Break the Silence, Build a Future

Join us as Babs Walters, author of "Facing the Jaguar," shares her transformative journey of overcoming trauma and finding empowerment through storytelling. In this episode of "Break the Silence, Build the Future," Babs reveals how confronting the symbolic jaguar helped her break the silence and embark on a healing journey. Discover the power of memoir writing and the courage it takes to face one'...

Silence is not protection — silence is permission. In this clip from Break the Silence, Build a Future, Fartumo Kusow, author, advocate, and founder of the Sahra Bulle Foundation, explains why silence costs lives and why breaking it is the first step toward ending gender-based violence (GBV). As part of the #IamSahraBulle Campaign 2025, this message calls us to recommit — through the Purple Ribbon...

🎙️ Episode Title (specific + SEO) Breaking the Silence: Community Action Against Gender-Based Violence #IamSahraBulle Campaign 2025 In this powerful opening episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, Fartumo Kusow — author, storyteller, and founder of the Sahra Bulle Foundation — emphasizes the urgent need for action against gender-based violence (GBV) and the dangers of silence. Through her pe...

When Sally McQuillen lost her 21-year-old son in a tragic accident, her world changed forever. In this powerful episode, Sally, author of Reaching for Beautiful: A Memoir of Loving and Losing a Wild Child, joins host Fartumo Kusow for a deeply honest conversation about parenting through fear, the weight of grief, and the journey toward forgiveness and healing. Together, they explore the complexiti...

What happens when survivors do everything they’re “supposed” to — and the system still fails them? In this second episode of our 30-day campaign series, host Fartumo Kusow confronts the institutional silence that surrounds gender-based violence. From missed warnings to broken protections, we ask what it really means when silence is built into the structures meant to keep us safe. 🎧 Listen to this...

n this opening episode of a special five-part lead-up to the #IamSahraBulle campaign, host Fartumo Kusow reflects on the grief that changed everything—the grief that came after losing her daughter, Sahra, to intimate partner violence. But this isn’t just a story about loss. It’s about the kind of grief that doesn’t settle down. The kind that asks more of you. The kind that won’t let you stay quiet...

Grief doesn’t move in a straight line—and it doesn’t always soften with time. In this deeply reflective episode, Fartumo Kusow marks the two-year anniversary of her daughter’s death and shares how the pain has not lessened, but deepened. With raw honesty, she explores what it feels like when grief returns like a storm you didn’t expect—and what to do when it settles in and takes the place where lo...

June 5, 2023. 10 PM. A knock on the door. And then—a single sentence that shattered everything I knew. In this deeply personal episode, I recount the night I was told my daughter had been murdered. What followed was not just grief—it was a transformation of identity, purpose, and the very shape of my world. This story is about the line between before and after, and what it means to live when every...

What do you do when the dream you built your life around disappears? In this powerful episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host [Your Name] is joined by writer and advocate Shaimaa Kraba to explore what it means to face the end of a cherished dream—and begin again. Together, they talk about grief, identity, healing, and the courage it takes to reclaim your voice and reimagine your future....

What do you do when the dream you held so tightly begins to fall apart? In Part One of this powerful three-part series, host Fartumo sits down with Shaimaa Kraba to explore the unraveling of a dream once rooted in hope, identity, and purpose. Together, they reflect on the slow realization that what you imagined for your life is no longer possible—and the grief that comes with letting it go. This e...

After grief or trauma, you’re not the same. But how do you find yourself again when the person you were feels so far away? In this episode, host [Your Name] explores the quiet, confusing process of identity transformation after loss. Through deeply personal reflections, she speaks to the feeling of being unrecognizable—to yourself and others—and how to gently reconnect with the person you’re becom...

What happens after the calls stop, the meals end, and the world moves on—but you can’t? In this first episode of Season 3, host Fartumo Kusow reflects on the quiet after loss—the space where grief truly begins. Through personal storytelling and honest conversation, she explores what it feels like to survive a life-altering moment, only to be left asking: Now what? If you're standing in that silenc...

After everything changes, it’s natural to want your old life back. But what if healing isn’t about returning to who you were—but becoming someone new? In this episode, host, Fartumo Kusow, explores the often overlooked grief of losing the life you thought you’d have—and why not being able to “go back” isn’t a sign of weakness or failure. Through personal storytelling and reflection, she speaks to...

Not all grief is acknowledged, and not all losses are visible. Some grief is carried in silence—unspoken, unresolved, and often overlooked. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, we explore the quiet pain of grief that isn't tied to death but to loss that goes unrecognized: lost relationships, dreams that never came true, and versions of ourselves that no longer exist. I share my pe...

Grief is not just about loss—it is love that still lingers, love that refuses to fade. In this episode, I explore how grief is a continuation of love, a connection that remains even when the person we love is gone. How do we carry grief as a reflection of love rather than as pain? How do we keep their presence alive in our lives? Join me as we explore grief as love remembered. 💛 Listen now and ho...

Holding onto love, memories, and identity after loss—navigating the fear of forgetting while embracing healing. Grief isn’t just about loss—it’s about the fear of losing the memories, the voice, the presence of the person we love. In this deeply personal episode, I explore my struggle with the fear of forgetting my daughter and how trauma can overshadow the memories we desperately want to hold ont...

Joining Fartumo Kusow are Rabbi Adam Chalom and Rabbi Jodi Kornfeld, leading voices in Humanistic Judaism, who bring a unique perspective on grief, healing, and the power of collective action. They share insights from their book, Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values, Practices, offering practical ways communities can provide tangible support beyond thoughts and prayers. In this episode...

Send us a text In Episode 13, Rebuilding After Loss: Who Am I Without This?, we dive into the identity shifts that grief demands. Losing someone, a relationship, or a dream often leaves us questioning who we are and how to move forward. This episode explores how to navigate these changes, embrace life again, and find purpose after loss. Together, we’ll discuss the fears, challenges, and small step...

Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, I sit down with Molly Booker, a passionate advocate for authenticity, mental well-being, and embracing life's imperfections. We dive into the raw realities of grief, resilience, and how to navigate the messy, unpredictable nature of healing. Molly shares her personal journey of loss, growth, and finding purpose through the chaos....

Send us a text Healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in connection. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores the transformative power of healing in community. Discover why shared experiences foster resilience, how they help break down isolation, and the practical steps to create spaces of connection and support. Whether you’re navigating your own h...

Send us a text Loss reshapes our lives, challenging our sense of identity and purpose. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores the true meaning of resilience after loss—not as bouncing back, but as growing and rebuilding in the face of pain. Join Fartumo as she shares insights on embracing vulnerability, finding strength in adversity, and redefining purpos...

Send us a text In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores the transformative power of storytelling. Sharing your story not only helps you heal, but it also creates a ripple effect—connecting with others, inspiring courage, and fostering a movement for change. Fartumo reflects on the challenges and rewards of vulnerability, shares how her own story has impacte...

Send us a text In this episode of 'Break the Silence, Build the Future', Fartumo Kusow delves into the emotional and psychological costs of avoiding grief, sharing her personal journey following the tragic loss of her daughter. She emphasizes the importance of confronting grief rather than suppressing it, discussing the profound impacts of avoidance on mental health and relationships. The episode...

Send us a text Grief doesn’t have an endpoint; it becomes a part of who we are, shaping how we see the world and live our lives. In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow explores what it means to live with grief and make it a part of your story. Fartumo reflects on how grief becomes woven into our daily lives and shares personal insights on finding purpose and meani...

Send us a text   In this episode of Break the Silence, Build a Future, host Fartumo Kusow sits down with Victoria Ellen, author of Painting in the Rain: A True Story of Trickery and Triumph. Victoria Ellen is a survivor, the mother of two adult children, a wife, and an executive in corporate America. In 2023, she published her first book titled “Painting in the Rain: A True Story of Trickery and T...