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Into the Light

Into the Light

Author: Saya
Date: 2021-07-13

Why I love my adopted community


“Where are you from?” “What ARE you…?” “No REALLY where are you from”? These are questions I have been asked in my home-countries ever since I can remember. Being biracial, a citizen of both Japan and Canada, and having lived equally in both countries, it is ironic that I have never felt more “at home” or fully part of a community until I moved to Ballito, South Africa 15 years ago.


My mother was Japanese, and Father Ukrainian Canadian. I was born in Canada and spent my childhood years in Japan. Having worked for international media companies in Tokyo Japan as well as for MTV International in London, I was able to expand upon my media and marketing experience and share my passion for health and fresh food firstly by founding one of the first raw juice businesses on the North Coast, called Hip & Fresh.

My husband Tony and I first moved to South Africa over 13 years ago; We have always worked remotely on the family business, KOI WATER BARN, originally based in the United Kingdom. Tony’s father founded the company in 1983, and was one of the first Japanese Koi Specialist outlets in the U.K.


For me, everything is connected: how we do business, where I come from, the values I want to impart to my children, and how I interact with my community.

These last two years of lockdown have brought out the worst fears in us as a society, but also given me the desire to not just take but to give back. We have such a compassionate community of givers, which has become even more evident over the incredible initiatives launched during the Pandemic to support one another.


Volunteering at St Luke's Home of Healing has been the most incredible experience for both me and my daughter Aria. Not only is the board and management committed to creating a healthier menu of freshly made food (using fresh ingredients, less salt and sugar and oil) every day for the residents which I am lucky to be assisting with under the guidance of psychologist and nutritionist Dominique Garnett , but having Aria join me and have her do activities, singing and just spending time with the residents has been a game-changing experience for her.

Recently, along with my friends and soul sisters, Catharine Steer, Humaira Khan, and Louise Bell, we launched a Mental Health Awareness initiative called “I’m Not Okay”.


This was inspired by my own family's difficult journey over the last year with our daughter developing an eating disorder which consumed us all (in the midst of the Covid Crisis here in South Africa). We are finally coming out of the "black hole" which, at the time, felt like we were drowning in, and now, into The Light.

I like to find the passion in everything that I do, and I hope that I can share this passion with you!