The Weight of Leaving Home: A Zimbabwean-Canadian Story with Rohene Bouajram

In this episode of Stories Beyond Borders, we are joined by Rohene Bouajram, an award-winning educator, leadership coach, and internationally renowned speaker.Rohene is a Zimbabwean-Canadian whose work is deeply shaped by her bridged identity and lived experience of navigating systems not built for universal inclusion. She shares her journey of arriving in Canada in 2002 as what she describes as an “uninvited guest,” carrying with her the memories, ancestry, and collective history of Zimbabwe.In this powerful conversation, Rohene reflects on:The legacy of Zimbabwe’s colonial history and independence in 1980The layers of racism and systemic inequities experienced both in Zimbabwe and CanadaThe complexity of migration, privilege, and access to educationThe emotional experience of returning “home” and facing re-entry shockThe duality of belonging to neither place fully, and learning to exist in between identitiesThrough her lived experience and leadership work in equity, diversity, and inclusion, Rohene invites us to think more deeply about responsibility, history, and belonging — especially when building a life on land that is not originally our own.Her final message is a powerful reminder:“Don’t believe everything you are conditioned to believe. Seek answers and reconstruct your reality.”Connect with Rohene Bouajram:Website: https://www.rohenebouajram.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohenebouajram/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rohenebouajram/Email: [email protected]: Unspeakable LeadershipListen here: https://unspeakable-leadership.captivate.fm/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unspeakableleadership/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnspeakableLeadership