Our Lives’ Narratives

The Journey From Hardship to Professional Soccer in Portugal with Dieu Merci Michel

From the streets of Edmonton to the professional soccer pitches of Portugal, this is the inspiring story of Dieu-Merci Michel. Born in Montreal to Angolan parents and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Dieu-Merci faced challenges and hardships growing up. Yet through determination, discipline, and an unwavering belief in his dream, he transformed adversity into opportunity. His soccer journey took him through youth clubs in Alberta and British Columbia before making the life-changing move to Portugal in 2022 to join Vitória de Guimarães. Known for his pace, power, and attacking flair, Dieu-Merci made his professional debut and captured international attention after scoring against Sporting CP, one of Portugal's biggest clubs. In this episode of Our Lives' Narratives, Dieu-Merci shares his journey of resilience, sacrifice, faith, and perseverance. His story is a powerful reminder that setbacks are not the end of the road—they are often the beginning of something greater. Watch, be inspired, and discover how one young man turned obstacles into opportunities on his path to professional soccer.

The Power of Community with Levar Saul

In this episode, we sit down with Levar Saul — Father, Husband, entrepreneur, tech founder, and community architect behind The Nod Inc. and TH.I.N.K Meetups. In this powerful conversation, he breaks down what it really takes to build sustainable wealth inside communities — not just success stories, but systems that last. Born in Guyana and now based in Canada, Levar shares his journey from corporate leadership in telecom and banking to building platforms focused on Black economic empowerment and community wealth creation. We explore how him and his team are building a “digital Black Wall Street,” why infrastructure matters more than motivation, and how communities can turn connection into long-term economic power. “Community is the new currency.” This conversation hits different. We would like to hear from you. Email us at ourlivesnarratives@gmail.com #ourlivesnarratives #OLN #podcast

OLN - International Migrants Day with Dr. Maroro Zinyemba

OLN International Migrant Day

The Story Behind The Book of SHE (Success, Healing and Emergence)with Natalie Meyer

This week's episode on Our Lives' Narratives features Natalie Meyer, also known as @IndahbyNatalie. She is an emerging Multidisciplinary Visual Artist; painter, bodypainter, cinematographer, drone operator, and educator. Mostly known for painting women of color on traditional and “living canvas”, she aims to represent visible minorities. Being an Indonesian-Canadian woman, she's influenced heavily by culture, storytelling, and the beauty of the human body.  Join us as we dive into her book "The Book of SHE(Success, Healing and Emergence)," which reflects on the beauty of the female form and the uniqueness and struggles of being a BIPOC woman.