April 4, 2025 • 20 mins
Lucie M. Mordecai is the CEO & founder of ABBA's International Healing Center, Inc. She is a finalist for the Inspiring Advocate for Women Award.
ABBA’s International Website: www.abbasinternational.org
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Episode Transcript
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(00:05):
Welcome to the Inspiring Women of Iowa podcast,
a special series
amplifying the stories of the Inspiring Women of Iowa Finalists.
Inspiring Women of Iowa is an annual event hosted by Girl
Scouts of Greater
Iowa with the goal of celebrating women of courage,
confidence and character who are making the world
(00:27):
a better place.
Why does that sound familiar?
Well, because it also happens
to be the mission of the Girl Scouts,
where they believe society is better because strong
women show girls that anything is possible.
This event was created by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa in 2017
to celebrate women in our community
(00:48):
and share their stories, while raising support
for the Girl Scout programs
that build the next generation of inspiring women.
16 individuals are celebrated annually with the Courage,
Confidence, Character and Inspiring Advocate for Women Awards.
I'm your host, Sarah Noll Wilson.
I am a business owner, a champion of women, and I'm
(01:10):
also a proud Girl Scout alum.
So massive love to troop 238.
And I am honored to have the chance to speak with these amazing,
inspiring women and to share their stories with you.
Joining me today is Luci M Mordecai,
(01:30):
who is the CEO and founder
of ABBA's
International Healing Center Incorporated,
and she has been nominated
for the Inspiring Advocate of Women award.
Thanks for joining me, Luci.
Thank you for having me, Sarah.
So, Luci, before we get into the work,
you do the award you were nominated for.
(01:50):
What else do you.
What should we know about you as a person?
As a person?
I’m not special, or a hero.
No, I don't believe that one bit.
I am just a single mother.
On top of that, an immigrant
(02:12):
who understand what it means to be new
and who understand the importance of
helping hands and a community.
Oh, yeah. So you're.
So you're not just anything.
You're an incredible mother who's also doing incredible
work for people who are
largely under attack right now, which is pretty significant.
(02:36):
Yeah.
Talk to us about your journey and the work that you do.
Yeah. I'm just curious.
When I was reading your bio
and learning more about your organization.
I was just curious about
what was the journey of where you started to
the work you're doing now.
The work that I'm doing now.
(02:57):
Right after I graduated, graduating from high school,
I did, well, I went to college.
I work for Systems Unlimited,
and I'm still working there part time.
And, you know, we serve individuals with Sorry.
Yeah. Thank you.
I was going to say, just to clarify,
like for those of us
who are unfamiliar, what Systems Unlimited is.
(03:18):
Yeah, it's, a nonprofit organization also.
We provide care to individuals with, mental challenge.
So along the way, at first
I wanted to be a social worker,
and I have a degree in social worker.
But my heart, it wasn’t there.
So I went back to school and I studied mental health.
And here I am.
(03:39):
Along the way, I, I learned that mental health topic
is not something that you bring to a dinner table
in an African community or African household.
They just don't talk about it.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, they don't talk about it.
And so I decided to go a little deeper.
(04:00):
I was
able to
visit a few country in Africa, different countries in Africa
and collect information and different opinions.
And there a lot of explanation why is this and that?
And I came back home in 2012, coming from Rwanda
and the country of Rwanda is, you know,
what happened there in 1994.
(04:20):
These guys, they're just dealing with a lot of trauma
because of what they went through.
And I'm like, oh my God, something needs to be done.
We have to do something really, you know?
So I came back, start talking to different friends
and families and like,
you know, a lot of people didn't like the idea.
First they were like, no, you're crazy.
(04:41):
And nobody will listen to you.
Imagine working with someone with mental challenge and,
in Africa, no, there's no such a thing.
This is a taboo abomination.
And I'm like, oh,
the stigma is just unbearable.
And,
these individuals with the mental challenge are back home,
(05:02):
the family abandoned them on the street.
They don't get enough food to eat.
The female ones with mental challenge, and they're being raped.
And the result of some of those rapes, babies,
and they’re sleeping under the bridge and abandoned churches.
This is why, Sarah, I'm like, you know what?
Either you stand with me or I stand alone.
(05:24):
And so I decided to do something, and.
Yeah,
yeah, I just couldn’t stand by
and not doing anything, and, God is so good.
Ten years later on public health
through University of Iowa, they call me.
One of the professors there attended one of my, events.
(05:45):
I was being honored once again, and she was like, I need you.
I need you to train for, PM Plus.
It's a problem management classes.
So they train you for a couple of weeks.
And the little knowledge we gain, we use that to cope
and help the new immigrant families in the community.
Yeah, there's a couple of things I'm really curious about,
(06:07):
but the the first is how did people receive you
when you went over to Africa for your fact finding mission
and to have these conversations and to talk to people?
When we were on a technical break,
you said about 95% of people sort of laughed at you.
Yeah.
So I'm curious about the reaction.
And I'm also curious about the like the people who
(06:28):
maybe felt seen by you, and the work you're doing.
So a majority of the people want nothing to do with.
People in power, like ministry, they called,
they called themselves a minister of health, doctors.
I, you know, I met with them.
I spend days with them observing how they do, how they treat,
you know, client.
They're like, madame, we’ll
(06:49):
give you the right to do your business, you know, whatever.
But do not expect any money from us,
any contribution whatsoever.
I was like, wow.
Yeah.
And,
sometimes I just said thank you for allowing me to be here.
You know,
being there was already
some sort of hope and and some sort of encouragement,
(07:12):
like being welcome, but they just want nothing to do with it.
Yeah.
And then I have something to do with, one stigma,
two different cultures and belief.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Were there people like how I, I, I could imagine,
and I don't know if this is accurate or not, that there was,
(07:33):
there were some people
who maybe really appreciated what you were trying to do.
Yeah.
The educated ones,
and the ones that had been able
to visit like Western countries, they can understand, but
it's just
they never had a courage or motivation to do something about it
because of the cultures, and then different gods and all that.
(07:55):
Yeah.
And which we believe I'm not there due to any religion.
I respect everyone who believes in religion and culture,
but it's just sometimes hard to explain to them, hey,
God is real and science is real also.
Yeah, both things can be true.
Oh yeah. What what pushes you?
You know, you talk about how you
(08:16):
it takes an act of courage to show up
and to say, hey, I think we need to be talking about this
that we don't want to talk about.
I think we need to be treating people with, who are experiencing
very real, very real medical challenges.
What drives you to keep moving forward?
Thank you. Sarah. That's amazing question.
(08:37):
Thank you. I'm glad you asked this.
So, while we were still living in Africa,
before we came to America,
one of my auntie, Mama Asha, we call her Mama Asha.
She had a son, my cousin.
He was, you know, he was special.
People made fun of him.
The family never really treated him like he was a human being.
(09:01):
And Sarah, I tell you, he died a horrible death.
That nobody knew what happened to him.
Yeah, and up
until now, I still don't know exactly what happened to him.
And, just sometimes I, I like to believe
that maybe he was hungry and he stole food,
and they beat him up to death and dump his body somewhere,
(09:22):
you know, so his condition became some, some sort of, insult.
People would refer to him by his condition.
They would call not by his name, by his condition.
So that's number one.
And number two,
I think God, this is was God’s way of preparing me
because my son, Michael,
(09:43):
he was born in 2014 with the challenge also.
And if I didn't
know better, Sarah,
I can only imagine how I would have treated him.
Oh, yeah.
Family members and friends, how they would have treated him.
Because when Michael was born,
I decided to keep away from some of the family member
who refused to understand, you know.
(10:04):
Yeah.
So we just distance ourself from it.
Yeah. Yeah.
It's it,
you know, when I read your bio online,
one of the things that struck me,
I was just a really simple word
and how you describe yourself
as not only being somebody
who supports them from a practitioner perspective,
but you're like, I'm
going to be your cheerleader all, like, all the time.
(10:26):
And knowing your background
and knowing that experience with your aunt and your cousin.
I mean, it makes sense
how and why you're so passionate about making sure
those people are seen, making sure
that they're treated like humans because they are.
And and having the support and love that they deserve.
When you think about,
(10:48):
I like I could talk to you for an hour
and we don't have an hour.
So I'm gonna just
when you think about.
The work you're doing
and the work you want to do, whether it's through the support
that you provide, for new family
(11:10):
immigrants, whether it's the work through your organization
of creating more access
to resources from a mental health perspective,
whether it is
supporting individuals with varying levels of disabilities,
what's the impact that you hope to make?
(11:30):
I always believe in helping one person at a time.
Sarah, I don't expect
a major changes to one's lifestyle.
But even if I could make only 1% or 2% of it.
Like as as simple as tie your shoes, tie your shoelace,
get out of the bed, brush.
Any thing.
(11:51):
Oh, yeah, I rather keep.
I would do it every day, over and over and over again
because until you know someone
or you live with that particular individual
with the mental challenge,
Sarah, you have no idea how hard this could be.
And this is one of the reason why in 2020,
I opened a childcare called Mama Luci's Childcare.
(12:14):
And I usually receive a lot of children
with special needs because No, but,
89% of the childcare around here, at home provider,
they want nothing to do with special needs kids.
One, they, you know, take up a lot of your patient and time
and they're not getting paid enough.
So for me, it's not about money.
(12:35):
It’s all about being you know, it's all about being fair
and treating
these little kids fair because nobody asked for this condition.
Nobody wanted to be a dependent, you know,
especially children.
They didn't ask for. So,
you know.
It.
I'm struck I'm struck a little bit.
So, my parents, when they met, they worked at an organization
(12:59):
back home in Dubuque.
So this would have been decades ago
called Area Residential Care.
And they were two of the people who fought
to bring essentially group homes to Iowa,
because before then, individuals who were right
identified as special needs or having,
physical and intellectual disabilities.
(13:20):
You know, they were put in asylums.
They were they were put away.
And and there's a part of me that,
so growing up,
that was absolutely a part of, like our upbringing and our,
access to our community being exposed.
Right? Like to lots of different people.
(13:40):
The thing that is striking me in this moment
that's making me a little sad is,
man, we haven't changed enough.
That's in the last 40 years, almost.
I mean, I know there's been a lot of improvement,
but even hearing how you're talking and like,
there's something that's
just hitting my heart of,
I've heard
my parents
talk in very
similar ways back
when they were doing this work back in the 70s.
(14:02):
So I just really appreciate what you're doing.
And every human has a greatness in them,
and every human deserves to be seen and loved and cheered on.
And, And it's real easy.
It can be real easy to,
just pretend like some people aren't there
(14:23):
and to not pour into them.
So I'm really grateful for the work you're doing.
Luci.
At the end of our conversation, I want to make sure
that we capture all of the great organizations
you're working with,
and make sure that we give people
an opportunity
to be able to make donations or whatever that might look like.
But before we get there.
So I just want you to know that I want to
I do want to make sure
(14:44):
that we capture that information for show notes.
Who inspires you
to keep moving, to keep showing up
and helping one person at a time?
My mother.
What's her name?
Yvonne.
Ivone.
(15:04):
Okay. Tell me about your mom.
I.V.O.N.E.
Z.A.B.I.B.U. Ivone Zabibu.
They call her Mama Africa.
My mother raised me as a single mother.
And I tell you, Sarah, this lady
with the third grade level of education.
(15:26):
Oh, boy.
She sound like she's got ten PhD.
Yes.
Growing up was a little challenge for me.
She couldn't help,
you know, explain most of my assignment, homework and stuff,
but she is a hard working lady
with a Golden Heart.
People will call her from Africa.
We need school fees.
She'll send, even people who don’t know.
(15:47):
Mama Ivone, my name is so-and-so.
My wife is having a baby.
We don't have money for the hospital fees, she'll send there.
And so, you know, I watch her doing this, working two jobs,
you know, supporting me and her siblings back home.
She never once complained,
and she never expect anything in return.
(16:09):
This is why some people say, Luci, you too busy.
When are you going to take a break?
And I'm like, hey, do you know who my mom is?
She's almost 80 years old.
She's still going.
You keep going.
Keep doing. Why not me?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What a beautiful continuation of her legacy.
Like, you know, yeah.
And, and I imagine that there's some amount of,
(16:32):
you're so aware
of how much she poured into you
and so many others
that it's like you want to pay it forward as well.
I don't know if that's true,
but that's just an assumption I’m making in hearing you talk.
She’ll usually go with me to serve the, homeless.
She donated clothing every event I have.
Mom will be there at this age, 75 years old.
I love it, I love that so very much.
(16:56):
So, Luci, there are going to be,
you know, hopefully
loads of people who are going to be listening
to this conversation.
They're going to be
people who are going to learn about the work
you're doing because of the award
you were nominated for at the event,
and all the publicity that the Girl Scouts of Iowa does.
So for people who are listening to this,
(17:17):
what would be one message you want to leave somebody with?
Uplift one another.
Be the woman of change.
Let's save the future.
Our baby, our children.
They are the futures.
(17:38):
I'm sure you've probably seen 1
or 2 individuals
with mental challenge
working at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's.
They’re wiping tables, the taking the trash out.
They goes.
There's something already.
Praise them.
Stop them, just tap them on the shoulder.
Hey. Good job. Thank you.
That's all.
Yeah, I love it.
(17:59):
I love it to be the woman of change.
Help one person at a time
feels so simple and needed, especially right now.
And I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed
with the uncertainty, of the world we're in.
Luci, for people who want to learn more about the amazing
work you do,
where should they go to
learn more about the work you do with your foundation?
(18:23):
The work you do with your day care that you've.
I mean, there's so many things.
And I was like, you're
you're doing so much
and I want the list of of how we can support you.
What's the best way for people to connect with you and learn
more about the work you're doing?
Through the website.
Or they can call my cell phone directly.
Yeah. I love that.
Well, we’ll connect them to the website.
(18:43):
And then that'll be. Yeah.
Yeah, that'll be the best way to connect them.
I don't,
I don't know that we want to publish your like personal cell.
No, website.
There's one way to start or my email address.
Anybody can shoot me an email if they'd like to learn more.
Yeah.
And, there's a lot to do here.
I encourage everyone to do once a month.
I do it every weekend.
(19:05):
Just drive around downtown Iowa City, hand out a donut at one
French vanilla or something, used blanket or a t shirt.
It might, to you it might It might not be something wow.
But to other people might be.
That's just what they need at that moment.
Something that we might take for granted to other people
is something that they really, really need at that moment.
(19:27):
Yeah,
and I'm sure
everyone have that odd pair of shoes in the closet, sweater,
an old blanket. Please do not throw it away.
Somebody need it.
I it was such a gift to talk with you.
I know we ran into some technical issues to get here,
but I'm so glad that we got here, and I am.
I am deeply grateful for the people who nominated you.
(19:51):
And I cannot wait to be your cheerleader.
And support you and all the work you do as you are recognized
for just this incredible life that you're leading.
So thank you so much, Luci, for coming and talking with us.
The 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa event will be held
on May 9th at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.
(20:14):
To purchase tickets
and get more information about supporting this event, please
visit Inspiring Women of Iowa dot com and all proceeds
from this fundraising event stay 100% local
to benefit Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and their mission
to build up girls of courage, confidence
and character who will make this world a better place.
(20:36):
Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.
Welcome to the Inspiring Women of Iowa podcast,
a special series
amplifying the stories of the Inspiring Women of Iowa Finalists.
Inspiring Women of Iowa is an annual event hosted by Girl
Scouts of Greater
Iowa with the goal of celebrating women of courage,
confidence and character who are making the world
(00:27):
a better place.
Why does that sound familiar?
Well, because it also happens
to be the mission of the Girl Scouts,
where they believe society is better because strong
women show girls that anything is possible.
This event was created by Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa in 2017
to celebrate women in our community
(00:48):
and share their stories, while raising support
for the Girl Scout programs
that build the next generation of inspiring women.
16 individuals are celebrated annually with the Courage,
Confidence, Character and Inspiring Advocate for Women Awards.
I'm your host, Sarah Noll Wilson.
I am a business owner, a champion of women, and I'm
(01:10):
also a proud Girl Scout alum.
So massive love to troop 238.
And I am honored to have the chance to speak with these amazing,
inspiring women and to share their stories with you.
Joining me today is Luci M Mordecai,
(01:30):
who is the CEO and founder
of ABBA's
International Healing Center Incorporated,
and she has been nominated
for the Inspiring Advocate of Women award.
Thanks for joining me, Luci.
Thank you for having me, Sarah.
So, Luci, before we get into the work,
you do the award you were nominated for.
(01:50):
What else do you.
What should we know about you as a person?
As a person?
I’m not special, or a hero.
No, I don't believe that one bit.
I am just a single mother.
On top of that, an immigrant
(02:12):
who understand what it means to be new
and who understand the importance of
helping hands and a community.
Oh, yeah. So you're.
So you're not just anything.
You're an incredible mother who's also doing incredible
work for people who are
largely under attack right now, which is pretty significant.
(02:36):
Yeah.
Talk to us about your journey and the work that you do.
Yeah. I'm just curious.
When I was reading your bio
and learning more about your organization.
I was just curious about
what was the journey of where you started to
the work you're doing now.
The work that I'm doing now.
(02:57):
Right after I graduated, graduating from high school,
I did, well, I went to college.
I work for Systems Unlimited,
and I'm still working there part time.
And, you know, we serve individuals with Sorry.
Yeah. Thank you.
I was going to say, just to clarify,
like for those of us
who are unfamiliar, what Systems Unlimited is.
(03:18):
Yeah, it's, a nonprofit organization also.
We provide care to individuals with, mental challenge.
So along the way, at first
I wanted to be a social worker,
and I have a degree in social worker.
But my heart, it wasn’t there.
So I went back to school and I studied mental health.
And here I am.
(03:39):
Along the way, I, I learned that mental health topic
is not something that you bring to a dinner table
in an African community or African household.
They just don't talk about it.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, they don't talk about it.
And so I decided to go a little deeper.
(04:00):
I was
able to
visit a few country in Africa, different countries in Africa
and collect information and different opinions.
And there a lot of explanation why is this and that?
And I came back home in 2012, coming from Rwanda
and the country of Rwanda is, you know,
what happened there in 1994.
(04:20):
These guys, they're just dealing with a lot of trauma
because of what they went through.
And I'm like, oh my God, something needs to be done.
We have to do something really, you know?
So I came back, start talking to different friends
and families and like,
you know, a lot of people didn't like the idea.
First they were like, no, you're crazy.
(04:41):
And nobody will listen to you.
Imagine working with someone with mental challenge and,
in Africa, no, there's no such a thing.
This is a taboo abomination.
And I'm like, oh,
the stigma is just unbearable.
And,
these individuals with the mental challenge are back home,
(05:02):
the family abandoned them on the street.
They don't get enough food to eat.
The female ones with mental challenge, and they're being raped.
And the result of some of those rapes, babies,
and they’re sleeping under the bridge and abandoned churches.
This is why, Sarah, I'm like, you know what?
Either you stand with me or I stand alone.
(05:24):
And so I decided to do something, and.
Yeah,
yeah, I just couldn’t stand by
and not doing anything, and, God is so good.
Ten years later on public health
through University of Iowa, they call me.
One of the professors there attended one of my, events.
(05:45):
I was being honored once again, and she was like, I need you.
I need you to train for, PM Plus.
It's a problem management classes.
So they train you for a couple of weeks.
And the little knowledge we gain, we use that to cope
and help the new immigrant families in the community.
Yeah, there's a couple of things I'm really curious about,
(06:07):
but the the first is how did people receive you
when you went over to Africa for your fact finding mission
and to have these conversations and to talk to people?
When we were on a technical break,
you said about 95% of people sort of laughed at you.
Yeah.
So I'm curious about the reaction.
And I'm also curious about the like the people who
(06:28):
maybe felt seen by you, and the work you're doing.
So a majority of the people want nothing to do with.
People in power, like ministry, they called,
they called themselves a minister of health, doctors.
I, you know, I met with them.
I spend days with them observing how they do, how they treat,
you know, client.
They're like, madame, we’ll
(06:49):
give you the right to do your business, you know, whatever.
But do not expect any money from us,
any contribution whatsoever.
I was like, wow.
Yeah.
And,
sometimes I just said thank you for allowing me to be here.
You know,
being there was already
some sort of hope and and some sort of encouragement,
(07:12):
like being welcome, but they just want nothing to do with it.
Yeah.
And then I have something to do with, one stigma,
two different cultures and belief.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Were there people like how I, I, I could imagine,
and I don't know if this is accurate or not, that there was,
(07:33):
there were some people
who maybe really appreciated what you were trying to do.
Yeah.
The educated ones,
and the ones that had been able
to visit like Western countries, they can understand, but
it's just
they never had a courage or motivation to do something about it
because of the cultures, and then different gods and all that.
(07:55):
Yeah.
And which we believe I'm not there due to any religion.
I respect everyone who believes in religion and culture,
but it's just sometimes hard to explain to them, hey,
God is real and science is real also.
Yeah, both things can be true.
Oh yeah. What what pushes you?
You know, you talk about how you
(08:16):
it takes an act of courage to show up
and to say, hey, I think we need to be talking about this
that we don't want to talk about.
I think we need to be treating people with, who are experiencing
very real, very real medical challenges.
What drives you to keep moving forward?
Thank you. Sarah. That's amazing question.
(08:37):
Thank you. I'm glad you asked this.
So, while we were still living in Africa,
before we came to America,
one of my auntie, Mama Asha, we call her Mama Asha.
She had a son, my cousin.
He was, you know, he was special.
People made fun of him.
The family never really treated him like he was a human being.
(09:01):
And Sarah, I tell you, he died a horrible death.
That nobody knew what happened to him.
Yeah, and up
until now, I still don't know exactly what happened to him.
And, just sometimes I, I like to believe
that maybe he was hungry and he stole food,
and they beat him up to death and dump his body somewhere,
(09:22):
you know, so his condition became some, some sort of, insult.
People would refer to him by his condition.
They would call not by his name, by his condition.
So that's number one.
And number two,
I think God, this is was God’s way of preparing me
because my son, Michael,
(09:43):
he was born in 2014 with the challenge also.
And if I didn't
know better, Sarah,
I can only imagine how I would have treated him.
Oh, yeah.
Family members and friends, how they would have treated him.
Because when Michael was born,
I decided to keep away from some of the family member
who refused to understand, you know.
(10:04):
Yeah.
So we just distance ourself from it.
Yeah. Yeah.
It's it,
you know, when I read your bio online,
one of the things that struck me,
I was just a really simple word
and how you describe yourself
as not only being somebody
who supports them from a practitioner perspective,
but you're like, I'm
going to be your cheerleader all, like, all the time.
(10:26):
And knowing your background
and knowing that experience with your aunt and your cousin.
I mean, it makes sense
how and why you're so passionate about making sure
those people are seen, making sure
that they're treated like humans because they are.
And and having the support and love that they deserve.
When you think about,
(10:48):
I like I could talk to you for an hour
and we don't have an hour.
So I'm gonna just
when you think about.
The work you're doing
and the work you want to do, whether it's through the support
that you provide, for new family
(11:10):
immigrants, whether it's the work through your organization
of creating more access
to resources from a mental health perspective,
whether it is
supporting individuals with varying levels of disabilities,
what's the impact that you hope to make?
(11:30):
I always believe in helping one person at a time.
Sarah, I don't expect
a major changes to one's lifestyle.
But even if I could make only 1% or 2% of it.
Like as as simple as tie your shoes, tie your shoelace,
get out of the bed, brush.
Any thing.
(11:51):
Oh, yeah, I rather keep.
I would do it every day, over and over and over again
because until you know someone
or you live with that particular individual
with the mental challenge,
Sarah, you have no idea how hard this could be.
And this is one of the reason why in 2020,
I opened a childcare called Mama Luci's Childcare.
(12:14):
And I usually receive a lot of children
with special needs because No, but,
89% of the childcare around here, at home provider,
they want nothing to do with special needs kids.
One, they, you know, take up a lot of your patient and time
and they're not getting paid enough.
So for me, it's not about money.
(12:35):
It’s all about being you know, it's all about being fair
and treating
these little kids fair because nobody asked for this condition.
Nobody wanted to be a dependent, you know,
especially children.
They didn't ask for. So,
you know.
It.
I'm struck I'm struck a little bit.
So, my parents, when they met, they worked at an organization
(12:59):
back home in Dubuque.
So this would have been decades ago
called Area Residential Care.
And they were two of the people who fought
to bring essentially group homes to Iowa,
because before then, individuals who were right
identified as special needs or having,
physical and intellectual disabilities.
(13:20):
You know, they were put in asylums.
They were they were put away.
And and there's a part of me that,
so growing up,
that was absolutely a part of, like our upbringing and our,
access to our community being exposed.
Right? Like to lots of different people.
(13:40):
The thing that is striking me in this moment
that's making me a little sad is,
man, we haven't changed enough.
That's in the last 40 years, almost.
I mean, I know there's been a lot of improvement,
but even hearing how you're talking and like,
there's something that's
just hitting my heart of,
I've heard
my parents
talk in very
similar ways back
when they were doing this work back in the 70s.
(14:02):
So I just really appreciate what you're doing.
And every human has a greatness in them,
and every human deserves to be seen and loved and cheered on.
And, And it's real easy.
It can be real easy to,
just pretend like some people aren't there
(14:23):
and to not pour into them.
So I'm really grateful for the work you're doing.
Luci.
At the end of our conversation, I want to make sure
that we capture all of the great organizations
you're working with,
and make sure that we give people
an opportunity
to be able to make donations or whatever that might look like.
But before we get there.
So I just want you to know that I want to
I do want to make sure
(14:44):
that we capture that information for show notes.
Who inspires you
to keep moving, to keep showing up
and helping one person at a time?
My mother.
What's her name?
Yvonne.
Ivone.
(15:04):
Okay. Tell me about your mom.
I.V.O.N.E.
Z.A.B.I.B.U. Ivone Zabibu.
They call her Mama Africa.
My mother raised me as a single mother.
And I tell you, Sarah, this lady
with the third grade level of education.
(15:26):
Oh, boy.
She sound like she's got ten PhD.
Yes.
Growing up was a little challenge for me.
She couldn't help,
you know, explain most of my assignment, homework and stuff,
but she is a hard working lady
with a Golden Heart.
People will call her from Africa.
We need school fees.
She'll send, even people who don’t know.
(15:47):
Mama Ivone, my name is so-and-so.
My wife is having a baby.
We don't have money for the hospital fees, she'll send there.
And so, you know, I watch her doing this, working two jobs,
you know, supporting me and her siblings back home.
She never once complained,
and she never expect anything in return.
(16:09):
This is why some people say, Luci, you too busy.
When are you going to take a break?
And I'm like, hey, do you know who my mom is?
She's almost 80 years old.
She's still going.
You keep going.
Keep doing. Why not me?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
What a beautiful continuation of her legacy.
Like, you know, yeah.
And, and I imagine that there's some amount of,
(16:32):
you're so aware
of how much she poured into you
and so many others
that it's like you want to pay it forward as well.
I don't know if that's true,
but that's just an assumption I’m making in hearing you talk.
She’ll usually go with me to serve the, homeless.
She donated clothing every event I have.
Mom will be there at this age, 75 years old.
I love it, I love that so very much.
(16:56):
So, Luci, there are going to be,
you know, hopefully
loads of people who are going to be listening
to this conversation.
They're going to be
people who are going to learn about the work
you're doing because of the award
you were nominated for at the event,
and all the publicity that the Girl Scouts of Iowa does.
So for people who are listening to this,
(17:17):
what would be one message you want to leave somebody with?
Uplift one another.
Be the woman of change.
Let's save the future.
Our baby, our children.
They are the futures.
(17:38):
I'm sure you've probably seen 1
or 2 individuals
with mental challenge
working at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's.
They’re wiping tables, the taking the trash out.
They goes.
There's something already.
Praise them.
Stop them, just tap them on the shoulder.
Hey. Good job. Thank you.
That's all.
Yeah, I love it.
(17:59):
I love it to be the woman of change.
Help one person at a time
feels so simple and needed, especially right now.
And I think a lot of people feel overwhelmed
with the uncertainty, of the world we're in.
Luci, for people who want to learn more about the amazing
work you do,
where should they go to
learn more about the work you do with your foundation?
(18:23):
The work you do with your day care that you've.
I mean, there's so many things.
And I was like, you're
you're doing so much
and I want the list of of how we can support you.
What's the best way for people to connect with you and learn
more about the work you're doing?
Through the website.
Or they can call my cell phone directly.
Yeah. I love that.
Well, we’ll connect them to the website.
(18:43):
And then that'll be. Yeah.
Yeah, that'll be the best way to connect them.
I don't,
I don't know that we want to publish your like personal cell.
No, website.
There's one way to start or my email address.
Anybody can shoot me an email if they'd like to learn more.
Yeah.
And, there's a lot to do here.
I encourage everyone to do once a month.
I do it every weekend.
(19:05):
Just drive around downtown Iowa City, hand out a donut at one
French vanilla or something, used blanket or a t shirt.
It might, to you it might It might not be something wow.
But to other people might be.
That's just what they need at that moment.
Something that we might take for granted to other people
is something that they really, really need at that moment.
(19:27):
Yeah,
and I'm sure
everyone have that odd pair of shoes in the closet, sweater,
an old blanket. Please do not throw it away.
Somebody need it.
I it was such a gift to talk with you.
I know we ran into some technical issues to get here,
but I'm so glad that we got here, and I am.
I am deeply grateful for the people who nominated you.
(19:51):
And I cannot wait to be your cheerleader.
And support you and all the work you do as you are recognized
for just this incredible life that you're leading.
So thank you so much, Luci, for coming and talking with us.
The 2025 Inspiring Women of Iowa event will be held
on May 9th at the Meadows Events and Conference Center.
(20:14):
To purchase tickets
and get more information about supporting this event, please
visit Inspiring Women of Iowa dot com and all proceeds
from this fundraising event stay 100% local
to benefit Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa and their mission
to build up girls of courage, confidence
and character who will make this world a better place.
(20:36):
Thank you for listening and thank you for your support.
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