Meet Asiya and Zahra, two friends who came together to create Our Village—a card game with a simple mission: to create a space where mothers can let their guards down and share hearts. 

Just like some of the best (and worst!) ideas start with two overtired moms catching up over coffee, Our Village all began while hanging out at Tim Hortons one evening. Inspired by their own unique motherhood challenges and backgrounds, they thought, ‘How can we make motherhood a more supported and wholesome experience - but in a fun way?’ And that’s how Our Village was born. Since its launch in the summer of 2024, Our Village has proven to be an innovative way to increase connection and reduce maternal isolation.

Motherhood comes with unique challenges for everyone. For Asiya it was giving birth at 31 weeks pregnant to a daughter with a rare kidney condition, and for Zahra it was developing life threatening postpartum complications. Pretty early on in their motherhood journeys, they both realized one thing: mothers need other mothers. 

There is a wise African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, travel together.” They wanted to go far, and soon started a local community initiative in Richmond, BC that catered to the physical and emotional needs of mothers. This, combined with Asiya’s background in Education and Psychology and Zahra’s graduate public health research exploring the barriers faced by marginalized mothers, paved the way for Our Village. 

If there is one thing Asiya and Zahra want you to take away from this, it is that Our Village is more than just a card game. It is an invitation to all the mothers out there to build the villages they deserve.