In August 2022, a friend and I completed a Scottish coast-to-coast cycle tour. It ended in Dunbar, the birthplace of John Muir, pioneer of the nature conservation movement and creator of National Parks in the USA. We rode through quaint villages and along historic canals, saw impressive architecture, sculptures, coastlines and admired feats of engineering.
The time in the saddle was a wonderful opportunity to take stock and reflect on [email protected], my podcast, which was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the expulsion of Asians from Uganda. Podcasting was suggested by a friend, and it sounded like a good idea at the time. And so, in March 2020, my journey began without a plan. Covid had entered our lives and we were locked up at home with time on our hands.
For months, I listened to podcasts of different topics by people from around the world. It soon became clear what I didn’t want, namely, long-winded introductions, endless hogging of the airwaves by the interviewer, adverts and repetitions. The latter were particularly irritating, assuming listeners had short attention spans and were forgetful.
On a technical note, I signed up for Udemy courses and watched many YouTube videos. I reached out to friends with experience in media and communications. I invested in some new equipment and was ready to conduct my first podcast conversation in May 2020.
I learnt how to use GarageBand for editing, doing narrations and inserting music. Each guest was sent a set of questions to guide the conversation and they were asked to choose their own music. A logo was designed and various social media accounts created to spread the word.
I reached out to family members and friends for contacts – people who had been expelled and were willing to share their stories with me. Whenever I had a free moment, I trawled the internet and sent out endless emails around the world.
[email protected] was formally launched on my 61st birthday in January 2021 as a gift to myself. Prior to the start of Season 2 in July 2021, through Facebook, I connected with different women in the UK who were keen to organise various events for the 50th anniversary in 2022. This was a meeting of like minds and lost souls. We had many common experiences and a desire to tell our stories in our own words about our own lives. Meeting these “sisters” was the spark that created the fire.
Suddenly, new doors opened around the world, and the stories of women and men, old and young, started pouring out. It was no longer a singular story of those who had been expelled. It included people who had never left Uganda, those who left and returned, academics and writers, the second generation, and the listeners.
As with all journeys, there are ups and downs to navigate. The diversity of histories and stories has been a highlight. People have been incredibly generous and have shared very personal experiences, in English and in Gujarati.
Some stories have been gut-wrenching, especially when families were separated across different continents because of the different passports they held. Tears were shed as people recollected some of the horrors of leaving a country they loved and called home. With passing years, wherever they landed in the world, Ugandan Asians have demonstrated resilience, tenacity and grit.
In January 2021, prior to Season 3, it was wonderful to get my first opinion piece published. This was another validation of the importance of oral history, told in the first person.
In May 2022, after endless months of using Zoom, I travelled to Uganda to meet people who had never left. Uganda has changed after 50 years, and it was important for young people and the veterans to share their viewpoints.
Then, in July 2022, I hosted a garden party in London, where I finally met my “sisters” and my other podcasters. We were finally able to share our stories and experiences in person.
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Forty-four episodes later, with more than 20,000 hits through the Anchor and YouTube platforms, [email protected] is an established podcast and is making a positive contribution to the discourse.
Sadly, investing time and energy promoting the podcast through social media hasn’t happened. I have to accept my limitations. In the past months, I’ve had more articles published and the network of connections across the globe continues to grow. Some listeners take the time to share their feedback, which is always lovely.
Our connectivity is timeless.
I feel proud of completing the 225km of the John Muir Way. The cycle trip and the commemorative podcasts have shown me the importance of making the time to consciously conserve our histories, our environment and our planet. DM/MC
Read previous articles by Dolar Vasani on her podcast series [email protected] here and here.
Dolar Vasani is an International Development Consultant based in Johannesburg. Her family was expelled from Uganda in 1972 and went to the UK as refugees. She is the creator of [email protected] and can be contacted at [email protected]
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