February 17, 2025
Being born and raised in a country in the middle of the African continent where family values are of great importance, has been one of the main sources where my desire to care for others originated from.
In a more African worldview, the family is not limited to only parents and siblings at birth, but every individual becomes a member of a wider community, which is also known as an extended family. The more the family is extended the more it inspires respect and feels pride and security.
Having a family means being surrounded by people who care, who can guide, counsel and support you when you need it. That is the environment I was born and raised in. The feeling was great, but it did not last long unfortunately. When I was in my late 20’s the war came and took everything from me.
From being surrounded by a caring family and friends, I found myself barefoot, all alone on foreign ground and no one cared!
In my struggles for survival as a young woman and later as a single mother, I remembered those young girls I used to see wandering alone on the street of my hometown because they had no family, and they had nowhere else to go.
I did not care much at the time, but now I could understand how desperate it’s been for them and how hopeless they felt. Many girls in refugee camps who lost their families were forced to live lives they never wished for because most of them were uneducated or because they had no one to care for them. It was unfair, wasn’t it?
Watching these young women’s struggles, associated with my own lived experiences, has been another experience that, more importantly, triggered in me the feeling of humanity and a strong desire to be of help to others, helping to bring back hope to the hopeless to the best of my abilities.
Oftentimes, war survivors suffer from emotional disorder. Trauma and the fear of the unknown tomorrow, as well as loneliness are some of the aftermath emotions I suffered for a while, leading to hopelessness and depression.
Although professional counselling services were offered, my Christian roots and beliefs have shaped my healing journey in a very special way. As a Christian, I understood that I am fearfully and wonderfully made and that the works of the Creator are all wonderful, and I was one of them! That powerful truth became the foundation of my identity. I was convinced that I was so loved and cared for by my Creator and nothing or no one could take that love from me. This is a reality that gave me hope and strengthened my inner person and it was the beginning of my healing journey up to this day.
Knowing my identity as a unique creature has led me to seeing others as such, no matter who they are. It planted in me these godly values of love and humanity that made me believe that everyone is to be seen as unique and that they deserve to be loved, respected and treated with dignity, including people with disabilities.
Additionally, as the finance manager at DAWN Canada, I am a support to the DAWN strong and passionate team who is pursuing the great mission of fighting for human rights for girls and women with disabilities and that makes me very proud.
As a Black African woman, systemic barriers such as racism, rejection and discrimination are some of the challenges that I have experienced in my long journey from my home country to Canada. Being underestimated has also been a challenge I have had to deal with, especially in my career.
Fortunately, in my healing journey, I have understood that my identity is not defined by the color of my skin or by how many friends I have. I believe I am beautiful and very intelligent in my own way. Again, in my journey, I have learnt to fight for what I believe in and to never give up on my profound convictions and that has been very helpful.
