In Sync

Sometimes the everyday can feel like a chore, and other times it can feel like an endless loop going by again and again? We keep wondering how to make the most of it, but can never find the right answers In today's episode, host Anmol Irfan is joined by Purnia Hasan, a mother of two, teacher and UX designer, to explore whether balance is even possible amidst all these roles and what it takes to get the day going. Purnia talks about juggling all those roles, which balls get dropped and what a realistically imbalanced life looks like in this day and age. Follow Echoes Media for more slow news and stories from the Global South

You've probably heard the word "authentic" when it comes to food a lot. How certain dishes are more "authentic" than others. But what if that word actually meant to exclude instead of include. In today's episode host Anmol Irfan is joined once again by Mursal Saiq, global f&b consultant and founder of Cue Point BBQ, an Afghan Texan smokehouse and inclusive catering company in London to talk about how labels like authentic can limit minority experiences. Saiq focuses on how her work is more than just food, its political and social as well, and feeds (pun intended) into our understanding of communities and cultures Follow Echoes Media for more slow news and stories on the Global South

Have you ever thought twice about how you'd get around the city? For many Pakistanis, everyday mobility becomes a challenge due to increasing fuel prices and unreliable public transport
 
In today's episode, host Anmol Irfan is joined by Muzaffar Narejo, the cofounder of BusCaro, a mass transit tech startup aiming to change how mobility looks for the masses in Pakistan. For Narejo, building a solution at BusCaro means catering to people from all backgrounds, keeping prices accessible and ensuring safety is a top priority Follow Echoes Media for more stories and news from the Global South.

Are you a mother concerned your child is losing touch with the Urdu language? Or simply frustrated with the lack of quality toys children can learn from around you? Maria Adil faced the same issue, and now she's creating a solution In today's episode host Anmol Irfan is joined by Maria Adil, a designer, mother of two and founder of children's toy brand The Painted Jackal to talk about intentional design, and building a business in Pakistan's practically non existent toymaking industry. Maria dives into the inspiration behind the brand name, her own journey as a designer and the challenges that come with balancing creativity and entreprenuershipFollow Echoes Media for more slow news and stories on the Global South

How many of us know of cases of abuse around us that are silenced? How many times are we told "yeh ghar ki baat hai" ? In today's episode, host Anmol Irfan is joined by Advocate Zohra Ahmed , founder of The Jugnu Project, Pakistan's first online domestic violence resource to talk about her work in fighting abuse and her latest collaboration with Chayn for their report on image based abuse. Zohra has spent much of her life challenging stigmas around abuse and violence and ensuring that survivors have a chance at a better life. If you or someone you know is in danger, and needs help, Zohra can be contacted at zohraahmedlaw@gmail.com

Has the constant grind of the school-work-life routine ever seemed too much? So many of us function as per routine on a daily basis without wondering too much about the greater picture or what it would mean to not be a cog in the machine. In today's episode host Anmol Irfan is joined by Mehak Irshad Razaque, an early childhood educator and host of Ta'luq, an education services platform providing holistic educational workshops for children and adults. For Mehak, Ta'luq fills a gap in society that allows us to move more towards working on our Tarbiyah as a whole rather than just learning what makes the system work. Follow Echoes Media for more stories and slow news in the Global South

With conversations around menstruation still being so taboo, we often forget those that are even more vulnerable within these situations. Women with disabilities often face a much higher amount of shame and lack of access when it comes to menstrual hygiene management. In today's episode, host Anmol Irfan is joined by Hourab Din, Pakistani gender and social development professional, feminist, and digital journalist focusing on the rights of women and children. Hourab has specifically been working on empowering women with disabilities to gain greater access to menstrual hygiene products and challenge shame and stigmas around them particularly in vulnerable communities. She dives into how these communities and their needs are often ignored, and the work that still needs to be done to create a more equal footing.Follow Echoes Media for more stories and slow news in the Global South

Who gets to tell our stories? Who wants to listen to our stories? And where do we as Pakistanis draw the line between staying true to ourselves while also staying relatable to all the diverse experiences our community faces, at home and abroad In our latest episode host Anmol Irfan is joined author Safinah Danish Elahi to celebrate the launch of her third novel Chasing Shadows in Borrowed Light, which follows 4 friends across the world, bound by a secret they'd rather forget. As the founder of Reverie Publishers, Safinah delves into what it's like to be on both sides of the publishing industry and how her own stories and voice have evolved through her work. Follow Echoes Media for more stories and news on the Global South

Pakistan may be making progress in its legislation around sexual violence, but what's more important is how that change impacts survivors. In our latest episode, host Anmol Irfan is joined by advocate Sahar Bandial, who authored Equality Now's recent report on the implementation of this legal response to sexual violence in Pakistan. Sahar, whose legal work has long revolved around access to justice for women alongside a broad range of other areas, breaks down the findings of the report, and how survivors in Pakistan can use such work to better empower themselves in their own journey for justiceYou can access a range of helplines here.  Follow Echoes Media for more news on the Global South

It feels weird when we say we can buy babies. But in many parts of the world, surrogacy - which allows prospective parents to pay a woman to have a baby for them is still allowed. Of course it's not as simple as that, so we dove into the complex world of surrogacy in our latest episode In today's episode, host Anmol Irfan is joined by Lexi Ellingsworth of Stop Surrogacy Now UK, an advocate campaigning against the legalisation of surrogacy and calling for protections for both mothers and babies. We dive deeper into what people still misunderstand about surrogacy, the story the media puts out and why it matters so much to prioritise the right voices Follow Echoes Media for more slow news on the Global South