About this episode

This episode explores the journey of the host's ancestors from Indian indentured laborers to achieving academic success in Mauritius.

Generations before I earned my degrees at Oxford and Cambridge, my ancestors were brought to Mauritius as indentured labourers, men and women who arrived with nothing but resilience, faith, and the hope of a life with dignity.In this deeply personal episode, I sit with my father in our hometown in Mauritius to trace the journey of our family from Indian labourers on the plantations…to a new identity shaped on this island…to becoming the first Mauritian woman with both an Oxford degree and a Cambridge PhD.This isn’t just a story about education, it’s about sacrifice, history, migration, and the determination of a people who refused to be defined by their circumstances.If you’ve ever wondered how generational courage shapes who we become today, this conversation is for you. 

People in this episode

Host: Sheen Gurrib

Guest: my father

Topics covered

• family history
• migration
• education
• resilience
• identity
• sacrifice

Keywords

• Indian slaves
• indentured laborers
• Oxford degree
• Cambridge PhD
• generational courage
• Mauritian history
• migration story

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dream, Girl

Places: Mauritius, Oxford, Cambridge, plantations

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