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by The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
In the aftermath of an emergency, the sight of someone wearing a red vest is a sign that help has arrived. It’s a sign of hope and of comfort. In this podcast, you will meet people who have dedicated their lives to helping others. We talk with them about the complexities of today’s crises, the solutions, and what inspires them to keep going.
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- 4 days ago35 min
Recipe for hope: Can a blend of tradition and innovation stave off severe food insecurity in Cameroon
In this special Red Vest podcast episode, we start our journey with a group of women in Cameroon's Far North region as they mix and stir a mix of nuts, flour, grains and other ingredients in big metal pots. In many places around the world, the sweet energy-packed mixture they are producing could be marketed as a super-rich power drink, favoured by fitness buffs and body-conscious dieters. But here in the Far North region of Cameroon, it takes on a very different meaning. Here, the bouillie enriche, as it's called, is literally a life saver – saving the lives mainly of children who are suffering the brunt of a long-lasting food insecurity crisis. In this episode, we explores how this new twist on an ancient recipe blends with other innovations (micro-economic initiatives, local banks for saving and trading grains, and local mothers and fathers' clubs) to build resilience in the face of a severe climate-induced crisis.
- Apr 17, 202638 min
Quiet Strength: During three years of conflict in Sudan, these remarkable people continue to help others despite the costs
Three years of conflict in Sudan have caused the largest mass displacement of people in the world. While the crisis gets little outside attention and support, the people of Sudan persevere. In this episode of Red Vest podcast, we hear from the people working every day to get the word out, and make life better for millions of people stuck in limbo, living in makeshift tents and shelters in massive camps throughout Sudan and neighbouring countries.
- Feb 10, 202630 min
Beyond limits: How volunteering opens doors and pushes the boundardies of what’s possible
Part 2 in Red Vest podcast's series for the International Year of Volunteers. In this episode Red Vest podcast takes you around the world, from Switzerland to Venezuela and Myanmar, to explore the many ways volunteering opens up new pathways and opportunities even as it pushes people beyond their comfort zone. We share these stories because too often they go untold, despite the fact that locally based volunteers are absolutely critical, not only to every emergencies, but to providing local responses to very complex social challenges.
- Jan 22, 202631 min
The volunteer heart: Why are so many so driven to help others? Part 1 in a special 'Year of the Volunteer' series.
With 2026 being designated as the ‘Year of the Volunteers’, Red Vest launches the first in a series of podcasts exploring the key questions and challenges at the heart of volunteering. In this episode, we visit a welcome centre for refugees in Geneva, Switzerland where we explore the question at the heart of volunteering: what is it that drives people to help others, even when there’s no expectation of reward or reciprocation. In future episodes, we examine the critical role local volunteers play in addressing the world’s biggest challenges, the dangers and risks volunteers often face, and how volunteering often opens doors to new challenges and experiences for those who take the initiative to help others.
- Nov 18, 202535 min
Climate of storms: A string of recent super storms expose the human costs of a warming world
Even in places where tropical storms are normal a part of life, the destructive power of Hurricane Melissa and the two recent Typhoons in the Philippines came as a shock to the millions of people who lived through them. When Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica, for example, it was classified as a Category 5 — the strongest storm the island nation has ever experienced. Why are tropical storms like Melissa becoming so severe? And why are they becoming so frequent? Perhaps most importantly, what can we do about it? These are some of the questions we tackle through recorded interviews with people on the front lines of the storm's impact and with three special guests who are experts in the field of emergency preparedness, disaster response and the science of climate change.
- Oct 15, 202528 min
Fighting hunger through the power of motherhood and fatherhood
This episode Red Vest podcast takes you on an immersive journey to remote villages in northern Nigeria. There, you will meet the Mothers Clubs and Papas Clubs that are challenging social norms in order to tackle a severe and persistent hunger crisis and improve the health of their communities. We’ll also introduce you to another very important character known as “Tom Brown. “ But you’ll have to listen to the episode to learn how Tom Brown is helping to bring thousands of children back from the brink of severe malnutrition.
- Sep 2, 202531 min
Lost and found at sea: Saving lives and coping with loss aboard an ocean rescue vessel.
It’s one of the most demanding and unusual humanitarian missions happening in the world today, and it’s being carried out at sea, by the crew of the Ocean Viking rescue vessel. Chartered by SOS MEDITERRANEE in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the ship patrols the Mediterranean Sea to rescue people in deep distress at sea. Crew members spend months at sea, living in small births, constantly on the lookout for boats in distress — small dinghies, full of people, lost among the waves. It’s a dangerous assignment. Rescues often happen at night, during times of heavy winds and choppy seas. And it’s not only the forces of nature that make this mission perilous – only a week ago, after this podcast was recorded, the Ocean Viking was hit by multiple gunshots. So why do they do it? How did the people lost at sea find themselves in these perilous situations? And how does the Ocean Viking crew find them on the vast seascape of the Mediterranean?In this episode we take you on board the Ocean Viking with Sara Mancinelli, the IFRC operations manager aboard the Ocean Viking and Camille Coletta, IFRC’s protection coordinator aboard the ship. Please, join us for an immersive audio journey aboard the Ocean Viking, then please subscribe to this channel to hear more compelling audio storytelling as Season 5 of Red Vest podcast gets under way.
- Mar 25, 202531 min
‘A month of giving’ during ‘unprecedented suffering’: IFRC’s director for the Middle East and North Africa reflects on Ramadan and acts of kindness amidst conflict and tragedy
As Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, IFRC’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Hossam Elsharkawi, reflects on the humanitarian crises impacting his region and on what Muslims consider a sacred month of fasting, giving and prayer. “Through fasting, you feel what's it like to be hungry, what's it like to be thirsty,” says Elsharkawi. “Ramadan is also a month of giving, when people share their meals and give more to charity.” Elsharkawi also explains the time-honoured tradition of giving in the Islamic world, and about a campaign launched during Ramadan by the IFRC to accept zakat, a traditional form of giving in Muslim culture.
About Red Vest
In the aftermath of an emergency, the sight of someone wearing a red vest is a sign that help has arrived. It’s a sign of hope and of comfort. In this podcast, you will meet people who have dedicated their lives to helping others. We talk with them about the complexities of today’s crises, the solutions, and what inspires them to keep going.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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