Best Jaz OHara Podcasts (2024)

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52. REUNITED AFTER TEN YEARS: The story of Mez and his little brother Josi: Part Two 1:03:39

5M ago1:03:39

1:03:39

The final part of the story!!! Welcome back to the Asylum Speakers Podcast! I can’t believe it’s been so long since the last episode, and so much has happened since then… and that’s what this episode is here to fill you in on today!!! If you haven’t yet listened to the last episode that we put out, (about my foster brother Mez trying everything to …

1
51. REUNITED AFTER TEN YEARS: The story of Mez and his little brother Josi: Part One 44:00

1+ y ago44:00

44:00

This is an episode and a story that I’ve been wanting to share for nearly two years... and I am so happy to finally be able to do so! This episode is about my Eritrean foster brother Mez and his younger brother Josi. A few years after Mez left Eritrea to avoid compulsory military service, so too did his little brother Josi. Josi is two years younge…

1
50. Imad's Syrian Kitchen with Imad Al Arnab 51:33

1+ y ago51:33

51:33

In today’s episode I speak to the wonderful Imad Al Arnab of Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. Imad has such an amazing story. He was a successful restaurateur in his home city of Damascus, Syria where he owned multiple restaurants, several juice bars and coffee shops. After they were all bombed and it became apparent he had to leave, he made the dangerous jo…

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49. Being an LGBTQ+ Refugee: Everything you need to know with Hiba Noor 46:28

1+ y ago46:28

46:28

In today’s episode we’re exploring what it’s like to be displaced and part of the LGBTQ+ community. This episode is dedicated to everyone who sits at this intersection, and faces not only the challenges of being an asylum seeker or a refugee, but also the discrimination that comes with their sexuality or gender identity. We will hear from three peo…

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48. The true story behind recent short film MATAR, with co-writer, actor and cinematographer Ayman Alhussein 45:34

1+ y ago45:34

45:34

In this episode we hear the incredible story of Ayman Alhussein. Ayman is an actor, cinematographer and co-writer of amazing new short film, Matar, directed by Hassan Akkad, starring Ahmed Malek and available to watch online, for free on Waterbear. The film Matar tells the story of an undocumented delivery driver in London and highlights the challe…

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47. Food, heritage, identity, cultural mobility and going viral with Indonesian, Kenyan, Pakistani and Yemeni Filmmaker Nadir Nahdi 51:52

1+ y ago51:52

51:52

This week’s guest is one of my favourite storytellers ever. Filmmaker Nadir Nahdi speaks so beautifully about his upbringing spanning many cultures, the ways that food has woven those pieces together and why the stories he tells and the films he makes are so disruptively important in our society today. I was introduced to Nadir’s work through his m…

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46. THE JOURNEY Episode 6: Going Full Circle 49:40

2y ago49:40

49:40

Welcome to the FINAL episode of The Journey! Today’s episode is designed to speak to that rhetoric that refugees or asylum seekers might be a burden... that they take from us, economically, culturally, or whatever that fear might be. I’m honoured to be able to share multiple examples of how much we have to gain from welcoming refugees and asylum se…

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45. THE JOURNEY Episode 5: A New Home 57:38

2+ y ago57:38

57:38

Welcome back to Episode FIVE of The Journey - a 6-part podcast series following migration routes from Africa, The Middle East and Ukraine, to northern Europe. Today’s episode is about what life looks like for people once they make it to their final destination. What is life like in their host country? What’s new and difficult? What does integration…

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44. THE JOURNEY Episode 4: Pushbacks 41:24

2+ y ago41:24

41:24

In his memoir about leaving Syria to life in the UK, my friend Hassan (also a previous podcast guest), shared the terrifying experience he had when attempting to reach Greece by boat. His rubber dinghy was approached by three masked men on a bigger boat, who stole their petrol tank and violently pushed them away from the shore. What Hassan experien…

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43. THE JOURNEY Episode 3: The Journey 45:57

2+ y ago45:57

45:57

Welcome to Episode THREE of The Journey - a 6-part podcast series following migration routes from Africa, The Middle East and Ukraine, to northern Europe. So far this season we’ve explored the reasons why people are leaving their countries, and taken a look at what life looks like in the first countries they arrive to. As a result of how difficult …

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42. THE JOURNEY Episode 2: The First 'Safe' Country 1:04:21

2+ y ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Welcome back to Episode TWO of The Journey - a 6-part podcast series following migration routes from Africa, The Middle East and Ukraine, to northern Europe. People often ask me ‘Why don’t refugees stay in the first safe country they land in? It’s a comment I see a lot on social media and one I feel there is a lot of judgment and misinformation aro…

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41. THE JOURNEY Episode 1: Leaving Home 45:13

2+ y ago45:13

45:13

I’m so happy to be bringing you episode 1 of The Journey - a 6-part podcast series following migration routes from Africa, The Middle East and Ukraine, to northern Europe. In this episode we’re starting from the beginning and exploring why people first embark on their journey. Why do people leave their countries and everything they ever knew behind…

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40. Ukraine: Everything you need to know and what you can do to help 59:50

2+ y ago59:50

59:50

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24th February, I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been thinking about the Ukrainian people. This week I’ve been in neighboring Poland, (which, at the time of recording this is now estimated to be home to 4 million Ukrainian refugees). I’ve been honoured to speak to some incredible people both leaving Ukraine and …

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39. Period Poverty: Everything you need to know 52:07

2+ y ago52:07

52:07

Period Poverty. You might no know what this term means yet, but this episode will tell you everything you need to know. In it we hear from six incredible women from five organisations working to tackle period poverty from the ground up. If you would like to find out more about their wonderful work, check them out here: Ella Lambert - founder of The…

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38. From defending on the football pitch, to defending the rights of Afghanistan's women and girls, with Khalida Popal 54:58

2+ y ago54:58

54:58

This International Women's Day, It's only right that I bring you the story of one of the most incredible women that I know... Khalida Popal. Khalida grew up playing football with her brothers in Afghanistan, and even though she faced serious discrimination from her community as a result, she went on to form the Afghan women’s football league with h…

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37. What's happening in Sudan? Everything you need to know and what you can do about it, with Waging Peace 1:06:21

2+ y ago1:06:21

1:06:21

Today’s podcast episode is about a country very close to my heart - Sudan. Like most people in the UK, I grew up without any knowledge of what was happening in Sudan. In my history lessons at school I learnt about the Holocaust and the ethnic cleansing that happened during the second world war, but I learnt nothing about the current genocide in Sud…

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36. My journey from Syria to Filmmaker to NHS Hospital Cleaner and Activist, with Hassan Akkad 1:03:18

3y ago1:03:18

1:03:18

I’m so excited to introduce you to our guest for this episode... Syrian filmmaker, activist and most recently, author, Hassan Akkad! Hassan is the very first person I ever heard speak about their experience leaving Syria first hand, and it’s safe to say that it had a huge impact on me. Not only has Hassan shared his incredible story through talks a…

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35. SPECIAL EPISODE: The Freedom to Imagine, in collaboration with Amnesty International UK 14:52

3y ago14:52

14:52

This is an extra special bonus episode in which I ask some of my amazing previous podcast guests - 'What does Freedom mean to you?' As we come to the end of Season 5, it felt good to touch base with a few old friends of the show, as well as to explore a theme I have been discussing with the team at Amnesty UK - human rights. We all know we have rig…

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34. A Lebanese cookery class with Ahmad from Migrateful 38:24

3y ago38:24

38:24

I’ve got a bit of a different episode from normal in store for you today as I’m going to take you with me on a really fun experience I had recently.... a Lebanese cookery class. Let me explain... My guest this week is Ahmad Sinnu. We met through one of my all time favourite organisations Migrateful. Migrateful run cookery classes led by refugees, a…

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33. Facing life in prison for stopping a deportation flight, with Melanie Strickland from the Stansted 15 59:01

3y ago59:01

59:01

For anyone who doesn’t remember the incredible story of the Stansted 15 - they are a group of human rights activists who organised a non-violent action to stop a deportation flight leaving from Stansted on the night of the 28 March 2017. The plane they stopped from leaving the UK was chartered by the UK Home Office to deport 60 people to Ghana, Nig…

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32. What's happening in Afghanistan? Everything you need to know, and what you can do to help, with Rustam Wahab 55:54

3y ago55:54

55:54

This episode of The Worldwide Tribe podcast is dedicated to the people of Afghanistan. It was recorded in response to the devastating events we have seen unfold there over the last few weeks as the Taliban has taken over the country. My guest this week is Rustam Wahab - a 19 year old British Afghan who has single-handedly become the go to source on…

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31. Being a father to eight kids from five different countries: Becoming a foster parent, with my dad, Mike O'Hara 36:09

3y ago36:09

36:09

By Jaz O'Hara

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30. 'Leaving everything to volunteer in Greece changed my life forever,' with Holly Penalver, Founder of Indigo Volunteers 43:46

3+ y ago43:46

43:46

I LOVED recording this episode! My guest this week is the most requested guest on this podcast ever - Holly Penalvar, founder of Indigo Volunteers. Holly is an absolute ray of sunshine and known in this sector, not just for her amazing work coordinating thousands of volunteers, but for always doing so with a smile on her face so I think you guys pr…

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29. The Man who fell from the Sky with filmmaker Rich Bentley 55:18

3+ y ago55:18

55:18

In 2015, two young men called Carlito and Justin, hid inside the wheel well of a plane flying from Johannesburg in South Africa, to London. As the wheels of the plane were lowered for landing, Carlito fell from the sky, to his death on the roof of an office building in West London. Against all odds, his best friend Justin survived, and was found on…

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28. SPECIAL EPISODE: Israel and Palestine - Everything you need to know with Yara Eid - a 20-year-old Palestinian from Gaza 1:07:18

3+ y ago1:07:18

1:07:18

I’m bringing you this special episode of The Worldwide Tribe in response to what has been happening in recent weeks in Israel and Palestine. When I asked on social media what you wanted to hear about this topic , you said personal stories and also the history of the region so that’s what I’m bringing you. My guest today is the amazing Yara Eid… a 2…

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27. From Syria to Germany by Wheelchair, with Nujeen Mustafa and Marwa Mbayed 56:04

3+ y ago56:04

56:04

Today’s Episode of the podcast brings you the stories of two incredible young women, Nujeen Mustafa and Marwa Mbayed. I was introduced to Nujeen and Marwa by Humanity and Inclusion, a charity who support people with disabilities, who are also affected by poverty, conflict and disaster. Unfortunately, this is the reality for both my guests today. Nu…

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26. Living Stateless in the USA with Karina and Katie from United Stateless 53:36

3+ y ago53:36

53:36

This week I’m talking to Karina and Katie from an organisation called United Stateless - the only organisation in the United States of America to be advocating for stateless people. This is another topic that I had no idea about before Karina and Katie opened my eyes to what it means to be stateless. Turns out there are around 200,000 people in Ame…

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25. The Kafala System: Why two migrant domestic workers die in Lebanon every single week 46:28

3+ y ago46:28

46:28

This week’s episode of the Worldwide Tribe podcast is about something we all need to know about... The Kafala System. Kafala means sponsorship. It’s a system common across many Arab countries, where a citizen of that country can ‘sponsor’ someone from a poorer country to come and work for them. There are around 400,000 migrant domestic workers in L…

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24. The Story of Banksy’s Pink Search-and-Rescue Boat, with Crew Members Vanessa and Dickon 51:42

3+ y ago51:42

51:42

You might remember that at the end of last summer, UK artist Banksy hit the news when he funded a new search and rescue boat in the Mediterranean. He painted it bright pink, with a girl in a life vest holding a heart-shaped safety buoy painted on the side, and it was named the Louise Michel after a French feminist anarchist. The Louise Michel has s…

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23. Napier Barracks: Life inside Britain's first refugee camp 48:40

3+ y ago48:40

48:40

Do you think of refugee camps as only existing in countries far away? Today’s episode of The Worldwide Tribe podcast is about one right here in the UK: Napier Barracks. Up on a hill in the seaside town of Folkestone in Kent, lies a disused army barracks built in 1794. It’s red-brick buildings, surrounded by 10-ft fences topped with barbed wire, wer…

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22. A New Brother, a Catch Up and a Very Special, Surprise Guest 55:32

4y ago55:32

55:32

WELCOME BACK to Season 4 of the Worldwide Tribe Podcast! It's been a while, so this episode covers some of the big events of the last few months...from a trip to Beirut after the explosion, to a brand new brother! Spend some time with me, Jaz, sharing an update on lockdown, the recent Channel crossings, a new film, but most importantly...a new fami…

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21. From Radical Jihad to Radical Inclusion: The Story of former Extremist Manwar Ali 55:53

4y ago55:53

55:53

My guest this week is Manwar Ali - a former radical Jihadist who is now a leading campaigner in Britain against violence and extremism, and works with the UK police and Home Office to prevent radicalisation in young people. Whilst studying in London in the late 1970’s, Manwar gradually became radicalised and was involved in radical Jihad for 15 yea…

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20. Beirut: The explosion from the people’s perspective 44:13

4y ago44:13

44:13

The whole world was shocked by the footage of last week’s explosion in Beirut. It hardly looked real. But amongst the thousands of videos of the blast and the statistics being reported in the press internationally, are the hundreds of thousands of people who have been impacted by the tragedy. Today you will hear from two of these people, Lebanese r…

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19. Imprisoned, raped and sold in slave markets at the hands of ISIS: The Story of Yazidi Genocide Surviver Farida Khalaf 48:47

4y ago48:47

48:47

Today is the six year anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide. If you don't know about the Yazidi people or what happened to them...this is the episode for you. My guest this week is Farida Khalaf - a Yazidi girl from a village in Northern Iraq - 100km west of Mosul. The Yazidi religion is an ancient minority in predominantly muslim Iraq, and when ISIS …

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18. ’Losing three limbs in Afghanistan gave me the gift of connecting with suffering’: The Story of Anti-War Photographer Giles Duley 1:00:01

4+ y ago1:00:01

1:00:01

Prepare yourself for what is definitely one of the most amazing conversations that I’ve ever had. You might want to take notes during this episode, I felt like I did whilst Giles spoke these words to me. I wanted to remember every word that left his mouth... My guest this week is Giles Duley. Giles describes himself as an anti-war photographer, doc…

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17. Having a baby in a War Zone: The story of Syrian mother and filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab, director of Oscar-nominated film, For Sama 33:33

4+ y ago33:33

33:33

It’s an absolute honour to have been able to interview this week’s guest... Waad Al-Kateab is a Syrian filmmaker, journalist, mother and director of the film For Sama. For anyone who hasn’t heard of this film, go and watch it immediately (it’s available for free online)...but be prepared. It’s one of the most emotional and impactful films I’ve ever…

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16. Arrested for Smuggling a 4-year-old Afghan Girl into the UK: The Story of Ex-soldier Rob Lawrie 50:41

4+ y ago50:41

50:41

Kicking off the season today I’m joined by a guest who’s name might be familiar to you. Rob Lawrie is an ex-soldier turned volunteer from the north of England who made international headlines when he was caught smuggling a 4 year old girl from the Calais Jungle refugee camp in France, across the border and into the UK. Rob’s actions saw him facing …

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15. SPECIAL EPISODE: Homelessness, Connection and ‘People of the Pandemic’ with Joshua Coombes 53:51

4+ y ago53:51

53:51

This episode is another absolute treat. This week’s guest is ‘Hairdresser to the Homeless,’ Joshua Coombes. After years of living parallel lives working to destigmatize and unpick the stereotypes around some of the most marginalised of society, it’s been a long time coming that we record this episode together. Josh started a hashtag and global move…

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14. SPECIAL EPISODE: COVID-19 in the World's Biggest Refugee Camp 54:52

4+ y ago54:52

54:52

How do you self-isolate when you live in a refugee camp? How do you wash your hands with no running water? How do refugees even know about COVID-19 with no internet connection or phone signal? You lot told me what you wanted to hear next on the podcast, so here it is... COVID-19 in a refugee camp. And I thought we might as well start with the bigge…

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13. From Refugee to Rescuer to Prisoner: The Story of Sarah Mardini 39:47

4+ y ago39:47

39:47

Sarah Mardini has been on my radar for years. Her and her sister Yusra, who we heard from in the last episode, became known for swimming their boat to safety from Turkey to Greece after fleeing Syria. A year later, they were in Rio for the 2016 Olympics, where Yusra represented the refugee swimming team which was heavily documented by international…

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12. From swimming for my life, to swimming in the Rio Olympics: The Story of Syrian athlete and refugee, Yusra Mardini 48:51

4+ y ago48:51

48:51

In today’s episode I talk to Yusra Mardini. We recorded this conversation in her flat in Hamburg, just before the world went into lockdown due to the Covid_19 pandemic. During this time of self-isolation, it seems more important than ever to amplify voices like Yusra’s. As a Syrian refugee, Yusra knows what it feels like not to have borders open to…

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11. From fleeing the Nazis to becoming a Lord: The Story of Alf Dubs 36:39

4+ y ago36:39

36:39

In this episode I talk to Lord Alf Dubs. Alf is my hero. A child refugee himself, he fled the Nazi’s in Prague in 1939 when he was 6. Over 80 years later he’s still fighting for the rights of child refugees today. We recorded this interview at the Refugee Solidarity Summit in London, on stage in front of an audience for the first time. I was pretty…

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10. Sex talks and Mosques with my Somali Mother: The Story of Comedian and Child Refugee, Mo Omar 41:25

5y ago41:25

41:25

From pet goats to beans on toast, this week I chat to the amazing Mo Omar, a Somali-born comedian who grew up in Wales. Mo arrived to the England as a refugee aged seven with his mother and six siblings. Today we talk about his integration into the UK and how he draws on those experiences for his stand-up routine. Mo uses comedy to cover important …

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9. From life under the Taliban in Afghanistan to finding safety in the UK as a 12 year old child refugee - with Gulwali Passarlay, Author of The Lightless Sky 52:10

5y ago52:10

52:10

This week’s guest has been a long time coming for me and our conversation did not disappoint. Gulwali Passarlay, author of The Lightless Sky, shares his story of escape from the Taliban in Afghanistan, to finding safety in the UK as a twelve year old child refugee. He has some amazing tales to tell, from burning his face whilst hiding in the back o…

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8. Trafficked from Vietnam to work on a Cannabis Farm in the UK: The Story of 21-year-old Nhat-Anh 40:39

5y ago40:39

40:39

After 39 people were found dead inside a refrigerated lorry in Essex two weeks ago on the 23rd October, I was left with a lot of questions. Why are people leaving Vietnam? Why haven’t I met any Vietnamese people in refugee camps in Europe? The only Vietnamese people I see work in nail bars...is this forced labour? Today’s mind-blowing conversation …

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7. From London Life to working in a Refugee Camp: how we got involved in the Refugee Crisis, with my brother, Nils O’Hara 54:27

5y ago54:27

54:27

Today we share the story of how The Worldwide Tribe began. I’m joined by my brother Nils who has been there with me every step of the way. From that first life-changing trip to Calais, to speaking at the UN Headquarters in New York less than a year later. He coached me through my nerves, unpicked my imposter syndrome and laughed through the negativ…

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6. A New Life in England through the eyes of my Eritrean Foster Brother, Mez 43:44

5y ago43:44

43:44

This week marks four years since my foster brother Mez made it to the UK hiding underneath the Eurotunnel train. This episode we talk about his life in England, as although one journey might have ended the day he arrived, another one of integration and big learnings began. We cover everything from his first day of school, his first time on a plane …

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5. Crossing the Sahara, the Sea and the Calais Jungle at 13 years old: The Story of my Eritrean Foster Brother Mez 46:28

5y ago46:28

46:28

This week we hear from my foster brother Mez. This is an important episode for me because it was Mez becoming my brother that was the catalyst to me quitting my job in fashion and focusing all my energy into the refugee crisis and The Worldwide Tribe...but that’s a story for another episode. Today Mez shares his story of resilience and survival. Fr…

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4. Being a mum of seven kids from four different countries. My Global Family, with Oeda O’Hara 47:04

5+ y ago47:04

47:04

This week’s very special guest is my mum, Oeda O’Hara. Together we talk about her experience of fostering three teenage boys from Eritrea, Afghanistan and Sudan and explore what it means to be part of a real life global family. This journey began for us four years ago, almost to the day, when my parents had just been accepted to foster. When a youn…

1
3. The Story of Search and Rescue worker Brendan Woodhouse 43:44

5+ y ago43:44

43:44

This week my guest is real-life-superhero Brendan Woodhouse, a firefighter and father of two from Nottingham. We talk about his journey from normal life in the UK, to saving lives in the Mediterranean Sea. It all started when he saw a Facebook post I wrote about the Calais Jungle Refugee Camp back in 2015, which prompted him to start collecting don…

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Jaz OHara Podcasts

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