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Maria Kamau, also known as Mkay, is a Kenyan ICF-certified travel coach, travel writer and bodacious adventurer who has travelled to 100 countries and all 47 counties of Kenya. Sao Tome and Principe became her 100th country after a 37-year international travel journey that began with a school trip to Germany in 1989. Her achievement is not a story of diplomatic access or large sponsorships. Only about 15 of her country visits were connected to official work; most were self-funded through long-term saving, budgeting and deliberate financial choices. Travelling with an ordinary Kenyan passport has also meant navigating demanding visa applications, higher costs, extensive documentation and occasional immigration scrutiny. Maria now uses Travel with Mkay to help people, particularly women and African travellers, approach travel with courage and practical preparation.  LISTEN AND CONNECT  Website Instagram and Facebook Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Watch episodes on YouTube

Introducing COLLIN GOSSELIN: The Real Story Behind One of America’s Most-Watched Families from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Collin Gosselin opens up about what it was really like growing up in the spotlight of Jon & Kate Plus 8, sharing his personal account of life behind the camera. He recounts his experiences with family isolation, allegations of physical abuse, time spent in a basement room, and his twenty-month stay in an institution he says he never needed to be in. Collin also details how a smuggled note led to a reunion with his father, how he is working to rebuild his life today, and why he is finally choosing to speak publicly about his past. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Instagram Teen Accounts: Built-in protections for teens. Learn More. At https://chase.com/sapphirereserve JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What We Discuss: 00:00 Welcome To On Purpose And Disclaimer 01:43 Inside the Gosselin Household 03:50 Faking Reality On Camera 05:15 The Normalization Of Constant Filming 06:35 The Turning Point 09:06 Modern Child Exploitation 12:35 Pushing Back And Early On-Camera Resistance 17:02 Earliest Memories Of In-Home Abuse 20:37 Targeted Isolation And Homeschooling 25:21 Child Protective System Flaws 35:11 Advocacy In The Face Of Public Backlash 36:55 The Attempted Runaway 44:03 Institutionalization At Age 11 48:16 Twenty Months In Inpatient Confinement 53:53 The Official Admission Records 59:12 The Harsh Reality of Living in Isolation 01:04:45 The Smuggled Letter And Custody Battle 01:08:37 Reconnecting And Healing 01:11:26 Repairing The Father-Son Relationship 01:14:00 Turning Pain into Purpose 01:17:14 False Diagnoses & His Dream of Joining The Marines 01:24:41 Legal Defamation Threats 01:26:16 Where Does He Stand With His Siblings? 01:30:20 Who is Collin Today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Ozoz Sokoh is an award-winning food explorer, educator and budding curator who began journaling about food on her blog, Kitchen Butterfly, in 2009.  Her research and documentation explore the roots of Nigerian and West African cuisine, the impact of West African intellectual contributions to global development from the American South, through the Caribbean to Europe and Latin America, and the connection to the Afro diaspora. She released her first cookbook, "Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria," in 2025 which celebrates the vibrant, diverse world of Nigerian cuisine, featuring dishes like spiced beef suya, rich egusi soup, jollof rice, puff puff, and hibiscus drinks.  In this episode, the Nigerian native and Canadian resident shares how one recipe started her journey of food documention and the importance of ensuring Nigerian recipes and traditions always have a safe place to be passed down to future generations. Listen and Connect Website Instagram   Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Watch episodes on YouTube

We're heading back to the beautiful island of La Réunion for this conversation with food content creator Jennie Léonie. Located in the Indian Ocean, La Réunion is a small island known for its warmth and dedication to preserving Creole culture and history. Jennie grew up in a family that shaped her strong connection to the island's culinary culture. On her Instagram page and YouTube channel, she shares easy, accessible recipes designed for active women in La Réunion, helping them bring their cultural identity into everyday cooking through small, creative twists. Her approach highlights modern, practical cooking that stays rooted in Réunionese ingredients and heritage, while documenting food experiences across the island, the Indian Ocean, and beyond. If you are looking to learn more about what make this island so special and a must-visit, you'll want to listen to this episode. Listen and Connect YouTube Instagram Related Articles from Cuisine Noir Réunion Island Celebrates Creole Gastronomy With Its First Creole Food Festival Creole Chefs Gather in Reunion Island For First-Ever Food Festival Honoring Legacy and Traditions Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti

We're back for part 2 as we follow Chef Russell Jackson from California to New York and the opening of his first restaurant Reverence NYC, which he closed in February 2025. However, as a chef who knows how to innovate, he is on to his next projects, Unity Market and Reverence Phoenix, which are set to open in New York's iconic Central Park on June 20.  Check out the second part of our conversation and if you haven't listen to part 1, you'll want to do so because it is just as good. You can also follow his work on social media and support his projects with a donation. LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram

NYC-based chef Russell Jackson doesn't do things like others when it comes to his work and how he looks at food.  The industry veteran of 49 years has worked in some of the best restaurants from West to East and also developed his own concepts in between to present food the way he feels it should be; in its simplest form, yet delicious. We're talking with him in this 2-part series that starts in California and ends with the soon to be opening of Unity Market and Reverence Phoenix in New York's iconic Central Park on June 20. Along with sharing his story, he is sharing his vision for the next chapter of his impressive culinary career.  Enjoy part 1 and then come (June 10) as we release part 2.  You can also follow his work on social media and support his upcoming projects with a donation. LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram

(As part of our work to present food cultures of the African diaspora through language, this episode is available in French only. However, you can read about the upcoming The Sommet & Festival International des Chefs Créoles in Reunion on Cuisine Noir). Ceci est un épisode spécial du podcast de Diaspora Food Stories en Français avec l'animatrice invitée Madalena Pedro Miala en conversation avec Jean-Charles Bertrand, restaurateur et fondateur du Sommet & Festival International des Chefs Créoles, le premier festival culinaire créole de la Réunion qui aura lieu entre le 22 mai – 24 mai. La Réunion est peut-être une nouvelle destination pour beaucoup, mais elle a une histoire vaste et puissante qui prendra le devant de la scène grâce à la nourriture dans moins d'un mois.  Au cours de cet épisode, Jean-Charles partage ce qui fait de la Réunion une île à découvrir et explorer, ainsi que comment la diversité de ses habitants a non seulement façonné la culture, mais aussi la façon dont la nourriture porte l'histoire et les traditions, en particulier la cuisine créole. Avec des chefs venant d'Europe, des Caraïbes et d'autres régions intermédiaires, Jean-Charles nous présente les points forts de l'événement qui ajouteront et feront monter la Réunion sur votre liste de voyage. Écouter et se connecter Site web Instagram Article connexe de Cuisine Noir Reunion Island Creole Gastronomy With Its First Creole Food Festival

Zella Palmer, is an author, professor, filmmaker, curator, scholar and the Chair and Director of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program in African-American Material Culture in New Orleans, Louisiana. Palmer is committed to documenting and preserving the legacy African American, Creole, Indigenous and LatinX culinary history. As the Chair of the Dillard University Ray Charles Program, Palmer filmed and produced the Story of New Orleans Creole Cooking: The Black Hand in the Pot documentary.  In 2020, under Palmer's leadership, Dillard University launched a Food Studies Minor at Dillard University. Her latest publications, Recipes and Remembrances of Fair Dillard: 1869-2019 (University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press) and James Beard Foundation Semi-Finalist (U.S. Foodways) Ed Mitchell's Barbeque (Harper Collins, June 2023) shares some of her rich research and she released her latest documentary Grenada to the World in August 2025.  Zella is extending her legacy through her work advising higher education institutions, museums, and tourism ministries on integrating artificial intelligence while safeguarding culture, memory, and human meaning. In alignment with her professional work, she is also studying to become an herbal physician, answering a deeply ancestral calling. LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram (Zella) Instagram (Dillard)

Sheri Raleigh is a prominent chef Instructor and the owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC, based in Waco, Texas. She has made significant contributions to the culinary world as the founder of the Gifts From The Ancestors Foodways Project and the author of two notable works, "Okra & Tomatoes" and "Creole Celebrations." With a rich background in cross-cultural education, Sheri offers community cooking classes across various sectors, including education, hospitality, and healthcare. Her business, Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, is dedicated to delivering "culinary edutainment" and fostering team-building experiences, with a particular focus on Creole cuisine. She is also the founder of the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Hospitality Scholarship in honor of her parents at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, which is current accepting donations to ensure it is fully endowed by the end of this year.  LISTEN AND CONNECT Website Instagram and Facebook Learn more and donate to the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Hospitality Scholarship.

Zabriel Rivers is a Gullah Geechee singer, cultural artist, and educator celebrated for his "soaring voice and magnetic stage presence that brings both spiritual depth and storytelling brilliance." Hailing from St. Helena Island in South Carolina, Zabriel shares the language, stories, and songs of his heritage that inspire audiences while ensuring that the living legacy of Gullah Geechee music continues to thrive through his program, "A Gullah Evening with Zabriel." He stops by to raise awareness about the continued fight of Gullah Geechee communities to keep their land and the life they know from developers who aim to erase and benefit from generational land stewardship. Listen and Connect Website Instagram Related Article from Cuisine Noir Gullah Geechee Cooking: Savannah's Gina Capers-Willis Keeps Family Traditions Alive

Fabrice Armand is the founder of TRIB Marketing Agency and the co-founder of the Creole Food Festival, the only Creole cultural festival taking place in four cities while connecting the American South, the Caribbean, Latin America, South America and South America. Born and raised in Haiti, Fabrice came to the U.S. as a teenager and in college began connecting to the work of building community. Through the Creole Food Festival, he is not only lifting the richness of Haitian Creole food and culture, but other unifying Creole cultures one event at a time. Listen and Connect Website Instagram Related Article from Cuisine Noir The Creole Food Festival Unifies Through Culture and Taste

Hawa Hassan was born in Somalia and left before the age of six due to conflict in the country. As a refugee in Kenya with her mother and siblings, Hawa would later receive an opportunity to leave the country at the age of seven and relocate to Seatle, Washington where she would complete her schooling before moving to New York to pursue a career in modeling. After a years of modeling, successfully, she began to look at her life differently and time visiting her family in Norway where they now lived, set her on the course of using food as a way to connect with loved ones and create a space to bring people of diverse backgrounds together. As a James Beard Award-winning author for her cookbook, "In Bibi's Kitchen," she is set to release her sophmore book project "Setting a Place For Us, where she sheds light on the importance of preserving recipes and food traditions in places of conflict and migration.  Listen and Connect Website Instagram Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti

Doreen Irungu is the founder of Ustawi Afrika, an amazing organization that trains women farmers around food sovereignty and sustainability.  To date, her organization  has worked with thousands of women and continues to champion women's contributions to agriculture in Kenya. Her work has transformed the livelihoods of over 10,000 women farmers, significantly improving food security, economic independence, and resilience to climate change across Kenya's semi-arid regions. Born in rural Kenya to parents who are coffee farmers, Doreen saw first-hand the hard work and also the impact of farming and its ability to put food on the table and support additional needs of families such as education. These early experiences helped to shape how she wanted to build and help communities, especially women farmers. She is also a co-author of the book, "We Took a Risk," a book highlighting the bold steps women take to create transformative change in business and leadership. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti

Nigerian chef Gbolabo Gibbs Adebakin, known simply as Chef Gibbs, founded the Nigeria Food Summit to host the largest gathering of chefs, restauranteurs, farmers, producers and more for an amazing day of speakers, panel discussions, master classes and networking. Set to take place again on Friday, March 21 on Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria, Chef Gibbs joins us along with restauranteur and chef Nkesi Enyioha to discuss the conversations taking place as well as the work being done to amplify the rich traditions and heritage of Nigerian food culture as Nigerian cuisine continues to take its place on local and world stages. Listen and Connect Chef Gibbs and Nigeria Food Summit Website Instagram Instagram (Nigeria Food Summit) Connect Chef Nkesi Enyioha Instagram Related Article from Cuisine Noir Food Summit Celebrates Nigerian Food Culture on Local and World Stages Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories   Episode Sponsor Hayti

Zule Ankamah is the chef and owner of Zuleeats in Windsor, Ontario, known for her savory Ghanaian meat, veggie and vegan pies.  Once a hobby to take up time during the pandemic, the mother of 4 left her 26-year career at Caesars Windsor to start her entrepreneurial journey and hasn't looked back.  Passionate about connecting others to her culture through food, foodies can enjoy Zuleeats at its location on Howard Avenue, at local retailers and at events. Listen and Connect Website Instagram Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti