The Resilient Migrant: Recent Episodes
Brenda Ngure
What kinds of experiences do African immigrants have when they migrate to a different country? What are some of the life stressors, immigration laws, and /or other issues that re-define them? Guests on this podcast will share their real-life experiences about their journey of assimilation and how they have been able to build resiliency through the journey of migration. Join me as we listen to these real-life experiences and let's uncover the impact of assimilation. Immigrants are resilient people
This summer I had the honor of attending an event organized by one of my great inspirations, Kate Malcolm the podcast host of the New to Canada podcast. Kate is originally from England and has had lived experiences as an immigrant in several countries. I wanted to know more about her experiences as an immigrant and her passion for newcomers to Canada.
Episode highlights
- Emotional roller coasters trying to assimilate into a new country
- Her podcast - New to Canada
- The New to Canada Academy
- Her work helping immigrants assimilate into Canada
- Her experience with the International Experience Canada (IEC) program
- Her life as an immigrant in France
- How she felt about being Bilingual when she came to Canada
Follow Kate at
The New to Canada Podcast: bit.ly/newtocanadapod
The New to Canada Academy: thenewcomercollective.com/academy
The Newcomer Journal: thenewcomercollective.com/journal
Follow Kate on Instagram: @thenewcomercollective
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
Grief and Loss come in different forms. Monga Abila talks about how she had to redefine motherhood after her daughter was diagnosed with Autism. For her to effectively adjust to her life, she had to grieve her motherhood expectations.
Monga is the founder of The stock Sisterhood Trading Academy where she teaches women to trade and invest in the stock market. Her desire to trade in the stock market was born from the need of being fully present to her family. She had some great pointers on trading during this session.
Episode highlights
- Life as an international student
- Her initial steps to learning and accepting her daughter’s Autism diagnosis
- Cultural expectations on Autism and motherhood
- Lessons on trading on the stock market
You can reach her at https://www.facebook.com/monga.abila
The stock sisterhood trading academy https://monga-abila.mykajabi.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thestocksisterhood/ PS: I mentioned shares on this episode but I was referring to stocks.
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
Njoki Wane is the author of the book, From My Mother’s Back: A Journey from Kenya to Canada. In this episode, she talks about her life experiences and the complexities of being an immigrant for over 30+ years.
Episode highlights
- Living with grief and memories of her mother
- Her sentiments about leaving her young family behind to relocate to Canada to pursue her studies.
- The complexity of living as an immigrant when your heart belongs to two countries
- The importance of embracing one's indigenous roots
- What it is like being a black female college professor in one of the major universities in Canada; The University of Toronto where she was also awarded the 2017 President’s teaching award
- Her work on teaching on decolonizing the mind and on indigenous healing of different communities
Contact Njoki Wane at
Email wanenjoki@yahoo.ca
Link to her book on Amazon From My Mother's back: A Journey from Kenya to Canada https://www.amazon.ca/My-Mothers-Back-Journey-Canada/dp/1928088732/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=njoki+wane&qid=1655312716&sr=8-1
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
15 In this segment, Beatrice Waithaka talks about living with a vision impairment.
Episode Highlights
- Being diagnosed with Cone Dystrophy and what that means in her everyday life.
- Growing up in Kenya with a disability.
- Navigating life as a new immigrant and finding employment
- The use of Jaws technology a voice software for the visually impaired
- What are the strides and challenges that she identified during her recent visit to Kenya as it relates to the implementation of amenities and facilities for the disabled?
Follow or contact Beatrice at
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/findingvictory
Email bwaithaka@gmail.com
Her book is on Amazon and most book stores Finding victory despite the challenge lessons learned through the foggy eyes
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
**#14 Pastor Cynthia Wambui Otieno lived in the US for several years and then decided to relocate back to Kenya after the man that she loved ended up being deported to Kenya. She talks about making the tough decision to go back home and rebuilding her life in Kenya. She was very candid during this conversation about some of the emotional struggles she dealt with during this process.
Episode highlights**
- Experiences in the dating scene as a 20+-year-old immigrant woman
- Coming back to a broken home and coping with the changes
- How seating with her dad impacted her life
- Importance of healing from relational /relationship wounds
- Her love for marriages and work as a marriage coach
Contact Cynthia at
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/otienocw Tel: +254 717 639 646
Resources / Books
When Love Dares - Breaking barriers in pursuit of love
To listen to Don Otieno's (Cynthia's husband) story on episode 2 here is the link https://theresilientmigrant.buzzsprout.com/1783703/9351561-rebuilding-a-life-after-deportation
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
**#13 Chidi C. Iwuchukwu moved to Canada in search of challenging opportunities. In this episode, he talks about his lived experiences as an immigrant while adjusting to life in Canada. His lived experiences motivated him to author a book for new immigrants - Coming to Canada: The Ultimate Success Guide for New Immigrants and Travelers.
Episode highlights**
- Clash of culture as it relates to parenting
- Impact of divorce on children
- Structural changes in relationships
- Career adjustments
Connect with Chidi at
Email: chidispeaks@gmail.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chidiciwuchukwu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChidiCIwuchukwu Facebook https://www.facebook.com/chidiiwuchukwu
Book
Coming to Canada: The Ultimate Success Guide for New Immigrants and Travelers buy at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or at https://publishyourgift.lpages.co/chidi/
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
**#12 Major Winnie Odhiambo has served in the US Airforce for over 16 years. In this episode, she talks about some of her life experiences as an immigrant and how she balances being a mother while working in the Airforce.
Episode highlights**
- Identity challenges when she moved to the US as a young adult
- Balancing her life using the four pillars of resilience
- How she dealt with leaving her children when she went to serve in Kuwait
- Being intentional with her life
- Her work as a life coach
- Having a gratitude practice
Contact Winnie at
Website https://theselftriad.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/winnie__odhiambo/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amandla33
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
Happy Holidays to all my listeners. Thanks for being part of this journey.
We will be back end of Jan/Early Feb with more episodes.
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#11 Dr. Solomon Waigwa is passionate about his family and the work that he does in the community. In this podcast, he talks about his life as a father, pastor, and immigrant as it relates to his values.
Episode highlights
- How being away from his family affected his health
- Past experiences of providing for his family with limited resources
- Balancing values and culture as an immigrant
- His experiences wearing a turban in his home country vs the USA
- His thoughts about the melting point culture
- Historical foundations of the African indigenous church during colonialism
- Impact of Afro-pessimism on Africans
Contacts waigwa@att.net Book - The Akorino Church in Kenya: An indigenous Original Pentecostal Church
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
**#10 DJ Sunny Sistuki plays music from different cultures and genres. His love for the DJ set started at a very young age when he was helping his uncle set up for events. He is not only passionate about bringing joy to his crowds but also bringing professionalism to his work. So what did his Corporate experiences teach him about the DJ booth? Take a listen to his story.
He also talked about his life growing up in Kenya as a person of Indian descent and his experiences as an immigrant.
Follow DJ Sunny Sistuki at
Website https://www.sistuki.com/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sistuki/ Twitter https://twitter.com/sistuki/ Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/sistuki Facebook https://www.facebook.com/djsunnysistuki**
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#9 Dr. Lulu a Pediatrician, Author, Speaker, and Activist of Youth suicide started a class called "Mom it's not about you"; a class where she gets to work with parents of LGBTQ+ children. Why did she start working with parents of LGBTQ+ children? And why is it important for parents to support their LGBTQ+ children? Take a listen to her insights.
Highlights of this podcast:
- Her love for pediatrics
- Having lost a friend and patients to suicide
- How she felt when her own child opened up about their own sexuality
- Why do children run away from home?
Follow Dr. Lulu at
Website https://www.dr-lulu.com/ Podcast - The Pride Corner Podcast https://www.dr-lulu.com/podcast
Facebook Private group Positively Parenting your LGBTQ* Child(ren) https://www.facebook.com/groups/899869054174919
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#8 We had some great laughs during this recording as **Naftaly Muriuki talked about his journey of migration and his work in the US Navy. In this episode, he talks about his path of applying to go to the US, his culture shocks, and his adjustments to the US.
He also shares some snippets of his life serving in the Navy which include his travels and deployment to Afghanistan.
This was great information for anyone thinking of joining the Navy.
How does he take care of his mental health using the 8 dimensions of mental wellness?
Contacts naftalygichuhi@yahoo.com
Resources for US Navy
https://www.navy.com/**https://www.navy.mil/
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#7 **What is life like for an African immigrant living in another African country? Dr. Jane Mwangi talks about her experiences having lived in Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda. What were the challenges? What were the differences? Did she find immigration laws different in these countries?
Her lived experience compelled her to pursue a Doctoral degree in Migration studies. What were the outcomes of her research? Episode Highlights include:**
- Importance of understanding immigration laws as it pertains to the family structure.
- What are some of the adjustments that she had to make as a result of immigration laws?
- Realities of her children born in Ghana but being citizens of Kenya
- Experiences faced by her children when they moved to their country of citizenship
- Life as a diaspora returnee.
- Linking Diasporans with investments in Africa
Connect with Jane at
Website https://diasporainterlink.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/diasporainterlink Twitter https://twitter.com/DInterlink
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#6 **One of the first things you notice about Dr. Elizabeth Wachira aka Dr. E is her turban. In this episode, she talks about this integral part of her life and some of her experiences in the US.
Episode Highlights**
- Experiences as an 11-year-old immigrant child.
- Has she ever been bullied or discriminated against for wearing her turban?
- The importance of integrating your own culture/identity into a tapestry as an immigrant.
- The values instilled by her parents.
- Her work in the field of Public Health.
Follow Dr. E at
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/talkswithe Facebook https://www.facebook.com/becomingngaged Twitter https://twitter.com/TalksWithE1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/talkswithe/?hl=en LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethwachira16 Resources
Book - Seated: My journey to Becoming by Priscilla Wachira
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#5 **When Rosemary Kariuki relocated to Australia she did not understand why people were so isolated and did not interact with each other. She decided to be part of the solution by creating a community around her. She has worked with and continues to create communities in Australia. She was awarded the 2021 Australian of the Year local hero award for her work with immigrants, refugees, and victims of gender-based violence.
After talking with her during this podcast, I completely understood why the UNHCR called her a “Kenyan Powerhouse”; she definitely leaves an impression on you when you meet her.**
Her words of encouragement include:
- Be part of the solution when you see a problem
- Create supportive communities
- Love yourself and take care of yourself
- Be an advocate for victims of Gender-Based Violence
- Learn the various forms of Domestic Violence
Resources to connect with Rosemary
LinkedIn https://au.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-kariuki-a872b72
Rosemary’s Way Film https://fan-force.com/films/rosemarys-way/# Rosemary's Way https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1944939075873/rosemarys-way
Rosemary Connection https://www.facebook.com/Rosemarys-Connection-108213284648620/?ref=py_c
Award ceremony- Australia of the Year awards https://www.australianoftheyear.org.au/
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#4 Many immigrants desire to relocate back to their home countries after furthering their studies but how many make that journey back home? Dr. Joyce Gitangu, a dentist talks about how she set a goal to return to her home country, Kenya, after completing her studies in the US. She also talks about her experiences as an immigrant and her journey to setting up her business.
Do not miss what she said about:
- Preparing yourself financially and mentally before relocating
- Importance of researching and understanding systems before relocating back to your home country
- Challenges as a returnee
- Importance of having mentors
- Relevance of Public health in Oral Health
- What she does to take care of her mental health
Follow her on
Website https://dentalsmiles.co.ke/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dentalsmilesnairobi/?hl=en
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dentalsmilesnairobi/?rf=1532691366995580
Twitter https://twitter.com/dentalsmilez
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#3 **We had a glitchy start during this recording but this did not stop us from talking about Prophetess Mwaka's passion for rebuilding her home country, Zambia. She talks about how she balances her work as a pastor and her political aspirations. She also talks about why Christian leaders should be part of political decisions.
Don't miss what she said about:**
- Her experiences as an immigrant having lived in 3 countries
- Balancing personal aspirations and motherhood
- Importance of self-identity and being emotionally healthy.
- How she copes with life challenges to maintain her mental health
- Importance of support systems
- Importance of couples sticking together
Follow Prophetess Mwaka Twagirayesu on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ProphetessMwaka Instagram https://www.instagram.com/prophetessmwaka/?hl=en Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/ProphetessMwaka
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#2 **A day after closing on a new house Don Otieno was detained by immigration officials for overstaying his visa. He talks about the challenges of the deportation process. Deportation is such a mentally draining process and can strip you of your identity. But how do you rebuild your life in your home country after 10+ years?
His passion for the boy child was birthed from his painful story.
The life of an immigrant has some twist and turns
His story of resiliency is something you don't want to miss.
Follow him at
Don Otieno https://www.facebook.com/donald.otieno.94 Mancode Events https://www.facebook.com/Mancode-Events-290963524965046 Relationship and Pre-marital coaching https://www.facebook.com/CoachCynthiaWambuiOtieno**Resources / Books
When Love Dares - Breaking barriers in pursuit of love
The Re-wired man Redefining the ManCODE
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
#1 Dr. Lilian Odera a US-based Clinical Psychologist talks about her path to getting into the field of Psychology and her passion for African mental health.
She also talks about:
- Learning to balance cultural aspects for better integration
- Importance of having mentors and great support systems
- Self-awareness as it relates to emotional well being
Follow Dr. Lil at
Website https://www.lilianodera.com/
Email info@lilianodera.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/DoctorLil/
Facebook Dr. Lilian Odera, Clinical Psychologist https://www.facebook.com/DrLilianOdera
Twitter https://twitter.com/lilianodera
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVOJLS7IgCnoaaSgWZT_Sw
Promoting African Mental Health (PAMH) https://www.facebook.com/groups/155405745861232
Follow Brenda at
Website https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/
What kinds of experiences do African immigrants have when they migrate to a different country?
I am passionate about listening to real-life stories about the journey of migration. I like to know what makes them tick, what they like and dislike about their journey, the impact of immigration laws, and get to hear how the assimilation process has redefined them. Join me as we listen to these real-life experiences and let's uncover the impact of assimilation. Immigrants are definitely resilient people.
Follow me at
https://bnhealthmatters.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/