Meet Ezra Kwizera: From Refugee to International Popstar

Show Intro Announcer: 00:00:00

Your voice is your superpower.

Show Intro Announcer: 00:00:03

Use it.

Show Intro Announcer: 00:00:04

Welcome to Ignite My Voice Becoming unstoppable. Powered by Ignite Voice, Inc. The podcast where voice meets purpose and stories ignite change.

Deep conversations with amazing guests, storytellers, speakers, and change makers.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:00:21

Being greedy is selfish. You know, it's like, I'm better than you. So the message. The message, whatever message is sending or even the Christians are sending is not human.

Ubuntu is like Miyabi. I believe I am because we are.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:00:37

Hi, I'm Kat. Our guest today is someone whose life story reminds us just how powerful music and the human spirit can be.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:00:46

Hi, I'm Kev. Today we introduce you to Ezra Kwizera.

He's an international artist, music producer and entrepreneur whose journey began in the midst of unimaginable hardship.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:00:58

wanda in the Aftermath of the: 1994

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:01:11

But instead of letting those experiences define him, he transformed them into something powerful. His music and his mission.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:01:19

Ezra performs around the world and now calls Vancouver home. His sound is a vibrant blend of reggae, East African bongo, and pop, and he sings rap in multiple languages.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:01:32

His story goes far beyond music, though. He's also a man and community leader, helping young artists in Rwanda find their voice and create opportunities where very little exists.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:01:43

We talk about resilience, gratitude, cultural identity, and why telling our stories through music, conversation and connection can change lives.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:01:54

This is a conversation about surviving hardship, finding purpose, and learning how to truly live in the moment. Here's a conversation with Ezra Kuzera.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:04

ke, after the genocide, since: 1994

They take all the investment and the money out.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:02:24

So they stole it all to get

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:25

out of the country to zero. So the country.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:02:28

So that was right before the genocide.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:30

Not before, because it was planned.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:02:32

They were getting it out.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:34

So they were getting out. And they knew that they were losing. For five years, they knew that they were losing.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:02:39

Just grab everything.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:41

It's kind of like a lot of people, they don't understand even about the Iran issue. But the Iran issue is not something to celebrate about.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:02:50

Oh, it's going to destroy.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:52

It's going to start up again. Another problem and a different problem.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:02:57

You just don't know what kind of

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:02:58

problem is going to be.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:02:59

Yeah, and it's going to now be a problem to other people, not them. It's going to now Be our problem.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:03:07

Yep. Yeah. Well, there's 90 million people, right. That are going to get displaced. Yeah. Now, what about Rwanda? Now that we're, what, about 30 years later?

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:03:17

32, Kevin, if you should be specific,

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:03:22

you're going back there tomorrow. How are things there now?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:03:25

The reason why I go back is just to kind of. For me, it's kind of giving back to the community because they still. Starting from my young brothers, my siblings.

Like, you find a lot of men who are under 40 with no jobs, nothing. They have a degree, they're smart, but there's nothing to do.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:03:49

Nothing.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:03:50

Yeah, we saw that in Kenya, too. What was the we. We were there teaching a while ago.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:03:57

Universities. Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:03:58

And the graduate employment rate, what was it?

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:04:03

Oh, was so small.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:04:04

30% of grad school work.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:04:09

To me, the only way I can explain it, it's easy to explain stuff. Like on a personal level, like in Rwanda, no one can afford me, so that means no one can employ me.

If you get to employ me, that means you're paying me $200, and that's what I can make here in an hour.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:04:30

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:04:30

I make three hours. I make 300. If I'm working in Rwanda, that's a month.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:04:37

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:04:38

So that means.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:04:39

And that feeds your family.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:04:41

Yeah, yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:04:41

You know, and your housing and rent and.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:04:44

Yeah, and a house and health. And I'm like, so how do you live? Mm. So you live in the survival.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:04:54

It's like, has that changed much in the last decade? Is it getting better?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:04:59

It's getting better. But the thing is, with the new technology and the system and media.

Media, most especially media can make people get depressed or think, oh, I can own. I can have this.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:05:13

Oh, they see what. Yeah, they imagine the American dream or whatever.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:17

Yeah. So if you have a microphone, why do you have a microphone? I can have a microphone, too.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:05:22

You should be rich and an influencer.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:24

So the west kind of teaches. Oh, you can have a TV. You need a smart TV.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:05:31

Oh, I need an iPhone. 17.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:33

IPhone 17.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:05:35

And that's. So

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:38

I need a car.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:05:40

We need to eat. You need to feed your family.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:43

Right.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:05:43

And you're in survival.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:45

Yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:05:46

So is there hope? Like, how do people.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:05:49

Because like, Rwanda lives on donation. Like, when you hear stuff like organization like CIDA. CIDA is a big organization through UN they give, they help, like pregnant women. Right.

et's say, for example, before: 1994

So whatever they get the infection, they die after five years or 10 years out of that because of the way the hospitals are.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:06:36

That's so brain.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:06:37

So the risk of dying is easy. You can diagnose yourself. You can take medicine. You hear people get.

People work hard without sleeping, and then they have fatigue, and then they think, oh, it's malaria. Then they take malaria pills and malaria pills. They kill you.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:07:04

Yeah, it's infection that's the problem.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:07:06

Well,

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:07:09

survival mode makes you do.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:07:12

It's hard for us, for people that haven't been there, to imagine. We've done a number of podcasts where privilege has come up as a topic quite a bit.

And, I mean, what you're talking about, just base survival privilege. People here, I don't think relate to.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:07:31

They can't.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:07:32

And it's kind of like another problem that I'm figuring out living here for 18 years is that African countries, they're controlled by religion. That's a huge. The biggest problem, like, for hundreds of years, is religion, most especially Christianity.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:07:52

Now, why do you call it a problem?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:07:53

Because with Christianity, they will say, okay, in certain days, they will tell you, okay, I love you, but then at the same time, I have to judge you. And then that brings in fear. So you get controlled by fear. But then they're telling you, God loves

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:08:15

you, but do it this way. Right?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:08:19

Yeah, do it this way. Walk this way.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:08:21

God will love you if you do it this way.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:08:22

You can't do it this way. You can't do it. And I'm like, but you're telling me. God is telling me, come as you are. But then you're telling me, okay, you have to dress up.

I grew up in churches where, like, even wearing this, it's a.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:08:38

Your hat.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:08:39

Yeah. Like, you can wear a hat in the house of God. You can wear, like, that sweat.

You have to wear a dress, or you have to wear a white shirt and button up and put on and it's freaking hot.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:08:55

Well, it's importing a culture from England, really. Right. It's not working with local people in how they live. Yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:09:05

The principles might be helpful, but how it's enacted, not so much.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:09:09

Right.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:09:10

There's no respect for the local culture.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:09:16

The more I travel, I've come to settle where I'm like, you have problems, I have problems. We all have problems. I don't have to bring my problems to you because, oh, even though you're driving and you're this. You have problems.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:09:31

Oh, life isn't perfect here. Yeah. No, it's not.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:09:36

No.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:09:37

All the problems Are problems are on a different scale, aren't they?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:09:40

Yeah, problems are in different scales. Like whatever you want, it's a problem. Like you want. You have kids, they are blessing, but they are problem.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:09:48

Well, they certainly come with their own challenges, don't they?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:09:52

Yeah, but it's beautiful.

And I think that's what we lack as human beings, like to really being in the moment and appreciate the moment, appreciate how far you've come and see and look at your child and say, man, what a blessing. But the world can make you look at your child as a problem. You have to know that there's something that beyond us. It's not just about money.

I see it every time I go back home and I see maybe some of the people that I grew up with, the way they treat their workers. I'm like, you don't talk to. Even though he's your driver. Talk to them with respect, humanity, respect, values. We've lost all that.

We've lost principles. There's no principles. There's no boundaries. Everything is like on a personal level, it's like, I don't. If you're.

If you're above 20, I don't have to teach you manners. You just have to know there's rules. The way you go, you go on a. You drive, you have to know that. Okay, there's rules, right?

Like I told you, like when I drove, and there's rules. Like it's a one way. And I'm like, yeah, but I have to go, so I have to break the rule.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:11:15

Well, I still remember driving in Nairobi. There wasn't a whole lot of rules. It feels like Ezra. But their own rules.

I'm curious, speaking of growing up, what you went through at an early age, I mean, that whole genocidal period, how old were you?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:11:34

Me, I didn't even go through the genocide.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:11:37

So you weren't there at the time?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:11:38

No.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:11:39

Yeah, you came after me.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:11:41

ild of a genocide survivor in: 1959

But my mother's father, my grandfather was a chief. A chief would be like a mayor today because they didn't have. They have dead kings by then.

They used to have kings and chiefs is to take over territories. So the king was a Tutsi. When the Hutus came up, the king had to. The king had to free.

Because the first king, I think the third king, they killed him in Belgium. The other king had to flee and then when he went to the U.S. he died in the U.S. like this, like, a few years ago.

So my mother and the family, they went through the game park with these animals. That was the only way they could escape otherwise. Because the genocide was planned to finish the Tutsi. It's kind of like the whole Jewish thing.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:12:59

Palestinian, right?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:13:01

I know the Jewish. I think it's Hitler who says, looking at the Germans, when they were looking for where the Jews are, to kill them.

So for Rwanda, it was like the Tutsis were, like, in one place, so it was easy to kill them. That's why it was 100 million. You know, it was. They say a million people that died between April to July. Wow. But it's more than that.

If you do the numbers, it's like more than 10 million.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:13:36

Wow.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:13:37

When you add the numbers.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:13:39

No. And so where did you grow up?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:13:44

I grew up in Uganda.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:13:45

In Uganda.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:13:46

I grew up in Uganda.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:13:48

Neighboring country? Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:13:49

Yeah. In a neighboring country. Because my parents, they left when they fled when they were young. I was born in 78. So from 78, there's Obote.

rs before seven takes over in: 1986

That means when you're in the ghetto, people, they think ghetto is a cool. You know, it's a cool. It's a cool thing. But ghetto is. There's abuse.

You see, you wake up in the morning because in the ghetto, that means this entire room has to live in, like, 20 people. But how can 20 people live in

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:14:37

this 10 by 10 room? Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:14:40

Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:14:40

Terrible conditions.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:14:41

That means you sleep this way.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:14:44

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:14:45

You can have a basin or a cup. Everything has to be together. That means you're sharing toilets. Toilet. With 50 people. Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:14:57

Brutal.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:14:57

And disease spreads quickly that way.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:15:00

Yeah. So I usually say I lost my childhood. I never saw my childhood. Yeah. But it took me years. It took me years to have kids to also understand that.

Or even when I moved here, to understand that that's abuse. Hitting someone, beating. Because that's what it was normal.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:15:22

Oh, it was natural.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:15:23

Yeah, it was natural. You go to school, you're late. 10 sticks, you failed. They give you 10 questions, you fail one. Every question you fail, you do this. They beat you. 5.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:15:40

Hold out your hands.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:15:42

Not just this, it's like, wow. So it was normal until you come to the west, and then you're like, oh, this is an abuse. This is not normal.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:15:58

The Road from where you're talking, you know, it just. It's fascinating. How did you find your way to Canada?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:16:07

I say God because the whole story, there's a God in the picture. Because I just finished my I Believe tour on Saturday. I don't know if you saw it.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:16:24

No, I didn't.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:16:25

I did. It is about black history, and I've been doing this for almost like 15 years. And I believe.

I believe it's about awareness about racial profile as a black man. Like, you know, the police, they stopped me, you know, so many times, and I'm like, okay, why? Why?

It took me almost like five to ten, six years to ask. Even my wife, like, how come they never stop you, but when I'm by myself, they stop me.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:16:57

You find that here?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:16:58

Yeah, yeah. In Canada, because at least in the US they show you that they don't know, like, racism is, like, open. Like this. White, black.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:17:07

All right.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:17:08

Yeah. But here, it's like, it's hidden. People are not open to talk about it. But you face it, you see it with me, I kind of connect. I connect with.

My story connects with aboriginals in the First Nation. I'm like, this is the same story, but in a different land.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:17:32

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:17:34

On the other side of the world.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:17:38

Yeah. There's been colonialism in different forms all over the world.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:17:42

Right. Yeah. And I think if we could get out of the culture and beliefs and just believe in us as people, I know that one day I would die.

I'm here to love, I'm here to bless. I think the world can be better. But when you see what's happening with Trump is that being greedy is selfish.

You know, it's like, I'm better than you. So that the message. The message, whatever message is sending or even the Christians are sending is not human. It's not Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is like, I believe I am because we are.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:18:30

It's a beautiful saying.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:18:30

Like, we ban to. Because we have to separate ourselves from animals. But sometimes animals are better than us,

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:18:40

maybe smarter. Sometimes.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:18:43

Yeah. I mean, that's what this podcast Ezra is about so much. Right. Is trying to make the world a better place and helping everybody find their

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:18:51

own voice, create connection, build community, do

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:18:56

what we can to take on the forces that don't allow us to do that.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:19:02

And also, like, with me, you know, I'm 47 now. I tell people it's okay to learn, it's okay to say, I'm sorry, but you can't repeat the same mistake, you know, like. And think it's okay.

We have to come to a place and know. Okay. Kevin hates when you're late, right? Don't be late.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:19:28

Is it true, Kevin?

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:19:29

Ezra was late?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:19:32

You know? You know. You know, like how I offended people when I moved here. The first thing I did was working in movie industry.

I came because I'm other celebrity back home playing stadium. So I come with messenger ego.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:19:52

I got shot down. Listen, listen.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:19:56

The first lesson I did, the first show I did was on Main Street. I posted it on Facebook, da, da, da. And I went and said, yeah, I'm gonna do a show. Nobody showed up. And I was like, so mad.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:20:11

You're used to being. Well, I remember my first show I saw of Ezra was a small venue, but he's a big artist. He does amazing things.

It's funny to see him, you know, just so good.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:20:25

The ego. The ego is this one. There's an ego that men were born with, is an ego. Now when you become a role model.

One thing I've learned in these last 10 years is that don't trust people. People can put you up and people

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:20:41

can tear you down.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:20:43

So don't trust people. Not even your father.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:20:47

Who do you trust?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:20:48

You have to trust yourself, like, always know that, okay, I'm here to do what I'm here to do with me, with my boys. And I'm like, okay, I have to know that I don't own them. I have to remind myself I don't own them.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:21:05

You're a gift.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:21:06

I have to be a standby. But it's tough to be a standby because you're like, you're gonna fall. And when they're old.

When they're old, it's like, at least in my generation, we used to have uncles, aunties, but here you're by yourself. I think the big word is being grateful.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:21:33

Yes, you mentioned that earlier.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:21:35

Yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:21:35

And gratefulness is something that we can all access when we think about it. It's a simple moment, but you have to be present to be grateful, don't you? Because when you're looking back, you're looking back with regret.

When you're looking to the future, you might be looking with fear, but if you're in the moment, you can be grateful for what you have.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:21:54

Yeah. Because I find when I feel sad or when I feel depressed, I'm like, you forgot to say thank you. Yeah.

Because it's easy to just think about, someone didn't do this for me. I'm like, do you know that they're going through some problems so we kind of. We're in a culture where we feel like, I owe you, you owe me.

Instead of saying, oh, can I help you? See the invitation? You invited me. I'm like, I'll be like, oh, how much are you paying me?

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:22:39

Everything's a transaction.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:22:40

Yeah, everything is a transaction. Having a conversation about having, you know.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:22:46

Well, this is why these conversations are important, because we get this time to reflect and be curious about, you know, what you've gone through.

So we can help other people be curious so they can talk to their neighbors and they can talk to someone on the street and not be afraid to approach someone who's different, you know?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:23:08

You see, when I moved to this, this, this country, I never had fear, I never had anxieties.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:23:20

Oh, we, we've got lots we can share with us, right? Yeah, this country can.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:23:24

We are baggage packed with all of those.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:23:27

You see the bill. I know. You see, and I'm like, you have no idea how many banks have changed credit cards. And I'm like, oh, man. I'm doing a tour in East Africa.

l. So it's kind of like since: 2009

That was the last time I did like an official concert.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:24:05

Wow.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:05

Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:24:06

That's a while ago.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:06

Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:24:07

That's a big tour then.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:24:08

Yeah, it's a big tour. How do you keep up your energy for that?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:12

Because it's a mission. It's a mission. And the mission. And the mission, I think is to remind people that you're here to love. When I keep my.

When I find myself in the house, I'm like, bro, you're getting now depressed. Why aren't you out there?

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:24:29

You have purpose.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:30

Yeah. And the winter kind of, you know, challenges me, that's why.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:24:34

Oh, yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:24:35

Challenges me.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:37

I can stay inside.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:24:38

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:39

You know, we go out. I hate having on layers.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:24:45

Welcome to Canada.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:24:51

But everything's beautiful. I think the problem is us people, we don't appreciate enough.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:24:58

Didn't the hippies have it right? Drugs and rock and roll or something like that? Peace and love, meaning the forefront of.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:25:07

You see, peace and love can be deceived. You can't have peace or love because you're high or drunk. Right. That's an escape.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:25:17

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:25:17

But you have to have peace, you know, and love. When you're clear minded and you have to call it yourself, you have to ground. I think it's grounding.

You have to ground yourself and say that, I've tried it, don't need it.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:25:34

And I'm guessing that your grounding is a form of meditation, is a form of connection to nature, as a form of connection to yourself.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:25:43

Yeah. If you connect to yourself, then it's easy to connect with your enemy. Because I don't think anybody is meant to be your enemy.

I agree they might disagree with you, but it's not that they hate you. But if you communicate, if you give yourself time and get to be. There are some people who are bitter. You never smile. No, they're like that.

They smile when they, you know, when they're happy. They don't. They don't just smile all the time.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:26:18

Well, it's. It's trying to find common ground. Right. It's trying to see how we're all so similar in so many ways.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:26:25

Yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:26:26

They say we put our pants on the same way, right? One foot at a time.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:26:29

Yeah.

You know, because when you get to see, like, that's why I say earlier, I said culture and beliefs, religion, they're there to help us, but to ground ourselves, value each other, love each other. Like talk to a woman. Not because of sex, talk to a woman as a person in the first place. But sometimes we get mixed up.

I'm like, oh, she's so beautiful. Or do you know her? Oh, you're attracted to maybe bum, or she's the figure or she's young. That's the housing, the person.

But we never get to learn the person. We see what the person does. And then you're like, oh, I like you. Why do you like me? We never ask those questions.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:27:27

Oh, it's superficial.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:27:28

Yeah. Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:27:30

I mean, there seems to be a lot of things working against us, Ezra, in terms of those core values. You know, we're in a time where technology's working against us, social media, our own groups and bubbles. And we see the others as not

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:27:48

one of us, our own inadequacies and insecurities.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:27:53

I mean, this anti immigrant movement that is just all over the world, it seems. Right. As if immigrants are bad somehow. They're not like us.

So in our modern times, it seems to be working against the beliefs that you and I seem to have. Right?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:28:10

Yeah.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:28:11

And one of the things we explore, or try to, is what can we do about that? How do we fight the way the world is going in the wrong direction, do you think?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:28:21

I think it's this. Things like this, like having conversations. We have to go ahead of our shame. Some, some, some there's reason to why you're here.

You know, you're not today is it's not about what you did yesterday. A lot of young people after the genocide, a lot of young men. A lot of people. You should see with organization, people pay attention to women.

They don't pay attention to men because they think a man can figure it out. There's a word that I don't like. Men up.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:29:06

Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:29:07

There's no man up. A man is a man, like a woman is a woman. There's no woman up.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:29:12

And a man up is a toxic trait anyways.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:29:16

Yeah.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:29:16

You know, so men have emotions and feelings, and that means shutting those off and getting on with it. And that's not fair to ask our men to do that.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:29:26

I mean, I grew up. Let's say even in this season of grieving my mother, it's hard for me to cry. But I would cry in my dream, and I wake up crying.

Or someone has to trigger. Someone has to offend me then for me to cry. But I wouldn't cry because they did something. Because I'm like, I just think about my mom.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:29:53

Yeah, the trigger. Yeah.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:29:56

So I think it's a respect of knowing that life has seasons and also, like, respecting life and knowing that, okay, it's just a season.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:30:10

And there are lots of seasons, aren't there? I think about the aging season.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:30:19

So, yeah, you have a lot of stories to tell you do. You seem driven to tell these stories in a lot of different ways. That's probably what drives everything you do, I suppose, huh?

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:30:31

Yeah, it's just to spread. It's just to spread the message.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:30:36

Yeah. And that's what we do, too. And we're just thinking about how we can get everybody to spread their story better.

Guest Ezra Kwizera: 00:30:44

I think information is needed because today there's a lot of false information. Now, with AI instead of your lady to come to you, she'll first ask, AI, what do I do? I'm like, why can't you just go to them and ask them?

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:31:05

Ezra's story is powerful. Perspective changes everything, huh? When you've lived through war, poverty, and survival, gratitude becomes something much deeper than a buzzword.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:31:17

His message comes back to presence. Being in the moment, appreciating how far you've come, and remembering to say thank you even when life feels hard.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:31:29

He also reminds us that storytelling through music, conversation, or art is one of the most powerful ways to connect us human beings.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:31:38

And his work mentoring young artists in Rwanda shows what happens when someone who's walked the path reaches back to help others find their voice.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:31:48

That spirit of Ubuntu I am because we are I love. That might be one of the most important lessons from today's conversation.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:31:56

Resilience and gratitude.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:31:58

Wow.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:31:58

That's so powerful. Thanks for you listening in China, France and Trinidad and Tobago.

Co-Host Kevin Ribble: 00:32:05

And don't forget to follow. Subscribe and join us for more conversations with leaders, creators and change makers.

Co-Host Kat Stewart: 00:32:12

Find us on ignite my voice.com. Ignite My Voice. Becoming unstoppable. Your voice is your superpower.

Show Intro Announcer: 00:32:26

Use it.