Conversations with Sierra Leoneans

Fredlina's Story

Born in Sierra Leone, Fredlina's life has been shaped by resilience, courage, and the search for belonging. As an asylum seeker, she was forced to leave her homeland, beginning a journey that took her to Kenya and eventually to Scotland in search of safety and a new beginning.

Growing up, she faced not only the uncertainty of seeking asylum but also the challenge of finding her identity. Living between different cultures, languages, and traditions, she often questioned where she truly belonged, while trying to build a future in a country that was unfamiliar.

Despite these challenges, Fredlina remained committed to her education, seeing it as a pathway to opportunity, confidence, and self-discovery. Through determination and perseverance, she found the strength to overcome adversity and embrace every stage of her journey.

Today, her story is one of resilience, identity, education, and hope—a powerful reflection on what it means to rebuild a life, discover where you belong, and turn hardship into purpose.

In this engaging and inspiring episode, we sit down with Eddy Smythe to explore his fascinating life journey, from his early years growing up in Sierra Leone to building a new life in the United Kingdom.

Eddy reflects on his upbringing and the cultural influences that shaped his outlook, sharing personal stories about adapting to life in a new country and embracing new opportunities along the way. He also talks about the hobbies that have kept him curious and active throughout his life, including his passion for scuba diving, skiing, playing in a band, and his love of racket sports, highlighting how staying active has played an important role in his wellbeing.

A particularly moving part of the conversation focuses on the talks and lectures Eddy gives about his father, who served in the Royal Air Force. Through these stories, he explores themes of service, legacy, and the importance of remembering and sharing family history.

This episode is a rich and thoughtful conversation about identity, resilience, lifelong learning, and the power of storytelling. It’s an inspiring listen for anyone interested in personal journeys, cultural experiences, and the stories that shape who we are.

Below are Eddy’s social media details

https://www.john-smythe.co.uk

Instagram @eddysmythe

Welcome to Schwen Schwen: Stories & Flavors, the podcast where we explore the magic of food, culture, and reinvention with Maria Bradford, the founder of Shwen Shwen Ltd.

In this episode, Maria shares her inspiring journey from working as an accountant to becoming a celebrated chef and culinary entrepreneur. She takes us behind the name Schwen Schwen, explaining its cultural significance and how it reflects her Sierra Leonean heritage. Maria also discusses her cookbook, Sweet Salone, a stunning celebration of Sierra Leonean flavors, traditions, and culinary creativity.

Stay connected with Maria Bradford and Shwen Shwen Ltd on social media:

Join us for an inspiring conversation about passion, perseverance, and the power of food to tell stories and preserve culture!

Charles Harding was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, but attended preparatory and public school in the UK. He obtained an economics degree from the University of Sierra Leone followed by an LLB honours degree at what is now University of West London.

In this episode Charles Harding discusses his background, his early years in the UK and his two books.

Charles contact details are [email protected]

Music by oussama arichi from Pixabay

Leslie Leigh from West African Cooks join us and talks his website (https://www.westafricacooks.com/africa/) and his inspiration for building his site, pop up restaurants, and the future of African cooking. Below are some of the links and information Leslie mentioned during this conversation. Salone Maria Bradford Shwen https://shwenshwen.com/  Nigerian Lerato Umah-Shaylor Nigerian West African Vegan Cooking With Lerato Umah-Shaylor | West Africa Cooks https://www.westafricacooks.com/africa/lerato-umah-shaylor-african-cooking-class and Cook With Lerato, Cook With Passion – Lerato Foods & Naturals   https://leratofoods.com/ Both above will have books published this year 2022  Nigerian Chishuru | West African Food | Brixton, London, UK chef Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare   https://www.chishuru.com/ Pitanga London https://www.pitangalondon.com/ Salone (pop-up supper club)  The Krio Kanteen Supper Club Experience With Joe Faulkner #011 - YouTube    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYFScg3hZOc  The Gambia (Now in the west end as a pop-up PAPA L’s KITCHEN) https://papalskitchen.com/ and  African Fusion Cuisine With Lawrence Gomez | Black Food Tales Podcast #001 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unp17BC-CCo Nigeria https://akoko.co.uk/     STORK RESTAURANT    https://www.storkrestaurant.com/ Nigerian tapas restaurant in London - Chuku's https://www.chukuslondon.co.uk/   Others  African Restaurants In London https://www.westafricacooks.com/africa/yelp-results-london  Coming soon https://londontheinside.com/west-african-restaurant-isibani-to-open-in-knightsbridge/

*From Sierra Leone to London* featuring author Nadia Maddy Sierra Leonean author Nadia Maddy joins the podcast to discuss her early years and the differences and similarities between living in London and Sierra Leone in terms of culture, class, education, and gender roles. 

We hope you enjoy the episode.

Sierra Leonean author Nadia Maddy joins the podcast to discuss her early years and the differences and similarities between living in London and Sierra Leone in terms of culture, class, education, and gender roles.

Stay tuned for another exciting episode.

The hosts talk about their experiences growing up and living in the Sierra Leone diaspora.

Culture : Food/clothes/language 

Expectations : Education 

Friendships : The differences

We hope you enjoy this episode!

The hosts briefly talk about their backgrounds, how they met and their motivations for starting this podcast 

"Make Sierra Leone Famous" was the podcast mentioned in this episode. Check it out it’s vey good.