Overview of Live from Johannesburg: The Moth Radio Hour
This live Moth Radio Hour episode was recorded at the University of Johannesburg under the theme “We Rise.” Hosted by Lebo Mashile, it features three true stories from storytellers in Uganda, South Africa, and Kenya about resilience, identity, family, risk, and what it takes to keep going when life gets complicated. The episode is also dedicated to the memory of Maria McCloy, a beloved Johannesburg creative and friend of the Moth community.
Story 1: Brian Turiabaje — Choosing Purpose Over Security
Brian Turiabaje tells the story of quitting a well-paying banking job to pursue a mission-driven invention: a pneumonia-detecting jacket designed to help health workers identify respiratory illness earlier, especially in low-resource settings.
Key points
- Brian had promised to support his sister’s wedding while also trying to secure funding for his invention in Johannesburg.
- He secretly traveled to South Africa during the wedding week, hoping to do both.
- A series of travel mishaps nearly kept him from returning in time:
- missed flight check-in by minutes,
- rebooking complications,
- a long layover in Rwanda,
- and an improvised bus connection back to Uganda.
- He arrived at the wedding barely in time, only to discover he had been removed from the groomsmen list and was dressed for the occasion in a T-shirt that read “I love free Wi-Fi.”
- Despite the chaos, the Johannesburg meetings did secure funding, and the invention went on to help save lives.
Main takeaway
Brian’s story is about conviction, sacrifice, and the awkward cost of following your purpose. Even when everything went wrong personally, the trip advanced work that has had real public health impact.
Story 2: Lebo Morashwa — Beauty Pageants, Gender Expression, and a Mother Who Refused to Back Down
South African storyteller Lebo Morashwa reflects on growing up as a shy, creatively inclined boy who loved beauty queens, glamour, and self-presentation. He enters a series of local beauty pageants as a child and discovers both joy and vulnerability in being seen.
Key points
- Set in 1995 South Africa, a time of political transformation and hope after apartheid.
- Lebo’s mother, a former domestic worker, decides to run in the first local government elections as an independent candidate.
- Inspired by her boldness, Lebo enters pageants to express himself and perhaps gain social protection by being publicly recognized.
- He wins multiple pageants, but one contest includes a humiliating swimsuit segment that intensifies his discomfort.
- In a painful moment, he places second and cries in front of everyone, trying to hide his disappointment behind the excuse that he needed his glasses.
- His mother, also facing intimidation in her political campaign, tells him:
- it’s okay to cry,
- if something doesn’t work out,
- tomorrow you rise and do something else.
- His mother later helps transform the village through education, food security, and electrification efforts.
Main takeaway
This story links queer self-discovery, public performance, and civic courage. Lebo learns that rising up doesn’t always mean winning—it can mean trying, failing, and finding another way forward.
Story 3: Lisa Muchoki — Balancing Duty, Motherhood, and the Work That Calls You
Kenyan doctor Lisa Muchoki shares a life shaped by an adventurous mother, early responsibility, and a career in medicine that repeatedly pulls her toward difficult, high-stakes work.
Key points
- As a child, she was encouraged to do things that were considered “not normal for girls,” like climbing trees, riding bikes, and playing football.
- She became a caretaker for her younger sisters early in life, which helped set her on the path to medicine.
- After her parents died, she carried major family responsibilities while still studying.
- She chose to work in Northeastern Kenya and later in Garissa, areas affected by insecurity, poverty, and high maternal and infant mortality.
- After becoming a mother herself, she struggled with feeling empty and unfulfilled when staying home full-time.
- When she returned to high-risk fieldwork, her convoy was ambushed; she survived a terrifying attack.
- The experience forced her to confront the limits of constant sacrifice.
- She eventually learned that strength also means knowing when to pause, rebalance, and protect yourself and your family.
Main takeaway
Lisa’s story is about responsibility, courage, and the hard lesson that even strong women need boundaries. Rising up, for her, means balancing service to others with care for herself and her children.
Shared Themes and Takeaways
What “We Rise” means in this episode
Across all three stories, rising is not presented as a simple triumph. It looks more like:
- staying committed to a purpose,
- surviving embarrassment and disappointment,
- resisting fear and pressure,
- and learning when to keep pushing versus when to step back.
Common ideas
- Purpose comes with sacrifice.
- Family can be both pressure and support.
- Public failure does not erase personal growth.
- Courage often looks messy, funny, and uncomfortable.
- Resilience is not only about endurance—it’s also about adaptation.
Notable Lines and Moments
- Brian’s family joke and final badge of honor: “I love free Wi-Fi.”
- Lebo’s mother’s guidance: “Tomorrow, you will rise up and do something else.”
- Lisa’s conclusion: a strong woman knows when to stop, pause, and strike a balance.
Final Impression
This episode is a celebration of people who keep moving forward through chaos, whether by chasing funding across borders, claiming space through self-expression, or learning how to serve others without losing themselves. It’s funny, emotional, and deeply human—an apt reflection of Johannesburg’s lively live audience and the Moth’s belief in the power of true stories.