32. Mariama Bah - Nation of Diversity

On today’s show, I talk to the extraordinary Mariama Bah of Nation of Diversity in Raleigh, North Carolina.At an extremely young age, Mariama started her own non-profit which helps people with homelessness and mental illness. Mariama is also raising money to build a school in Africa Guinea, which is where she moved to the United States from at the tender age of 11.You do not want to miss this episode! Mariama is an incredible woman, and a true inspiration for all human beings! Stay tuned to the end so that you can hear about volunteering opportunities at Nation of Diversity, and listen out for Mariama's contact details to make any donations that you may wish to make. Topics:<br />00:00:00 Intro<br />00:01:11 Introduction to Mariama Bah<br />00:02:30 Starting her non-profit called Nation of Diversity by reducing homelessness and maintaining mental health through creative arts <br />00:03:13 Experiences of moving from Africa Guinea to New York City <br />00:04:58 Moving to North Carolina and finding other international students <br />00:05:38 Differences and clashes in cultures<br />00:06:50 Discussions of mental health in different cultures and collision <br />00:07:36 Ways of bringing the African and American cultures together <br />00:09:10 The need to manage mental health in the homeless community <br />00:10:23 Mental health and homelessness and how they relate<br />00:12:12 Nation of Diversity Outreach Program on the 14th of every month <br />00:13:00 Too many steps required to get out of homelessness<br />00:13:41 The disempowering nature of having to jump through <br />00:14:00 Programs run by Nation of Diversity – Circle Speaks – different forms of art each month – painting, craft, meditation<br />00:15:04 Wide age of receiving benefit<br />00:15:50 Therapists available<br />00:16:00 The benefits of Circle Speaks and sharing within community <br />00:16:44 Act of creativity and flow enabling sharing <br />00:18:43 Creativity and being in the present moment<br />00:20:11 Circle Speaks opening up the way for people to speak about serious life events, including sexual assault – being able to connect with others with similar experiences <br />00:22:55 Benefits of sharing lived experience <br />00:24:20 Importance of adults and young people to come together and speak up about mental health challenges <br />00:26:13 Stigma and homelessness and holding the space to help people in community <br />00:28:03 Current project – to remove five women out of homelessness <br />00:28:39 Nation of Diversity doing all the ground work to help place people in jobs and homes<br />00:28:50 Future plans – to have education and other resources to get people back on their feet<br />00:29:15 Providing the space for people brings people to the resource <br />00:30:35 Education system in Africa Guinea and schooling and the need for funds to get schooling, especially for girls – only 28% of females currently going to school <br />00:32:52 Mariama’s Dad’s coffee business in Guinea partnering with Nation of Diversity to raise USD50,000 to build the school in Guinea<br />00:35:33 Advice for people emigrating from different countries <br />00:41:45 Contact details and opportunities to volunteer at Nation of Diversity<br />00:43:17 Conclusions Online resources:<br />Nation of Diversity: www.nodnow.orgIG: @nationofdiversityNote:<br />Whilst this show is about raising mental health awareness, I am not a medical doctor and am not qualified to give mental health advice. If you are experiencing any mental health issues, please consult a qualified professional. The “Shuvra Deb: With You” Podcast is inspired and brought to you by Shuvra Deb. Copyright Shuvra Deb © Contact: <br />Mariama Bah, Nation of Diversity: +1-919-2491-1312Reach out to me with your comments on my show here: