Interview with Kern Jackson (Documentarian and African American Studies Director, University of Alabama)
The documentary Descendant follows a community in Mobile, Alabama, the last known location where enslaved people were brought to the
Fhazhil is a passionate educator and a budding social entrepreneur in Information Technology and energy systems. He is currently the partnership director of M-Soma Institute, a social venture preparing young people in East Africa for successful careers in Information Technology and entrepreneurship. M-Soma Institute offers pre-university training in computer programming and software development and general technical entrepreneurial training to high school graduates through boot camps as well as through its online and mobile platforms. Fhazhil is also the founder and managing director of Disa Energy Management (DEM), a start-up in renewable energy systems. The current work of DEM is design and installation of renewable energy systems (majorly solar and wind) and offering consumer education on energy efficiency with a focus on efficient technologies, efficient energy system operations and energy behaviour change. The objective of DEM is to promote access to clean energy in rural Africa and spur economic growth. Besides his professional engagements, Fhazhil is also a passionate youth mentor with a focus on education and holistic development. He is an Equity Leaders Programme (EPL) alumnus and currently mentoring with Wings to Fly programme (an education and leadership programme run by the joint partnership of Equity Group and MasterCard Foundations) in Kenya, Mamelodi Initiative in the Mamelodi township of South Africa and Stars EBIT mentors at the University of Pretoria. Fhazhil is a MasterCard Foundation Scholar at the University of Pretoria; currently writing a thesis on optimal control of renewable energy systems.
The documentary Descendant follows a community in Mobile, Alabama, the last known location where enslaved people were brought to the
Advantage Health Africa provides health solution technology and connects pharmacies, improving access to medicine and quality healthcare in Africa. Abimbola
Glasswing International provides “trauma-informed” trainings specifically aimed at helping kids thrive, even in extremely challenging circumstances. The organization identifies community
Living Goods aims to empower community health workers and expand access to critical healthcare to under-resourced areas. They work with
The Protect Democracy Project works to prevent authoritarianism in the United States including by protecting free and fair elections and
Learn how Indigenous social innovators and their communities are advancing climate action.
