Comedian Emo Majok reckons he has around 50 relatives in Australia. It's a number that absolutely staggers him because not a single one of them would be here if not for his grandmother, Martha.
Martha escaped war-torn Sudan with her children under her arms, ducking gunfire, and walking for days to find safety. Young Emo spent years living in a refugee camp before his family was able to migrate to Australia when he was eight years old.
Martha's resilience still inspires Emo today, especially when the going gets tough in the brutal world of stand-up comedy. If she could do all that, he says, he can do just about anything. Martha still can’t fully understand how Emo essentially 'talks for a job' though. In her eyes, work equals sweat and dirt. But she's incredibly proud to see him commanding laughter on national TV.
Emo tells comedian Lizzy Hoo about his family's time in the refugee camp, and the lessons he's drawn from his grandmother.
They used to parachute us down flour and beans and she would whip up a meal out of that... fry it up like doughnuts. I love it. My kids love it. Like I still eat it now. I'm out of that environment now but it's ingrained in me.Emo Majok
Grand Gestures is a Deadset Studios production for SBS Audio.
Host: Lizzy Hoo
Guest: Emo Majok
Executive Producer: Kellie Riordan
Supervising Producer: Grace Pashley
Producer: Liam Riordan
Audio editor and sound designer: Jeremy Wilmot
Production Manager: Ann Chesterman
SBS Audio: Caroline Gates, Joel Supple, and Max Gosford
Artwork by Universal Favourite
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made.
