DISPATCHES with Hollie McKay
Dispatches with Hollie McKay is where on-the-ground reporting meets real talk, no fluff, no agenda—just raw, unfiltered stories from the far corners of the world. Every week, I dive into the headlines that should be making news, the hidden humanitarian crises, and the extraordinary resilience of people too often forgotten. Alongside risk analyst Dennis Santiago, we’ll unpack global events, challenge narratives, and throw in a few personal picks—because sometimes, after covering war zones, you just need a good book, a great song, or a killer recipe. Welcome to Dispatches—where empathy leads the conversation.
Follow Hollie on Instagram and X @holliesmckay
*This podcast is proudly brought to you by HumanizingGlobalPolicy.org
Episodes
19 episodes
Dispatches: Motherhood in the Crossfire. Stories from El Salvador to Darfur
In this special Mother’s Day episode of Dispatches, Hollie shares powerful, unfiltered stories of motherhood in conflict zones—from El Salvador’s post-civil war trauma to the ongoing horrors in Darfur. Through intimate accounts like th...
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35:15
Dispatches: Media Censorship and America’s Motherhood Crisis
Hollie and Dennis peel back the curtain on corporate media, exposing the tangled web of ego, pressure, and politics that shape the stories we see—and the ones that quietly disappear. From firsthand experiences of censorship while re...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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31:24
Dispatches: Mexico’s Disappeared and the Mothers Who Won’t Stop Searching
We journey to the heart of Mexico’s devastating crisis of the disappeared. With over 120,000 people officially missing — and experts estimating the number could be closer to 200,000 — the scale of human loss is staggering. Hollie recounts her r...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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22:50
Dispatches: The Stolen Children of Ukraine and Sacred Parenting Practices
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a horrifying campaign is unfolding—one that targets not soldiers, but children. In this episode, we delve into the heartbreaking reality of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported, indoctr...
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26:13
Dispatches: Unmasking the Uyghur Crisis & Global Apathy
This episode of "Dispatches with Hollie McKay" delves into the forgotten crisis of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China, detailing their mass disappearances into re-education and labor camps and the global silence, largely due to economic intere...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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24:26
Icelandic Roots: Single Motherhood and Family Life in the Land of Fire and Ice
Growing up in rural Iceland, raising a daughter as a young, single mom brings unique challenges and rewards. In this episode, I sit down with Asa Porsteinsdottir to explore the balance between isolation and community, the impact of Icelan...
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46:50
Motherhood, Cancer, and Career with German New Yorker Nadja Atwal
In this enlightening episode, we sit down with New York-based, German publicist Nadja Atwal to discuss the challenges and triumphs of juggling motherhood and a thriving career. Nadja shares her unique insights on integrating children into...
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1:06:38
Balancing Business and Babies: From Ireland to China to Sri Lanka to Vietnam
Join me in an illuminating conversation with Anna McMahon, an international educator, coaching psychologist, and founder of Enhanced Wellbeing. Anna shares her journey from growing up in Ireland to living in London, China, Sri Lanka, and now Vi...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:18:04
Fatherhood, Conflict, and Mental Health in Crisis inside Cameroon
In this eye-opening episode, I speak with Cameroonian father of four NCHE Sam Tako, a mental health advocate and founder of FOMCAM who sheds light on the harsh realities of raising a family in a country torn apart by violence over French and En...
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57:20
What I Saw in Africa: The Hell That is Darfur
Hollie McKay shares her firsthand experience from her recent trip to the Darfurian refugee camps on the Chad/Sudan border. She provides a heartbreaking and eye-opening account of the women enduring unimaginable hardship in the wake of wartime s...
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Season 1
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36:10
From U.S. Army Ranger to Emergency Room Doctor: All Things School Shootings to Maternal Mortality
In this compelling episode, I sit down with a U.S. Army Ranger veteran and ER doctor Matt Tipton who shares his extraordinary journey from rural East Tennessee to the U.S Army and emergency medicine. Matt opens up about raising three children p...
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46:27
Iraqi-Christian Father on Surviving a Deadly Terrorist Attack on his Honeymoon and Raising a Son with Assyrian and American Values
In this powerful and heart-wrenching episode, I sit down with my dear friend and war reporting buddy, Steven Nabil, an Iraqi Christian father who shares his harrowing journey of surviving war as a child and years later enduring a terrorist atta...
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Episode 7
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48:26
From the Battlefield to Fatherhood: A Conversation with Kris "Tanto" Paronto
In this powerful episode, Kris "Tanto" Paronto, former Army Ranger and Benghazi survivor, opens up about the challenges and triumphs of fatherhood. From juggling overseas deployments to learning how to be a present father later in life and ende...
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1:10:26
Rebecca Deng's Harrowing and Hope-Filled Journey from Sudan
Join me for a powerful conversation with Rebecca Deng, a remarkable woman and mother who has defied all odds. Growing up in the midst of war in Sudan, Rebecca lost her father in the war and her mother and baby sibling died during childbirth. Af...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:11:16
An Afghan Father Raising Two Young Girls Under Taliban Rule
In this powerful episode, I sit down with my dear friend Naweed, a father of two young girls in Afghanistan to hear his extraordinary story, from being born and raised in a refugee camp in Pakistan to becoming the provider for his family in Kab...
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Season 1
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51:45
From Rural Queensland to China, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia: Raising Daughters Across Cultures and Fostering Empathy
In this episode, I sit down with my god sister, Annalise Stephens, who was raised as an only child in rural Queensland, Australia, and developed a deep desire to explore the world. Now a mother of two, Annalise has lived in China, Cambodia, Ind...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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1:03:30
A Half-German, Half-Chinese Mom Raising Four Kids Across Europe, Almost Two Decades Apart
In this episode, I sit down with German-born actress Kami Manns, a remarkable mother of four, whose journey spans decades and countries. Born to a German mother and Haaka Chinese father, whom she met for the first time as an adult, Kami has rai...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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1:27:25
The Daughter of a Child Bride in India
Rubby Singh, the daughter of a child bride in India, shares her family's harrowing experiences and the broader impact of child marriage in the region. India has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with an estimated 27% of g...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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1:01:32
Post-War Philippines to American Dream: A Father's Journey
Join us as we delve into the extraordinary life of my good friend Dennis Santiago, a man whose journey from the post-war streets of Manila to the suburbs of Southern California is as inspiring as it is heartwarming.Growing up amid...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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1:00:32