Ep. #4: The American Dream is Thriving in a West African Grocery Store in South Seattle

Odd One In is a podcast that shares stories of misfits making their own way. The show is hosted and produced by 2021 AIR New Voices Scholar Kristin Leong. This podcast is a production of ROCK PAPER RADIO and is supported by 4Culture and The Slants Foundation. Listen and subscribe here.

episode art credit: dimapf

Odd One In’s fourth episode takes listeners inside a secret gem of a West African grocery store in South Seattle, and through a heartbreaking yet inspiring journey through a new version of the American Dream.

Fatoumata “Fifi” Doumbouya never planned to become an entrepreneur, but when she lost her husband to cancer and became a single mother with three young children to raise, she found her inner business woman and in the process became Mama Fifi, the Queen of Hillman City.

Fifi is a humanitarian with two master's degrees - one in Arts and Human Sciences from her home country of Guinea Conakry, the other in Business Administration from America where her shop, the West African International Market, has become part of the heartbeat of South Seattle's immigrant community.

Fifi and her husband Almamy Sylla opened the shop in 2005. Since his passing in 2016, she has been raising her children while running the store and nourishing Rainer Valley's community with warm welcomes and West African staples on her own ever since.

Fatoumata “Fifi” Doumbouya at her store in Hillman City, the West African International Market. Photo credit: Kristin Leong, November 1, 2023.

Fifi’s West African International Market is located at 5997 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98118.

Odd One In is a production of ROCK PAPER RADIO. This episode was written, produced, and hosted by Kristin Leong. The music featured in this episode is by Wax Lyricist. This episode of Odd One In was made possible through generous support from The Slants Foundation and 4Culture.

Odd One In is on Instagram and Twitter @OddOneInPod. You can find ROCK PAPER RADIO on Instagram and Twitter @RockPaperRadio. Kristin is on Instagram @leongstagram and on Twitter @kristinleong. 

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