Clara Matonhodze:
Hello, everyone, and welcome to roots, routes, and voices that shape America, a Cincinnati Compass podcast. I’m your host and creator of the series Clara Matonhodze.

Bryan Wright:
And I’m Bryan Wright, executive director of Cincinnati Compass and your cohost. Before we dive in, the views and stories shared on this podcast are those of our guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cincinnati Compass. We believe every voice has a place, especially when it shapes the future of our cities.

Clara Matonhodze:
Let’s get into it. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Ruth’s Routes and Voices, Stories That Shape America, a Cincinnati Compass podcast. I’m your host and creator of the series Clara Matonhodze.

Bryan Wright:
And I’m Bryan Wright, executive director of Cincinnati Compass and your cohost. Before we dive in, a quick note. The views and stories shared here are those of our guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Cincinnati Compass. We believe every voice has a place, especially when it shapes the future of our cities.

Clara Matonhodze:
On this podcast, we explore the human stories behind immigration, the dreams, the detours, and the powerful transformations that shape along the way. And today, we’re honored to have a story rooted in both leadership and legacy. Our guest is Fatou Souare, HR professional, cultural advocate, and cofounder of the Kentucky African Women’s Association or KAWA. Through KAWA, Fatou helps immigrants across the African continent build community, preserve cultural identity, and navigate the often complex systems of American life.

Bryan Wright:
Whether it’s through cultural education, mentorship, or practical support, Fatou’s work is reshaping Northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati region into a more welcoming and informed place for immigrant families. Fatou’s story is one of service and strategy at the intersection of global experience and local impact. From a professional life as a senior talent acquisition specialist at Cincinnati Children’s to her grassroots work with Kawa, she embodies what it means to lead with compassion and cultural pride.

Clara Matonhodze:
Today’s episode asks, what does it take to thrive in a new country and help others do the same? How can we preserve what makes us unique while building bridges into something new? Let’s get into it. Fatou, welcome to Ruth’s, Russ, and Voices, Stories That Shape America. Let’s start at the beginning. Where do your roots lie, and what brought you to this work?

Fatou Souare:
Thank you so much, Claire. Thank you, Bryan, for inviting me. I am from Senegal. I’ve been in The United States for twenty six years now, and I work with the African community as a community relation to make sure that all the immigrants get the need that makes them good in, Cincinnati and Kentucky area.

Clara Matonhodze:
About twenty six years. That’s almost like we’re like this in the same time frame. Yes. Yeah. Twenty five with me. Tell me about the decision to come to The US. What was that decision like for you?

Fatou Souare:
So in Africa, I live on both sides. I got to explore. I grew up in Dhaka, which is the capital of Senegal. Mhmm. But not only in Dhaka, I grew up in the little pallet, like the little what they call the little White House. Mhmm. So my uncle that raised me was the cook for the president. So we live where the president lives around that area.

Fatou Souare:
Uh-huh. So I grew up like the butler.

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm. I’m thinking of the movie The Butler.

Fatou Souare:
So I grew up just thinking that everything is, like, nice and good and nothing bad in the world because you go to the best school, you do the best thing. And my dad decided to have me there with my auntie just to make sure I get the education that I needed because the village at that moment didn’t have school school and all that where I grew up where I was born. Yeah. So, when I turned 20, I decided to go back home because my dad was sick. So when I went back home, I realized, oh my god. Not everything is black and white. So I start, having a life education, just not, you know, school education.

Clara Matonhodze:
So what was back home? Did they live in a rural area? Or

Fatou Souare:
Okay. So I have to pitch my own water. I had to do farming. And then when they have, like, my body is not used to it because I grew up in the car.

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
I start having cuts all over my body every time grass touches me or something because we don’t even see sand except the beach sand Yeah. In Dakar. So I was like, okay. This is crazy. So after my daddy feels better, I gotta say, let’s go back a little bit. My daddy didn’t have me until he was 65, and I was a full child.

Clara Matonhodze:
Years old. Mhmm. Wow.

Bryan Wright:
So you were, I’m sorry. The first child or the

Fatou Souare:
Uh-huh.

Bryan Wright:
Okay.

Fatou Souare:
So growing up, my dad looked like my grandpa. So everybody likes, is that your grandpa? I’m like, no. That’s my dad. So after that, I have, after me, we have three older sisters, which is, you know, our life. We only don’t have any boys. So I had to go back to take care of my sister while my dad was in the hospital. Mhmm. So I decided to not go back to the car. Okay.

Fatou Souare:
Because I said these people need me. And then I did a secretary job over there. I did the formation and passed the secretary job and started working for the government. Mhmm. We call it secretary. That is the people who do, like, the death certificate, the marriage certificate, the birth certificate, stuff like that. Okay. So that’s how I did.

Fatou Souare:
So my cousin that I grow up with Mhmm. I made a long story, but that’s how it went. My cousin that I grow with, was here when In The US. I said to school and met this girl, and they were getting married. So they went back home to get married, and I was inviting to the merry wedding.

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
So the girl was coming, but she didn’t wanna be the only American there. So she came in with an older guy who is a friend, and that guy met me. And that’s how I came to The United States.

Clara Matonhodze:
So is the guy your husband?

Fatou Souare:
My ex husband. We married thirteen years, and we have four, amazing kids. Uh-huh. That was a good, marriage. And because he’s he’s kinda like, almost an African person. Uh-huh. He’s African American, but, you know, just after he studied African history. Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
And he teaches at the University West African history. Uh-huh. So he kinda, mentally African a little bit on him. So he

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. The culture was not that big.

Clara Matonhodze:
So you were a completion for him.

Fatou Souare:
Yes. So we were just like saying, but, you know, the end is the end. Like, we end up, like, having not been in the same, still because what I wanted is not what he wanted.

Clara Matonhodze:
Right.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. I wanted to finish my education. I wanted to do stuff. He wanted me to stay home mom Mhmm. And stuff like that. It just, like, didn’t work out very well, so I decided to just, you know, do my pathway to another way. So that’s how I came to the United States because of him.

Bryan Wright:
So when you came to that I mean, that that so many questions about this. But what when you came to The US, where were you living?

Fatou Souare:
Louisiana. So Okay. When I came to the US, he was still going to school. He was going back for his master. So we decided to live with his grandma in Louisiana where he went back to Louisiana Tech to finish his master’s degree. And when he finished his masters, he started teaching middle school, and he hated it. So we decided to just, you know, we go back to synagogue a little bit while he finished his doctorate and, George, thing. So I was supporting him through all of this.

Fatou Souare:
So when he finished and had his doctorate and I wanted to go back to school and he didn’t wanna support me, it became a part.

Clara Matonhodze:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Bryan Wright:
So when you wanted to go back to school, at that time, were your four kids already born or were you how many children did you have at the time? And

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. At that time, when I went back to school, I had four kids, and one of them was just four years old.

Clara Matonhodze:
Oh, wow. My gosh.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. But they they I still tell them you guys support me a lot because, you know, I start going back to school. It wasn’t easy. First of all, they didn’t want to accept my degree from Senegal. Mhmm. So I was like, I didn’t know somebody like Bryan Dan. So I just went back to GED. Oh, wow.

Fatou Souare:
But I did the GED, in a month and a half, and I passed it. Because when I was in the class, the teacher was like, why are you here? I said,

Clara Matonhodze:
oh, because I already know this stuff.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah, I always doubt. I’m one person who always doubts themselves. I doubt myself a lot, and some people were like, you are smart. I’m like, I cannot do that. I’m not ready for the test. I don’t know anything. So the guy lady was like, you can do it, the teacher herself. So when I did it, she was so excited to give me the result and say, you should go to college.

Fatou Souare:
I was thinking about it. So I started at Louisiana Tech University. Uh-huh. And then, you know, since my husband is from there, and it’s a little city that everybody knows everybody. That’s just his family. I needed to get out of there. So that’s how I moved to Kentucky.

Bryan Wright:
Mhmm.

Clara Matonhodze:
Okay. Did you have any family in Kentucky? Like, how did you make the move from Louisiana to Kentucky?

Fatou Souare:
I have a friend here from Senegal. So that’s I don’t have no

Clara Matonhodze:
family here in

Fatou Souare:
The United States, but me, my, and my kids and my cousin that was here before us.

Clara Matonhodze:
So you took another leap of faith, really, from Louisiana coming to Kentucky. It’s just knowing a casual friend, it seems. Mhmm. Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. They opened the door for us, you know, to give us a room. Me and my four kids were all in one room for one moment and then worked. And then a few months later, I found a job, and that’s how I moved to an apartment by myself and my children.

Clara Matonhodze:
Wow. Wonderful. So that’s a really wild story. Yes. Yes. Can you talk about some of the values or cultural traditions that shaped you as you were growing up in Senegal that probably became relevant here? I know some of the themes that we have been looking at is how a lot of traditions and values really assist immigrants when you come here, especially when you’re going through rough times. You know? We cling and this is not just only to immigrants, really. It’s just human nature.

Clara Matonhodze:
Right? You cling to some of those traditions that are comforting because you grew up with that. It is a place of comfort. Mhmm. So can you talk about what some of those were for you?

Fatou Souare:
Okay. So I would say mostly family. Half of my life, I talk about my dad, but half of it is my mom. She’s from Mauritania. And Mauritania really respects their family. Like, I think you’re not even a real Mauritania until Bryan walks into your room and they say, hey. Say hi to your uncle. You’re like, but she doesn’t look anything like me.

Fatou Souare:
How he’s my he’s your uncle if your mom knows him. So that is that growing up, he and she taught us, you know, to respect our elderly, to do for the needy, and to always be there for the needy people. I think that’s what helped me to be where I am right now. Because, even though when I was struggling trying to get an apartment, trying to do everything, I was trying to see every time I figured out something good, I try not to see how I share it with somebody else. Yeah. So it became like some learning pathway for me, but I saw a gift.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Oh, you’re always giving me.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. So I am in housing. I’m on a food stamp. I’m in a thing. How do I get this person who’s struggling in the same path that they are? Mhmm. And then, also, have a good place where you don’t have to live in housing all the time. I didn’t know.

Fatou Souare:
So somebody else teach me, yeah, you can get a house through housing, and then you have to teach that to someone else. Mhmm. So those kinds of things that my mom put on me really shaped where, who I am right now and what I’m doing right now.

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm. That’s wonderful, Fatou. So what did America mean to you before you came over? Did you have any inkling or familiarity with what America would be? So

Fatou Souare:
I will tell a story of my friend. They’ll tell me, you’re the first one gonna get out of here in Senegal because you always say you don’t wanna get out. I never wanted to get out of Senegal. I didn’t think about Europe. I didn’t think about it, at that moment, Europe was a big deal. Mhmm. Growing up. I didn’t think about France.

Fatou Souare:
I didn’t think my only object was, believe it or not, it was teaching. Mhmm. But sitting in Senegal. Yes. And I wanted to start teaching, you know, elementary, go all the way to college, get my doctorate, and teach college. That was my vision. But it didn’t work out like that because I had to leave school early to help my parents who’s not able to do stuff. So I start, when I was doing the secretary, I always do also the afternoon teaching

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
What we call Wolof. Wolof is our language. Mhmm. So we teach you to read and write the village, an old elderly village, like adult education Mhmm. To read and write in Wolof. Mhmm. So that’s where I started.

Clara Matonhodze:
That’s okay.

Bryan Wright:
When you were thinking about teaching, did you wanna teach language or did you know what you wanna teach?

Fatou Souare:
I wanted to teach math. Oh, okay. Oh my god.

Clara Matonhodze:
Wait. Are you really good at math?

Fatou Souare:
I am. Oh my god.

Clara Matonhodze:
I worship you.

Fatou Souare:
Mad. Yeah. Even in the college here, when I went to college here, I told the math to the other students.

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh. Mhmm. Are you still tutoring? I might need to talk to you after this when I get started.

Fatou Souare:
I mean, but my daughter still does the math. She does math.

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh. Okay. We might have to talk after this because math is like my whole college career is defined by how much math is in that nature. I don’t like it. So, you did not want to do well, oh, you had no ambitions of coming to The US, it seems. No. Not until you fell in love. Right?

Fatou Souare:
It’s like Yes.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah, as women, we have this grand plans until

Fatou Souare:
Until your men came and messed it up.

Clara Matonhodze:
Tell me I can handle some. Until they’re told I can hand some, mister Thompson. A lot.

Clara Matonhodze:
Tell me about what, what shaped your self image or ambition? Were they like role models, women in your life when you were growing up? What were those women like?

Fatou Souare:
So I always say my auntie raised me. Yeah. She’s every time I talk about her, I say just she’s just everybody say, your ma my mom is the best woman, but I always say my

Clara Matonhodze:
Auntie is the best woman. For me, it’s my auntie as well. Not that my mom is not good, but it’s it’s it’s it’s an aunt as well. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
I see this woman that the Muslim religion says pray five times a day, and she will pray 10 times a day. Mhmm. And then when she prays and she’s praying, you cannot just see that she’s not selfish. She just doesn’t pray for her kids, her family. She will start with a friend that she saw yesterday. Mhmm. Or like, oh, I saw this girl yesterday at the mosque.

Clara Matonhodze:
God bless you. Allows?

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. It’s just like. I was like, oh my god. She’s just amazing.

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
She just likes her key, her daughter, and she has one child. So my dead family are not very kids. They don’t have a lot of kids.

Clara Matonhodze:
Okay.

Fatou Souare:
Because I like Africa having one kid, if you understand it, it’s

Clara Matonhodze:
You know? Like, what is wrong

Fatou Souare:
with that? What is wrong with them?

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
So her sister doesn’t have any kids, and she only has one, and my dad didn’t have one until he was 65.

Clara Matonhodze:
Five. Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
So she had one kid, and then everybody used to say, I think she loves her to marry and then her one key. Uh-huh. Because she put me there. She doesn’t want anybody to touch me. She doesn’t want her to be like, in synagogue in synagogue, you will still beat kids if they do wrong, and I always be doing wrong sometime. And if I get beaten, my auntie is in that. Mhmm. My auntie is in the school finding the teacher who will teach me to touch my child.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. So yeah. So she she she’s amazing. She teaching me the religion. She teaches me to be good. And, she was much older than auntie because I told you my dad was older when she he had me. So being, over there because Mhmm. He he was look like my best friend.

Fatou Souare:
So I will listen to conversation with his friend. I will

Clara Matonhodze:
With his friends.

Fatou Souare:
Stuff. Yeah. Mhmm. About, you know, marriage, about life and all that. So I learned a lot.

Clara Matonhodze:
Was she married? Yeah. Yeah. With one kid? Like, do you know why they just had one child?

Fatou Souare:
She could have no more.

Clara Matonhodze:
Okay. Okay. But do they stay married with the husband? Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. They stay married until he dies. Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Bryan Wright:
When you were, you’re talking about this kind of expectation to have multiple or many kids.

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
When from the child’s perspective, if you are that if you are the only child

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
Is there that kind of not criticism, but that perspective kind of goes towards the child as well as being the only child? Are you judged in another way? Like, you hear, like, in The US of, like, the only child is spoiled and Oh, I know. And so, you always hear this as, like, in a derogatory way. Oh, you must be an only child.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
As if you had any choice in the matter. Right? So but do you is is that something, you know, like, you were talking about, like, if there is this expectation to have multiple children

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
And it sounds like your auntie was going against that cultural norm, but then also for her child and for you, was there any kind of expectation from you or kind of a misperception of you as the only child or no?

Fatou Souare:
So for her yeah. For my auntie daughter, you know, in synagogue, when you’re an only child, they’re like, oh, she’s selfish. She didn’t wanna have sisters. Mhmm. She didn’t wanna have brothers. Oh my god. She got the hot, back. What are they?

Clara Matonhodze:
Who’s who’s the one who’s being called selfish? The child or

Fatou Souare:
the parents? The child. Like, she doesn’t want to be Like, she got a choice.

Clara Matonhodze:
What do I have to

Fatou Souare:
What do you do with it? That. Like, what is wrong with her? Like, she never had kids. And then God forbid, you know, kids’ mortality is high in synagogues. God forbid if that mom have another child

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
Who dies or something. Like, oh my god. She cannot even have siblings.

Bryan Wright:
Right.

Fatou Souare:
You know? She’s bad luck or something like that. So they do have those. Hopefully, it will change. I see a lot of change in Senegal, but it’s just, like, growing up in that kind of culture, like, oh, you can’t marry this trap. You can’t do this. It’s just, like, kinda driving me crazy, but I kinda thank God I’m coming from a family that doesn’t judge much about a lot of things. They are very open minded. My uncle that raised me, did a tour of the world before he became the cook for the prison because he had to go and learn all the food around the world and The United States, Europe, China.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm. So a very open minded guy. So hope, we were raising him kinda to make it easier for us when we come to places. But until now, even the people who came here last year Mhmm. When they are talking to me or doing something, I’m like, oh my god. They have that brand of, you know, the Senegalese people who don’t have open minded guys. Yeah. I’m gonna bring my culture here.

Fatou Souare:
You have to accept it. You have to do it. You know? I am this kind of person. You have to accept it. But sometimes, you want them to accept your culture, but you have to accept their culture too.

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm. Yeah. Yeah. So that’s that, I don’t know. It’s not only Senegalese. Right? It’s just, like, growing up in conservative communities because I feel the same, even about, like, Zimbabwean immigrants. But with Zimbabweans, it’s usually males. And I don’t know the same type of, I don’t know.

Clara Matonhodze:
What’s the word for not being open minded? It’s it usually close minded? Close mind yeah. Close no. That is really it’s close mindedness. So I feel like do you feel like women are often more open minded than men? You know, especially with, no. Seriously. Like, we have talked about how, when women come to The US, they thrive. And the men, it kinda feels like the opposite. You know? And I’ve I’ve always thought it’s because of the open mindedness or close mindedness, whichever way you are.

Clara Matonhodze:
Women come here. They see a lot of opportunities Mhmm. You know, because they’re so open minded. And then men, because they have that culture of, well, you know, you’re not serving me. You’re not doing this for me. They’re close minded about it. They kinda shrink. Mhmm.

Clara Matonhodze:
You know? So I don’t know. What do you

Fatou Souare:
It’s just I feel like, it just depends who you’re talking to. Some men kinda, like, are open minded. I was just looking at, I don’t know if, the African community that is around us. Mhmm. And I’m seeing most of them, their president is men

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
At this point.

Clara Matonhodze:
In the communities? Yes.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. In the Cincinnati community, I am Bryan.

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
Right? Like

Clara Matonhodze:
Like all the different associations. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
So you were like, where are the women in there?

Bryan Wright:
Right.

Clara Matonhodze:
They’re with the Kentucky African Women’s Association.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. Because it’s all women, but I wasn’t talking about, like, the culture, the countries.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. I know. Like, the yeah.

Fatou Souare:
The Senegalese, the Ivory Coast Ivory Coast One time have women, like, that Elizabeth something. Yeah. But beside that, you know, I feel like we took the things that women can do better and give it to men, which is leadership in the community. Mhmm. We don’t have much, much going on with this African leadership, like, a community. Mhmm. Because the only thing we’ve been doing is what I see, maybe they’re working behind the scenes, but what I see, if they invite me, will be like a party for, you know, Independence Day or something like that. I was like, why can’t we get together and do something Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
Much larger than this?

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
A party is okay. We need that because we’re African. We’re gonna dance. We’re gonna eat. We’re gonna put on clothes. But behind the door, let’s build something big.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. What are we doing to advance? Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
We’re just staying in an African party, drinking and things, and then two hours later, you go home.

Clara Matonhodze:
Well, that’s because the men are leading all these things.

Fatou Souare:
Exactly. Right?

Clara Matonhodze:
You would see some movement if it was women that like, just think of the African women that you know. There are a lot of activators and implementers. If they were leading these organizations, it would be totally different.

Fatou Souare:
Exactly. Yeah. Exactly and we always tryna learn something new and tryna, put ourselves out there. It’s just like what we get to do. And I keep telling them, I got a group. I’m like, you guys are my leader. If you guys don’t answer and move, the followers don’t answer and move.

Clara Matonhodze:
Right. Right.

Fatou Souare:
It started with you. You cannot tell me you don’t have one hour of meetings when we call a meeting, and you cannot take one hour of your day to be in a Zoom meeting. It’s not even in person. So you’re not driving. You’re not nothing. So what are you leading?

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
And activating and leading it. Like, no. That’s great. What I’m hearing is you talk about the strength of your auntie, and I hear also your desire to teach and wanting to, I feel in your role, and you talked about this earlier on around you touched on it briefly around navigating resources, around housing, social benefits. And then even the way you talk about Kawa, which I wanna go deeper into, your teaching.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
And you’re still doing that. And I also hear that you wanna also serve community members.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
And I hear you saying when you first came to The US, you were there to, if you will, serve your husband. And you’re like, this is not what this is not what I meant by serving the communities. I wanna do more. Right?

Clara Matonhodze:
Yes. Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
Mhmm. And I hear that, and even that dynamic plays out in how you talk about Kawa if we’re not just creating parties and stuff. We wanna do more and be leaders.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
So I want to. I think that’s all great. I wanna tie that all in together in some more, conversation about Kawa. But let’s take a break now and take a pause. When we come back, let’s dive in more into the impetus and motivation behind Kawa, if that’s okay. Alright, everybody. We’ll be right back.

Clara Matonhodze:
You are listening to Roots, Routes, and Voices, a Cincinnati campus podcast.

Bryan Wright:
This podcast was funded in part by a grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph v Hale Junior Foundation.

Clara Matonhodze:
Thank you for your support in helping us to share stories that make up our beautiful region, but often go unheard.

Bryan Wright:
Welcome back to Roots, Routes, and Voices That Shape America. If you’re just joining us, we’re continuing our conversation with Fatu Sware and her experience coming to The US and establishing roots in Northern Kentucky. Once established, she became a teacher, a mentor, a resource navigator, and advocate, helping other immigrants establish roots and thrive in America. Fatou, let’s dive into the founding of Kawa and how it’s serving the community.

Fatou Souare:
Yes. So, when Kawa was talking, I wasn’t even there. It was two people, from the Kawa, that had a baby shower for one of our ladies. So they realized when they had the baby shower, it’s a lot of African women here. And none of us have our family here. So we were like, okay. Is it a good idea to form something to help each other? Like, when we had a baby shower at that moment, people were still having babies. We’re not too old, too old for that now.

Fatou Souare:
But yeah. So, they decided so, Charlotte called me and said, hey. We’re thinking about doing this. Do you wanna meet and do it? So we first meet in one of the churches, the Christ Church over there in Florence, Kentucky, and we talk about how this is gonna look like. But at that moment, we were just doing it as selfishness for ourselves. Like, if somebody has a baby, each one of us gives a hundred, for example, and we help that person. If somebody is sick, we give money. And if somebody loses somebody, God forbid, we all give money.

Fatou Souare:
So that’s how we started. Then a few months later, people hear about Kawa, and they’re sending somebody. They, oh, is the African Association there? They can help you apply. They can help you do things. So we thought about it, hey. Why not do it as a nonprofit organization? So three years later, we did, went and registered as a five zero one c k and then start, do it as a nonprofit organization. So every week, we meet at the library and then we put flyers out and just let people know, hey. We’re here.

Fatou Souare:
If you need translation, if you need an application for a job, if you need, how to get housing, food stamps, any of those, we know some of the resources. If we don’t know it, we call someone that knows that might know, and we get it for you. So that’s how Kawa started. And then, three years ago, we decided, Kawa have, African so many Africans in Northern Kentucky now because people were going and living because of the woman. And that’s not all African. It’s 80 people that live in Northern Kentucky. And they work with this American who doesn’t know their culture, who doesn’t know anything about it. So let’s organize and do culture day.

Fatou Souare:
It’s the day that we all get together, half table, half hour clothes, dancing and everything to show our culture to the American people. And if they want and are willing, they also can come and show us their culture because we have to know each other to be able to work in the same environment. So that’s where we are with SCARA right now. Since then, we are working with other communities to drive and do mental health awareness. We work with partners like Saint Elizabeth to see test entries. We do screening for women who don’t have insurance every year. It’s usually in October. So if you don’t have insurance, you can call PAFME and all of that for free.

Fatou Souare:
And if we find something, god forbid, we are able to send you to Northern Kentucky, Saint Elizabeth to do treatment for free. So those are the things that we’re working on at this moment, and I, I am all over the community. What I’m calling myself is the missing piece. Mhmm. So every time, somewhere you look in at it and you have everything, Fatu doesn’t even mind cleaning the room if that’s what you need at that moment. So that’s why, helping our community grow and helping to get together. Right now, I’m working with different community members, the president of some other community members so they can help get together and find resources together and help all the others so it can be wider. Because sometimes they don’t trust me, but they trust the president of their community.

Fatou Souare:
So if I have resources and the president gives it to them, they would be able to do it. So some of the training that they need to know, like, you know, know your right and all that, they might not listen when I say it, but they listen where their presence is. So how I’m gonna work with those presidents to get all that information to the maximum people.

Clara Matonhodze:
That is so wonderful, Fatou. I like how you, really are providing solutions for the African community and not waiting for other Africa for other organizations to provide the solutions for the community. Right? We always talk about trying to enhance and also contribute to the communities that we have decided to live in versus just trying to figure out what can I get? Yeah. You know? So I really love that aspect of you jumping in there and taking that role to help other African immigrants. But, can you talk to some of about some of the challenges that you encountered trying to do that? Because I imagine it was not or is not a smooth path. So what are some of those challenges, and how did you navigate them?

Fatou Souare:
So sometimes you need something to do something, and that’s something you don’t have. Like, most of the time maybe you need money to help someone. They don’t have somewhere to live or you need even if you don’t have the money, you have the resource, but you don’t have that resource at that moment. So that’s challenging to me because I will open my room and let them sleep in my bed with me instead of letting them outside. That’s very challenging to me because I cannot see somebody sleeping outside. So those are the moments that are very challenging. Another moment that’s with the people you work with. Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
Nobody trusts you. Like, most of the people you work with, you work with 80 people maybe. I’m saying that if 20 trust you, you might get 20 that doubt

Clara Matonhodze:
within the community. Community of what you’re helping whom you’re trying to help.

Fatou Souare:
Yes. Uh-huh. Okay. So yeah. Not the community. The people you work, like the the members

Bryan Wright:
Right.

Fatou Souare:
Uh-huh. Themselves. Like, for example, if I come in here today, somebody is gonna think I’m getting paid. That’s why I’m

Clara Matonhodze:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like, she can possibly be doing it for free.

Fatou Souare:
For free.

Clara Matonhodze:
Like, yeah. Yeah. And we need some of that money too. Yeah. Yeah. I guess

Fatou Souare:
Bryan knows Fatu very well. Uh-huh. He must be giving Fatu something. You know? Khloe always, you know, called Fatu when they see what she’s doing, what she’s giving to Fatu, why she’s not hiding something from Kawa. Yeah. She’s using Kawa to do something. You know what I’m saying? That’s what we became, and it just blew out a little bit ago Mhmm. About that.

Fatou Souare:
And then sometimes I have to back out a little bit and say, hey. Do it and see Mhmm. What you can get. And then it usually doesn’t turn out very well because I know I have my eight to five jobs, but I’m more flexible than many of them Mhmm. Which is making it easy. Because if I have some other job, like a nursing job and stuff, I might not be able to do some of these. Right. If I had my own business, I might not be able to do any of these.

Fatou Souare:
And don’t get me wrong. I’m not doing it by myself.

Clara Matonhodze:
I have a

Fatou Souare:
big o thing behind me.

Clara Matonhodze:
Everybody chips it. Yes. Everyone who’s in

Fatou Souare:
my kitchen. Talking. I do the phasing, and I’m like, hey, Mona. Can you write this

Clara Matonhodze:
for me, the grant?

Fatou Souare:
I need you to write this. Uh-huh. Hey, Charlotte. Can you go and look for a place for Culture Day? Mhmm. Hey, Irene. Can you talk to the mayor about this? So everybody is doing little pieces and making it be.

Clara Matonhodze:
So it’s a village. Right? Everybody comes together to help out. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
So since I’m in the face, though, I always give the more critic because people are thinking just I’m doing something Because

Clara Matonhodze:
They’re the face of the office.

Fatou Souare:
So that’s very challenging.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Well, that’s the leader in you. You have to be able to also take their punches. Right? Right.

Bryan Wright:
Do you see that I mean, that is a real challenge, and and you I feel like you see that in any kind of leadership role, right, with, you know, membership in an organization. Do you see that and if you touched it where you’re like, well, here. Let me show you by stepping into this role. Mhmm. To me, that seems like mentorship. No. I mean, it’s double-sided. Right? Like, well, one, to dispel these myths that you are somehow profiting off of this work, but then it or taking advantage.

Bryan Wright:
Mhmm. But it also seems like there’s an opportunity for mentorship and leadership opportunities to bring more people into a trusting leadership role.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm. And I love that. So the mentorship that I see I’m doing, and the director is seeing what you’re good at Mhmm. And seeing what you’re doing already. So I give a good example of Muna, who’s a project manager. So anything project manager related, I put it in her I’m not even trying to do it at all. I put it on her way. I say, hey.

Fatou Souare:
Can you help with this? So at that moment, I think that she’s showing her leadership of what she do the best and but it’s not adding too much in her plate because she’s a very busy lady. But she’s what’s I’m asking her to do, she already doing something like that, and she’s familiar with it. Somebody with, like Irene, who’s a very smart lady. She’s LPN, just have her master. You never gonna see her maybe or see her, but she’s doing a great job behind the scene. But I use her as an African who’s from an African speaking country Mhmm. Her English is going to be more formal and better when we write letters and stuff like that, and she really loves doing it. Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
So you I see what you love already, and then we move you to do those things so it will not add. But if you’re not good at something Mhmm. And you’re trying to do it and mess it up for everybody, it’s just so hard at that moment because it messes up, like, the rhythm or where we’re going. Right. Yeah. We can teach you, but you have to be behind and willing to learn until you can do it. I told everybody I’m not usually, when you put me in front of people, I used to shake, but I practice. I go to places, like, where I trust people. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Not to judge me. I go in front of Bryan, and I talk like I know what I’m saying until, you know, I trust myself.

Bryan Wright:
It’s me that doesn’t know what I’m talking about.

Fatou Souare:
So that’s what they yeah. So it’s just one person or two sometime in the group that, you know, trying to mix up everything at the same time.

Bryan Wright:
So I love it. Like, I hear you know, you talk about Kahwa, it seems like a platform to do the service that you want to do. Mhmm. And not just you, but you see needs, and it’s a platform to have community led responses.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm. And

Bryan Wright:
it may look a little bit different for each community where, you know, you talked about the resource navigation. You talked about mental health. You talked about, mentorship, helping to find jobs, and and also meeting people where they are to lift up their skill sets

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
So that and so they can apply, but also learn new skills as well, which is just great. Because that also seems to not only help in building a big organization of leaders, but it helps to sustain the work in the organization longer term. Mhmm. How many countries are represented in the organization?

Fatou Souare:
At this time, I think we count to 13.

Bryan Wright:
Oh, wow. Wow.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Clara Matonhodze:
And what’s the membership like? Like, how many people do you think? The membership? Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
So we count them all as long as they are in the group. However, we have some active members. So the active like, the membership fees, is a hundred dollars a year. Mhmm. However, we are, we lift it during, COVID, and we are thinking about bringing it back. Just, don’t but the people who really work are about maybe 13 people who really do the entire job for the rest. Yeah. But one thing I I I I saw coming, like, we lost one of our sisters, one of our cohort members, two weeks ago.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm. So when that happened, I feel like most of the members came up because we’re like, hey. We lost our members. We’re asking money to help with the children and the thing, and everybody gives our voice. Like, if you can’t, then maybe 90% give, which is amazing. When we’re going to, support somebody in the community Mhmm. Like, most of the people are willing to dress up and go. Like, when we go to the campus events, we gonna have at least, you know, 10 people who say, hey.

Fatou Souare:
I go to support, you know, the campus events.

Clara Matonhodze:
How, how well do you work with the other African organizations in Cincinnati?

Fatou Souare:
I think it’s starting to get better. Okay. Thank god. Uh-huh. I think it starts to get better because, you know, as they were in Kentucky for a while, and a lot of people don’t notice us. We do everything. You know? Under the tech, we do everything. We weren’t looking for a grant.

Fatou Souare:
We were looking for help and stuff. So we were doing everything out of pocket. So growing up and starting, you know, doing stuff, like, I guess people think, no. Now we’re serious.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. I mean, I just so yeah. So we I, I actually have a call from Abne from Prince yesterday to say, hey. Get a table for Culture Day for Abne, and that makes me feel good. And she he had one last year too Mhmm. Which is amazing because I love to see people. Yeah. Yeah. That I know and that to help.

Clara Matonhodze:
Because I wasn’t aware of Kawa until about two years ago, actually, when you got the campus award. Yeah. That’s when I learned about Kawa at the other end. I consider myself Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Bryan is connected to himself.

Bryan Wright:
Yes. I want everybody to know about Kawa. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. But it’s amazing. Like, when we, at the app net events or we are in the thing, we are all together. And then when we have hours, we see app net people too. It’s just amazing because we have to support each other before we go outside. Yeah. To try and get the Americans to help us.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. So talking about going outside, I know you’re offering a lot of resources, connections and a type of mobilization to do things for people in their time of need. Mhmm. But there is also a need for a resource that might go under the radar because there’s not, like, a real tangible thing that you can say, oh, we give 10 blankets to these people. But it is something that has to do with integrating Mhmm. Into American culture in order to succeed. And I’m wondering how, how you do that for the members, you know, how you balance cultural authenticity within the demands of, say, American society. Right? Because you also don’t want to say to people, hey.

Clara Matonhodze:
You need to change who you are, but at the same time, it’s like you need to change who you are. Right? It’s a thin line that we walk when we’re talking about integration and assimilation and all of that. So how does Kawa approach that?

Fatou Souare:
Yes. So yes. That’s right. So, the people actually in the Kawa, most of them really, know and and to get very well, the 80 people. Mhmm. Because if you see the CALA members, those are the managers, the, HR, nurses, LPN, you know, high demand job some of the high demand job

Clara Matonhodze:
in the integrated.

Fatou Souare:
So they’re already integrated. Uh-huh. But when we bring in people too Mhmm. When we’re doing your application, we are having that conversation at the same time. Okay. Hey. If you get this job, make sure you don’t do this. Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
Hey. Don’t just touch somebody because you want, you know Amica loves their space. You know? Amica so we do those training at the same time.

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
But, also, we have people like Vintage Job who will translate it into Wolof Mhmm. And kinda put it on Jim Job and, do one vocal in Jim Job to tell them, you know, this is how you do, and then we get that vocal and share it in all the group that speak Wolof

Clara Matonhodze:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
In the CSU group and say, hey. Listen to this. You know? And then, people who maybe don’t wanna listen to Binta or don’t wanna listen to Fatu, we have somebody that they trough. We’re like, hey. This vocal is very important. Can you let your people know to listen to it? Because it’s very important. Mhmm. But most of the job is done when we’re helping them do the application.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm. I was like, we say out you know, we have some of them. I will say if five people listen, my job is done. Because everybody was like, just do my application. I gotta go. And some people are like, oh, yeah. And

Clara Matonhodze:
yeah. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
And then you have one that calls you like, oh my god. I see what you said. My coworker is this, but thank god I did this what you told me, and I didn’t get in trouble.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s tough work, but, you know, it has to be done. And I’m glad you’re integrating it into the assistance. Yes. Because I know a lot of times we worry about, oh, if I tell someone, like, this is how you need to live in your apartment, you’re telling me how to live my life. But it’s like we are trying to avoid all the negativity that comes with immigrants moving into certain spaces.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. We hear a lot. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
Me and Vinta, we hear a lot. Oh, they’ve been here for a while, and they think they know everything. They don’t know my life. They don’t know how you’re doing.

Clara Matonhodze:
If I’ve been here a while, I kinda know a lot more than you who just arrived yesterday. So

Fatou Souare:
My coach just said the person who’s in the dark room first might need to tell you where to go not to hit the table. Exactly. Exactly. Right.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Bryan Wright:
And that is, you know, balancing that and that you you’re talking about within the community, you know, the two kind of points of tension around, well, if you’re the one out there, then how are you benefiting in ways that you’re that other members of Kawah are not or other community members? And then also this too about, like, oh, well, you think you know so much because you’ve been here longer. That happens. But looking outside the communities to the broader community, what do you wish more people in The US understood about immigrants and the journey to become part of this country?

Fatou Souare:
So most of the time, I say, please understand a different culture. And then sometimes when you think what you think is bad might not be bad for them.

Bryan Wright:
Mhmm.

Fatou Souare:
You know, it might be something normal, the norm for them. I’ll just give a good example of, when I may tell someone, hey, when you interview or when you’re talking to someone, look them eye to eye.

Clara Matonhodze:
Oh my gosh. That’s a big one. Yes.

Fatou Souare:
Look them eye to eye. I still can’t do it. Yes. And then in my country, my mom is telling me, you are so impolite. You were looking at them right in their eyes. You know, when you were talking to them, you were looking them right in their eyes. So you, the one older than you or the one more authority than you, cannot look them in the eye when you’re talking, and we have to practice that. I have to practice and practice Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
And do a fake interview before I can do that. So I used to love those interviews in Zoom. I’m like, I’m not looking at anyone. But, you know, on the face to face, you will like things. So that’s a good example of, you know, the peep. What I want the American to know, the outside to know, to just, you know, be patient and and and know the entourage, know other cultures. You know, if somebody does something you don’t like, just, you know, like, ask them slowly, like, hey. Why did you do that? In America and teach them.

Fatou Souare:
In America, you don’t have the right to do this. Mhmm. I told my ex boss when we were going to Jamaica because she loves her space very much. And if she hears this, I’m gonna send her this so she can listen to it. She loves her space. And I say, Tanya, we’re going to Jamaica. Please know if people don’t touch you, don’t freak out. And literally when we get out of the, when we get out of the airport, it’s those buses.

Fatou Souare:
We got into the bus. We got out of the bus, and people were trying to help us with the luggage, and they were all over her. She is like this. She said, if you didn’t tell me this,

Clara Matonhodze:
I will be screaming.

Fatou Souare:
So, yeah, the culture is different, and, you know, that will that’s a big thing for people to know and for managers, especially when they interview people to know. And, the language is different, knowing that we have all of these people graduate high, have university diplomas, doctorate, and work in the warehouse. Very smart people. Just because they don’t speak English doesn’t mean they don’t.

Bryan Wright:
Right. That’s so true. And, you know, you talked about this at the very beginning around how, you know, understanding people you know, did that reception to different cultures. And then you started this conversation about that. And I see you living that now, in your daily work and then work with Kawa and then also what you’re asking of others is to respect differences, learn from them

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
And not be afraid of them. Mhmm. And that’s really great. So this has been a wonderful conversation, Fatou, but, unfortunately, we’re coming to the end of our time here today. And so we have a few more questions to kind of wrap up that we’d like to get into.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Sure. So, Fatou, you know, when I whenever I am speaking in public, especially if someone asks me to speak in terms of multiculturalism or on behalf of not on behalf of Africans, but it’s always like, you know, you’re the African, You know, there’s always a a a voice in my head, you know, that I am trying to master up in order to get through it because I don’t think I’m a natural public speaker. You know? So I’m wondering when you speak in public or when you guide new immigrants, whose voices or stories do you carry with you?

Fatou Souare:
So when I’m speaking in public for immigrants, it might be, different voices, especially people that I’m helping, problems that I’m getting from them. So that’s, I focus on those. So those stories that they tell me, help me to know the problem going on in the immigration community and the best part of being an immigrant in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati area. So I use that to help me, speak up for not just what I have personally, but for what the other immigrants are going through too. Because every story is different, I can give great examples by listening to others that comment my way for help.

Clara Matonhodze:
Oh, I love that. So it’s not about you, but it’s about the stories that people have been telling you, and that’s what you try to make sure that’s heard. It’s the stories that people are coming to you and telling you. Mhmm. And yeah. Mhmm. That’s powerful. Mhmm.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. You’re just Because

Fatou Souare:
you know sometime, you you you don’t, you don’t have that experience.

Clara Matonhodze:
Right. Yeah.

Fatou Souare:
You’re not in that problem that the people and the public need to know. Mhmm. But the people you’re helping are in that problem, so listen to them. And they’re not to the point where they can go out and speak up. So me speaking through them is an amazing way to tell their story, but to help others who have the same story as them.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. You become the voice for them. And, yeah, and that’s pretty powerful because, you know, part of this podcast, Ruth, Routes, and Voices, the voice part is about what’s that voice that you now have after you have become a member of the community. And in your case, you know, Bryan, we’ve been talking about Fatou’s work in the community. It makes perfect sense

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Clara Matonhodze:
That the voice she’s carrying is the voice of all the different community members

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Clara Matonhodze:
You know, that, go to her for whatever help they need, and she becomes that.

Fatou Souare:
Got it.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Yeah.

Bryan Wright:
Right. And it sounds like I mean, in your work, whether it’s professionally of helping not only employers find the talent that they need, but working with individuals to find a career pathway to leverage their skills

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
You’re also helping people establish roots, new roots and a new home here Mhmm. And helping them with their routes and to use the platform that you have to elevate their voices so they can also then speak for themselves.

Fatou Souare:
Mhmm.

Bryan Wright:
And, you know, I think you said earlier that you’ve been here more than twenty years. Right? And so with all that we’ve talked about today and thinking about the future, what kind of community do you dream of building through your work? What would you like to see in five or ten years from now?

Fatou Souare:
So five to ten years from now, the community I would want to see is a collaborative one, the one that works together and solves a problem together. So when I’m talking about that, I’m not just talking about immigrants. I’m talking about immigrants and the American native that can get together and solve a problem in the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky area. Because if we do that, it will be amazing and then bring the talent outside. Invite them. Make it welcoming enough for them to come in and participate. That’s my dream community that I have.

Bryan Wright:
Yeah. That’s great. I think that’s one we all can get behind. Right?

Clara Matonhodze:
We can absolutely get behind that. Me too. Do you wanna do the last round? Because we are coming to the end of our conversation with Fatu, which has been really wonderful. Thank you so much for coming.

Bryan Wright:
Thank you very much.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Lightning round of best of what Cincinnati has to offer. Let’s see how well, but you’re from Northern Kentucky, not Cincinnati. Yes. Right.

Fatou Souare:
But everybody has come to this area. You know, I have kids, so I love going to Kings Island. I love going to the zoo, but most things that we do, me and my kids, they go to Freedom Center.

Clara Matonhodze:
Uh-huh. Okay.

Fatou Souare:
That’s a good space to learn and enjoy at the same time.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Yeah. And what about when it comes to ice cream creators or gala messes? Bryan and I are in a fight over this one. By the end of this series of podcasts, we’ll have a clear winner.

Bryan Wright:
And we’re talking about two great types of entrepreneurs.

Clara Matonhodze:
Right?

Bryan Wright:
It’s just a matter of which one. Right?

Fatou Souare:
I love graders. Sorry.

Clara Matonhodze:
Prius. Get out too. I need to take your tuck on this.

Fatou Souare:
Yes.

Bryan Wright:
So if someone is coming here for the first time, to visit, not to stay, but to visit, what are some must see things in Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati that you’re taking them to?

Fatou Souare:
So, I am not an outsider a lot, but I will . I will go to at least a game, a bingo game, or I will go at least like I said earlier, we will go to Freedom Center Yeah. For them to learn some of the history. And, the zoo is a good part. I enjoy that a lot, especially in the December part where they have the light show.

Clara Matonhodze:
Oh, we love that. Festival of light right now. We love that too. Uh-huh.

Fatou Souare:
We go there all the time, every summer. Like, I feel like it’s the same light, but you’re like, look like it’s different all the time. That’s okay. Yeah. So those are my best ways to go. Like, every time I go out, it is usually community related. Yeah. So we are, like, we’re having something for the community to get together.

Fatou Souare:
That’s how I take my stress out. Yeah. People are like, you always are going. I say, I need something to, you know, that I enjoy doing to be able to help others.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. Something that’s inspiring. Mhmm. Anything we haven’t talked about that you would like to express?

Fatou Souare:
I think we have touched everything. I think we didn’t talk a lot about my family. I’m a mom of five. Mhmm. I have three girls, two boys, and two grandchildren. Oh, wow. So right now, we are Children. Yes.

Clara Matonhodze:
Do not look like you are a grandmother. Aw.

Fatou Souare:
So I love when I’m coming to The United States. It was just me and my husband. And then now I can say, oh, I have my keys. You know? When is going to NKU? When is it going to Gateway? When is just accepted to UC? Oh, that’s right.

Fatou Souare:
So I feel like I am part of America now. I cannot even say when I go to synagogue, they say, oh, you came in for vacation? I’m like, do I live here?

Clara Matonhodze:
But that is actually a strong point because we have explored at what point, you know, after we have lived so many years in America, at what point do you feel American? Yes. So I think yeah. And this is interesting too because my mom just went to Zimbabwe, and she was telling me yesterday that she needed to re-they gave her sixty days in Zimbabwe to be there because, you know, she’s traveling on an American passport. And so she’s like, I have to go and renew because it’s going to be there all the time. So I’m like, I guess this is the point where you’re like, you know, I feel integrated.

Fatou Souare:
Yeah. So you think like, oh my god. Now they’re gonna limit me how many days I can have in Zimbabwe. Well, Senegal doesn’t have that problem. We don’t need a visa to go there, thank God, for now anyway. So you can go and come back whenever you want. It’s a welcoming country. Amazing. But, yeah, you feel lost.

Fatou Souare:
Like, every time you go there, you have to go with someone to show you, you know, what is new there, where this goes. And you’re like, man, I just realized I’m not Senegalese anymore. But the culture, you know, and the thing is always with you. It does n’t go. Even my kids that spent five years there, still have some of the culture. I can see it on them. Mhmm. You know? Because my kids, when they were little, I took them back to synagogue for five years so they can learn the culture and stuff, but you can see it.

Fatou Souare:
I remember my daughter when she came back from synagogue and went to school, and one of her classmates was talking back to the teacher. She was shaking. She’s the one who was shaking. I’m like, why are you shaking? She said, and the teacher didn’t even beat her up. I said, you’re not in Senegal anymore. Welcome to New Zealand.

Clara Matonhodze:
Yeah. You can talk back now and nothing happens.

Fatou Souare:
Yes. He said, you cannot do that in Senegal. I said, no.

Bryan Wright:
Yeah. Well, what an exploration. What especially you have mentioned three of the children in at university. What what are they studying?

Fatou Souare:
So my son is studying mechanical engineering. My daughter is doing law, but right now she’s doing her psychology, and then she’s going to law school. And then my daughter, who just accepted to use it, is doing aerospace.

Bryan Wright:
That’s great.

Clara Matonhodze:
That is wonderful. Mhmm. Now if that is not a successful trait of an immigrant family, I don’t know what is. Right. So on that note, thank you so much, Fatu, for being with us today. Thank you so much, Bryan, for joining me.

Bryan Wright:
Always, Claire. Always. And, Fatu, thank you so much for being here. It’s great

Fatou Souare:
Thank you.

Bryan Wright:
Have this conversation, and thanks for joining us.

Fatou Souare:
Thank you for inviting me.

Clara Matonhodze:
Thank you, everyone, for listening.

Bryan Wright:
To everyone at home, we appreciate you for joining us today. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to Roots, Routes, and Voices That Shape America wherever you stream your podcast. Visit www.CincinnatiCompass.org to sign up for our newsletter and stay connected about upcoming community events.

Clara Matonhodze:
Our producers are Asim Mishu and Jane Muindi, Sound Engineering and Mixing provided by Hardcast Media, On-site Engineers, Peter and Audrey, and eleven twenty seven Media. A very special thank you to the Forest Park branch of Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library for hosting, and to the Carol Anne and Ralph V. Hale Junior Foundation for sponsoring our podcast. I’m your host, Clara Matonozze. Thanks for listening.