Our Voice, our future, Stories of hope to bring change
Our Voice, Our Future is a podcast from Breadline Africa that features conversations with changemakers, journalists, children, community members, politicians, NGOs and others. It focuses on social issues and community-led dialogue, giving a platform to diverse voices. Through these discussions, the series aims to educate, empower and inspire action toward a more equitable future. The show blends personal stories with broader conversations about creating lasting change.
Episodes
S2_ Ep 5:Why Are Working-Class Children Still Being Left Behind? | Jonathan Jansen & Eric Atmore
Why, despite decades of education policy and investment, do so many working-class children continue to experience unequal educational outcomes?
In this episode of Our Voice, Our Future, powered by Breadline Africa, Prof Eric Atmore and Prof Jonathan Jansen have an honest and wide-ranging conversation about the relationship between education policy, poverty and the lived experience of children.
If
S2_Ep 4: The Child Who Could Not Be Seen, Healthcare, access, and what it really costs a child not to be well.
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
S2 Ep 3: Designing for Childhood: How Community Planning Shapes Child Wellbeing
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 sa
S2 Ep2: The Device on Your Desk and the Child Who Needs It: How Circular Thinking is Closing Two Divides at Once
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
S2 Ep 1: The Inner World of Young Minds in a Noisy World Feat: Kayang Gagiano and Lisa Voortman
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 childre
S2 Ep 1: The Inner World of Young Minds in a Noisy World_Teaser
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 t
Ep 4 Recap: Dare to Dream – Greg Bertish (Recap)
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 n
Ep 3 Recap:The Power of Literacy
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 you
Episode 2 Recap: The Pit Toilet Crisis
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
Ep 1: Africa’s Nurturing Care Deficit — Why the Nurturing Care Framework Matters for Every Child_RECAP
“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 cont
Ep 7: Season 1 Retrospective
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
Ep 6: The business of early learning: Rethinking impact through social enterprise
What happens when early childhood development meets entrepreneurial innovation?
In this powerful episode, Marli Hoffman joins us to explore how social enterprise models are transforming pre-schools into sustainable, women-led businesses that uplift entire communities. Drawing on her experience as co-owner of Little Ashford Pre-school and as a leader in educational innovation, Marli shares how she
Ep 6:The Business of Early Learning- Rethinking Impact through Social
Enterprise
Hosted by: Kelsley Sharpley (Masicorp Education Centre)
Guest: Marli Hoffman (Education Innovator & TEDx Speaker)
What if preschools weren’t just places of care, but dynamic micro-enterprises that uplift whole communities?
In this episode, we sit down with Marli Hoffman, early learning pioneer and advocate for tech-enabled education, to explore how social enterprise models are shiftin
Episode 5: The Cost of the Future
What does a national budget have to do with a four-year-old’s chance to thrive?
In this compelling episode of Our Voice, Our Future, we explore how decisions made in government, treasury departments, and corporate boardrooms directly shape the lives and futures of South Africa’s youngest citizens.
Only 45% of children aged 3–5 are enrolled in early learning programmes. One in four children under
Ep 4: Dare to Dream – Greg Bertish
What does it truly mean to “dare to dream”? In this inspiring episode of Our voice, our future, we speak with Greg Bertish, heart surgery survivor, adventurer, author of The Little Optimist children’s books and founder of The Little Optimist Trust.
Greg’s story is a remarkable journey of resilience, imagination and purpose. From spending nearly 200 days in hospital battling a life-threatening ill
Ep 4: Dare to Dream – Greg Bertish
What does it truly mean to “dare to dream”? In this inspiring episode of Our Voice, Our Future, we speak with Greg Bertish – heart surgery survivor, adventurer, author of The Little Optimist children’s books, and founder of The Little Optimist Trust.
Full episode live next week
Episode 3: The power of literacy
In this episode of Our voice, our future, powered by Breadline Africa, we explore the transformative power of literacy in shaping young lives and communities.
With 82% of South African grade four students unable to read for meaning, access to books and literacy programmes is more critical than ever.
Join us as we speak with Derek Carelse from The Little Issue, a groundbreaking initiative provid
Episode 3: The Power of Literacy_teaser
Podcast Description: Our Voice, Our Future – Episode 3: The Power of Literacy**
In this episode of Our Voice, Our Future, powered by Breadline Africa, we explore the transformative power of literacy in shaping young lives and communities. With 78% of South African Grade 4 learners unable to read for meaning, access to books and literacy programs is more critical than ever.
Join us as we speak
Ep 2: The pit toilet crisis
Thousands of South African schools still rely on unsafe pit toilets, putting children’s lives at risk every day. Despite promises of change, this crisis continues to impact education, health, and dignity.
In this episode, our host, Arafat Gatabazi, speaks with Brian Lewis, Director at Envirosan Sanitation Solutions, to explore:
* The reality of sanitation in South African schools
* The devastatin
Ep 1: Africa’s nurturing care deficit –Why the Nurturing Care Framework matters for every child's
If the old adage is true, “If we change the beginning of the story, we change the whole story, " a lot needs to be done to address Africa's nurturing care deficit and ensure that the future of children on the African continent is bright. The Nurturing Care Framework is a global strategy designed to ensure that every child has the chance to survive, grow, and reach their full potential. But despite
