From Congolese Filmmaker To Refugee-Led Nonprofit Founder In Uganda

We talk with Wayne Wasagaga in Uganda about building Changia Africa, a refugee-led nonprofit rooted in education, skills, and human dignity. His story reframes refugee life as a place where purpose, leadership, and real community impact can still grow. 

• Wayne’s life path from the DRC Congo to Uganda and the early challenges of displacement 
• Rotaract leadership in the Nakivale refugee settlement and how service attracts members 
• Changia Africa’s mission as a refugee-led organization and what “Changia” means 
• Using filmmaking and storytelling to promote education and community action 
• Adult English training and practical skills programs including reusable sanitary pads 
• Building and expanding a school plus the reality of funding stops and starts 
• Language realities across East and Central Africa and what education looks like on the ground 
• The long-term dream for Changia to become a top refugee-led NGO in Africa 
• How supporters can help with funding, talent, and professional collaboration 

If you have a great rotor actor, interactor, or rotarian, or just somebody out there that's turning their actions into impact that I should know about, please email me at rotarianpod at gmail.com. 

Transcript

Welcome And Why Uganda

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hi there we wanna and welcome to this quick episode of the Action Back show. So where I introduce you to Alpha people from all over the world. Turning the action. I am not on Africa. My little friend Way Africa Africa or all kinds of wonderful things from Alpha Way. Okay. With others in the camp and with motoring at the party. So join the emotion conversations right now from Uganda, Africa. Welcome back to the podcast, everyone. Well, lately I always say that I've had a I have an international audience, and for a while there, it took me all over Europe. And it seems that lately the continent of Africa has been my home away from home, and it is again this week, too. I am off to Uganda for the second time. I'm pretty excited to talk to now. This white girl's probably gonna bitch her his name, but we're gonna give it a try. Here we go. I am to Uganda to Wayne Wasagaga, all right, in Uganda, who's talking to me with his one-year-old daughter. So if you hear, if you hear gurgling in the background, yeah, Shuana, his one-year-old daughter is at his feet. So everybody, just if you hear it in the background, just kind of like lap it up because baby giggles are the best things ever. Wayne is talking to me from Uganda. He is a rotor actor, he is part of the Changia Africa organization, and we're gonna talk about a lot of stuff, and we're not even gonna touch on the fact this time that he is a producer, director, filmmaker, and just basically entrepreneur, man of many hats. But I only have you for one hat. Wayne, thank you so much for being on the show. What an honor to meet you, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

I tell you, we haven't even gotten started, and I have like this sheet of all these things that you are already. And I jokingly said that we could have more than one show, and we clearly could, but we will we will keep our connections about the showbiz stuff for another date. I want to know first and foremost, how's everything in Uganda today?

Uganda Today And New Leadership

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Everything in Boston is spring in the Boston area, but how how is the world in Uganda today?

SPEAKER_02 3:33

Uh in Uganda, everything is good, as I can say. The weather, the weather is good. Yeah, and uh we have a new president, which we we had in an election, and uh, I think in May it can start officially as a new president.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

So you we do know you had a fair and free election, which was something that was very exciting for the people of Uganda, and you have a new president. Does the whole country kind of feel like it's like we're ready for a new start with a new president? Is it kind of a brighter day in Uganda for no better word?

SPEAKER_02 4:11

Yeah, I can say on if I I stand as a as a refugee leader, uh, I can say the vote was uh was fair because I saw nationals who went to to vote, and uh and uh what we we have received is uh the one who who was the winner, the one who they proclaimed that this is the person who passed. And we as uh as a foreigners, we can't uh we can't put different negativity on that, but we know that the one who they present us is the is the president of Uganda right now.

SPEAKER_00 4:47

Yeah, so it was done peacefully and without any real drama, which is lovely.

Rotaract In A Refugee Settlement

SPEAKER_00 4:52

So you are a rotor actor. Tell everybody your club as a proud rotor actor. What what club do you belong to, sir?

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Yes, um uh rotor acts. First, I started with uh Nachivale Rotoracts Club, where we got that time I was the secretary and we got the visit of the Jennifer who was the president of Rotary International, right?

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Jennifer Jones, yeah, big friend of the show.

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Yes, then after one year, we as the Nachivale Refugee Central Met was a big central mate, and we wanted to to have another rotary club. Then we we went there with other new members. We created another one among um among the charter members for that new rotary called uh Nachivale Rubundo Rotorat. Yeah, wow, yeah. This is uh right now right now I'm in Kampala, but the club is in Nachivale, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

So so I I find this fascinating, and this has come up in a couple, two or three conversations that I have had with our mutual friend Pearl there in Uganda, our new Rotary International president that's coming very soon. That where here I'll speak for America, we tell people bring somebody to a meeting, bring somebody to such and such to add members on all over from north of your continent to Johannesburg and South Africa, way down at the tip. You guys are getting members in a whole new way, and that is just if you build it, they will come that people are actually they want to be a part of something, they want to grow with something. So we just came here and started this refugee camp, and we got members, and we came here and we started this school, and the members just came. It's a it's a different approach, it's way different than let's meet for lunch at a country club.

SPEAKER_02 6:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah. For review for the refugee central meant, it was a bit uh new approach because it was yeah, it was the first, I think the first uh refugee camp in Africa to have a Rotarite club, and uh people was not well well known or defined what is the rotory and how it has to work. And uh, we who took that uh first step to integrate and to join the club, and uh, we have seen the impact of uh how rotary club is uh is helping the lives, how it's contributing mostly for Nachivale, where myself I can. It's uh it has done a big change. It has it's done a great work.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Let's back up a little bit, and you've talked a couple times about the Tanja African organization, and that our beloved Jennifer Jones even came and visited

Why Service Attracts New Members

SPEAKER_00 8:02

you. Let's catch up our our listeners and people on on YouTube and stuff on exactly what is your what is this organization? What exactly have you and the rest of your wonderful people been doing?

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Yes, Changi Africa Organization is a refugee-led non-profit organization, which a refugee.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

I'm gonna stop you right there because that's awesome. It is a refugee-led organization. Yes, and that's cool. So, in other words, you are you are not in your home, I guess, is a is a you're not in your beloved home. So, where did you call home before you started this organization?

SPEAKER_02 8:44

Yes, I'm from DRC Congo. Okay, yes, and uh I came in Uganda 2014, and it's when I came in Uganda, uh, Nachivali was very, very uh down. Than than right now, there is a small development, and uh it's when I reached Nachivale, yes, I saw an opportunity. And that opportunity I saw because I reached where education was very uh very down, and most of refugee children was not studying, only nationals or citizens, they are the ones who was getting access to education, and from there, because I came with uh I was a filmmaker in my country, I came with that. What can I do? It's when I started now producing movies, mobilizing people, how the importance of education, and I produced different movies, which was recognized in a refugee camp by you the field office of UN Sierra, and we did the launch, and it's where I started being recognized as one of the big filmmakers in refugee central met, and that has created that visibility, and to be inspired for me to create Shangia because I saw uh I saw in uh not everyone was look uh was seeing my or seeing my videos because it was still a village to have a phone or to have a TV, it is a leaks, and for me, I saw that uh not everyone could see me, but I was producing, I was doing this uh stand-up comedy, creating dramas. I called people to come and see what I'm doing, and I have worked with uh a pharmacy Finnish church council for uh Finland church organization, and I produced different things, documentaries for MTL. I did several works, but it's when I got the idea to create Changia, and when I create Changia, because my movie company was called One the Greatest Film, and I said with the one great the greatest film, it's just talking about the movie production. Let me come with Changia, which call Changia means share or contribute or donate or call people to come and share ideas and to promote the well-being of the community. It's when I came up with that. I started now supporting children to different schools, and when I support them, because to have funds, it was very difficult for me. But I was having access to come in Kampala to attend workshop or to deliver some skills I have, then I they pay me. When they pay me, I come also, I invest in the education of those children. It's one that's how the idea came. And when I saw we are moving, the my team was now growing. I said, no, we have to start focusing on English. Train the adult. We started now doing adult English. We train adult English, we train now. We we we we we we we get best in the skills to start doing this uh reusable sanitary pads because that was the major challenge of women in refugee settlements. We created different skills to make sure we make the city or the that village to be busy instead of people remaining to the office of the UNCR looking for for a settlement, it's better for them to go and land at Changia Center to learn some skills. It's where the idea came in and uh Changia stood and up to now all this work we have been doing it without registration. That was very fun because yeah, in 2021, we said, okay, now we are very known, we have to get step. We went and registered to the district, we started now working legally. Okay, then in 2023, we we upgraded the the registration up to URSB,

Changia Africa Origins And Meaning

SPEAKER_02 13:30

the Ugandan Bureau here in Kampala, because our target was to start implementing to different camps and even in Kampala because we have urban refugees. Then we got the registration, and that's how 2024 we expanded the organization up to here in Kampala, where me myself are based with other teams.

unknown 13:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

Okay, so let's let's catch everybody up. So it started off as you unfortunately having to leave your beloved homeland to to, you know, you were displaced. There's just really no other way to say it, unfortunately. And and I know that area of the Congo is an absolutely magnificent place, and we hope that someday it it is peaceful and loving and can have its its autonomy back again. But it it surprises me now that I've talked to a couple of these people, a couple yourself and a couple more from some of these refugee camps, and you guys came to these refugee camps and almost took a refugee camp as an opportunity to better yourself. And I and I and I say that with that question mark at the end of it because most people I feel think of, well, all these people are in a refugee camp. There's nothing for them there. And you're saying I went to a refugee camp, and the most important thing to me was education, was to get my artwork appreciated and still me doing my artwork, which is very important. And then I'm gonna finally earn money with that artwork and go back to number one, which is education. Because if we have education, that leads to opportunities, and does that opportunities leave to hope in a refugee camp?

SPEAKER_02 15:27

Yeah, yeah, yes, opportunity. Not everyone is seeing opportunity in the refugee camp, right?

SPEAKER_00 15:34

Right. It isn't it isn't the magical place, and you come to it, you know. No, I mean, some people I'm sure are truly suffering. Absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

That's why I have I have been uh developing something. I said that I have to produce my first book, which I I name it, I saw an opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Um I saw an opportunity. Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

I I I want to to talk and to to show how I saw an opportunity in a country where it's not my country, okay. How I I I passed through a lot of things, I have to share what I as I I passed through, what other experience of people I met, and what's right now, because I came with nothing. I can say right now, even if I'm not in a fool, but I have hope, I have a connection. You see, right now I have right now I have 20 people, certain people in Achivale working with Changia. And right now in Kappa we are seven. You see, and that is a big change, that is a big opportunity for me. And that is now that is Changia, not in my part of movies.

SPEAKER_00 16:56

You see, mean there is a lot of movies and the the movies and the and that kind of stuff. That was the that was the way to get there.

SPEAKER_02 17:05

To get there, right.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

But what is but what you want once you get there is what what the most important thing is is that is that hope, is that knowledge, is that education, is that opportunity. Is that right?

SPEAKER_02 17:18

Yes, because right now I got I got different opportunities, different trainings, certificates from the university. I I have been among this uh this past month among five selected winners of Stanford Refugee Entrepreneurship. You see, wow, yes, I have been among right now. I'm doing my university and in management here in Kampala. I mean, there is a lot of opportunities um I'm getting because I accepted to start. And yes, if I couldn't start, I couldn't be here because there is a lot of challenges, sure being a refugee. There is a lot, and if you don't say yourself, let me start. There is a word they said start stop talking, start doing. It's that motivation that took me, said I have to do something, I have potential because if I was doing these things in my country, why not here? Even if I don't have money to start, how should I start now? Those are uh the the it's like uh the question, big question was putting myself in trouble and see how I can move from my comfort zone of being a refugee and call myself seeing myself like a an integrated human being in Africa. I have to do something and remove the thinking as I'm

Skills Training Education And Sanitary Pads

SPEAKER_02 19:05

a refugee because that is where the problem comes from. No, I'm a refugee, I cannot do this.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

I'm an so, in other words, the the the the sign the the word refugee almost has a victim, so you want to move past the victim of a refugee and turn people's belief that the refugee can be an opportunity instead.

SPEAKER_02 19:29

Yes, yes, because right now I'm a refugee, but I'm working with Ugandans, right? I'm a refugee, but right now in Changia, we are on boarding, we are calling people, whites, different people from from around the world to join our boards. See, we are calling them because we believe that uh this is an organization and we have a vision to reach far. We can't stack, we can't be there because we are refugees, no. And right now we are happy because we are getting people who want to join our team. They are white people and they want to join, to collaborate, to work together. Right now we are working as a Changia. We don't have, we are not funded, we don't have any donor, any private donor, individual donor, but the connection we have and the impact we have built, it has put us in a in a center where people they are looking for us, people they are very inspired by our stories and our impact, and the wish to come now to start working with us. It's because we started. That's why.

SPEAKER_00 20:42

Yeah, it's because you started, and it and it's it's funny because when you hear stories of people that came from nothing and then they achieved, they usually had some I don't know, for no better word, some angel, some some angel investor, some angel time. And it your story to me is fascinating because you you kind of the investor was you into you, and then you kind of made that challenge to others, saying, I don't have a home, I don't know my future, and my life right now is hard. So I can either get up, give up and say forget it, or I can invest in me. And so where does where do you think that comes from? Because I know, as I would argue, a nice white, privileged American woman who has died, I don't have to worry about my bed or where I sleep or where even I use the restroom or food that goes in my belly. And I sometimes have some real doubts. About if I could do something. And yet my three huts and a cot and somewhere in all that kind of stuff is taken care of me. So what makes someone like you that all of that insecurity has even made you more dedicated, more willing to believe in yourself? Where does that come from?

SPEAKER_02 22:27

Yeah, the confidence and first I knew who I am. Okay. That's that's my first strength. When I reach in Nachivale with nothing, and I reach at someone's home who welcome me and my little brother and sister. I think first thing I had in me, it was my experience as a filmmaker who, in my small time when I started movies, I got recognized in the city I was living. And I said, This is now a forest where I am. I don't know where Kampala is, I don't know where Congo is, I don't know, I'm just in the middle. Right. And it was it was putting even my brothers in uh that insecurity. Shall we survive here?

Seeing Opportunity Without Losing Reality

SPEAKER_02 23:28

Now, but for me, what I was telling them, we shall survive. And I remember one week only, the same week I reached it the same week I started looking if there is some this drama groups, but they show me a church where they are doing just drama in church, and say I can't stay like this. Let me be integrated to to understand how me who was doing the movie, producing the movie, the movie passing even at the TVs in Congo, and starting doing it in a group in church. But I put myself down to understand the area. But when I knew the area, it's when I showed them me. I I introduced myself now, and the way they was seeing my acting level and the way they was doing it was very different, and from that side, they started producing their first movies through my arrival. You see, and that that belief and strength gave me no, I have to do something. I did not see money, I did not see anything, even having the smartphone, I was not having a phone, but I believe in myself, I can do this, and at that time, even speaking English, it was very hard. I was listening, but talking, it was very hard, and that's why I stand and say, you know, I have to do this. I remember after producing that movie, I came in Kampala. I traveled in Kampala without any address. The money I was having after doing these blocks, producing blocks, I sell blocks because I was even fishing. I was doing every works in a refugee camp. Farming, I was doing everything for me to get money and to feed my my brothers. And when I get money, I came in Kampala to look for opportunity because I'm a filmmaker. To give me the time that you have, you are now in Kampala, you have to know how to work. And I get back in Achivale well frustrated. I share my story to my members, and from there I knew what to do, but I did not quite have to stand, and that's why I can say what pushes me is the belief I wanted to be somewhere. I'm not someone who has to be looking UNCR to give, but I'm someone who, through my innovation, through my work, I can support others. Because I believe, and this experience I get it from my home when I was still with my my father and my mother. I was working.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

Yeah, I was gonna say so. It sounds to me like the way that this this self-belief that you have also comes from a self-recognition, recognition that you are literally and figuratively your brother's keeper is the expression. I am my brother's keeper. So, and I know you have two other siblings. So you talk in that story that you were there literally helping them. But what I think is interesting is that it be it through your film work, be it through your entrepreneurism, be it through helping with all these classes that you do at the refugee camp, it's it's you know, it's it's almost like your your passion is to help. And because you have that passion to help, then that passion comes through in everything from movie making to helping girls do, you know, to make their lives better. How many people are are at this refugee camp where you where you run these two where you run these two projects?

SPEAKER_02 27:39

Yeah, right now, right now, Natchiva have more than 120.

SPEAKER_00 27:46

120, okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

Yeah, thousand refugees.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

More than wait, okay, hold on. Let's do that correction. So a hundred so a hundred and twenty thousand people. Thousand thousand people are I was like 120 people. I'm like, okay, that sounds cool. But you're saying there's so let's we're gonna back up again for our listeners. So the listeners, you guys have all had to hear that Wayne at with no money, with trying to keep his family together and his own just pure gumption, as we call it here in the United States, decided to take his his art and he didn't know the language, and you're sharing and you're doing all this stuff. You walk into a refugee camp that has over a hundred thousand people in it, and you have somehow this common belief that not only you would be okay, but you're gonna make a difference. That's impressive, my friend.

Self-Belief Under Pressure

SPEAKER_02 28:48

And I have it, I have made a difference already because right now I have a school, I have a school in refugee central met apart from the organization work, and because as I I told you in the introduction, I was supporting those children to other school due to the lack of funds, and we had where Changia organization is the field office. We have a lot of it's a big land, and I started now constructing some classes. Wow. In 2021, I officially put take some two classes, then 2020 2022. We we developed last year, we constructed three classrooms, and right now we have up to primary six, and we support, and we have more than two 250 children who we are supporting there. Only uh we have been doing the feeding program, but due to lack of funds, we stopped because we had uh we had an angel, a donor, who sorry, who was uh who was a rotary, I think he's a rotary up to now from America, who was supporting the feeding program. And uh yes, uh, as I hear he he went through same things of politics, something like this. That's why he he stopped supporting those children, but uh that's why we stopped the the feeding program. But it was a good program going on at Shia, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

So it sounds like you know that that it is the usual story of with every one or two steps forward, you're taking a few steps back. How many do we know how many refugees the country of Uganda have taken in to their home? How many, and it's and I have to tell you, we've heard this from other people is that these refugee camps are not just people from the Congo, that there are people from all over the world. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_02 31:08

Yeah, more than nine nationalities.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

Wow, okay in this refugee camps, and how many, uh how many? I know you said about a hundred and over 120,000 people from nine different nationalities in this camp. Do we know how many refugees the country of Uganda have have decided to host? Do we have any idea?

SPEAKER_01 31:31

How many? Yeah. How many refugees?

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Yeah. Do we know how many refugees have come to the country of Uganda?

SPEAKER_02 31:42

Uh, for the whole Uganda, I don't have, yeah. Yeah, I don't have that.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

But if one refugee camp has over 120,000, one could argue that that country has taken on a huge responsibility to help as many people as as possible.

SPEAKER_02 32:00

Yes, yes. But in in uh as I know in Uganda, Uganda is among the first or second in Africa to host the big number of refugees and from different nationalities. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

So here's something that I and I and I find this kind of funny is that I think there is this misconception, again, here in the United States, that everybody in Africa speaks the same language, even though you can go from Johannesburg to Morocco as far as north to south. But I think there's this misconception that especially in Central Africa, everybody speaks the same language, but you really don't, do you?

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Uh no, no, it's uh it's it's different, like in East Africa, as East Africa, Uganda, Kenya, and and Tanzania. It's uh English, correct? Okay, yes, English and Swaili, Congo, Swaili, and uh Swahili, but each each country or in Africa, they have their language, but the common language, it's uh English, French, and Swaili. Those are the big, the biggest the big three, yeah. The big three, yes. And so if you don't if you don't know, if you don't know Swahili, maybe you can speak English. If you don't know English, you can speak French. Then there are now those small dialects from each

Building A School And Funding Setbacks

SPEAKER_02 33:36

tribes, like that.

SPEAKER_00 33:37

Yeah, so in the school that you've opened, then I assume when you say education, that a lot of that education then is those three basic languages. Is that true?

SPEAKER_02 33:48

Yes, like in Congo, example of Congo, we have French, uh, they teach us French, that's the first one, then Swahili, not very strong, okay, but also right now English, they have integrated English, but in Uganda is English, and they teach Swahili, and some international schools they teach French, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

So, okay. So, do you do you dream of I know that you're you're an entrepreneur and you're gonna love to know, you know, you're you're open to the adventure of your films taking you and going anywhere so you can keep this education and this dream of these schools alive. But do you ever dream of going back home to the Congo someday?

SPEAKER_02 34:35

Uh let me be very open on this.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

Please do.

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Yes, for what I have started already. Okay, the dream I have, I want just to expand my work in Africa or in East Africa, to start by East Africa, Congo, Kenya, Uganda, because I believe I have potential. If I got investors, if I got donors who believe in what I do, I can expand. And those uh my work could be the way for me to visit Congo, but not to go and sit again in Congo, because I have always created employments, created something here in Uganda, and I want my people in Congo, Kenya, other African countries to also get benefit from water. I do the vision I have. Because my vision is to have more companies which I know, and everything I start is all things I'm best at. I know I can start this. I'm not just starting things which I don't have experience. I can start this because I have experience of this, and I know these people can benefit from that. Yeah. I mean, to go in Congo up to now, I think I'm going in 13 years. I never go back in Congo. I just here yeah, focusing on how I can improve my so that Uganda.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

So Uganda started

Languages Education And Regional Reach

SPEAKER_00 36:10

off as a place of shelter and now has turned into your new home.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

Yes, Uganda is my second home, sure.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

Yeah, yeah. Do you still have family in the Congo or is everybody here in Uganda?

SPEAKER_02 36:26

No, I have family in Congo, and uh I wish to see them, and uh, some of them right now, as uh when they they the the things was quite a bit uh stable, due I couldn't travel. My mother came here to visit me and my my my sister. I was very happy, but uh I still miss a lot of them. Of course, of course, yeah. But for me, what I believe, and uh, when I did my wedding, I couldn't have access to my people, and I do it just here in Uganda, and just family who was among here who was living in Uganda and friends, they're the one who joined me, but my families they saw just pictures, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

Yeah, they show just pictures, yeah. So when I I you amaze me, I have to say, and again, I when I talk to some of these rotary voices and non-rotary voices that are just turning their actions into impact, hence hence the idea of the show, it's humbling, and I and I hope to the listeners it can be humbling as well that you know sometimes we forget how good we have it, and then people like yourselves remind us just that that pure desire can be you know one of the most inspirational things. So, last question for you, and I thank you so much for spending the time not only to tell us about Changia and your project and the two refugee camps, but what's what let's say one of your movies goes big and all of a sudden you have all the money, the finances, the financial backing that you would need to do your ultimate dream? What would that ultimate dream be? What would it look like? What is your real dream for the Shanghia Africa organization? Like what if you if you didn't have to worry about money and you could do anything you wanted, what would that look like? What would your dream be?

SPEAKER_02 38:58

Wow, wow.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

Because you gotta have dreams. I mean, especially someone like you.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

I do, I do, I do.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

Yeah, what would what would that dream? What would it look like?

SPEAKER_02 39:10

My dream in Changia Africa organization is to see Changia among the best and the big NGOs, refugee-led NGOs in Africa. Oh yes, in Africa, because I believe I have those potential because I'm a multi-talented person. You see, there are something I've not even share what I do, what I am able to do. You see, I'm uh I'm a musician here. See, and I wrote stories,

The Big Dream For Changia

SPEAKER_02 39:50

I do a lot. Mean I'm just Changia could be a place where they might see uh the face of a refugee or the image of a refugee in a NASA way, because they only they they only see refugee that okay, refugees are doing this, we support them stick more mosquito net, we support them food. That's not a refugee. We have potential, we have capacities, we we are ready to contribute and change the world because we are human beings. That is the situation of our countries which has pushed us to be in a comfort zone, but right now we have discovered ourselves, our inner us, who we are, and that's why we are contributing to the economy of the countries where we are. Not only in Uganda, everywhere there is a refugee is contributing to the economy of that country, and that is something powerful. They have to consider these are people who they have potential, these are people who have to contribute, and we have to support their initiatives because when we have those initiatives, we also employ the and uh the the citizens see who are not even refugees, and maybe it can reach a time or so okay. Maybe I get resulted, maybe there are some refugees who want to be resulted in America, others. If they are built a big organization, that organization, the people who will still work in it, they are those citizens because the organization is in their country, you see. Mean it's yeah, it's uh it's something we have to invest as donors, they have to see, and mostly I always say uh the rotary, it's a big family, and which has helped millions of people to get where they are right now. And uh, we as a refugee who are doing this work, just small work, among others. I think we can also be recognized. We our voices are not reached where it's supposed to be. These people they need to see. We for me, my my regret will be if I can start different initiatives which are contributing to the to the economy and to even to to remove uh uh to stop drugs to children to in different ways. But uh to my regret will be uh to see Changia or other my initiatives died without any support. If since we started, we as Changia, we are very known, we have a lot of visibility, we are known by people, we get invitations. I last time 2024, 2025, I get invitation to go in in Europe, you see, in Europe, Sweden, to go in Danmark, but I couldn't go because of uh that time I was not having access to my document to have a refugee.

SPEAKER_00 43:23

Right, get a passport to go somewhere, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

But right now I have if those opportunities came and I get someone to sponsor my trip and my stay, I can go there and people to hear what we have, what impact we are we are we are doing. And I think what Changia lacks right now, it's people. We don't have donors, we don't have people who believe that a refugee can do this. If we push these people, if we help these people, with one dollar, you can change a life of someone, you see. And that contribution is not to, I always say to contribute like how I get inspired mostly on rotary. What Rotary is doing, the contribution, small contribution is changing life of people. And right now, where we are, these hearts which we have and get very motivated is from the knowledge we I participated in Raila of uh uh of Rotary Club, you see. And those the those resources they gave us, it gives us that ability and capacity to self service above self. And we know that um uh with what rotary give us, it gives us access to say, okay, I can connect with people, and these people they can invest in the life of these people, and that's uh most important for me. Uh to see just Changia to reach in it in a way to be among the best uh refugee-led organization because we are few. We are a lot of refugees-led organizations, but those among few, um those many, the few have funds. It gives me motivation to say that I have something. If people they can see and take just small idea and implement, and I still have thousands of ideas without being even shared with anyone, I think I can do something, and that's why together with my team, we are still uh working hard, we're still developing models to implement, and without zero dollar, but we are there and we are doing impact. Maybe what you can say, I can invite you and visit Uganda.

SPEAKER_00 46:02

So sure, I I would love to come to Uganda someday. So it it it sounds to me that your dream to get, you know, to get to get back to the the question of hand of your dream is to when it all boils down to it, you uh it's easy to say you, you know, you you want you want money, but if the dream is you already have that money, what you really want, it sounds to me like not only human dignity, but human voices to let these stories be heard, to let because you said you were a filmmaker, you are a storyteller, just like me in my own way. I like to hear people's stories. So you are a storyteller, and knowing that these people have stories, and as a refugee, it sounds like you can have these stories. You know what you you share stories, you share a kinship in these stories, is what it sounds like. So I I'm gonna wrap stuff up because I know it's getting late for you where you are in Uganda compared to me here in Boston. We can we can obviously help you if somebody is felt, you know, connected with your story.

How To Help And Contact Info

SPEAKER_00 47:27

I assume that you're willing to send me all the vital stats that somebody, if they wish to help you, but is there a way for us to contact your your organization if someone has heard your words today and are are interested in helping you? How does somebody get in touch with the Changia Africa organization?

SPEAKER_02 47:48

Yes, with Changia Organization to get in touch, we have a LinkedIn account where we publish our work, we have a Facebook page, and uh we uh we are now working on uh on the websites, professional websites, which are still under designing, but uh we do being contacted through email. I think you have our email. Yeah, yes, it's still uh yes. That's that's the email, uh WhatsApp. We have organizational WhatsApp and uh my private WhatsApp. Also, we have a team, uh a lady who is in Spain, uh is uh is a new uh on uh on on our boards, and we are still our our doors are open, we are still looking uh professional uh people who could be could wish to work with us if they could be just not only donors, but they could be people with capacity to so you're looking for for money and talent and dreams, I guess you could say, right?

SPEAKER_00 48:56

And potential.

SPEAKER_02 48:58

Yeah, because money, I can say money is uh it's important, but you have to to have people because we are not looking for money to eat money, we are looking for money to implement and to to do impact, you see. Absolutely. We don't want to to have uh to have a team of just me. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 49:23

I don't I'm not sure about that way because I'm from the beginning of this, you you seem to be able to do almost everything.

SPEAKER_02 49:30

Yes, that's that's why that's why I'm I'm I'm sharing here. I'm presenting my dear because I'm the title, I'm the one started the vision of Briar. You see, I came with the vision right now. Um not myself, as I said, 13 people in Achivale and seven here in Kampala. And we have a lady in Spain, is a white lady, Nerya Gonzalez, who joined the team. That's why I said that yeah, that's why I said we are still looking professional people to join our body. We are strengthening the body because we have a vision to go far, not only looking for money, because if we strengthen our team, money will come and we shall implement it professionally.

SPEAKER_00 50:16

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 50:17

But if you get money without a team, that's the impact will not be seen anywhere. Yeah, and it's what I avoid with the team. Yeah, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 50:30

Wayne from the Kanjiga Africa organization from Uganda and your little one who slept through the whole interview. Very good. Go, get back, go back to sleep. Thank you for being with me. Thank you for being a fellow Rotarian, a rotor actor, and thank you for your inspirational story. I think that you know, Congo, the the Congo is an amazing place, like we both agree, but Uganda is now where your heart is, and who knows where somebody who is such a dreamer like you is gonna end up. So thank you, my friend, for being on the show. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 51:10

Thank you so much. It's my pleasure. And uh these uh maybe we can uh we can also arrange, which will maybe focus on movie and uh all the maybe all the the recognition I add and uh the journey as you are very focused on uh storytelling. You are my fellow creative, yeah. Uh yeah, I think also we could uh see as I said we we are starting this uh Changia creative universe, which will be having podcasts, productions, all creative sectors, but uh we need to strengthen to plan it very well because it's still just uh uh starting this 2026, and uh I share it even to the platform of Changia to see that this is the idea. And uh recently I attended the mix and mingle for filmmakers in Uganda and uh included East Africa filmmakers. I shared my social media, it was a very amazing session, and uh yeah, I think uh I'm a good position and uh in what I'm doing, and I like so much what I'm doing because now no one is pushing me. It's a passion which has uh I turned it to be a professional. I think yeah, it's what I I feel, I feel what I'm doing. Yeah, I feel I

Host Wrap Up And Listener Call

SPEAKER_02 52:40

love it.

SPEAKER_00 52:40

Thank you, my friend, so much. So, what'd you think of my new buddy Wayne? Pretty cool, right? A filmmaker from the Congo who now works with the Chagia Africa organization. And I love how he kind of mixed it both together. He's still an artist, he's still a musician, but he's fostering that artistic filmmaking passion in all of his areas, from entrepreneurism to writing and directing and the future that he wants as a refugee-driven organization is pretty darn cool. And you know, through all of my refugee shows, I keep hearing the same slogan, service above self. Service above self. I mean, talk about a true vision of service above self. Wow, it's humbling. And Wayne, thank you so much for being on the show. And like I said, these shows that I have done from Malawi and Uganda all over the the mid-African continent have been eye-opening, humbling, and truly amazing. And that you are a rotor actor, that you are the future of Rotary. Woohoo! I love it, I love it, I love it. And I love you out there for listening. If you have a great rotor actor, interactor, or rotarian, or just somebody out there that's turning their actions into impact that I should know about, please email me at rotarianpod at gmail.com. Also, by the way, we have a blog and we also have a YouTube channel. And the YouTube channel especially has uh subtitles, close captions, so that can help whenever the hearing part of things can get a little frustrating. And last but not least, I am hitting the road a lot, especially in 2027, from assemblies to projects to international conventions, and I'm happy to come to your neighborhood too. So use that same email address, RotarianPod at gmail.com, and let us know if you'd like the Action to Impact show coming to your neighborhood. Alright then, until next time. Take care of yourself and the world around you, and we'll hear you or read you or even see you on YouTube right here on the Action to Impact Show with me, Gwen Jones. Have a fabulous week, everybody. We'll talk to you soon.