Stories of Community Resilience

Peter and Aamon discuss the challenging and rewarding process of establishing a start-up business. Peter talks about the value of having mentors along the business journey, and how his strategic design consulting firm used a reframing approach to overcome business challenges during the pandemic.  Transcript available here. Mentioned in the episode:  reframing a problem into a design solu...

Musician, creative producer and film-enthusiast Sereen Omran also known as  Sereen Sounds   amassed a great following online for her talented musician skills with guitar and production work. On this episode, Sereen speaks with Aamon about navigating creative expression and the sometimes unpleasant interactions that can occur in online spaces, as well as the positive experiences that can...

Mahdi Gholami works as a volunteer at 3ZZZ 92.3fm for the Iranian Radio Program. Arriving to Australia in 2015, Mahdi studied IT whilst helping with his family business - first a restaurant, and then transforming into a transport company. Mahdi now works as an IT technician, and enjoys helping people, not only with technology but also with navigating migration to Australia. This episode discusses...

Professional photographer Tom Toby recounts his story of creating a documentary photography project that evolved into capturing 114,000 portraits of the religious pilgrimage  Karbala  in Iraq.  You can follow Tom's stunning array of photography work on Facebook and his via his portfolio Website .  Transcript Available Here :  Produced by Aamon Sayed. Aamon has worked withi...

Angeline is a young person with a big heart, and strong passion for helping others in many different communities. Angeline currently studies Youth Work at RMIT, and spends her time volunteering with many community focused programs covering multicultural youth, homelessness and support for newly arrived people to Australia. In 2020, deep into lockdown, Angeline was inspired by listening to a podcas...

Content Warning: This episode discusses grief, childhood cancer and the loss of a child. Support is available at Red Nose Grief & Loss and Hope Bereavement Care. Our guest today is Heba Shaheed. Heba is a Pelvic Floor expert, and in her professional practice of Physiotherapy supports women living with female related pain issues and pre/post-natal care. In 2018, Heba's young daughter was diagno...

Our guest today is well renowned reggae artist Jah Tung. Jah Tung and Aamon discuss the impacts and pressures of digital-globalisation that create a demanding social media presence for musicians and creatives. They also discuss spirituality and self-expression in music, and staying true to yourself in the music industry.  Jah Tung's latest self-produced album Digital Degeneration is a "commen...

Our guest today is. Deepa shares her stories of walking away from a conventional and 'secure' job and moving to Australia, feeling the need for connection in the community. Deepa found that her sou Deepa Ramakrishnanrce of resilience was through creating connecting experiences through food - to hold spaces for others to feel seen and heard. Deepa is a HR specialist, with a strong focus on div...

What are the different issues that need to be considered by migrant women when they seek employment opportunities in the western world? Dr. Chris Bhadra speaks with Monia Choudhary about their experiences of migrant women navigating employment opportunities.  Monia shares tips for women adapting to work in a new country, including the importance of accessing support and networks. Monia Choudh...

This episode talks about identity - specifically learning and relearning aspects of identity from Ruhee's perspective some years after settling in Australia. This episode is produced by Egyptian-Australian Aamon Sayed. Aamon has worked within the Social Work sector since 2012. Aamon's work experience adds sensitivity to interviews to create them in a culturally safe setting. As a podcast producer,...

Taylor Tran, and Lorena Duranthon from Professional Migrant Women's Group share their own stories of migration, as they reflect upon the Undefeated  project - a collection of over 100 stories by women. This episode reflects upon the challenges of being a newly arrived person in Australia, and also celebrates the many achievements of migrant women.  Transcript available here.  You can connect with...

Conversations around sexual health and education need to be had on a regular basis in the 21st century. But, are we really having these conversations? Our guest - Dr Niveditha Manokaran is a dermatologist and a venereologist from India. She works as a clinician in sexual and reproductive health and HIV medicine in Sydney. She is a TEDx speaker, Sex educator, sex positivity advocate and domestic vi...

Our guest Nora, from Malaysia unpacks an analogy for empowerment and self-esteem - that is, the genius inside one-self that is waiting to come out and share its talents! Nora is a coach, trainer and facilitator with a focus on career transition work.  You can follow Nora's work via her website here.  Produced by Dr. Yasmin Raja. You can connect with Yasmin and follow her projects on Link...

Nahija discusses what intimacy is, and why it is an essential element in all relationships. A content advisory that this episode briefly discusses the topic of child abuse, at the 3:30 minute mark. Support is available at Lifeline 13 11 14,   BlueKnot 1 300 657 380  and 1800 RESPECT.  Produced by Dr. Yasmin Raja. You can connect with Yasmin and follow her projects on LinkedIn. ...

In this moving episode, Faizah from Malaysia shares her deeply personal story of grief, after losing her beloved husband only a few months ago. Faizah speaks of grief and love, through her religious perspective of the Islamic faith.  A content advisory that this episode discusses: grief, sudden loss and the death of a partner. Support is available in Australia - contact GriefLine   Produ...

Hypnotherapy is a type of mind–body intervention in which hypnosis is used to create a state of focused attention and increased suggestibility in the treatment of a medical or psychological disorder or concern. Our guest - Pooja Sethi is a clinical hypnotherapist working with the Australian Hypnotherapy Association (AHA) and helps people get rid of stress, depression, anxiety, & any  other bad...

Domestic violence is one of the major societal vices plaguing the global communities. Content warning - This episode mentions domestic abuse, domestic violence and marital rape. Support is available - 1800 RESPECT and Lifeline 13 11 14 Our guest - Kittu Randhawa Kittu Randhawa is the founder of the Indian (Sub-Continent) Crisis and Support Agency the first NGO for this community in Australia.  ICS...

Mental wellness is as crucial as our physical wellness. There is no second alternative to that. Our guest - Rupa Parthasarathy is the founder of Mindkshetra and is a bicultural storyteller. Rupa is a mum of 2 young people and is a mental health advocate on a mission to nurture life stories using creativity. *A content warning that this episode discusses depression. If this content is upsetting you...

This episode is all about breaking the myth that a woman cannot conceive beyond a certain age. Modern day evidence states that she certainly CAN! A content warning that this episode discusses pregnancy loss.  Our guest - Sunobha Nair-Bajaj is a loud and proud 35yr old woman and now is a new mumma in the town. Sunobha lives in Perth with her husband and young daughter. Produced by Chris Mallika Bha...

Being a young parent in the 21st century is no easy task. Our guest - Mahasweta G Pal is a medical writer who assists doctors and scientists in publishing their research in high impact, peer reviewed journals. She believes in enacting a gender equal approach to parenting.  Mahasweta is a young mother to a two - year old toddler who keeps her mum busy and occupied. Produced by Chris Mallika Bhadra....

Being the parent of a child with disability is no easy task. Our guest - Maria Zarkovic is the proud mother of two boys and is now a proud grandmother of a little girl. Maria's younger son suffers from a rare disease known as 'Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum' and he was detected when he was 3 years old.  Maria loves to cook, dance and read. She tries to give back as much to the community as s...

The mining industry is most often regarded as a 'Man's' industry. Our guest - Dr Ritipurna Das was born and raised in Kolkata, India and moved to Melbourne a decade ago. She has lived and worked in different cities of Australia long enough to pick up the local jargon (pun intended).  Dr Das is currently working as a Project Geologist in the longest running mining operation in Tasmania. Ritipurna i...

Foster Care is a very noble thing to give back to the society. Our guest - Dr Dhivya Rajasekaran is a lecturer at a private University and has been living in Melbourne since 2010. With a PhD and qualifications in teaching, leading a well rounded life is what Dhivya is mostly focussed on. Being an empath and inspiring people around her to lead a happy and healthy life is what Dhivya cares about. Pr...

Body shaming is happening now, more than ever. We often get trolled for not possessing the 'perfect' body.  How to love ourselves, the way we are? Charu is a 35 year old advertising and marketing professional. She currently works with a production setup where they are innovating crazy new stuff. She is divorced with no kids. Currently single, Charu is a dog mom and lives life on her terms. Charu h...

As a Game Changer Coach, founder of Scintillate Coaching and bestselling author of “Play it Full”, Shilpa Kulshrestha helps mid-career professionals step into a life of extraordinary wins.   She has been awarded with multiple awards including the Change Maker of The Year 2022, Indian Achiever's Award, 2021 & Women Entrepreneur of The Year, 2021.    Featured in Forbes...