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 highlightsEmotional roller coasters trying to assimilate into a new countryHer podcast - New to CanadaThe New to Canada AcademyHer work helping immigrants assimilate into CanadaHer experience with the International Experience Canada (IEC) programHer life as an immigrant in FranceHow she felt about being Bilingual when she came to CanadaFollow Kate atThe 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: @thenewcomercollectiveFollow Brenda atWebsite 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 highlightsLife as an international studentHer initial steps to learning and accepting her daughter’s Autism diagnosisCultural expectations on Autism and motherhood Lessons on trading on the stock marketYou can reach her at https://www.facebook.com/monga.abilaThe stock sisterhood trading academy  https://monga-abila.mykajabi.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thestocksisterhood/Follow Brenda atWebsite 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 highlightsLiving with grief and memories of her motherHer 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 countriesThe 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 awardHer work on teaching on decolonizing the mind and on indigenous healing of different communitiesContact Njoki Wane at Email [email protected] 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=8-1Follow Brenda atWebsite 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 HighlightsBeing 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 employmentThe use of Jaws technology a voice software for the visually impairedWhat 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/findingvictoryEmail [email protected] book is on Amazon and most book stores Finding victory despite the challenge lessons learned through the foggy eyesFollow Brenda atWebsite 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 highlightsExperiences in the dating scene as a 20+-year-old immigrant woman Coming back to a broken home and coping with the changesHow seating with her dad impacted her life Importance of healing from relational /relationship woundsHer love for marriages and work as a marriage coachContact Cynthia at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/otienocwTel: +254 717 639 646Resources / BooksWhen Love Dares - Breaking barriers in pursuit of loveTo 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-deportationFollow Brenda atWebsite 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 highlightsClash of culture as it relates to parentingImpact of divorce on childrenStructural changes in relationshipsCareer adjustments Connect with Chidi atEmail:  [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/chidiciwuchukwu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChidiCIwuchukwuFacebook https://www.facebook.com/chidiiwuchukwuBook  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 atWebsite 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 highlightsIdentity challenges when she moved to the US as a young adultBalancing her life using the four pillars of resilienceHow she dealt with leaving her children when she went to serve in KuwaitBeing intentional with her lifeHer work as a life coachHaving a gratitude practice Contact Winnie at Website https://theselftriad.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/winnie__odhiambo/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amandla33Follow Brenda atWebsite 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 atWebsite https://bnhealthmatters.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/Follow Brenda atWebsite 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 highlightsHow being away from his family affected his healthPast experiences of providing for his family with limited resourcesBalancing values and culture as an immigrantHis experiences wearing a turban in his home country vs the USAHis thoughts about the melting point cultureHistorical foundations of the African indigenous church during colonialismImpact of Afro-pessimism on AfricansContacts [email protected] - The Akorino Church in Kenya: An indigenous Original Pentecostal Church Follow Brenda atWebsite 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/sistukiFacebook https://www.facebook.com/djsunnysistukiFollow Brenda atWebsite https://bnhealthmatters.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bnhealthmatters/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BN-Health-Matters-117833329622076/