Vuga

Host: ⁠Kenneth AwomGuest: ⁠Ember Sandrin Deribe is a Cameroonian peacebuilder and advocate against sexual and gender-based violence, and the founder of Lights of Hope AfricaIn this heartfelt episode of VUGA, host Kenneth speaks with Ember Sandrin Deribe, a young advocate and peacebuilder from Cameroon, about her remarkable journey from surviving childhood sexual abuse to leading change through activism. Speaking candidly from Bamenda, Ember recounts her early experiences, the moment she began protecting others at age eleven, and how those painful beginnings ignited her lifelong mission. Now pursuing a master’s in conflict resolution at the University of Buea, she reflects on founding Lights of Hope Africa, an organization dedicated to ending sexual and gender-based violence, promoting youth civic engagement, and fostering peace. Their exchange weaves pain, resilience, and laughter into a story of personal healing and community transformation.Follow us on :⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Linkedin⁠

Host: ⁠Ewomazino Obadjere⁠Guest: ⁠Prince Frimpong⁠- Ghanaian advocate, communicator, and executive director of the Youth Initiative FoundationOn this episode of the VUGA Podcast, our host welcomes the inspiring Prince Frimpong from Ghana — a genderqueer activist, co-founder, and youth advocate whose work is shaking up spaces of power. From leading the Kill the Bill campaign against Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ legislation to founding the Youth Initiative Foundation, Prince shares their powerful journey of carving out space in the face of gatekeeping, discrimination, and political resistance. They open up about what fuels their passion, the challenges of activism, and how they’re empowering young queer people with entrepreneurship and digital rights skills to build sustainable futures. This is a raw, uplifting, and eye-opening conversation about courage, freedom, and community.Follow us on :⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠

Host: ⁠Kenneth Awom⁠ Guest: Marie Balanza Jaramillo — Black trans activist, researcher, and filmmakerIn this debut episode of VUGA (“speak up”), Kenneth welcomes Marie for a heartfelt, wide-ranging conversation on the role of Black trans activism in driving social change. Marie shares her journey from working-class, Afro-descendant neighborhoods to the frontlines of community organising and cultural work, crediting everyday Black women as her earliest “superheroes.” Together, they unpack gatekeeping inside movements, the realities of media narratives, and the everyday courage it takes to claim space and build futures with dignity. It’s reflective, tender, and powerfully grounded in lived experience — an invitation to rethink representation, celebrate trans joy, and stand in solidarity across borders. Hit play to be inspired, challenged, and moved — and meet the voices shaping VUGA’s mission.Follow us on :⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠Host: ⁠Kenneth Awom⁠ Guest: Marie Balanza Jaramillo — Black trans activist, researcher, and filmmakerIn this debut episode of VUGA (“speak up”), Kenneth welcomes Marie for a heartfelt, wide-ranging conversation on the role of Black trans activism in driving social change. Marie shares her journey from working-class, Afro-descendant neighborhoods to the frontlines of community organising and cultural work, crediting everyday Black women as her earliest “superheroes.” Together, they unpack gatekeeping inside movements, the realities of media narratives, and the everyday courage it takes to claim space and build futures with dignity. It’s reflective, tender, and powerfully grounded in lived experience — an invitation to rethink representation, celebrate trans joy, and stand in solidarity across borders. Hit play to be inspired, challenged, and moved — and meet the voices shaping VUGA’s mission.Follow us on :⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠