No Excuses: A Ten-Year Journey from Senegal to America with Ousmane NdoyeIn this inspiring episode of the Mentium Podcast, Madiama Mbaye sits down with his longtime friend, mentor, and brother, Ousmane Ndoye—author, filmmaker, social entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of the Askkanwii Filmmaking Hub and the Colorado Diasporic Film Festival. Ousmane shares the remarkable story of his childhood in a small fishing village in Senegal, where he was raised by a large extended family and profoundly shaped by the wisdom of his great-grandmother. Her lessons became the foundation of his life: make no excuses, keep it real with God and yourself, acknowledge your problems, and invest your energy in finding solutions. At twenty-one, Ousmane left Senegal with little more than a backpack, a few clothes, a treasured book, a rosary, and an unwavering dream of becoming a writer and filmmaker in America. That dream led him on an extraordinary ten-year journey across Africa, North Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Along the way, he crossed the Sahara Desert on foot, witnessed unimaginable hardship, worked countless jobs, managed a bakery in Libya, opened a library in Guinea, and refused to let adversity define his future. After arriving in Colorado, he drove a taxi at night while attending college during the day, purchased his first computer, developed his craft as a writer, and began encouraging fellow African immigrants to pursue education, technology, entrepreneurship, and the arts. His commitment to service also grew. What started with bottles of water and sandwiches in the trunk of his taxi evolved into a community initiative providing meals to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Denver. The conversation also explores Ousmane’s passion for African storytelling. Rather than complaining about the lack of African representation in film and media, he chose to build the platform himself—leading to the creation of the Askkanwii Filmmaking Hub and the Colorado Diasporic Film Festival, a multicultural celebration of film, literature, music, technology, education, heritage, and community. Looking ahead, Ousmane shares his vision for a House of Africa in Colorado—a permanent cultural center where future generations can experience African history, books, films, fashion, food, innovation, art, and the stories of the African diaspora. In This EpisodeThe childhood lessons behind Ousmane’s “No Excuses” philosophyHis ten-year journey from Senegal to AmericaCrossing the Sahara Desert and surviving unimaginable challengesFinding purpose through hardshipWorking nights while earning a college educationGiving back through service to Denver’s homeless communityWhy Africans must tell their own storiesThe creation of the Colorado Diasporic Film FestivalThe vision for the House of AfricaMemorable Quotes“Make no excuses.” “Keep it real with God, keep it real with yourself, and keep it real with others.” “Recognize the problem, but put your energy into the solution.” “If the space does not exist, stop complaining and create it.” “We are not simply organizing a film festival. We are changing the world.” About Ousmane NdoyeOusmane Ndoye is a Senegalese American author, filmmaker, educator, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist based in Colorado. He is the founder and executive director of the Askkanwii Filmmaking Hub and founder of the Colorado Diasporic Film Festival, creating opportunities for African, diaspora, and underrepresented storytellers to develop their craft, share their voices, and build lasting cultural connections.
