Our Voice, our future, Stories of hope to bring change

Our Voice, Our Future is a podcast by Breadline Africa, sharing stories that inspire action and explore the issues shaping the lives of children and communities across Southern Africa.

In this episode, host Rachel Kolisi sits down with David Harrison, CEO of the DG Murray Trust and one of South Africa's leading voices on child health and early childhood development, to unpack why the first 1,000 days of a child's life are so critical and what happens when support arrives too late.

Together, they explore the realities faced by families living in communities where the nearest clinic is too far away, preventative healthcare is difficult to access, and poverty often determines a child's opportunity before they even begin school.

Links:

Breadline Africa: https://breadlineafrica.org/


Our Voice, Our Future Podcast: https://breadlineafrica.org/podcast-our-voice-our-future/


DG Murray Trust: https://dgmt.co.za/


Harnessing the Thunder by David Harrison: https://dgmt.co.za/publications/


South African National Department of Health: https://www.health.gov.za/


First 1,000 Days Initiative (Western Cape Government): https://www.westerncape.gov.za/first-1000-days

What if the most important investment we could make in our children wasn't inside the classroom, but outside it?

In this episode of Our Voice, Our Future, powered by Breadline Africa, host Kelly Morkel sits down with Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews to explore how urban planning can become one of the most powerful tools for improving early childhood development and creating stronger communities.

From safe walking routes and accessible green spaces to neighbourhoods where Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and schools become community anchors, this conversation examines how the places children grow up influence the adults they become.

The discussion also highlights Cape Town's efforts to strengthen the ECD sector, including support for more than 2,600 ECD centres and initiatives aimed at reducing barriers to registration and improving access for families.

Together, Kelly and Deputy Mayor Andrews unpack the role of government, communities, civil society and the private sector in creating child-friendly cities that are safer, healthier and more inclusive.

Whether you're a parent, educator, policymaker, urban planner or community leader, this episode offers practical insights into why designing cities for children means designing a better future for everyone.

Research & Articles

UNICEF South Africa – Early Childhood Development
https://www.unicef.org/southafrica


Children's Institute, University of Cape Town – South African Child Gauge
https://ci.uct.ac.za


Department of Basic Education – Early Childhood Development
https://www.education.gov.za



Cape Town Today – Building the Future: Cape Town's Drive to Transform Early Childhood Development
https://capetown.today/news/building-the-future-cape-towns-drive-to-transform-early-childhood-development

What if the laptop gathering dust in your office storeroom could become a child’s gateway to learning? In this episode of Our Voice, Our Future, we explore the powerful intersection of digital inclusion, education equity, and sustainability with Karin Boomsma, circular economy strategist and sustainability advocate from DigiCircle4All and TheRockGroup.

We unpack how circular technology solutions are helping to bridge both the digital divide and the opportunity divide, transforming retired corporate devices into educational tools while creating skills development and employment pathways for young people trained in device refurbishment.

Articles

Circular Economy & E-Waste

Digi Circlel 4 all

DigiCircle4all resource

World Economic Forum – A New Circular Vision for Electronics

https://www.weforum.org

Ellen MacArthur Foundation – Circular Economy and Electronics

https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

UNICEF – Digital Learning and the Education Divide

https://www.unicef.org

OECD – Bridging the Digital Divide in Education

https://www.oecd.org

South African Government – E-Waste and Digital Inclusion Policies

https://www.gov.za

Our Voice, Our Future (Powered by Breadline Africa)

Season 2 Episode 1: The Inner World of Young Minds in a Noisy World

In today’s fast-moving, overstimulated world, childhood is changing.

In this episode of Our Voice, Our Future, host Kayang Gagiano, Chief Partnerships Officer at The Reach Trust, is joined by Lisa Voortman, Co-Founder of Grow ECD, to explore the emotional lives of young children growing up in increasingly “noisy” environments.

From digital overload and social comparison to bullying and emotional safety, this conversation unpacks how modern pressures shape early childhood and what caregivers, educators, and communities can do to create calmer, more nurturing spaces where children can truly thrive.

Resources & Further Reading

Grow ECD: https://www.growecd.org.za

Breadline Africa: https://breadlineafrica.org

The Reach Trust: https://www.thereachtrust.org/

Produced by Creafluence Pty Ltd

The season opens with a deeply personal exploration of childhood in the modern age.

Today’s children are growing up in environments filled with constant stimulation, digital noise, social comparison, emotional pressure, and rapid change. Beneath the surface, many are quietly asking questions they don’t yet have the language to express: Am I safe? Am I seen? Do I belong?

This episode steps into that inner world.

We explore how anxiety, overstimulation, exclusion, and bullying shape emotional development, not always through overt harm, but often through silence, disconnection, and unmet needs for belonging.

Guest:

Kayang Gagiano, Chief Partnerships Officer at The Reach Trust

Lia Voortman, Co-Founder and Director of Grow ECD

In this recap episode of Our Voice, Our Future, we reflect on one of the most inspiring conversations of the season, our discussion with ocean adventurer, heart surgery survivor and founder of The Little Optimist Trust, Greg Bertish.

Greg’s story reminds us that dreaming is not just about imagining a different future; it is about choosing hope, even in the most difficult moments. After spending nearly 200 days in hospital fighting a life-threatening illness, Greg rebuilt his life through courage, purpose and a deep connection to the ocean.

In this episode recap, we revisit the powerful themes from our conversation: resilience in the face of adversity, the healing power of the sea, and how one person’s dream can create real change for thousands of children.

We also look back at how Greg turned his experiences into the beloved Little Optimist children’s books and a movement that is bringing sailing therapy, optimism and educational support to under-resourced schools and hospitals across South Africa.

At its heart, this episode reminds us that when children are given hope, opportunity and imagination, their futures can change.

If you believe in the power of dreaming big and helping the next generation do the same, this recap is one to listen to.

Learn more about Greg’s work:


🌊 www.thelittleoptimist.org

Support the work of Breadline Africa:


📚 www.breadlineafrica.org

In this episode of Our Voice, Our Future, powered by Breadline Africa, we examine the transformative role of literacy in shaping children’s futures.

With 82% of South African Grade 4 learners unable to read for meaning, the literacy crisis demands urgent attention. We speak with Derek Carelse from The Little Issue, a pioneering initiative providing free, curriculum-aligned reading material to young learners, and Dorette Louw from Book Dash, a non-profit dedicated to making high-quality, diverse children’s books accessible to under-resourced communities.

Together, these voices highlight why literacy is not only a foundational skill, but a critical driver of equity, opportunity, and imagination.

This episode asked a question no child should ever have to answer: Is it safe to use the toilet at school?

In Episode 2 of Our Voice, Our Future, we looked beyond the statistics and into the lived reality of thousands of South African children still forced to use unsafe pit toilets. From the tragic deaths that shocked the nation to the many unreported injuries and fears that shape everyday school life, this conversation exposed a crisis rooted in inequality, neglect, and broken accountability.

Together with our guest, we unpacked why the pit toilet crisis has persisted for so long, how unsafe sanitation affects children’s health, education, and dignity, especially for girls, and what real, practical solutions can look like in schools without access to water.

Most importantly, this episode reminded us that safe sanitation is not a luxury. It is a basic human right.

🎧 If you missed it, this is the conversation you need to hear.


📢 If you’ve listened, this is the one to share.

Powered by Breadline Africa.

#OurVoiceOurFuture #SafeSchools #EndPitToilets #SanitationForAll #EducationMatters #HumanRights

“If we change the beginning of the story, we change the whole story.”

For millions of children across Africa, that beginning is still marked by gaps in nurturing care, gaps that threaten their ability to thrive. The Nurturing Care Framework, a global strategy to ensure every child survives, grows, and reaches their full potential, offers a clear roadmap. Yet despite its promise, many children continue to face systemic barriers that hold them back.

In this episode, we speak with Patricia Martin-Wiesner, an expert in policy, organisational development, advocacy, and systems strengthening, with a focus on rights-based governance and human capital development.

Join us as we unpack why nurturing care is essential, what’s at stake if we fail to act, and how collective action can create a brighter, more equitable future for Africa’s children.

Our Voice, Our Future is a podcast powered by Breadline Africa that explores the challenges and opportunities shaping children’s lives in South Africa and beyond.

From early childhood development to literacy, sanitation, economics, and innovation, each episode amplifies voices from communities, changemakers, and thought leaders who share stories of urgency, resilience, and hope.

Season 1 brings six diverse conversations, from the pit toilet crisis to the power of books, from daring to dream to reimagining early learning, showing how local struggles connect to global futures.

This retrospective looks back on our journey through Season 1. Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, NGO leader, or someone who simply cares about children and equity, this podcast invites you to listen, reflect, and imagine together.