Daughters of Diaspora

Salam and Ramadan Mubarak! As promised, we are here with a short and sweet episode for the month of Ramadan (with an important announcement at the end). We start off on a discussion about how blessed we are to witness this month once again and what we hope to prioritize. The rest of the episode highlights forgiveness and the importance of seeking forgiveness amoungst one another as we aim to clear...

In this episode of the DOD Podcast, we engage in a heartfelt conversation with Alia Reeves, exploring her journey of self-discovery, her transition to Islam, and the challenges she faced as a black sheep in her family. Alia shares her experiences growing up in a Christian household, her struggles with identity, and how her faith has shaped her confidence and worldview. In our discussion, Aalia giv...

Salam friends! In this episode, we steered into a discussion about the blessed month of Ramadan and how we feel about it being so near. Our conversation starts with acknowledgment of recent news we have received regarding the deaths of people around us, and the sad reality that none of us are promised to witness another Ramadan. The bulk of our discussion circles around death and how we can prepar...

This week, we started our episode with a mini mental dump. Fatima opens up about how she's been feeling and turning to overspending for instant gratification. Khadijah also shares her take on how overspending makes her feel and how she's been managing and practising self-control. The conversation then moves to both of us sharing how the year 2024 was transformative for us individually. We discuss...

Asalamualykum friends! we are excited to bring you this week's episode; which is focused on the topic of Hijab. We backpacked on the last episode starting with the struggles of maintaining the concealment of our beauty by keeping the hijab on during our weddings. In being honest, we acknowledge that Hijab can be a sensitive topic for many but we aimed to be brutally honest in this discussion about...

As we enter wedding season, are you preparing to celebrate in style? Join us for a vibrant discussion about our cultural traditions, colourful attire, and joyous celebrations!!! Tune in our light hearted discussion as we list things we dislike about African/ Gambian weddings.

Salamualykum friends! Have you ever questioned why you felt lonely or disconnected from people you were familiar with?, isolated in a room full of people or just sadness for unexplainable reasons? Well, you are definitely not alone as many of us can relate! This week we dive into the complexities of feeling loneliness in adulthood. We both reflect on times we have dealt with such feelings and how...

GET UP!!!! Get ready for some laughs and a wake-up call. This episode is a chill (pun intended) discussion on a variety of things but most importantly on seasonal depression. Our discussion starts with the importance of asking people how they truly are and being honest about our feelings. We then touch on the weather change and how seasonal blues usually start kicking in around this time of year....

Welcome Welcome friends! This week we have another exciting guest episode- this time, featuring Tik Tok content creator known as Ukhti Yassin. Our conversation explores the journey of building a connection with Allah, the challenges of adulthood, and the importance of knowledge and sincerity in faith. Yassin shares her personal experiences and reflections on worship and mercy, emphasizing that sel...

Salam friends! This week's episode is a fun one! We invite our two other sisters to join us for an honest conversation about our relationship dynamics. We start on describing our roles in the family and how each of us feels we contribute to the “whole”. We touch on the close bond we share and each highlights what we appreciate about one another and our relationship. In being vulnerable, we discuss...

Asalamualaykum listeners! In this week's episode, we explore the challenges of forgiveness in sibling relationships and the role of parents in mediating conflicts. our discussion emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and resolving issues directly with siblings, rather than relying on parents. We also highlight the reward of forgiveness in Islam and the need for open and honest communicat...

Today’s episode features Nyima Drammeh- a special needs advocate, wife, mother, student and travel enthusiast. As a co-founder of the Soni Autism Association, Nyima discusses her experience raising children with autism and advocating for special needs in her community. She shares her journey of accepting her children's diagnosis and fighting for their needs. Our discussion highlights the stigma su...

This week we bring you the final part of our introductory episodes to the relationships series. We continue the discussion of the marriage journey- picking up from the engagement stage. We touch on Muslim couples following modern engagement practices and the realities of “getting down on one knee” not constituting an actual engagement. We then move the conversation to getting cold feet and the ner...

Salam Salam!! In this weeks episode we talk about romantic relationships. Taking it from where it starts, we discuss the journey of finding a spouse, “halal dating”, creating boundaries and the importance of knowing oneself before settling down.

Salamualyakum beautiful friends! WE ARE BACK! Returning big and better- this chit-chat episode is quite different but it provides a bit more insight into our thoughts and personality. We start with a discussion on summer plans, the cost of living and the rise of emigration in Canada. Fatima then reflects on her fun trip to Dubai with our Mom and the chaotic safari experience she puts her mother th...

WELCOME BACK FRIENDS!!! In recognition of the various atrocities happening in the world, we sought to bring you an episode that highlights one of the current genocides, specifically: Sudan. In this episode, we sat down with Yasmine, (known as The Jasmine Blossoms)- A young Sudanese-American, to discuss the war and genocide in Sudan. Our conversation starts with a comparison between Toronto and New...

Salam friends! This week we introduced a new segment which includes reading dilemmas and providing advice. In this episode, we talk about a post made by Shaderoom Gambia. We discuss the importance of mental health and the challenges faced by individuals in the Gambian community when it comes to seeking support. We highlight the stigma surrounding mental health and the lack of understanding within...

Welcome to episode 11!!! This week we aimed to provide you guys with a chilled/laid-back episode in which we hope you get to know a bit more about us (your co-hosts). To foster discussion, we read through conversation cards (THE GAME, by freshly grounded) in which we talk about what motivates us, things we grew to appreciate about our parents, some of our characteristics and attitudes as well as w...

Picking up right where we left off…In part 2 Fatoumat dives into how life changed for her family when her father was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the difficult journey, the family remained hopeful and focused on supporting their father. Although she was busy with Nursing school, Fatoumat takes on the challenge of being comfort for not only her siblings but for her sick father in his last days. O...

This week’s episodes features Fatoumat Jikineh, who we had the honour of sitting down with back in March. She walks us through her journey of awakening and personal transformation which lead to her becoming a practising muslim and Niqabi. We talk about the expectations and pressure faced by individuals in the Muslim community, particularly in relation to dress and behaviour. The conversation explo...

n part 2, Fatima dives into her journey of memorizing the Quran and the challenges she faced along the way. She discusses the importance of community and the role of competition in motivating her to excel. Fatima reflects on the intense process of revision and the breakthrough moment when she finally mastered her lessons. She describes the daunting feeling of nearing completion and the emotions sh...

In recognition of the Ramadan being the month of Quran, this week, we turned the mic to Fatima who shares her journey in becoming a hafidh of the Quran. The conversation starts with the rewards and challenges of studying the book of Allah and then explores Fatima's childhood and upbringing. She shares her love for competition, having excelled in sports and having a supportive family. We also learn...

Ramadan Kareem dear listeners! In this week's episode, we sat down with Fatou Jammeh; a fellow Gambian-Canadian woman who shares her diverse professional experiences and her passion for women's causes. Our conversation explores cultural identity, challenges of returning to the home country, women's opportunities and expectations, upbringing and identity as a Gambian woman. It delves into the fear...

In this episode we welcome a very special guest.. our TATA (older sister)! The conversation explores Tata's journey in choosing a career path, facing pressure from family and society, juggling motherhood and education, breaking stigmas and finding success. We discuss the joy and importance of struggling, finding passion in work and the unseen struggles Tata faced as a first child. The episode is c...

Salam our dear listeners. On this episode, DOD features its very first guest; Yemaya. J!!!! Yemaya walks us through her journey in becoming a social media Content Strategist and how she learned how to make money on social media. She shares how she went from living an average life in Toronto to now living her dream lifestyle in Dubai. We hope you enjoy and learn something from this discussion just...