In this episode of Creative women, leading change, hosts Mirjana Arlaud and Shea Karssing sit down with Mercy Juma, award-winning journalist, global health communicator, and Head of Communications for the UN World Food Programme in Kenya.
From performing poems at age eight to reporting for the BBC across East Africa, Mercy’s path has been shaped by words, empathy, and a profound belief in human dignity. Today, she leads narratives around hunger, maternal health, and humanitarian response while championing a new generation of African storytelling that is bold, unapologetic, and solutions-driven.
Together, they explore Mercy’s leap from the newsroom into global health, the emotional weight of telling difficult stories, and why shifting from “bad news sells” to “hope and homegrown innovation” is essential for the future of the continent.
Through honest reflections and powerful field insights, Mercy reveals what it means to use creativity as both art and an act of care — and why she believes storytellers can help build a world that is more empathetic, equitable, and deeply human.
Episode highlights
- Why Mercy left the BBC at the peak of her career, and what storytelling in global health taught her
- The language problem in humanitarian communications and why labels must change
- How African storytelling is shifting from being represented to representing itself
- The emotional toll of global crises and the self-care practices that keep Mercy out of “the pit”
- Why solutions-focused storytelling matters more than ever
- Mercy’s vision for a world where women are allowed to thrive in all their forms
Quotes by Mercy
“Once a journalist, always a journalist. The instincts don’t go anywhere.”
“Leaving the newsroom after more than a decade felt like jumping off a moving train and hoping my storytelling instincts would catch me.”
“There’s a real language problem in humanitarian communications — describing people by their vulnerabilities instead of their identities.”
“When the 'Teen Moms of Kwale' series aired, the response was immediate and deeply moving. That solidified my why.”
“We need to talk more about solutions, about communities that are thriving, about homegrown innovations.”
“African storytelling is shifting from being represented to actually representing ourselves. It’s bold. It’s unapologetic.”
“You don’t need to burn to shine.”
Resources and actions from this episode
- Follow Mercy Juma on LinkedIn
- Learn more about the UN World Food Programme in Kenya
- Explore “Born Too Soon: Decade of Action”
- Check out the TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The danger of a single story
- Reflect → What narrative about your community needs to shift, and how can you rethink the language you use?
