Powerhouse theatre-writing duo Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews join us to talk about their moving and personal musical, Witness Uganda (previously known as Invisible Thread when it premiered Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre). Inspired by couple’s separate real-life experiences traveling to Africa—specifically Griffin’s trip to Uganda—the story follows the character Griffin as he meets and tries to help five Ugandan teens, first by teaching them himself and then by sponsoring their education when he returns to New York. But is this the kind of help they want or need?

The musical asks many questions about altruism, public health, voluntourism, and the ethics of foreign aid. What does it look like to offer aid, particularly from the United States to a developing nation? Experts Afam Onyema of the GEANCO Foundation—which is simultaneously based in the U.S. and Nigeria (where it serves local Afridans)—and Ana Jimenez-Bautista, the director of Field Practice at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, join us for this fascinating conversation about what it really means to help and how we can offer assistance in the most useful ways.

Create the change

• Ask how to serve, rather than offering what you think is needed.
• Challenge your ideas of what education looks like.
• Get a passport and travel!
• Support local businesses while traveling.
• 6 Ways to Travel More Responsibly
• Learn more about the ethics of international volunteering.
• When choosing a volunteer program, you *want* to see these words: collaboration, cultural sensitivity, cultural integration, reflection.
• Pick up a copy of The Volunteer Traveler’s Handbook at your local independent bookstore.
• Donate to the GEANCO Foundation, or get in touch to offer other ways to serve.
• Read about volunteering and voluntourism.
• Find responsible travel guides here.
• Avoid poverty tourism.
• Read this article about ending colonialism in global health.

Referred to in this episode

• Witness Uganda, keep track of the musical and its developments
• The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, CA
• Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Department of Field Practice
• What is cultural competence?
• The Ibo tribe in Nigeria