Tag Archives: life story

Episode 32: The Most Extreme Form of Violence Against Girls

Fatu SillahToday I’m talking to a brave and determined young woman who’s speaking out against her culture and looking to make a change in her community.

Fatu was born in Sierra Leone. As a young girl, she was subjected to a cruel and brutal practice called Female genital mutilation (FGM) also known as female genital cutting or the somehow innocent sounding female circumcision.

This is by no means similar to male circumcision. FGM is the ritual removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. It involves the total removal of the clitoris and the narrowing of the vaginal opening through stitching or cutting and repositioning the labia minora or labia majora. The practice has no health benefits whatsoever. In fact, it harms girls and women in many ways and sometimes it leads to death.

It is one of the most extreme forms of violence against girls and women across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The practice has also been found around the western world, in countries such as Australia, UK, USA, Canada etc. It is estimated that more than 200 million young girls and women around the globe have been mutilated and are living in immense physical and psychological pain.

Resources and Links:
Music Credits

Intro: Don’t Hold Back (Grow and Soar) by KOÄN
2010 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Episode 29: Time Will Heal

Episode 29: Time Will Heal - Amanda RayRape is an epidemic issue around the globe. It could happen to anyone of us, regardless of our race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. Especially children, women, the elderly and people with physical and mental disabilities are easy targets of rape because of their vulnerability.

My friend Amanda is one of the rape victims and survivors. After she had lived with the shame and guilt for many decades, she’s ready to face her demons and deal with the horrific past head on. I’m grateful that she’s willing to share her journey with us today with the hope that she could inspire and bring some comfort for some of you out there that have gone through the terrible ordeal by sharing her story.

Music Credits

Intro: Don’t Hold Back (Grow and Soar) by KOÄN
2010 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Episode 26: A Child Soldier Story

Deng Thiak AdutMy guest for today’s episode is one of the most humble and grateful beings I have ever met.

Deng Adut was snatched from his mother’s arms when he was just six years old. He was forced to fight for the South Sudanese rebels as a child. After several years of fighting, by chance, he ran into one of his relatives and was smuggled out of the country. He immigrated to Australia as a teenager where he taught himself how to read, write and speak English. He earned a scholarship with the Western Sydney University and went on to become a defence Lawyer, refugee advocate and an author.

You are all invited to my friend Deng’s book launch on the 26th October 7pm at Kinokuniya bookstore in Sydney. Please come and join us.

Resources and Links:
Music Credits

Intro: Don’t Hold Back (Grow and Soar) by KOÄN
2010 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Episode 25: Starting Over

Claire AshmanClaire Ashman spent most of her life unwillingly in different cults. Almost four decades later she woke up to reality and walked away from the only environment she had known. She left the cult, her husband and raised eight children on her own. She spent years of soul searching and professional counseling to get her life back on track. Today, Claire is an aspiring author and an anti-cult activist. She travels around Australia sharing her life journey and helping others in similar circumstances to deal with the challenge.

Resources and Links:
Music Credits

Intro: Don’t Hold Back (Grow and Soar) by KOÄN
2010 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)

Episode 24: Nothing Is Impossible

Nancy ONancy O is an American best-selling author, a TV presenter, radio announcer, a business owner and an entrepreneur. She’s also a passionate domestic violence advocate and a cancer survivor. Nancy is a woman with a mission, and she is on fire. She is unstoppable!

Her life has been an unbelievably epic journey, and the paths are laden with pain, heartache and obstacles at every turn.

She was an innocent young country girl who dared to move to the big city to pursue her dreams. There she was lured and gang raped by a pack of soldiers who then threw her severely injured body out on the street. She was lucky to stay alive.

Later on, she was a victim of domestic violence. She was beaten, locked in the closet for days and almost died from rat poisoning. Her children were taken away from her, and she was left homeless. She moved to America where she was a foreigner, barely spoke a word of English, broke, homeless and lived on the streets.

Despite her circumstance she defined the odds and achieved the impossible.

Resources and Links:
Music Credits

Intro: Don’t Hold Back (Grow and Soar) by KOÄN
2010 – Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)