Seeing Life Through a Different Lens: Zaakirah Muhammad on Disability, Belonging & Travel in Africa (Ep 395)
Podcast: The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond BordersRating: Explicit Published On: Mon Jun 29 2026
Description: Learn how photography, resilience & travel to Africa helped Zaakirah navigate disability and find connection worldwide. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Zaakirah Muhammad shares the remarkable story of how a photograph taken when she was an infant helped detect a rare eye cancer and ultimately save her life. She reflects on how photography became her creative outlet, how her first international trip to Costa Rica sparked a lifelong passion for travel, and why extended stays in countries like Ghana and Kenya transformed her understanding of identity, community and belonging. Zaakirah discusses traveling through Africa as a disabled person, spending a year living in Kenya with her mother, reconnecting with the continent through DNA ancestry research, and navigating the world as a Black Muslim woman. She also shares insights on accessibility, cultural immersion, Afrobeats, entrepreneurship, and how travel can help us better understand both ourselves and the places we visit. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU See my Top 10 Travel Apps See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!
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