A beautiful discussion with two very fine people. Denis Opio and Harriet Atim, a wonderful husband and wife team, have devoted themselves to helping the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in their community in Gulu, northern Uganda.

You'll hear how Harriet and Denis support young women, often single mums who didn't finish school and who too often are victims of domestic violence, with vocational training so that they can earn a living and provide for their families. They support farming groups too.

I was visiting Uganda for another project but as my Foundation - Pond Foundation - supports Anyim Wa and the work that Denis and Harriet do, I took the opportunity to visit them to see their work first hand. I wasn't disappointed. It was super inspiring to see how they empower the young women and the farmers to move beyond despair into meaningful action.

I also learned how Harriet and Denis met, fell in love and started their own family. I learned how challenges in their own lives inspires what they do at Anyim Wa.

Like I said, two great people.

If their story inspires you and you'd like to support their work, you can donate to Pond Foundation's Hilary's Kids initiative through this link. All donations from this time on will go to Anyim Wa and we send 90% of all donated funds to their programs.

The world would be a better place if there were more people like Harriet and Denis.

I was recently in northern Ghana setting up biochar research trials with smallholder farmers. It was a great experience where one day I found myself alone, apart from some chickens and a confused young woman Shea nut picker, in a field. In this podcast I share the rationale behind why biochar could help revolutionise African smallholder farming and the livelihoods of millions of families.

A calm, humble man of the Bahá'í faith, Hugh Locke has devoted his already long but very much unfinished life to making the world a better place through gentle diplomacy and serious action. In this beautiful podcast, Hugh shares stories about his spiritual journey and his many decades of service in support of sustainability leaders such as Richard St Barbe Baker, the Man of the Trees; Mikhail Gorbachev; Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; the Dalai Lama; and Prince (now King) Charles. Hugh has spent decades supporting smallholder farmers to implement regenerative agroforestry projects, particularly in Haiti, as well as tree planting projects the world over. A kind, gentle, calm, spiritual warrior for the planet.