Quotes about change: "Never lose hope."
When we consider the resilience and courage it takes to survive in the face of adversity, few stories are as powerful as that of Maryam Masoomi. This extraordinary woman, an Afghan refugee, offers an intimate glimpse into her life before the Taliban's control forced her and her family to flee Afghanistan in 2021. Maryam's compelling narrative takes us through her pursuit of education and her passion for arts and journalism, even while leading an influential all-female music group, Sound of Afghanistan.
Maryam walks us through every detail of the high-stakes journey, the terror of the unknown, and the emotional impact of leaving her homeland. Her account of life post-escape presents a vivid picture of the emotional upheaval when finding safety, especially in a foreign land like Canada.
Transitioning from Afghanistan to Canada wasn't easy. Yet, through hardship, she found joy, particularly in her ability to share her Afghan music and experiences. Maryam's journey, told through her lens, is not just a testament to the strength of the human spirit but also a reminder to us all about the profound resilience and courage of refugees. Join us as we shed light on her inspiring story.
Quotes about change: "Never lose hope."
When we consider the resilience and courage it takes to survive in the face of adversity, few stories are as powerful as that of Maryam Masoomi. This extraordinary woman, an Afghan refugee, offers an intimate glimpse into her life before the Taliban's control forced her and her family to flee Afghanistan in 2021. Maryam's compelling narrative takes us through her pursuit of education and her passion for arts and journalism, even while leading an influential all-female music group, Sound of Afghanistan.
Maryam walks us through every detail of the high-stakes journey, the terror of the unknown, and the emotional impact of leaving her homeland. Her account of life post-escape presents a vivid picture of the emotional upheaval when finding safety, especially in a foreign land like Canada.
Transitioning from Afghanistan to Canada wasn't easy. Yet, through hardship, she found joy, particularly in her ability to share her Afghan music and experiences. Maryam's journey, told through her lens, is not just a testament to the strength of the human spirit but also a reminder to us all about the profound resilience and courage of refugees. Join us as we shed light on her inspiring story.
Welcome to. So you Want to Move to the Country and Raise Goats? This podcast features stories from people who have gone through change. We hope that their insights will help you better understand and deal with the changes in your life. I'm Peggy Kanick and, along with my co-host, catherine Greiva, we chat with insightful people with interesting change stories. We hope you enjoy our podcast. Mary M Asumi is an Afghan refugee. She grew up in Pakistan and Afghanistan and was free to explore her interests, including a university education, languages, the arts and journalism. She worked in media and was the leader of an all-female music group called Sound of Afghanistan in Kabul. Her interests and harmless activities like singing and being a Hazara woman, a persecuted ethnic minority in Afghanistan, made her a target and put her life in danger. In August of 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Feeling scared and hopeless for her future, she knew that she had to face a huge change and leave the country. It was a tense and dangerous escape. Her story is one of standing tall and embracing change, although difficult and dangerous.
Speaker 2:We are thrilled to have Mary M Asumi join us today on our podcast. Mary M is recent citizen of Saskatoon. She arrived here in August of 2021 and actually under some very difficult circumstances. Mary, you're from Afghanistan. Tell us about your life before you arrived in Saskatoon and what it was like living in Afghanistan as a young person.
Speaker 3:Hi everyone. My name is Mary M Asumi. As you know, I'm originally from Afghanistan. I studied educational administration at Kabul University and I graduated from Murphud High School and beside my study I was working as a music assistant at the music department at Murphud High School, and Murphud High School has a TV station and also a radio like a podcast. So I have been there for almost four years that I was working beside my studies and then life was normal there and we were all happy and I was a singer there. Actually, I have so many songs and I sang songs and all of our songs are about women's power, women's right, peace, education, freedom and entertainment.
Speaker 2:So would you consider yourself a musician, mary? You taught music. You were a singer. Is that how you'd kind of define yourself?
Speaker 3:Yeah, as an artist. As an artist, yeah, and because we had a music group called Sound of Afghanistan and I was coaching and somehow managing and coordinating all this ceremony that we have in our school and all the other programs that we had, and we were invited other TV shows that we had our songs for kids and for other women and so, yeah, that was my background from Afghanistan and I was also really interested in journalism. So that's why I have been working for, I think, three to four years in radio. We called Radio Merford and I was hosting a program there.
Speaker 3:So it was on August 15 that Taliban says the control of Afghanistan, and I was in my work at Downisters it was like a TV station and I was working there and suddenly our financial manager came downstairs and he just announced just grab your bag soon and just go to your home. This one was like because he said that Taliban entered the Kabul. It was a shocking news for everyone and everyone was so frustrated. So we just run away to our home. And me and my friend when we were running to our home we saw lots of people that they were so hopeless and everyone like running to their home and everyone was so sad about this news.
Speaker 2:So you said you were shocked. So, as a community, there was sounds like there was no hints or no indication that the Taliban was planning this really invading your city.
Speaker 3:Because Taliban are against to this activities and, as I said, I was a singer there and they're like, completely against to the women's activity, women's work, women's right. So that was the biggest fear of myself to hide myself from Taliban. And we have lots of songs on social media that's why. So I just had hit myself to home and I couldn't go outside and we were waiting for like for an opportunity. I have applied so many like. I have sent so many emails to different organizations and different embassies to like to like came out to my country and no one get response to my emails. And one of my teacher at Murphath High School he called me one day because I was the leader and coordinator for the singing group and he called me Mariam, could you please collect their IDs, like the girls' IDs, and their informations? We wanna have a group of girls too. We can help them to come out from the country and like it's somehow they were responsible for this group that they help us to sing those songs and to have that activity. And then I collected and we organized this group and after that they said that we can help the family as well and it was a good news and it's a hope for all the group that we were scaping from there and they it's through my teacher, he was he introduced me to another organizations it's called 30 Bird Foundations and all of their members based in America, usa, usa, and they help us to scape from Afghanistan. They said you have to go to another city of Afghanistan which called Mazari Sharif and from there you would have a flight.
Speaker 3:And then, because we were a big group, about 200 people, and then I just divided all of this 200 people in a small group so Taliban could recognize us and then we start our journey from there.
Speaker 3:We went to another city of Afghanistan and we faced with many checkpoints of Taliban, which was so scary and so like, like it was a terrible moment for me and for my family and everyone arrived at the night in Mazari Sharif, the other city of Afghanistan, and about two weeks we stayed there and yeah, but there was no good news about the flight because the Taliban that they were, they have they supposed to have that flight. They didn't allow us to have that flight. And then the 30 Bird Foundation they say that you have to go back to Kabul and from Kabul you have to go to another city called Jalalabad, which is the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and from there you have to cross the border with the gate passes that they provide for me and for all of the group and it was like so hard to me to like tell this news to all the other families because it's a bad situation for everyone and it's hard to get from that city again to Kabul and from Kabul to that.
Speaker 3:It's a long journey, yeah, and then we started again our journey from Mazari Sharif, we went again to Kabul, which we faced with many checkpoints, and we Taliban just came to our bus, we got the buses and with the long guns and like in a bad situation, and we just hide our, like our faces.
Speaker 3:I put mask and long, like a war long hijab so they couldn't recognize us, as we had lots of songs on social media. So we, yeah, we went to Kabul and from Kabul we went to Jalalabad and it was early in the morning on September I think 15, yeah, september 15, early in the morning. We arrived at the border and we were not sure about the gate passes that they provide for us and I just showed, we just showed our gate passes and then, because they don't have any education, they just see our IDs and their names and they just asked us where are you going? And then I we say that my mom is sick and we are going to Pakistan just for like treatment. And then they said, okay, you can go. There was a three gates to at the border and we crossed the first gate and we were so like scared on that moment. I couldn't like imagine that moment again in my life.
Speaker 1:So, maryam, it sounds like you were while you were. You were hiding, so it had to be a very covert everything that you were doing. So a lot of fear throughout. Talk to me a little bit about resilience, like how did you keep yourself going through all of that, knowing that something could happen, that you might be noticed or caught?
Speaker 3:Because it was the only solution that we had. On that time. We, we, we tried to go to airport on that time, as you know the situation of the airport in Afghanistan, and there was so many people that they were trying to get out of the like the country, and they did that. We went to airport and we we want to show our like IDs and all my documents to like the like the American, like people that they were there and all the other solars that they were there. But I couldn't find any way to like to arrive there to show my documents and then they, on the way that we were going back to home, I hear that there was a bomb blasting on that place that we were there. So it was only the solution that we have to have this, this, yeah, like to have this journey, and if we stayed there, they, I'm sure that they they gonna like find us and they gonna like investigate us. So that's why we choose this this way.
Speaker 2:So change was forced upon you very quickly, like within hours. You were thrust into hope. Your day looked very different by the end of the day when, when you started out, I'm, I'm curious because you knew that the Taliban was, you know, much, very much against what you were doing. Was there some thinking, oh, if they come, here's what we're going to do? Was there any kind of thought to prepare for this change? Or did you just respond on August 15th? Here's what we do.
Speaker 3:So yeah, because I never thought that this gonna happening again, since, like, we had the same things 20 years ago and I was like I was so like sure about our presidents, you know, and when our president escaped from the country, that was like another things that we faced, because we had a president there and US, usa, people, that they were there and everyone just left the country suddenly and we just it's like all the things happening to us, to the people in Afghanistan, yeah, so you really have to figure it out and get to safety as quickly as you could.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Mary did all. 200 people did they all. Were they all able to leave?
Speaker 3:So yeah, so when we assured our get passes and I was the leader for all this 200 people and when I crossed, like when I crossed the first and second gate, and I was like just hide myself in a place and just send the message to all the group that this is the situation, how many checkpoints we have. This is the process just show your get passes and then in three days, all this group just crossed the border. So when I crossed the border, we just when we arrived at the main gate, there was a. There were so many Taliban people and we were waiting for the gate to open. It was like we arrived there at six o'clock and the gate will, like would open on like at eight o'clock in the morning, and then we were waiting for that during that time and we just like they just separated, they just make it two lines women and men and then, when it's when they open the gate and everyone, like just crossing the border, just show their IDs and like the gate passes.
Speaker 3:And when we arrived at the main gate, that that that like that side was Pakistan and this side was Afghanistan, we just I just showed our gate passes and then they know it because they had already, like the Pakistani people, they had already our names. And then they just ask it you can go. And then that was so like how should I tell that moment? Because that moment that I feel like I reborn, because it was a pressure before that, that I was under control of Taliban, and it somehow said for me that I was leaving my country on that time and everyone like it's somehow like we were crying and then, yeah, and then we crossed the border and I was on that side.
Speaker 3:We had a like we had to process all the like they, they, they were entering, like the Pakistani people, they entered, like on our IDs to go to Islamabad.
Speaker 3:And then I was there from early in the morning till like till five o'clock in the evening and, yeah, I process all the form and I fill out all the form for the rest of the group. And then we had buses from there to Islamabad and finally we arrived to Islamabad in Pakistan, and about one month we stayed there, we did all of the biometric and medical checkup there and on October 15, we had our flight from Islamabad to Canada, to Calgary, and then from Calgary we had another flight to Saskatoon, which was a great moment for us to like to come to Canada, and we had members and members from Turkey Bird Foundation, the organization that they help us to come here, and lots of people were there like from Open Door Society, from Saskatoon Police Service and many other people. They were like welcome us at the airport, which was a great moment for everyone. And yeah, and I couldn't, like I will not forget this moment. So, yeah, and then we start our life in Canada.
Speaker 2:I just want to go back for a minute, Maryam, what you talked about you were leaving your country and you felt you were reborn. There must have been. Was there any sadness in that? There must have been. I mean, I just felt the joy in your voice at the reborn, but there must have been such a sadness about leaving the country that you loved.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because I like myself, I really like my homeland and my home country and I had so many good memories from Afghanistan and it's somehow like a sad moment for me to leave my country behind. If you don't have any Taliban, I would like prefer our own country.
Speaker 1:So Maryam, it sounds like you became the leader of this group. Did you ever think that you would be called on on to take on such a leadership role?
Speaker 3:No, as I like, as I said, everything happened suddenly and when I collect their IDs and did all this like communication and organized this group. So when I was in Islamabad and talked with the embassies, the Canadian embassies, and did all this stuff and it was not easy, you know, you have to hide yourself and you don't need like you have to put your hide, your phone, to don't like let Taliban take because they were checking or like the phone, and I just hide my phone and just sending messages, like in a high, in a secure way, which was not easy for me, and we had 20 people behind me that they were calling. What is the process? Where are you, how should we get there? And lots of this like this stress things, which was not easy for me.
Speaker 1:So now, so you arrived and tell us a little bit about the process of of change. What was your reaction like when you reached Canada?
Speaker 3:So when I was in Islamabad, I hear about Saskatoon City and I searched in Google and I found a green and with a nice river. I was so excited to come here. And then we arrived in October, which was like the in the winter and it's somehow so shocking for us with this extremely cold weather here. Yeah, we had cold like winter in Afghanistan, but not like this. And Saskatoon is like so cold it's minus 14.
Speaker 3:And we had lots of training and lots of zoom meetings from global gathering, from SIA, from Open Door that they were talking about like just have gloves, have like warm jackets, because it's going to be so cold and you're going to like if you don't wear those things, you're going to like it's going to be black and so many that is. And we were so scared that why it's so cold, why we came here. And then, beside this, it's true that now, on that time we were safe and we have a good life here, but beside this, it was a like big culture shock for me and for all this group. You know, we came from a country and then start a new life here.
Speaker 2:So you really have responded to the calling of being a leader of these 200 people. But, as you say, there was incredible stress that they were feeling and they were putting it on you. And where have you gone for your strength and support? How do you reach out to others to help you?
Speaker 3:Because I have my mom and my brother and my sister, so my only support was my mom. She was always encouraging me because during the way we were just four people from Afghanistan to Canada and my mom was like she's just great and she was always encouraging me and all the other members in our group were also supporting me and also I have the singing group and the martial arts group and they were so supportive during the way and during when we came here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and yet what a significant change, as you say, to the city, living in this city, in this country, so different from where you came. How have you adapted to the food, the transportation? Probably your kitchen looks very different than it did at home.
Speaker 3:So yeah, as I said, it was a big culture shock for us. And so once we get here and we were under support of government and government had monthly income support and when I see that support it was not enough for us, for me and for my family and I have to make money and I have to work and the big challenge that we had on that time our language barrier and all the environment and the food and the people. But people were so nice and kind and they help us a lot to settle in Saskatoon and yeah. So I was searching lots of like job opportunities and I found my first job and I started from Team Heartlands, from like the Canadian coffee shop, and because I had no idea about any coffee, any like smoothies in Afghanistan we just have like green tea and black tea, but here we have lots of coffee, lots of smoothie and it was somehow hard for me to learn those things. And, like I was not sure about the currency Canadian currency how should I get back to customers? Because I was like hired in like for a frown counter. I have to be like serve people like customers. And then it was somehow hard to learn those things. But during the time during the day, like passing day by day. I have learned a lot from Team Heartland and from, like, my colleague in Team Heartland, and then that was not like a job that I would really want to do like in the future.
Speaker 3:As I said, I really interested in journalism and my background is I have lots of experience in journalism and media. So that's why I just search and look around. And first, when I came to Canada and when I arrived to the airport and I saw the open doors stuff, they were like white shirts with like with a beautiful logo circle with colorful word circle. And then I say to myself that they were helping us and I want to help other people as well. So I sent my resume and CV to Open Door Society and then they had, I had an interview with with Open Door Society and then when they checked my background, like my, like my leadership skills and they then they hired me as a youth program facilitator, which was a great, and I started last year from June 9.
Speaker 3:And then, yeah, so after that I was looking for a media job and journalism job as well. And then I found CFCR, the community radio, and I got. I sent my proposal to the director there and then they, when they review my proposal, they accept my proposal and then they, like, I got a show in CFCR. So now I have a show on the weekend and I call my show, my name, my show Kabul John, which means dear Kabul, and I played like Afghani music, and I talk in Derry in Persian and as well in English, and I feel so good there. Believe me, I feel like a home.
Speaker 2:Is there anything that you learned about yourself that surprised you? As you look back, you know, from August 15 to when you arrived in Saskatoon, thinking about that is, I think, about yourself that surprised you, at what you learned about yourself.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so the things that I have learned about me it's like I never lose my hope because it's a big change from Afghanistan, came from Afghanistan to Canada. And it's like a depressing things for me and I got lots of stress, lots of depress when I hear news about Afghanistan and it's like I just logged my Facebook because I couldn't see the news there and, yeah, I just focused on my skills there and I have I learned, like I read the SGI driving book and I passed my SGI, like the written test, and I got my learner. I got like I bought a car for my family because it was somehow hard in winter to get the bus inside. The buses go like everywhere. So that's why I try hard, like I work hard in team hard times and I make money and then I bought a car. So, yeah, it's somehow challengeable for me. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, it's a remarkable story you have. Do you feel settled now? Do you feel like this is home?
Speaker 3:Yes, I do so. Now I'm so happy because, beside my Open Door Society, I got a job also in CBC, which is great for me. It's the Radio Canada, like Radio Canada, and I'm working there like part-time. I'm working in Open Door Society and also I'm working as an associate producer in CBC, which is great, and I'm learning a lot from like, from Open Door, from CBC and my colleagues. They were so kind and every day I learn a lot from them. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You have any advice for people that are making you know, making change in their life that's thrust upon them, that they didn't choose?
Speaker 3:So yeah, as I have experience, like I wanna say to never lose your hope, just stay strong and just make to learn a lot and like, make your communications and networking a lot, because by the networking you will have lots of things, lots of opportunities. You know, and, yeah, just try hard, you will get whatever you want. Yeah, just never lose your hope, you know.
Speaker 2:Well, what a remarkable story, Maryam. It's just you know, I gotta say we're just so glad that you landed in Saskatoon. I've heard your story, I've listened to you in the media and we're just thrilled that also that you could join us on our podcast today. So thank you very much.
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah, thank you for having me. Yeah, I really appreciate it. Our car on the way, so, yeah, and when they stopped our car and on that time I thought that they're gonna kill me, they're gonna kill us, and because I don't have my father, my father passed away like four years ago and I just had my little brother with me and my mom, my sister, like I thought that they're gonna kill us. And they stopped our car. They asked and they asked my brother, where are you going? And yeah, it was a terrible moment. I can't talk about that moment. It was so hard for me and for my family on that time.
Speaker 2:I think also, you know you talked about the bureaucracies, the foundation that was there to help, and yet the 30 Birds Foundation, and yet they. You had to go back, you know, to back into, back to Afghanistan, back to the city, and you just don't think about the aid organizations and probably how challenging it is for them to navigate all of this, but the bureaucracy that you have to go through to get to safety.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 1:Well, that was a very great story. Thank you so much for sharing that.
Speaker 1:I think our listeners will be fascinated by that, because you know you hear the stories. Well, there's people coming from Afghanistan and the planes landed in Calgary or Toronto, but I don't think people can really feel that they have any kind of true understanding of what people have gone through. If you've learned just one thing about change while listening to this podcast, please subscribe on Apple or Spotify and share with a friend this episode recorded via Zoom Audio. Producers Peggy Keneck and Catherine Greiba. Executive producer, Keneck Leadership Advisory. Theme music La Pompée written by Chris Harrington, music publisher in Vato Market. For information on this podcast, please visit wwwgetyourgoatca.