganda as a young child and spent his formative years there – but now lives in his native South Sudan.

On today’s podcast he discusses language, the impact of HIV Aids, and why he’s not ready to stop work at the age of 93 years. He says he still has two more books in him…

“This is the new reality that we are going to have to face and it is a fantastic opportunity for us to redefine our position away from the US trying to tell us who we can or cannot be, because they really don’t care about us” - Ugandan coffee farmer Robert Kabushenga

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is experiencing rising temperatures, with extreme heat becoming a major challenge for residents, especially those in crowded neighbourhoods and open-air markets.

With limited access to cooling infrastructure, the heat affects daily life, health, food security and the economy.

In response, the city recently hosted an ‘Urban Heat Hackathon’, where teams developed innovative solutions to tackle the problem.

In today's Africa Daily Alan Kasujja speaks to two of the hackathon winners, Tommy Charles and Glory Aminata Turay, to explore how technology and urban greening are helping residents adapt to and mitigate extreme heat.

Earlier this year, South African lawmakers passed the Expropriation Without Compensation Act.

The growth of women’s football in Morocco has seen more girls taking up the sport.

The evidence of this can be seen in how many young girls play the beautiful game in their neighbourhoods, in the streets. It’s something which would not have happened 20 years ago.

The success of women’s football there has also been reflected in the packed stadiums and the rising number of people watching the women’s national team- the Atlas Lionesses- on television. They are also the first North African and Arab squad to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. So what’s behind the growth in women’s football in Morocco?

In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to 15 year old Imane on why she decided to play football, Atlas Lioness forward Rosella Ayane and Meskerem Tadesse Goshime, the Confederation of African Football’s head of women’s football.

It’s now two weeks since the rebel M23 group took over Goma in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo – so what has the experience been like for the city’s inhabitants?

One person living with HIV has described how these cut would change their life and said "please tell the American government that this is a death trap for us. If I don’t get my tablets next month and the following month, how much longer will I have to live?”

USAID—the United States Agency for International Development—has funded life-saving aid across Africa for decades. Programmes assisting with famine, disease control, and poverty are now at-risk following President Trump's decision to cut its budget and merge the agency with the State Department.

From HIV patients fearing a “death sentence”, to food aid programmes coming to a sudden stop, the effects are already being felt across Africa. Alan Kasujja speaks to Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, about the consequences of these cuts and whether African governments can step up in the face of an uncertain future for global aid.