Episode #285: Traveling the World for Soccer and Listening to Marginalized Groups Abroad with Akua Sencherey

Episode Summary

Learn the impact of cultural and language immersion while living abroad, and how soccer can open doors while traveling. Akua Sencherey starts off by talking about her parents’ background growing up in Ghana and immigrating to the U.S..  She then talks about her experience growing up in Houston and navigating her Ghanaian-American identity and the milieu of Blackness in the U.S. as a first-generation African immigrant.  Akua reflects on her first trip back to Ghana as a kid, the role of sports in her life, and how her interest in travel developed.  She then opens up about the transitionary moment in her life when she quit her job to travel the world.  Akua talks about her experience living in Cusco, Peru and eventually getting a job with Remote Year.  She also reflects on the impact of cultural and language immersion while living abroad.  Akua then talks about some of her travel experiences, from Morocco to South Africa, and how she loves to travel the world for women’s soccer.  Matt and Akua reflect on the importance of paying attention to the narratives of marginalized groups, being aware of our own government’s foreign policy, and always separating people from their governments.

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Akua Sencherey

Akua Sencherey is a Ghanaian-American digital nomad, working as a Product Marketer at Andela.  She has traveled to over 60 countries on 6 continents to explore culture, history, and technology. The stories she tell are in the realm of remote work, tech, solo-traveling the world as a Black woman, and bringing the culture and heritage of Ghana to the forefront.  Her current focus is understanding the context of tech in Africa and how that ecosystem is evolving.

What You'll Learn
  • The experience of growing up in a Ghanaian immigrant home in the U.S.
  • The power of soccer (football) for connecting with local communities while traveling
  • The importance of listening to the narratives of marginalized groups abroad
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PARTY LOCATION IN CAPETOWN

SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL PROGRAM MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

REGIONS IN FRANCE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

REGIONS IN GHANA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

REGIONS IN MEXICO MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

PLACES IN PERU MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

AKUA’S UNIVERSITY

LOCATIONS WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE

OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CONTACT AKUA

Time Stamped Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[2:48] Introducing Akua Sencherey

[3:51] What Akua loves about Mexico

[5:18] Akua’s Parents’ Background Growing up in Ghana and Moving to the U.S.

[4:40] Growing up in Houston and Navigating her Ghanaian-American Identity

[10:36] Navigating Blackness in the U.S. as a First Generation African Immigrant

[12:13] Akua’s First Trip Back to Ghana as Kid with her Family

[13:31] The Role of Sports in Akua’s life Growing Up

[15:41] Developing Her Interest in World Travel

[17:09] The Transitionary Moment When She Quit Her Job to Travel the World

[19:56] Living in Cusco, Peru

[23:10] The Impact of Living Abroad and Cultural/Language Immersion

[24:54] Working for Remote Year

[29:11] Traveling the World for Football (Soccer)

[39:01] Akua’s Experience in Morocco

[42:36] Akua’s Experience in South Africa

[46:02] Paying attention to the narratives of marginalized groups while traveling

[50:26] Being aware of U.S. foreign policy history when traveling as an American

[52:57] Separating people from their government