Janet Karanja left Kenya as a young woman, excited by the promise of building a future in the United States.
Today, she is a mother, business owner, realtor, and autism advocate living in Orlando, Florida. In this conversation, Janet reflects on what life abroad actually demands: building a business, raising Black boys, navigating autism and education systems, confronting racism, and preserving African identity while adapting to a new home.
We discuss the realities often missing from diaspora success stories, including the absence of extended-family support, the pressure placed on parents, and the difficult balance between protecting children and preparing them for the world.
Janet also speaks candidly about her husband’s role as a father, what both of them have learned while raising their sons, and the importance of responsibility, discipline, culture, and self-advocacy.
This is a conversation about migration, but more fundamentally, it is about adaptation, family, identity, and what it takes to build a life far from home.
Books mentioned:
The Out-of-Sync Child — Carol Stock Kranowitz
Discipline Is Destiny — Ryan Holiday
What is African Men Speak?
A journey exploring African masculinity through research, conversations, and personal reflection. The show examines what it means to be an African man today, drawing on academic studies and diverse perspectives from across the continent's rich cultures. Covering topics from personal growth and fatherhood to identity, vulnerability, and accountability. Hosted by a former humanitarian worker turned stay-at-home dad, this programme explores what it means to be a man today, engaging with nuance and difficult truths.