Amaarah Garda: My Futile Optimism

We're talking about the good, the bad & everything in between! This podcast looks at the world through the lens of a young, South African, Muslim woman who cares deeply about social justice. I'll explain my views on trendy topics & we'll attack the troubles we face with laughter & honesty.

Last refreshed: July 10th, 2025 at 9:48 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

The Depression Olympics

Is Simone Biles the GOAT? Trigger Warning: This episode gets quite deep - I share some info about my personal battle with depression, as well as some commentary on Simone Biles “quitting" events in the Olympics.

Aug 01, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Reading The Room

This episode contains a Netflix "suggestion" but also not really? Plus how to bring Olympians and Graduates back down to Earth (although in very different ways!)

Jul 25, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 5

How Fragile is South Africa?

It's impossible to avoid discussing the riots and unrest that South Africa is experiencing. What happened? Why did it happen? What do we do about it? We're basically talking about our country's resurrection after the failed insurrection.

Jul 18, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Who Do We Blame?

Why is Jacob Zuma? Why do people like him and more importantly, why do people willingly protest on his behalf and is Helen Zille still relevant? And finally, the silver linings we have in this dark, dark cloud we're currently under

Jul 11, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 3

The Injustice System

We're talking about Jacob Zuma, Bill Cosby and Britney Spears (and how only one of them deserves to be free...) Also, has the Olympics run its race and what happened with Sha'Carri Richardson? Spoiler Alert: I've saved the optimism for the end

Jul 04, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 2

What Is This Podcast?!

Welcome to Episode 1 of My Futile Optimism ! This episode is like a little GPS explaining what sights you can expect to see (or hear?) on this podcast. It also includes my neighbour's dog barking, a random car going past, a clip from Katherine Ryan's podcast "Telling Everybody Everything" and me giggling at myself as I try to navigate this virtual world. I also rant about South Africa, about justice and about political analysis without providing any real answers or solutions --- but hopefully th...

Jun 27, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1

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