Welcome to another episode of GENUINE, the podcast. Today, we are going on a journey to Bamako in Mali, West Africa, to visit my good friend, Tejumo Ogouma.

Although the conversation with Tejumo got recorded four years ago, the potency of the power of listening remains true. That’s why I wanted to share this episode with you right now. So, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, take some time to slow down and listen.

Tejumo lived in Mali and worked for the Canadian government. He was in charge of a food security program in Mali that focused on rural development, irrigation, and farmer training. Most of the farmers in the program were women in cooperatives. Tejumo helped them to move the value chain from production and storage to exporting the goods they produced.

It seems that the way Tejumo did his work was through listening. In our conversation, he shared the moments when he truly listened and spoke about the times when he demonstrated that he could listen and make space for the people with whom he was working. Be sure to stay tuned today to hear how Tejumo could show up and be present for others.

Show highlights:

• Tejumo talks about where he grew up.
• The journey that brought him to where he is now.
• He shares the things that opened his eyes to a different dimension of life.
• Tejumo talks about the promise he made to himself.
• He shares how he learned to remain present without judging, to listen carefully, and to respect the differences brought to the table.
• His life has been about living from one culture to another and adapting.
• Tejumo describes what it feels like for him in a moment where he meets someone with whom he has no idea how to connect.
• We cannot fix the suffering of others. Tejumo talks about what we can do instead, to help suffering people.
• Tejumo talks about his daily life in Afghanistan.
• Tejumo discusses what he hopes to achieve during his time in Mali.

Links and resources:

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