Asylum Speakers Podcast with Jaz O'Hara: Stories of Migration and Displacement

From pet goats to beans on toast, this week I chat to the amazing Mo Omar, a Somali-born comedian who grew up in Wales.

Mo arrived to the England as a refugee aged seven with his mother and six siblings. Today we talk about his integration into the UK and how he draws on those experiences for his stand-up routine. 

Mo uses comedy to cover important themes such as migration, integration, religion, racism and more. Bringing humour to these topics often helps people to connect, and Mo does so beautifully. We discuss everything from double beds to controlling mothers, in a way that I hope will bring you lots of joy in the run up to Christmas.

This one is to make you smile.

Happy Christmas!

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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This week’s guest has been a long time coming for me and our conversation did not disappoint. Gulwali Passarlay, author of The Lightless Sky, shares his story of escape from the Taliban in Afghanistan, to finding safety in the UK as a twelve year old child refugee. 

He has some amazing tales to tell, from burning his face whilst hiding in the back of a lorry, to the moment he was reunited with his brother after months of no contact. 

He shares wisdom and information with a dry sense of humour; attributes that have seen him overcome prisons, border controls, refrigerated lorries and more to get to where he is today; a world-renowned author, spokesperson and international speaker on behalf of refugees globally. 

My first Afghan on the podcast, be sure to listen if you want to find out more about the situation in Afghanistan, the journey to the UK and life for Afghans once they arrive here.

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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After 39 people were found dead inside a refrigerated lorry in Essex two weeks ago on the 23rd October, I was left with a lot of questions. 

Why are people leaving Vietnam? 

Why haven’t I met any Vietnamese people in refugee camps in Europe? 

The only Vietnamese people I see work in nail bars...is this forced labour? 

Today’s mind-blowing conversation with 21-year-old Vietnamese refugee Nhat-Anh answered all of my questions and more. 

Trafficked to the UK to work on a cannabis farm, his story gives a clear and informative insight into what might have happened leading up to the deaths of these 39 people. 

This episode is for them.

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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Today we share the story of how The Worldwide Tribe began.

I’m joined by my brother Nils who has been there with me every step of the way. From that first life-changing trip to Calais, to speaking at the UN Headquarters in New York less than a year later. He coached me through my nerves, unpicked my imposter syndrome and laughed through the negative comments. He was the stability I needed when my emotions got the better of me. Together we visited camps in France, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Croatia, Italy and more, and went on to set up projects and spread the word in schools and events together. 

Now, Nils focuses on running Jangala Wifi - a project started by the Worldwide Tribe, Richard Thanki and Samson Rinaldi, that has gone on to be a charity and social enterprise in it’s own right, providing connectivity in emergency situations all over the world. 

Through our conversation we share how this journey changed our lives forever, and how we went from working in the advertising and fashion industries in London, to creating this global community of people who care.

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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This week marks four years since my foster brother Mez made it to the UK hiding underneath the Eurotunnel train. 

This episode we talk about his life in England, as although one journey might have ended the day he arrived, another one of integration and big learnings began. 

We cover everything from his first day of school, his first time on a plane and his first opportunity to ‘chill’. We recorded this episode whilst on holiday down on the Kent coast, where he was putting this last skill into practise! 

Join us for a look at British culture and life in England through the eyes of a 14 year old Eritrean refugee.

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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This week we hear from my foster brother Mez. 

This is an important episode for me because it was Mez becoming my brother that was the catalyst to me quitting my job in fashion and focusing all my energy into the refugee crisis and The Worldwide Tribe...but that’s a story for another episode. 

Today Mez shares his story of resilience and survival. From fleeing compulsory military service in his home country when he was 13, to crossing the Sahara Desert and not eating for 15 days. From his boat capsizing in the Mediterranean Sea to hiding underneath the Eurotunnel train to get to the UK. 

Mez is the inspiration behind everything I do, and you will soon see why…

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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This week’s very special guest is my mum, Oeda O’Hara.

Together we talk about her experience of fostering three teenage boys from Eritrea, Afghanistan and Sudan and explore what it means to be part of a real life global family. 

This journey began for us four years ago, almost to the day, when my parents had just been accepted to foster. When a young Eritrean boy entered the UK, hiding underneath the Eurotunnel train, he was placed with my family and became my little brother. 

Four years on and Mez is the first of three new little brothers who have taken us on a journey of love, laughter, acceptance, compassion and growth. 

In this episode we discuss race, sexuality, teenagers, trauma and the true meaning of the word family.

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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This week my guest is real-life-superhero Brendan Woodhouse, a firefighter and father of two from Nottingham. 

We talk about his journey from normal life in the UK, to saving lives in the Mediterranean Sea. 

It all started when he saw a Facebook post I wrote about the Calais Jungle Refugee Camp back in 2015, which prompted him to start collecting donations and driving over to Calais himself. 

Before long, Brendan headed out to the Greek Island of Lesvos following news reports of thousands of people arriving to it’s shores seeking asylum.

There, he began working in Search and Rescue, helping boats safely to land.

The last four years have taken Brendan on a life-changing journey, which he shares with you today. I hope it resonates with you as much as it did me… his story about the baby will stay with me forever….

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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I met Awad in the Jungle refugee camp in Calais, northern France, in 2015 and he was pretty unforgettable from the off. A Sudanese refugee himself, he helped volunteers with things like distribution, becoming an informal leader within the Sudanese community in the camp.

Whilst living in circumstances hardly fit for an animal, he was always positive, loving and wise… as well as being the best dressed person in the camp.

We recorded this episode late one evening after he’d cooked a big Sudanese feast for me and my sister in his new flat in Edinburgh. We cover some interesting and unexpected themes, from the concept of identity, to change, to patience, to age and more. I hope you enjoy his words of wisdom.

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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An inspirational conversation with the amazing Abdulazez about his journey from a nice house in Syria, to a refugee camp in Greece, to life in Belgium!

I met Abdulazez whilst he was living in that refugee camp in Greece back in 2016 and we became friends. I had never met anyone like him.

Since being given a camera by a volunteer in that camp, Abdulazez has documented every step of his journey. He uses powerful photography and digital art to bring a voice to the people he represents, through his Facebook page called ‘Through Refugee Eyes.’ 

We recorded this podcast the day after Abdulazez had a big exhibition of his work in London...something that we could have only dreamed about happening when we first met. 

To support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/theworldwidetribe

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