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ExtraOrdinary Women

ExtraOrdinary Women

By ExtraOrdinaryWomen

Extra-Ordinary Women is a podcast series presenting extraordinary stories by ordinary women living in Munich. For the first series, you will find women from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and paths of life, who, like all of us, had their lives touched by (other) women in their journeys, while themselves being change-makers in their daily lives. Extra-Ordinary Women is part of the #sieINSPIRIERTmich festival & supported by the Kulturreferat München. A project by Jessica Capra & Mariana Sesma. Production & sound design by Hammer &Amboss
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Currently playing episode

Agnes: "Don’t put a frame around yourself. Jump in it!"

ExtraOrdinary Women Mar 06, 2020

00:00
14:41
Trailer: Extra-Ordinary Women

Trailer: Extra-Ordinary Women

Get a taste of Extra-Ordinary women project, come with us behind the scenes of making the podcast, and enjoy listening to some extracts from all the different episodes.  Huge thanks to our fantastic production & sounds designers Helen Malich and Christoph Brandner who made this fantastic extract, which embeds and captures the beautiful atmosphere that surrounded us for the complete duration of the project. Enjoy!

Mar 07, 202006:13
Barbara: "Die Zeit der Selbstuntersuchung"
Mar 06, 202013:51
Barbara: “Have a conversation with a painting”
Mar 06, 202013:23
Rahmée: "Je suis a' la recherche de la lumière"
Mar 06, 202015:40
Rahmée: "Mama, bleib bei dir"
Mar 06, 202017:49
Preshika: "It takes courage to survive any type of abuse"

Preshika: "It takes courage to survive any type of abuse"

In this moving and eye-opening episode, the South African Preshika Wright tells us about the support group she created for survivors of abuse. She fondly remembers her grandparents and their work to the community as well as being a teenager during the ending of Apartheid. She opens up about surviving abuse, living with PTSD and having the drive to meet up with other women who had gone through similar circumstances, thus creating the “community she was looking for”. She educates us on victim blaming and its damaging impact for the women who went through abuse, as well as suggesting how to support a loved one who has been through this situation. She shares with us the shocking numbers of domestic violence in Germany and is determined to help reverse this scenario. She is deeply inspired by all the women that, out of extraordinary strength and courage, choose to speak their truth. Above all, she hopes that by sharing her own story, “the value that that brings far outweighs the pain” that she feels when she speaks about and we can only be thankful for having had the chance to listen to her.

------ ABOUT HER: ”Preshika Wright has enjoyed success in a wide ranging career - from an international corporate executive to restaurateur to an energy therapist- but the one where she strives to make the most impact, is with her work for abuse survivors.

An abuse survivor herself, Preshika battled PTSD and depression, coming out the other side with a fierce determination to work on healing an often overlooked and misunderstood fact of life for many people - trauma arising from abuse.

Her indomitable spirit fuelled her courage to create a community for abuse survivors. The community, which started off as a support group with 6 women in 2018 has now grown to over 50.

Preshika describes herself as a fierce force of love, working tirelessly to provide a safe haven to abuse survivors, who don’t know what to do or where to go or how to start their healing journey. Women receive pro bono support from Preshika, via support group meetings, one-on-one meetings and via phone.

Anyone seeking support from this invaluable community of trauma survivors can contact Preshika directly at preshikaw@gmail.com”

Mar 06, 202037:12
Agnes: "Don’t put a frame around yourself. Jump in it!"
Mar 06, 202014:41
Agnes: 自強不息,永不放棄。
Mar 06, 202012:52
Sneha: "I am a people person"

Sneha: "I am a people person"

Language enthusiast from India, Sneha Chattopadhyay, shares with us her love for letter writing, a passion she developed in her childhood. “Writing is like breathing”, a refreshing way that helps her think mindfully about making decisions. She also brings to the table how letters give you an insider view on what is really happening around the world. In particular, she talks about a letter sent to Crimea which couldn’t be delivered to her penpal. Sneha, also reminds us that “life starts when you step out of your comfort zone” and that it is important to always “be the best version of yourself”. Lastly, she treats us with a special song in Hindi. Enjoy!!

------ SNEHA IN HER OWN WORDS: I am an engineer by day and mail-artist by night. I have a Masters degree in Communications Engineering from TU Munich and ~5 years of professional experience in tech. I believe that in this age of technology, the lost art of snail-mail (handwritten letters) opens up a new world of building friendships and connecting languages, cultures and art across the world like no other. Apart from letter-writing, I also enjoy singing, playing the guitar and travelling.

Connect with me on Postcrossing: @snickas | Instagram: @snickas32

Mar 05, 202018:26
Noemi: "Il contatto con l'altro fa sempre esplorare maggiormente se stessi"
Mar 05, 202010:59
Noemi: “How are the rivers of your life flowing?”
Mar 05, 202008:25
Mathilda: "Les Femmes sont le pilier de l'humanité!"

Mathilda: "Les Femmes sont le pilier de l'humanité!"

In this episode in FRENCH, Mathilda Legitimus-Schleicher takes us on her journey to Munich. Coming from a family of show business, Mathilda arrived in Germany for one year, to improve her German and never left.

She highlights how solidarity, comprehension and empathy are pivotal values to survive in our current society. It’s important to put yourself in each other's shoes to understand others. She shares also her personal experience and view on discrimination & racism.

Empathy in particular, is what she calls the “fuel of our society” but also her superpower, talent that she uses to make others aware that they “do matter”

She ends by introducing the inspiring women in her life that shaped who she is today, highlighting also how her grandma, who she never met, still, had a huge impact on her, and she is always living, because she is in Mathilda’s heart.

------ ABOUT HER: Mathilda has lived abroad for 42 years - 40 of those in Germany. For the last 25 years she has specialized in "Migration & Integration" and the fight against racism and female genital mutilation (FGM). Born in Paris and having grown up with 6 siblings, she sees herself as pan-African & world citizen. She is an advocate for lifelong learning! She is a social worker and for over 12 years has worked as a pedagogical family coach. She has also been a community interpreter for around 20 years.

Mar 05, 202018:53
Mathilda: “Integration braucht Zeit”

Mathilda: “Integration braucht Zeit”

In dieser Folge erzählt uns die energiegeladene Mathilda Legitimus-Schleicher, eine Dolmetscherin und Sozialarbeiterin mit Wurzeln auf drei Kontinenten, die Geschichte ihrer Familie und fühlt sich Teil einer langen Reihe freiwilliger und unfreiwilliger Migrationen.

Sie blickt dankbar zurück auf ihre Erfahrungen an den United World Colleges, und wie das ihren Horizont extrem erweiterte.

Als Dolmetscherin interessiert sie sich für die Förderung des gegenseitigen Verständnisses und fordert uns auf, uns daran zu erinnern, dass Integration Zeit braucht. Sie warnt uns vor Rassismus und erinnert uns daran, dass Vorurteile zu Angst führen, was wiederum zu Gewalt führen kann.

Bei ihrer Arbeit Menschen zu empowern, möchte sie die Botschaft vermitteln, dass wir alle, unabhängig davon, was mit der einzelnen Person passiert, wichtig sind und es verdienen Erfolg zu haben.

Sie ist sich sicher, dass wir nicht auf dieser Welt leiden müssen, sondern unsere eigenen Wege gehen müssen. Sie ist zutiefst dankbar und mit ihren Vorfahren verbunden und fühlt, dass hier ihre Stärke herkommt.

------ ÜBER SIE: Mathilda lebt seit 42 Jahre im Ausland - davon 40 Jahre in Deutschland und hat sich in den letzten 25 Jahren auf das Thema „Migration & Integration“ und den Kampf gegen die Frauenbeschneidung FGM und Rassismus spezialisiert. In Paris geboren und mit 6 Geschwistern aufgewachsen sieht sie sich als Panafrikanistin & Weltbürgerin, Befürworterin für ein lebenslanges Lernen! Sie ist Sozialarbeiterin, arbeitet seit ca.12 Jahren als Pädagogischer Familiencoach und seit ca. 20 Jahren als Gemeindedolmetscherin.

Mar 05, 202020:46
Katharina: “Will you take the last piece of cake?”

Katharina: “Will you take the last piece of cake?”

In this episode relationship and sex coach Katharina Horvath talks about owning our desires and walks us through the path that led her to orgasmic meditation. She tells us about the importance of women saying what we want and acknowledging our hunger in all spheres of our lives.

She tells us about overcoming shame and finding the confidence to say uncomfortable things. She regards vulnerability to be a courageous act and the one that most connect us with each other, which is one of the reasons why she finds the #metoo movement to be so empowering.

She shares with us her sources of inspiration and wishes every woman on the planet had a place where they feel safe to talk about their sexuality. Her experience shows that if we do not stand up to what we want in our sex lives, we probably don’t do it in our careers either. Above all, Katharina sees sex as playground where we can learn a lot about ourselves and she hopes to create more places for people to have “honest and open conversations”.

------ ABOUT HER: Katharina Horvath is a passionate coach for women and men who want to find more freedom in their sexuality. She helps her clients to discover old beliefs around relationships and sexuality and supports them in letting go of what’s no longer serving them.

Mar 05, 202013:08
Katharina: "Wie geht es deine Pussy heute?"

Katharina: "Wie geht es deine Pussy heute?"

Katharina Horvath nimmt uns mit auf ihre Reise, ein Beziehungs- und Sexcoach zu werden, und sie betont wie wichtig es ist, dass wir mit unserer Sexualität verbunden sind. Sie teilt uns mit, wie bedeutend es ist, zu lernen auf seinen Körper zu hören und seinem Bauchgefühl zu folgen.

Wenn es um Sex geht, glaubt sie fest daran, zu sagen, was wir wollen, und die starke Ausrichtung auf Ziele beiseite zu legen, um den Moment miteinander zu genießen.

Sie erinnert uns daran, dass jede Frau einzigartig ist und wir besser als jeder andere wissen, wie sich unser Körper anfühlt. Sie sagt uns auch, dass die Meinung, dass Männer immer wissen, was sie tun, ein Missverständnis ist und fordert Frauen auf, sich mit ihren Pussies zu verbinden.

Vor allem hofft sie, dass sie durch ihre Arbeit mehr Kommunikation zwischen Männern und Frauen fördern kann, damit sie gemeinsam ein sinnvolles und erfülltes Sexualleben erleben können.

------- ÜBER SIE: Katharina Horvath ist ein leidenschaftlicher Coach für Frauen und Männer, die sich freier rund um das Thema Sexualität fühlen wollen. Sie hilft ihren Klienten alte Glaubenssätze über Beziehungen und Sexualität zu entdecken und unterstützt sie dabei die loszulassen, die ihnen nicht länger dienlich sind.

Mar 05, 202015:29
Nahia: "What would you do, if you were not afraid?"
Mar 03, 202016:56
Nahia: "Yo sigo pa'lante!"
Mar 03, 202013:10
Livia Maria: “Das Leben findet einen Weg zu wachsen”
Mar 03, 202015:38
Livia Maria: "Não dá para viver 50%. Eu tenho que viver isso 100%."

Livia Maria: "Não dá para viver 50%. Eu tenho que viver isso 100%."

In this episode in Portuguese, the urban gardener Livia Maria talks about adapting to a new life after having moved from Brazil to Europe, while enchanting us with beautiful metaphors about this process and its relationship to plants.

She emphasizes that, although her “structure” grew up in a different soil, it is essential to allow yourself to be open to capture the nutrients of the new soil you are in – “I have to live this 100%”.

Looking back at loving memories of her grandparents, she also recounts the strength of the women in her family, who she admires for their commitment to the community. Above all, by bringing us all closer to the green world, she hopes to help us better connect with each other and our surroundings. 

-------- In her own words: I was born in São Paulo (BR, 1980). I am curious and I like the adventure of learning something new; I like the diversity, the dynamics in the world. Everything that surrounds me, teaches me, expands me. I have lived in the European continent since January 2013. Today, I live in Munich. I’m an Urban Gardener (with edible plants); Inclusion assistant for children with intellectual disorders; life’s Apprentice.

www.begruen.com | IG - FB @begruen

Mar 03, 202016:51
Ursula: “Ich habe es nie bereut”

Ursula: “Ich habe es nie bereut”

Ursula Neubauer arbeitet seit 40 Jahren in der ersten Frauenbuchhandlung, die in Deutschland gegründet wurde. Hier nimmt sie uns mit auf die Reise eines kleinen Mädchens, das direkt nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg aufwuchs, sich als lesbische Frau entdeckt, und die Consciousness Raising groups in den 70er Jahren miterlebt. Wir lernen die wichtige soziale Bedeutung der Buchhandlung in den ersten Jahrzehnten, und wie sie beschloss ihr Leben zu ändern, so könnte es richtig sein.

Feb 26, 202018:03
Merle: "One doesn't feel powerful alone, one feels powerful because we feel connected to the world and the people around us".

Merle: "One doesn't feel powerful alone, one feels powerful because we feel connected to the world and the people around us".

In this episode cognitive neuroscientist and mother of four, Merle Fairhust, reminds us that we experience and make sense of the world through our bodies. She shares her passion for music and how blessed she feels for the people in her life.
Merle talks about coming from a long line of powerful women and having learnt from her grandmother to find a balance between strength & softness.
She is also very vocal on how important it is to create realistic roadmaps for oneself, as well as asking for help and “holding each others hands”.
Most of all, she highlights the pivotal role that new female generations have to "inspire action" and sets herself to help empowering others.

Feb 26, 202013:60
Merle: "Ich habe es geschafft"

Merle: "Ich habe es geschafft"

Die Kognitiv-neurowissenschaftliche Forscherin und Mutter von vier Kindern, Frau Prof. Dr. Merle Fairhurst, spricht vom Aufwachsen in Südafrika, ihrer Liebe zur Musik und von weiblichen Vorbildern, die sie inspiriert haben. Sie erinnert daran, wie wesentlich es ist, dankbar zu sein und  daran Erwartungen abzuwägen. Sie betont, dass jeder Mensch Unterstützung braucht - „allein macht man nichts“ - und wie wichtig es ist um Hilfe zu bitten. Vor alledem ist sie aber mit Begeisterung dabei die nächste Generation von Frauen zu „empowern“ und hat dabei eine äußerst optimistische Sicht auf das Leben.

Feb 23, 202018:03
Ursula: " I am lesbian feminist"
Feb 22, 202015:32