Join AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE as she travels the world uncovering extraordinary stories of everyday people creating positive change. From community leaders to global trailblazers, discover how intentional travel and powerful conversations can inspire action and impact. Don’t just dream it—do it!
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What if the secret to building wealth had nothing to do with your bank balance—and everything to do with how you think? In this episode, we meet Terrence Mugova, a Zimbabwean reformer and “son of encouragement,” whose journey turns personal struggle into community-building ventures. From almost being expelled over tuition deadlines to launching an education-financing company and a citywide feeding program, Terrence shows how asking “why?” can unlock practical solutions that serve people and build sustainable enterprise.
In this episode, you’ll learn
Why mindset precedes money—and how beliefs about scarcity or “romanticising poverty” quietly cap our potential.
How a near-expulsion led to an education-financing model that opens doors with affordable payment plans.
What “money as a certificate of performance” really means—and how to charge without guilt.
A developing-economy order of operations: make more → spend intentionally → save → invest.
Why entrepreneurship is a mindset, not a job title—use it whether you lead a company or serve one customer (your employer).
Lessons from Feed the City: moving beyond statistics by sharing meals, stories, and dignity.
Zimbabwe’s under-told strengths—resilience, creativity, and natural beauty—and how to spot opportunity at home.
About our guest — Terrence Mugova
A finance-minded reformer and coach, Terrence helps people transform beliefs about money, discover their unique value, and build wealth that serves purpose and community. His ventures span education finance and food-security initiatives like Feed the City, and his teaching blends faith, practicality, and performance.
What happens when you graduate university at 18 and decide to transform your community instead of waiting for opportunities to arrive? Meet Emem Udom — product manager, social entrepreneur, mentor, and author of Jar of Oil.
Growing up between Lagos and Akwa Ibom, Emem shares how early education, resilience, and a drive to serve others led her to launch feeding initiatives, train young people (including those with disabilities), and build accessible pathways into tech careers. Her story is one of clarity, courage, and starting with what’s already in your hands.
In this episode, you’ll learn
How Emem entered university at 14 and graduated by 18.
Why being posted to teach during her NYSC unlocked a passion for fixing education gaps.
The creation of Operation Feed the Streets to combat hunger.
How SkillsT and Get Into Tech are opening doors to technology careers beyond coding.
The impact of training 100+ people with disabilities and coaching for career clarity.
The inspiration behind her book Jar of Oil — finding your source of strength and pouring into others.
Emem’s current leadership role as Director of Media & Branding at Women in Africa and her recognition as Africa Volunteer of the Year.
Her bold vision for global speaking, consulting, and empowering the next generation.
About Emem Udom
A Lagos-based product manager and social entrepreneur, Emem founded Operation Feed the Streets and SkillsT, whose flagship Get Into Tech demystifies tech careers for non-coders. She has trained 100+ people with disabilities, mentors on career clarity, and authored Jar of Oil. Emem currently serves as Director of Media & Branding at Women in Africa and was recently honoured as Africa Volunteer of the Year.
Links & resources
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#3. Rebuilding Hope: How One Charity Survived an Earthquake to Keep Girls in Education in Morocco's Atlas Mountain
High in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, a simple idea — safe housing for girls who live too far from secondary school — is sparking a cultural sea-change.
In this episode, Education for All board member Juanita Folmsbee joins AmickyCarol in Marrakech’s storied La Maison Arabe to reveal how boarding houses are breaking the cycle of female illiteracy and rebuilding after a devastating 2023 earthquake.
Grew from 10 pioneering students in 2007 to 250 girls a year before the quake destroyed five of six houses
Tackles the root causes of an 80 % female illiteracy rate in mountain villages: distance, safety worries and limited family resources
Shows how alumnae now hold master’s degrees, run preschools and launch women’s craft co-ops, rippling impact through their communities
Details EFA’s rapid pivot to rented homes so learning never stopped—even while classrooms were closed
Charts Juanita’s vision for graduates to one day lead the organisation themselves
Shares insider tips for authentic travel in Morocco: camel treks on Saharan dunes, kasbah history walks, hammam rituals, souk bargaining and more
“My biggest dream is that we get to the point where our girls are such successful women that they now are on the board of EFA and they are running EFA for the next generation.”
In this urgent and inspiring episode, nonprofit leader and fundraising powerhouse Martha Schumacher joins AmickyCarol to sound the alarm about the rapid dismantling of America’s nonprofit infrastructure—just 90 days into a new administration. From wolf restoration in Yellowstone to securing $21 million for affordable housing in DC, Martha shares her lifelong commitment to equity, justice, and building resilient communities.
But today, she warns of unprecedented threats to civil society: the shuttering of USAID, the mass loss of nonprofit jobs, and the potential revocation of tax-exempt status for institutions like Harvard and environmental charities.
🔹 Grew up in Ann Arbor with a family rooted in civil rights and social justice 🔹 Early fundraising roles with Greenpeace and Defenders of Wildlife 🔹 Helped restore wolves to Yellowstone National Park as a conservation milestone 🔹 Recently led a $21M campaign to double affordable housing units in the DC region 🔹 Raises the alarm over 10,000 nonprofit job losses and defunding of key agencies like USAID 🔹 Highlights the erosion of democracy and free speech through targeted attacks on nonprofits 🔹 Reflects on the dangers of international aid dependency and calls for sustainable development 🔹 Emphasizes the urgent need for unrestricted, trust-based giving—like that led by MacKenzie Scott
“Injustice anywhere represents the potential for injustice everywhere.”
In our first episode, 18-year-old Algerian changemaker, Ramy Zoghbi joins AmickyCarol to share how he's transforming his community through innovative educational and environmental initiatives despite cultural resistance and limited resources.
Founder of ReoEnglishClub, a free online platform teaching practical English skills to Algerians
Created Green Commu, a mobile app connecting apartment dwellers with gardeners to create green spaces in urban areas
Winner of a national SDG competition presenting a sustainable cities project
Exchange alumni with the US Department of State through the Youth Leadership Program with Algeria
Community leader in Google Developer Groups focused on integrating technology into environmental solutions
Co-creator of We Power DZ, a STEM education program for young Algerians
Currently pursuing a computer science degree to further technological solutions for community problems
Facing and overcoming community resistance to new ideas and international exchange programs
Motivated by seeing his community's perception of his work and becoming an example for others
"Don't wait for people in power to create change. If you want to do something to improve your community, there is no better time than now. If we don't do these things ourselves, no one else will have the courage to do it for us."
🌍Welcome to the #WorldChangers Podcast, where your host AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE — social entrepreneur and founder of The AVOCADO Foundation —travels the globe uncovering stories of everyday people making a difference.
From Morocco to Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire to Delhi, tune in each week to hear inspiring conversations with changemakers transforming their communities—and the world. 🌍✨
In this episode, we meet Praveen Gomez, a Sri Lankan community-builder and global advocate working with World Without Orphans (WWO), a movement active in 99 countries to ensure that children grow up in families rather than institutions.
From his childhood during Sri Lanka’s 30-year civil war to his current role connecting churches, NGOs, governments, and communities, Praveen shares how resilience, compassion, and collaboration can keep families together—and why even the smallest interventions can change a child’s future.
He explains why most children in orphanages still have a living parent or relative, how economic hardship—not lack of love—is often the cause of separation, and why mobilising communities is the key to long-term change. We also discuss practical safeguarding, the importance of parenting support, and the unique human warmth and natural beauty of Sri Lanka.
We explore:
Why most children in orphanages still have parents or relatives—and how poverty drives separation
How community action (meals, transport, small grants) can prevent family breakdown
Building learning communities: how WWO connects national teams across 90+ countries
Safeguarding and accountability—equipping caregivers and working alongside governments
Parenting as a shared journey: why training and peer support matter at every stage
Stories of hope: from refugee parenting camps in Ukraine to local solutions in Colombo
Sri Lanka’s unique resilience and kindness, shaped by war, crisis, and recovery
Travel insights: beaches, hill country, tea plantations, and the everyday generosity of Sri Lankans
Why starting small—one step at a time—creates lasting impact
About our guest
Praveen Gomez is the Implementation Lead at World Without Orphans, helping national leaders collaborate on solutions to keep children in safe, nurturing families. Based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Praveen brings personal resilience from growing up during the civil war and professional expertise in building partnerships across borders.
#10. Education as Empowerment & Empathy: How This Global Advocate Is Decolonizing Academia & Spreading Quality Teaching
In this episode, we meet an anthropologist, teacher trainer, and civic advocate whose mission is to ensure that education becomes a tool for equity, empathy, and empowerment. From a childhood in a Wi-Fi–less Mexican village to leading service-learning initiatives across Europe, Diana Chavez’s story reveals how privilege, sacrifice, and purpose can transform not only individual lives but entire communities.
She explains what it truly means to decolonize academia—from rethinking the language of history to recognising multiple narratives—and why apologies from colonising nations remain crucial for healing. We also explore her vision for ethical volunteering, designed to dismantle the “saviour complex” and foster genuine cultural exchange, as well as her work spreading quality education through teacher training and NGO leadership.
We explore:
A life shaped by service: Thailand (youth development), India (public health in the Himalayas), and Europe (teacher training & NGO leadership)
Why quality education matters in an information-saturated world—critical thinking, media literacy, and empathy
Decolonizing education: the power of language, multiple historical narratives, and why apologies matter
Ethical volunteering vs. the “saviour complex”—how to empower communities through true exchange
Travel with context: richer ways to experience Mexico and Amsterdam (including decolonial tours)
Diana’s current roles: Director, VIA Netherlands (SCI), and Teacher Trainer/Mentor at Europass Teacher Training Academy
Diana Chavez is a Mexican-American anthropologist, teacher trainer, and cultural advocate based in the Netherlands. With over fifteen years of global service-learning experience, her work spans youth development, gender and reproductive health, climate justice, and intercultural civic engagement.
She is the Director of VIA Netherlands (the Dutch branch of Service Civil International) and a mentor at Europass Teacher Training Academy, where she equips educators across Europe with tools for professional and personal growth.
#9. Validating Voices: Joanne Richardson-Gough on Language, Worship & Jamaica’s Global Impact
What does it mean when your mother tongue isn’t recognized in your own country? In this captivating conversation, Jamaican cultural advocate and ethnodoxologist Jo-Ann Richards Goffe takes us on a journey through language, identity, and spiritual expression that transcends borders.
Jo-Ann introduces us to ethnodoxology—helping communities worship through their indigenous languages and artistic expressions. From workshops in West Africa to translating the New Testament into Jamaican language, her work challenges colonial legacies that positioned English as “superior.”
We explore:
How ethnodoxology empowers communities to worship using their own languages and cultural art forms
Why Jamaica’s native language still struggles for recognition despite independence
How music across genres—reggae, dancehall, revival—carries spiritual and cultural meaning
The role of cultural figures like Louise Bennett-Coverly in advocating for Jamaican identity
Jamaica’s outsized influence on global culture through music, sport, and literature
Jo-Ann’s personal journey from being fined for speaking Jamaican at home to leading its validation through worship and music
This episode is a moving reminder that “when you validate a language, you validate the speakers of that language.”
What happens when your cultural identity spans the breadth of an entire subcontinent? Smita Tharoor takes us on a journey from Mumbai to Kolkata, Rajasthan to Kerala—and into the heart of what it means to live, work, and connect across cultures.
An expert on cultural behaviour and organisational change, Smita reframes unconscious bias as “making judgments without realising that you do.” She explains how these instinctive perceptions—while natural—can lead to both positive and negative outcomes, and why awareness is key to fairer decision-making.
As the host of Stories Seldom Told—heard in 108 countries—Smita shares voices the world might otherwise miss, from a woman minister in Kabul to a triple-amputee photographer who calls himself “the one-armed chef.” Her message? Approach the world with openness, curiosity, and a clean slate, and you’ll discover more meaningful ways to make a difference.
From travel tips for first-time visitors to India to reflections on resilience, inclusion, and the power of listening without judgment, this is a conversation to inspire anyone ready to expand their worldview.
Smita Tharoor was born and raised in India and now lives in London. She’s the host of the Stories Seldom Told podcast, a Motivational Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker, Coach, and a thought leader in Conscious Inclusion & Unconscious Bias.
🎧 Listen to the Stories Seldom Told podcast: Spotify
Highlights
Born in Mumbai, raised in Kolkata, educated in Rajasthan, with roots in Kerala
Grew up in an inclusive, non-judgmental home in 1970s India
Advises global organisations on cultural behaviour and organisational change
Hosts Stories Seldom Told podcast, reaching listeners in 108 countries
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