Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

World Service,28 Nov 2016,49 mins

I Introduced Chess to Kampala's Slums

Outlook

Available for over a year

Robert Katende was brought up by his grandma in Uganda and was so poor that he spent all of his time when he wasn't at school, working in a garden. Nevertheless he excelled at school and when he discovered chess, his life was transformed. He now teaches chess to some of Kampala's poorest children - some of his students can neither read nor write. One of his proteges - Phiona Mutesi - went on to represent Uganda at the world chess championships. Her story has now been made into a Disney film called "The Queen of Katwe". Zafarbek Sulaimanov is a 23-year-old entrepreneur from Kyrgyzstan who grew up in a semi-nomadic lifestyle - living in the city of Jalal-Abad for part of the year, and then spending long summer breaks in the mountains with his family. Four years ago he launched his own clothing brand, which combines traditional nomadic symbols with modern Western styles like hoodies and T-shirts. He explains the ideas behind it. Jo Malone's sense of smell is extraordinary and has helped her to build up a business empire selling scented products - things like candles, and perfume and skin creams. She tells Jo Fidgen how she first realised she had a special talent for creating scents. Image: Robert Katende in Katwe Credit: ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP/Getty Images

Programme Website
More episodes