Your Neighbourhood Show By Ubuntu Foundation
Theme:
Your Neighborhood Show is a podcast by the Ubuntu Foundation about building and celebrating community. Hosted by Carolyn, the series delves into the universal human experience of connection and disconnection, highlighting personal stories of belonging, resilience, and community-building.
Purpose:
Through heartfelt conversations and inspiring stories, the podcast aims to normalize moments of disconnection in life, explore ways to overcome them, and celebrate the power of human connections in enriching lives. Carolyn’s own journey of rediscovering community after moving across countries serves as the foundation for the series.
Key Focus Areas:
- Stories of Connection and Disconnection:
Real-life stories from diverse guests about their struggles and triumphs in finding belonging. - Community-Building Strategies:
Insights and practical tips for fostering meaningful relationships and building supportive networks. - Highlighting Inclusive Initiatives:
Featuring organizations and initiatives that create spaces of belonging for marginalized groups, promote peace, or bring people together. - Personal Growth Through Community:
Exploring how connecting with others fosters personal transformation, resilience, and happiness.
Target Audience:
Anyone who has felt disconnected, seeks a sense of belonging, or is passionate about building stronger, more inclusive communities. Whether you’re a neighborhood advocate, a community leader, or just someone searching for ways to connect, this podcast provides stories and strategies that inspire and resonate.
Why It’s Unique:
Rooted in Carolyn’s own experiences of culture, migration, and resilience, Your Neighborhood Show brings warmth and authenticity to conversations about community. By sharing deeply personal and diverse stories, the series humanizes the universal need for connection and offers listeners actionable ways to build their own network of support and belonging.
Your Neighbourhood Show By Ubuntu Foundation
Your Neighborhood Show – Episode 5 - Finding Connection Through Music & Life’s Journey with Yani
In this heartfelt episode, host Carolyn welcomes the incredible Yani Mills—choir director, vocal coach, and passionate community builder. Yani shares her inspiring journey from childhood disconnection to fostering deep connections through music. She opens up about growing up feeling different, her transformative experience as a Sai Baba devotee, and how a shocking revelation led her to reevaluate her beliefs. Despite the challenges, Yani found solace and purpose in leading choirs, helping people connect through song and shared experiences. This episode is a moving exploration of belonging, resilience, and the healing power of music.
Episode Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction
Carolyn shares her personal journey of growing up in a connected neighborhood in Mumbai, then experiencing isolation in Australia.
The mission of the podcast: normalizing disconnection and finding ways to rebuild community.
[05:30] Meet Yani Mills
Yani’s passion for music and her work as a choir director.
How she connects people through her choir programs.
[10:45] Early Experiences of Connection & Disconnection
Feeling out of place as a child due to cultural differences and being outspoken.
Finding comfort in a childhood friend, Madeline.
The deep bond with her grandmother, Pearl Harrison, a feminist and advocate for women’s shelters.
[20:00] A Life-Changing Spiritual Journey
Diagnosed with aplastic anemia as a child.
Her grandmother’s work typing a manuscript about Indian guru Sai Baba.
Becoming a devoted follower and attributing her healing to faith.
[30:15] Losing Faith & Rebuilding Identity
Witnessing an unsettling moment that shattered her beliefs.
The emotional impact of leaving a spiritual movement after 42 years.
Struggling with belonging and finding new meaning.
[40:00] Music as Healing & Connection
How choir work became a true form of spirituality for Yani.
The magic of singing together: breaking barriers, creating belonging.
Her philosophy: “Sing, Learn, Laugh, Connect.”
[50:00] Final Reflections & Advice
How to find belonging: pursue what you love and find people who share that passion.
The Ubuntu Wellness Choir and its mission.
Yani’s final words on connection and the power of music.
🎶 Ready to experience the joy of connection through song? Join Yani’s choir and be part of something truly special!
🔊 Listen now and be inspired by Yani’s journey of resilience, transformation, and community building.