Our Team
Who is behind the Radio Workshop podcast?
The Radio Workshop is a podcast of the Children’s Radio Foundation, a non-profit organization that trains youth across Africa as radio reporters, giving them the tools and skills to make their voices heard. Over the years, we have heard powerful stories emerge from our youth reporters’ communities, and we want to share them with you.
In the same way that the Children’s Radio Foundation is built around training and mentoring, so is the Radio Workshop. We believe that with the tools and skills they need to produce podcasts, journalists can extend the reach and deepen the impact of their reporting, grow loyal and engaged audiences, and spark home-grown businesses. As the number of talented podcasters on the continent increases, so will the quality, creativity, and popularity of available content – furthering the expansion of the podcast movement across Africa.
Working with a team of global experts, we host a range of specialized podcast training workshops and develop and distribute DIY training manuals and toolkits.
Lesedi Mogoatlhe
Host and Editorial Director
Lesedi most recently worked with LGBTI organizations across southern Africa to develop their own podcasts. She has a background in documentary filmmaking, having worked in the South African TV and Film industry for almost 20 years. She holds an MA in Documentary Filmmaking from Sussex University.
Mike Rahfaldt
Director
Based in Cape Town, Mike is the Executive Director of the Children’s Radio Foundation. He taught anthropology and media studies at the University of Cape Town and has a PhD from the University of Michigan.
Martha O’Donovan
Managing Director
Martha has worked for the Children’s Radio Foundation as a program manager, innovations associate, and development consultant for over 5 years. She previously was a satirical video producer at Magamba Network (Zimbabwe) and received a MTV-U Fulbright Scholarship (Zambia). Martha holds a BA from New York University.
Rob Rosenthal
Story Editor
Rob is a story editor, podcast and radio producer, and a long-time documentary audio teacher working at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies and the Transom Story Workshop. Please let him know about music he should be listening to.
Dhashen Moodley
Producer
Dhashen has over 12 years experience working in newsrooms across multiple roles including prime-time host, editor, senior producer and specialist reporter. He’s produced stories for 99% invisible, Unicef, Voice of America, Foreign Policy, The City Show, Mail & Guardian, SABC and eNCA. He’s won fellowships from the United Nations, Bloomberg, Radio Netherlands, US State Department, and several universities.
Jo Jackson
Managing Producer
Jo started as the Communications Manager of the Children’s Radio Foundation in 2018. She’s now a full-time member of the podcasting team. She holds an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths University of London and was shortlisted for the Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2018. She is also a graphic designer and illustrator.
Frederica Boswell
Producer
Freddie Boswell is our Training Producer. Freddie began her career working on African News, Arts and Current Affairs at the BBC World Service in London. After a 2-year stint reporting from Zanzibar, Freddie joined NPR’s Morning Edition and later Tell Me More. Freddie has produced Tiny Spark from her base in the Middle East since 2016.
Andile Msomi
Associate Producer and Trainer
Andile manages our training programs and is skilled in radio & podcast production and training, audio editing, and scriptwriting. Andile holds an Honors Degree from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Clémence Petit-Perrot
Associate Producer
Clémence has worked with the Children’s Radio Foundation for the past 10 years as an innovation, impact and strategy Director. She has a background in radio journalism and worked as a foreign correspondent for Radio France Internationale and other French media. Clémence holds a postgraduate journalism degree from IJBA in France and a MPhil in Inclusive Innovation from the University of Cape Town.
Zanele Mji
Reporter
Zanele loves a good story. She’s a multimedia journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the BBC and Al Jazeera amongst other titles. She’s also the host of a podcast called Golden City.
Ras That Guy
Reporter
Ras is a teacher and paramedic from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. He is currently studying Psychology at Midlands State University. After a podcast training initiative with the Children’s Radio Foundation, Ras and a team of other transgender activists started the Purple Royale podcast. Ras works as a Script Editor on the podcast, which shares the lived experiences of transgender people living in Zimbabwe. Ras’s storytelling focuses on LGBTQI+ issues, as well as health and mental health.
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Mo Isu
Reporter
Mo is a writer, researcher and podcast producer based in Lagos, Nigeria. He covers human-led stories that guide people to moments of vulnerability and hope. He often describes himself as an empathy-driven ‘griot’ using storytelling as a tool to drive people to care about someone or something. He currently produces podcasts with a Lagos-based production company and freelances as an audio producer. He is interested in stories about society, ethics and culture.
Mary-Ann Nobele
Reporter
Mary-Ann has worked in the radio space for six years at Alex Fm, and as voice over artist for community radio stations and the City of Johannesburg for three years. She cares deeply for young people who come from marginalized communities and has worked as a community leader with Gun Free South Africa and the Children’s Radio Foundation for five years. Mary-Ann enjoys being in front of the camera as a presenter and model, and behind it as a photographer. She dreams of traveling the world and wants to play an active role in helping young people from townships find value in themselves.
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Bob Yala
Reporter
Bob made his entrance into the world of radio in 2001, when he joined the team at Réveil FM in Kinshasa, and went on to work as a reporter for local TV channel RTGA. Bob worked for seven years in Mbandaka as the manager of a local radio station set up by the International Organisation of the Francophonie. In 2010, he moved back to Kinshasa and was immediately recruited as Project Manager by RFI Planète Radio, where he worked until 2014. Bob is currently the Manager of Secteur Média and the Country Manager of the DRC for the Children’s Radio Foundation.