At Home With Southern Protea: Rooted and Raised

Keeping Culture Alive in a Cross-Cultural Home

Originally published in SAWITU Essentials Magazine | July/August 2025

This piece was first written for SAWITU Essentials, a digital magazine created by and for South African women living in the U.S. and Canada. I’m honored to contribute regularly to the publication, and this latest article is one that felt especially close to home.

It’s a quiet reflection on the ways we try to keep culture alive in a cross-cultural household — not through anything big or flashy, but through all the small, meaningful things that make up everyday life.

What is SAWITU?

SAWITU stands for South African Women in the United States (and Canada) — a vibrant, growing community of women who’ve built lives across borders while still staying connected to their roots. The organization publishes SAWITU Essentials, a bi-monthly magazine filled with personal stories, recipes, cultural reflections, and creative work submitted by members across the country (and beyond).

You can learn more at SAWITU’s website or by visiting their Instagram page at @sawitu.official.

A Note of Thanks

I’m so grateful to the women behind SAWITU Essentials for creating space for stories like this — ones that aren’t perfect or polished, but deeply rooted in everyday life. It’s such a gift to be part of this community and to share a small glimpse of our world with others who understand what it means to hold two cultures at once.