September 10, 2023 • 31 mins
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.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to.
So you Want to Move to theCountry and Raise Goats?
This podcast features storiesfrom people who have gone
through change.
We hope that their insightswill help you better understand
and deal with the changes inyour life.
I'm Peggy Kanick and, alongwith my co-host, catherine
(00:21):
Greiva, we chat with insightfulpeople with interesting change
stories.
We hope you enjoy our podcast.
Mary M Asumi is an Afghanrefugee.
She grew up in Pakistan andAfghanistan and was free to
explore her interests, includinga university education,
languages, the arts andjournalism.
(00:42):
She worked in media and was theleader of an all-female music
group called Sound ofAfghanistan in Kabul.
Her interests and harmlessactivities like singing and
being a Hazara woman, apersecuted ethnic minority in
Afghanistan, made her a targetand put her life in danger.
In August of 2021, when theTaliban seized control of
(01:05):
Afghanistan.
Feeling scared and hopeless forher future, she knew that she
had to face a huge change andleave the country.
It was a tense and dangerousescape.
Her story is one of standingtall and embracing change,
although difficult and dangerous.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
We are thrilled to have Mary M Asumi join us today
on our podcast.
Mary M is recent citizen ofSaskatoon.
She arrived here in August of2021 and actually under some
very difficult circumstances.
Mary, you're from Afghanistan.
(01:46):
Tell us about your life beforeyou arrived in Saskatoon and
what it was like living inAfghanistan as a young person.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Hi everyone.
My name is Mary M Asumi.
As you know, I'm originallyfrom Afghanistan.
I studied educationaladministration at Kabul
University and I graduated fromMurphud High School and beside
my study I was working as amusic assistant at the music
(02:18):
department at Murphud HighSchool, and Murphud High School
has a TV station and also aradio like a podcast.
So I have been there for almostfour years that I was working
beside my studies and then lifewas normal there and we were all
(02:41):
happy and I was a singer there.
Actually, I have so many songsand I sang songs and all of our
songs are about women's power,women's right, peace, education,
freedom and entertainment.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So would you consider yourself a musician, mary?
You taught music.
You were a singer.
Is that how you'd kind ofdefine yourself?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, as an artist.
As an artist, yeah, and becausewe had a music group called
Sound of Afghanistan and I wascoaching and somehow managing
and coordinating all thisceremony that we have in our
school and all the otherprograms that we had, and we
(03:34):
were invited other TV shows thatwe had our songs for kids and
for other women and so, yeah,that was my background from
Afghanistan and I was alsoreally interested in journalism.
So that's why I have beenworking for, I think, three to
(03:55):
four years in radio.
We called Radio Merford and Iwas hosting a program there.
So it was on August 15 thatTaliban says the control of
Afghanistan, and I was in mywork at Downisters it was like a
TV station and I was workingthere and suddenly our financial
(04:19):
manager came downstairs and hejust announced just grab your
bag soon and just go to yourhome.
This one was like because hesaid that Taliban entered the
Kabul.
It was a shocking news foreveryone and everyone was so
frustrated.
So we just run away to our home.
(04:40):
And me and my friend when wewere running to our home we saw
lots of people that they were sohopeless and everyone like
running to their home andeveryone was so sad about this
news.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So you said you were shocked.
So, as a community, there wassounds like there was no hints
or no indication that theTaliban was planning this really
invading your city.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Because Taliban are against to this activities and,
as I said, I was a singer thereand they're like, completely
against to the women's activity,women's work, women's right.
So that was the biggest fear ofmyself to hide myself from
Taliban.
And we have lots of songs onsocial media that's why.
(05:36):
So I just had hit myself tohome and I couldn't go outside
and we were waiting for like foran opportunity.
I have applied so many like.
I have sent so many emails todifferent organizations and
different embassies to like tolike came out to my country and
no one get response to my emails.
(06:00):
And one of my teacher atMurphath High School he called
me one day because I was theleader and coordinator for the
singing group and he called meMariam, could you please collect
their IDs, like the girls' IDs,and their informations?
We wanna have a group of girlstoo.
We can help them to come outfrom the country and like it's
(06:22):
somehow they were responsiblefor this group that they help us
to sing those songs and to havethat activity.
And then I collected and weorganized this group and after
that they said that we can helpthe family as well and it was a
(06:42):
good news and it's a hope forall the group that we were
scaping from there and they it'sthrough my teacher, he was he
introduced me to anotherorganizations it's called 30
Bird Foundations and all oftheir members based in America,
(07:03):
usa, usa, and they help us toscape from Afghanistan.
They said you have to go toanother city of Afghanistan
which called Mazari Sharif andfrom there you would have a
flight.
And then, because we were a biggroup, about 200 people, and
then I just divided all of this200 people in a small group so
(07:26):
Taliban could recognize us andthen we start our journey from
there.
We went to another city ofAfghanistan and we faced with
many checkpoints of Taliban,which was so scary and so like,
like it was a terrible momentfor me and for my family and
everyone arrived at the night inMazari Sharif, the other city
(07:49):
of Afghanistan, and about twoweeks we stayed there and yeah,
but there was no good news aboutthe flight because the Taliban
that they were, they have theysupposed to have that flight.
They didn't allow us to havethat flight.
And then the 30 Bird Foundationthey say that you have to go
(08:12):
back to Kabul and from Kabul youhave to go to another city
called Jalalabad, which is theborder between Afghanistan and
Pakistan, and from there youhave to cross the border with
the gate passes that theyprovide for me and for all of
the group and it was like sohard to me to like tell this
(08:36):
news to all the other familiesbecause it's a bad situation for
everyone and it's hard to getfrom that city again to Kabul
and from Kabul to that.
It's a long journey, yeah, andthen we started again our
journey from Mazari Sharif, wewent again to Kabul, which we
faced with many checkpoints, andwe Taliban just came to our bus
(08:59):
, we got the buses and with thelong guns and like in a bad
situation, and we just hide our,like our faces.
I put mask and long, like a warlong hijab so they couldn't
recognize us, as we had lots ofsongs on social media.
(09:19):
So we, yeah, we went to Kabuland from Kabul we went to
Jalalabad and it was early inthe morning on September I think
15, yeah, september 15, earlyin the morning.
We arrived at the border and wewere not sure about the gate
passes that they provide for usand I just showed, we just
(09:43):
showed our gate passes and then,because they don't have any
education, they just see our IDsand their names and they just
asked us where are you going?
And then I we say that my momis sick and we are going to
Pakistan just for like treatment.
And then they said, okay, youcan go.
There was a three gates to atthe border and we crossed the
(10:06):
first gate and we were so likescared on that moment.
I couldn't like imagine thatmoment again in my life.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
So, maryam, it sounds like you were while you were.
You were hiding, so it had tobe a very covert everything that
you were doing.
So a lot of fear throughout.
Talk to me a little bit aboutresilience, like how did you
keep yourself going through allof that, knowing that something
(10:40):
could happen, that you might benoticed or caught?
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Because it was the only solution that we had.
On that time.
We, we, we tried to go toairport on that time, as you
know the situation of theairport in Afghanistan, and
there was so many people thatthey were trying to get out of
the like the country, and theydid that.
We went to airport and we wewant to show our like IDs and
(11:09):
all my documents to like thelike the American, like people
that they were there and all theother solars that they were
there.
But I couldn't find any way tolike to arrive there to show my
documents and then they, on theway that we were going back to
(11:30):
home, I hear that there was abomb blasting on that place that
we were there.
So it was only the solutionthat we have to have this, this,
yeah, like to have this journey, and if we stayed there, they,
I'm sure that they they gonnalike find us and they gonna like
investigate us.
(11:50):
So that's why we choose thisthis way.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So change was forced upon you very quickly, like
within hours.
You were thrust into hope.
Your day looked very differentby the end of the day when, when
you started out, I'm, I'mcurious because you knew that
the Taliban was, you know, much,very much against what you were
doing.
Was there some thinking, oh, ifthey come, here's what we're
(12:17):
going to do?
Was there any kind of thoughtto prepare for this change?
Or did you just respond onAugust 15th?
Here's what we do.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So yeah, because I never thought that this gonna
happening again, since, like, wehad the same things 20 years
ago and I was like I was so likesure about our presidents, you
know, and when our presidentescaped from the country, that
was like another things that wefaced, because we had a
(12:50):
president there and US, usa,people, that they were there and
everyone just left the countrysuddenly and we just it's like
all the things happening to us,to the people in Afghanistan,
yeah, so you really have tofigure it out and get to safety
(13:10):
as quickly as you could.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Yeah, so Mary did all .
200 people did they all.
Were they all able to leave?
Speaker 3 (13:23):
So yeah, so when we assured our get passes and I was
the leader for all this 200people and when I crossed, like
when I crossed the first andsecond gate, and I was like just
hide myself in a place and justsend the message to all the
group that this is the situation, how many checkpoints we have.
This is the process just showyour get passes and then in
(13:47):
three days, all this group justcrossed the border.
So when I crossed the border,we just when we arrived at the
main gate, there was a.
There were so many Talibanpeople and we were waiting for
the gate to open.
It was like we arrived there atsix o'clock and the gate will,
(14:09):
like would open on like at eighto'clock in the morning, and
then we were waiting for thatduring that time and we just
like they just separated, theyjust make it two lines women and
men and then, when it's whenthey open the gate and everyone,
(14:31):
like just crossing the border,just show their IDs and like the
gate passes.
And when we arrived at the maingate, that that that like that
side was Pakistan and this sidewas Afghanistan, we just I just
showed our gate passes and thenthey know it because they had
already, like the Pakistanipeople, they had already our
(14:53):
names.
And then they just ask it youcan go.
And then that was so like howshould I tell that moment?
Because that moment that I feellike I reborn, because it was a
pressure before that, that Iwas under control of Taliban,
and it somehow said for me thatI was leaving my country on that
(15:15):
time and everyone like it'ssomehow like we were crying and
then, yeah, and then we crossedthe border and I was on that
side.
We had a like we had to processall the like they, they, they
were entering, like thePakistani people, they entered,
(15:35):
like on our IDs to go toIslamabad.
And then I was there from earlyin 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 forthe rest of the group.
And then we had buses fromthere to Islamabad and finally
(15:56):
we arrived to Islamabad inPakistan, and about one month we
stayed there, we did all of thebiometric and medical checkup
there and on October 15, we hadour flight from Islamabad to
Canada, to Calgary, and thenfrom Calgary we had another
flight to Saskatoon, which was agreat moment for us to like to
(16:20):
come to Canada, and we hadmembers and members from Turkey
Bird Foundation, theorganization that they help us
to come here, and lots of peoplewere there like from Open Door
Society, from Saskatoon PoliceService and many other people.
They were like welcome us atthe airport, which was a great
(16:40):
moment for everyone.
And yeah, and I couldn't, likeI will not forget this moment.
So, yeah, and then we start ourlife in Canada.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I just want to go back for a minute, Maryam, what
you talked about you wereleaving 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 inyour voice at the reborn, but
there must have been such asadness about leaving the
(17:14):
country that you loved.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Yeah, because I like myself, I really like my
homeland and my home country andI had so many good memories
from Afghanistan and it'ssomehow like a sad moment for me
to leave my country behind.
If you don't have any Taliban,I would like prefer our own
(17:38):
country.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So Maryam, it sounds like you became the leader of
this group.
Did you ever think that youwould be called on on to take on
such a leadership role?
Speaker 3 (17:53):
No, as I like, as I said, everything happened
suddenly and when I collecttheir IDs and did all this like
communication and organized thisgroup.
So when I was in Islamabad andtalked with the embassies, the
Canadian embassies, and did allthis stuff and it was not easy,
you know, you have to hideyourself and you don't need like
(18:16):
you have to put your hide, yourphone, to don't like let
Taliban take because they werechecking or like the phone, and
I just hide my phone and justsending messages, like in a high
, in a secure way, which was noteasy for me, and we had 20
people behind me that they werecalling.
(18:37):
What is the process?
Where are you, how should weget there?
And lots of this like thisstress things, which was not
easy for me.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So now, so you arrived and tell us a little bit
about the process of of change.
What was your reaction likewhen you reached Canada?
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So when I was in Islamabad, I hear about
Saskatoon City and I searched inGoogle 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 soshocking for us with this
(19:25):
extremely cold weather here.
Yeah, we had cold like winterin Afghanistan, but not like
this.
And Saskatoon is like so coldit's minus 14.
And we had lots of training andlots of zoom meetings from
global gathering, from SIA, fromOpen Door that they were
talking about like just havegloves, have like warm jackets,
(19:50):
because it's going to be so coldand you're going to like if you
don't wear those things, you'regoing to like it's going to be
black and so many that is.
And we were so scared that whyit's so cold, why we came here.
And then, beside this, it'strue that now, on that time we
(20:11):
were safe and we have a goodlife here, but beside this, it
was a like big culture shock forme and for all this group.
You know, we came from acountry and then start a new
life here.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So you really have responded to the calling of
being a leader of these 200people.
But, as you say, there wasincredible stress that they were
feeling and they were puttingit on you.
And where have you gone foryour strength and support?
(20:48):
How do you reach out to othersto help you?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Because I have my mom and my brother and my sister,
so my only support was my mom.
She was always encouraging mebecause during the way we were
just four people fromAfghanistan to Canada and my mom
was like she's just great andshe was always encouraging me
and all the other members in ourgroup were also supporting me
(21:24):
and also I have the singinggroup and the martial arts group
and they were so supportiveduring the way and during when
we came here.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
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 thefood, the transportation?
Probably your kitchen looksvery different than it did at
(21:57):
home.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
So yeah, as I said, it was a big culture shock for
us.
And so once we get here and wewere under support of government
and government had monthlyincome support and when I see
that support it was not enoughfor us, for me and for my family
(22:22):
and I have to make money and Ihave to work and the big
challenge that we had on thattime our language barrier and
all the environment and the foodand the people.
But people were so nice andkind and they help us a lot to
(22:42):
settle in Saskatoon and yeah.
So I was searching lots of likejob opportunities and I found
my first job and I started fromTeam Heartlands, from like the
Canadian coffee shop, andbecause I had no idea about any
coffee, any like smoothies inAfghanistan we just have like
(23:06):
green tea and black tea, buthere we have lots of coffee,
lots of smoothie and it wassomehow hard for me to learn
those things.
And, like I was not sure aboutthe currency Canadian currency
how should I get back tocustomers?
Because I was like hired inlike for a frown counter.
I have to be like serve peoplelike customers.
(23:29):
And then it was somehow hard tolearn those things.
But during the time during theday, like passing day by day.
I have learned a lot from TeamHeartland and from, like, my
colleague in Team Heartland, andthen that was not like a job
that I would really want to dolike in the future.
As I said, I really interestedin journalism and my background
(23:53):
is I have lots of experience injournalism and media.
So that's why I just search andlook around.
And first, when I came toCanada and when I arrived to the
airport and I saw the opendoors stuff, they were like
(24:13):
white shirts with like with abeautiful logo circle with
colorful word circle.
And then I say to myself thatthey were helping us and I want
to help other people as well.
So I sent my resume and CV toOpen Door Society and then they
had, I had an interview withwith Open Door Society and then
(24:37):
when they checked my background,like my, like my leadership
skills and they then they hiredme as a youth program
facilitator, which was a great,and I started last year from
June 9.
And then, yeah, so after that Iwas looking for a media job and
journalism job as well.
And then I found CFCR, thecommunity radio, and I got.
(25:02):
I sent my proposal to thedirector there and then they,
when they review my proposal,they accept my proposal and then
they, like, I got a show inCFCR.
So now I have a show on theweekend and I call my show, my
name, my show Kabul John, whichmeans dear Kabul, and I played
(25:26):
like Afghani music, and I talkin Derry in Persian and as well
in English, and I feel so goodthere.
Believe me, I feel like a home.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
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, thinkingabout that is, I think, about
yourself that surprised you, atwhat you learned about yourself.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah, so the things that I have learned about me
it's like I never lose my hopebecause it's a big change from
Afghanistan, came fromAfghanistan to Canada.
And it's like a depressingthings for me and I got lots of
stress, lots of depress when Ihear news about Afghanistan and
(26:21):
it's like I just logged myFacebook because I couldn't see
the news there and, yeah, I justfocused on my skills there and
I have I learned, like I readthe SGI driving book and I
passed my SGI, like the writtentest, and I got my learner.
(26:43):
I got like I bought a car formy family because it was somehow
hard in winter to get the businside.
The buses go like everywhere.
So that's why I try hard, likeI work hard in team hard times
and I make money and then Ibought a car.
So, yeah, it's somehowchallengeable for me.
(27:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Well, it's a remarkable story you have.
Do you feel settled now?
Do you feel like this is home?
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Yes, I do so.
Now I'm so happy because,beside my Open Door Society, I
got a job also in CBC, which isgreat for me.
It's the Radio Canada, likeRadio Canada, and I'm working
there like part-time.
I'm working in Open DoorSociety and also I'm working as
(27:37):
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 dayI learn a lot from them.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
You have any advice for people that are making you
know, making change in theirlife that's thrust upon them,
that they didn't choose?
Speaker 3 (28:07):
So yeah, as I have experience, like I wanna say to
never lose your hope, just staystrong and just make to learn a
lot and like, make yourcommunications and networking a
lot, because by the networkingyou will have lots of things,
(28:28):
lots of opportunities.
You know, and, yeah, just tryhard, you will get whatever you
want.
Yeah, just never lose your hope, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Well, what a remarkable story, Maryam.
It's just you know, I gotta saywe're just so glad that you
landed in Saskatoon.
I've heard your story, I'velistened to you in the media and
we're just thrilled that alsothat you could join us on our
podcast today.
So thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
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 thatthey're gonna kill me, they're
gonna kill us, and because Idon't have my father, my father
(29:23):
passed away like four years agoand 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 mybrother, where are you going?
And yeah, it was a terriblemoment.
I can't talk about that moment.
It was so hard for me and formy family on that time.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
I think also, you know you talked about the
bureaucracies, the foundationthat was there to help, and yet
the 30 Birds Foundation, and yetthey.
You had to go back, you know,to back into, back to
Afghanistan, back to the city,and you just don't think about
(30:11):
the aid organizations andprobably how challenging it is
for them to navigate all of this, but the bureaucracy that you
have to go through to get tosafety.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Well, that was a very great story.
Thank you so much for sharingthat.
I think our listeners will befascinated by that, because you
know you hear the stories.
Well, there's people comingfrom Afghanistan and the planes
landed in Calgary or Toronto,but I don't think people can
(30:48):
really feel that they have anykind of true understanding of
what people have gone through.
If you've learned just onething about change while
listening to this podcast,please subscribe on Apple or
Spotify and share with a friendthis episode recorded via Zoom
(31:10):
Audio.
Producers Peggy Keneck andCatherine Greiba.
Executive producer, KeneckLeadership Advisory.
Theme music La Pompée writtenby Chris Harrington, music
publisher in Vato Market.
For information on this podcast, please visit wwwgetyourgoatca.
Welcome to.
So you Want to Move to theCountry and Raise Goats?
This podcast features storiesfrom people who have gone
through change.
We hope that their insightswill help you better understand
and deal with the changes inyour life.
I'm Peggy Kanick and, alongwith my co-host, catherine
(00:21):
Greiva, we chat with insightfulpeople with interesting change
stories.
We hope you enjoy our podcast.
Mary M Asumi is an Afghanrefugee.
She grew up in Pakistan andAfghanistan and was free to
explore her interests, includinga university education,
languages, the arts andjournalism.
(00:42):
She worked in media and was theleader of an all-female music
group called Sound ofAfghanistan in Kabul.
Her interests and harmlessactivities like singing and
being a Hazara woman, apersecuted ethnic minority in
Afghanistan, made her a targetand put her life in danger.
In August of 2021, when theTaliban seized control of
(01:05):
Afghanistan.
Feeling scared and hopeless forher future, she knew that she
had to face a huge change andleave the country.
It was a tense and dangerousescape.
Her story is one of standingtall and embracing change,
although difficult and dangerous.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
We are thrilled to have Mary M Asumi join us today
on our podcast.
Mary M is recent citizen ofSaskatoon.
She arrived here in August of2021 and actually under some
very difficult circumstances.
Mary, you're from Afghanistan.
(01:46):
Tell us about your life beforeyou arrived in Saskatoon and
what it was like living inAfghanistan as a young person.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Hi everyone.
My name is Mary M Asumi.
As you know, I'm originallyfrom Afghanistan.
I studied educationaladministration at Kabul
University and I graduated fromMurphud High School and beside
my study I was working as amusic assistant at the music
(02:18):
department at Murphud HighSchool, and Murphud High School
has a TV station and also aradio like a podcast.
So I have been there for almostfour years that I was working
beside my studies and then lifewas normal there and we were all
(02:41):
happy and I was a singer there.
Actually, I have so many songsand I sang songs and all of our
songs are about women's power,women's right, peace, education,
freedom and entertainment.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
So would you consider yourself a musician, mary?
You taught music.
You were a singer.
Is that how you'd kind ofdefine yourself?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, as an artist.
As an artist, yeah, and becausewe had a music group called
Sound of Afghanistan and I wascoaching and somehow managing
and coordinating all thisceremony that we have in our
school and all the otherprograms that we had, and we
(03:34):
were invited other TV shows thatwe had our songs for kids and
for other women and so, yeah,that was my background from
Afghanistan and I was alsoreally interested in journalism.
So that's why I have beenworking for, I think, three to
(03:55):
four years in radio.
We called Radio Merford and Iwas hosting a program there.
So it was on August 15 thatTaliban says the control of
Afghanistan, and I was in mywork at Downisters it was like a
TV station and I was workingthere and suddenly our financial
(04:19):
manager came downstairs and hejust announced just grab your
bag soon and just go to yourhome.
This one was like because hesaid that Taliban entered the
Kabul.
It was a shocking news foreveryone and everyone was so
frustrated.
So we just run away to our home.
(04:40):
And me and my friend when wewere running to our home we saw
lots of people that they were sohopeless and everyone like
running to their home andeveryone was so sad about this
news.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So you said you were shocked.
So, as a community, there wassounds like there was no hints
or no indication that theTaliban was planning this really
invading your city.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Because Taliban are against to this activities and,
as I said, I was a singer thereand they're like, completely
against to the women's activity,women's work, women's right.
So that was the biggest fear ofmyself to hide myself from
Taliban.
And we have lots of songs onsocial media that's why.
(05:36):
So I just had hit myself tohome and I couldn't go outside
and we were waiting for like foran opportunity.
I have applied so many like.
I have sent so many emails todifferent organizations and
different embassies to like tolike came out to my country and
no one get response to my emails.
(06:00):
And one of my teacher atMurphath High School he called
me one day because I was theleader and coordinator for the
singing group and he called meMariam, could you please collect
their IDs, like the girls' IDs,and their informations?
We wanna have a group of girlstoo.
We can help them to come outfrom the country and like it's
(06:22):
somehow they were responsiblefor this group that they help us
to sing those songs and to havethat activity.
And then I collected and weorganized this group and after
that they said that we can helpthe family as well and it was a
(06:42):
good news and it's a hope forall the group that we were
scaping from there and they it'sthrough my teacher, he was he
introduced me to anotherorganizations it's called 30
Bird Foundations and all oftheir members based in America,
(07:03):
usa, usa, and they help us toscape from Afghanistan.
They said you have to go toanother city of Afghanistan
which called Mazari Sharif andfrom there you would have a
flight.
And then, because we were a biggroup, about 200 people, and
then I just divided all of this200 people in a small group so
(07:26):
Taliban could recognize us andthen we start our journey from
there.
We went to another city ofAfghanistan and we faced with
many checkpoints of Taliban,which was so scary and so like,
like it was a terrible momentfor me and for my family and
everyone arrived at the night inMazari Sharif, the other city
(07:49):
of Afghanistan, and about twoweeks we stayed there and yeah,
but there was no good news aboutthe flight because the Taliban
that they were, they have theysupposed to have that flight.
They didn't allow us to havethat flight.
And then the 30 Bird Foundationthey say that you have to go
(08:12):
back to Kabul and from Kabul youhave to go to another city
called Jalalabad, which is theborder between Afghanistan and
Pakistan, and from there youhave to cross the border with
the gate passes that theyprovide for me and for all of
the group and it was like sohard to me to like tell this
(08:36):
news to all the other familiesbecause it's a bad situation for
everyone and it's hard to getfrom that city again to Kabul
and from Kabul to that.
It's a long journey, yeah, andthen we started again our
journey from Mazari Sharif, wewent again to Kabul, which we
faced with many checkpoints, andwe Taliban just came to our bus
(08:59):
, we got the buses and with thelong guns and like in a bad
situation, and we just hide our,like our faces.
I put mask and long, like a warlong hijab so they couldn't
recognize us, as we had lots ofsongs on social media.
(09:19):
So we, yeah, we went to Kabuland from Kabul we went to
Jalalabad and it was early inthe morning on September I think
15, yeah, september 15, earlyin the morning.
We arrived at the border and wewere not sure about the gate
passes that they provide for usand I just showed, we just
(09:43):
showed our gate passes and then,because they don't have any
education, they just see our IDsand their names and they just
asked us where are you going?
And then I we say that my momis sick and we are going to
Pakistan just for like treatment.
And then they said, okay, youcan go.
There was a three gates to atthe border and we crossed the
(10:06):
first gate and we were so likescared on that moment.
I couldn't like imagine thatmoment again in my life.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
So, maryam, it sounds like you were while you were.
You were hiding, so it had tobe a very covert everything that
you were doing.
So a lot of fear throughout.
Talk to me a little bit aboutresilience, like how did you
keep yourself going through allof that, knowing that something
(10:40):
could happen, that you might benoticed or caught?
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Because it was the only solution that we had.
On that time.
We, we, we tried to go toairport on that time, as you
know the situation of theairport in Afghanistan, and
there was so many people thatthey were trying to get out of
the like the country, and theydid that.
We went to airport and we wewant to show our like IDs and
(11:09):
all my documents to like thelike the American, like people
that they were there and all theother solars that they were
there.
But I couldn't find any way tolike to arrive there to show my
documents and then they, on theway that we were going back to
(11:30):
home, I hear that there was abomb blasting on that place that
we were there.
So it was only the solutionthat we have to have this, this,
yeah, like to have this journey, and if we stayed there, they,
I'm sure that they they gonnalike find us and they gonna like
investigate us.
(11:50):
So that's why we choose thisthis way.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
So change was forced upon you very quickly, like
within hours.
You were thrust into hope.
Your day looked very differentby the end of the day when, when
you started out, I'm, I'mcurious because you knew that
the Taliban was, you know, much,very much against what you were
doing.
Was there some thinking, oh, ifthey come, here's what we're
(12:17):
going to do?
Was there any kind of thoughtto prepare for this change?
Or did you just respond onAugust 15th?
Here's what we do.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
So yeah, because I never thought that this gonna
happening again, since, like, wehad the same things 20 years
ago and I was like I was so likesure about our presidents, you
know, and when our presidentescaped from the country, that
was like another things that wefaced, because we had a
(12:50):
president there and US, usa,people, that they were there and
everyone just left the countrysuddenly and we just it's like
all the things happening to us,to the people in Afghanistan,
yeah, so you really have tofigure it out and get to safety
(13:10):
as quickly as you could.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Yeah, so Mary did all .
200 people did they all.
Were they all able to leave?
Speaker 3 (13:23):
So yeah, so when we assured our get passes and I was
the leader for all this 200people and when I crossed, like
when I crossed the first andsecond gate, and I was like just
hide myself in a place and justsend the message to all the
group that this is the situation, how many checkpoints we have.
This is the process just showyour get passes and then in
(13:47):
three days, all this group justcrossed the border.
So when I crossed the border,we just when we arrived at the
main gate, there was a.
There were so many Talibanpeople and we were waiting for
the gate to open.
It was like we arrived there atsix o'clock and the gate will,
(14:09):
like would open on like at eighto'clock in the morning, and
then we were waiting for thatduring that time and we just
like they just separated, theyjust make it two lines women and
men and then, when it's whenthey open the gate and everyone,
(14:31):
like just crossing the border,just show their IDs and like the
gate passes.
And when we arrived at the maingate, that that that like that
side was Pakistan and this sidewas Afghanistan, we just I just
showed our gate passes and thenthey know it because they had
already, like the Pakistanipeople, they had already our
(14:53):
names.
And then they just ask it youcan go.
And then that was so like howshould I tell that moment?
Because that moment that I feellike I reborn, because it was a
pressure before that, that Iwas under control of Taliban,
and it somehow said for me thatI was leaving my country on that
(15:15):
time and everyone like it'ssomehow like we were crying and
then, yeah, and then we crossedthe border and I was on that
side.
We had a like we had to processall the like they, they, they
were entering, like thePakistani people, they entered,
(15:35):
like on our IDs to go toIslamabad.
And then I was there from earlyin 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 forthe rest of the group.
And then we had buses fromthere to Islamabad and finally
(15:56):
we arrived to Islamabad inPakistan, and about one month we
stayed there, we did all of thebiometric and medical checkup
there and on October 15, we hadour flight from Islamabad to
Canada, to Calgary, and thenfrom Calgary we had another
flight to Saskatoon, which was agreat moment for us to like to
(16:20):
come to Canada, and we hadmembers and members from Turkey
Bird Foundation, theorganization that they help us
to come here, and lots of peoplewere there like from Open Door
Society, from Saskatoon PoliceService and many other people.
They were like welcome us atthe airport, which was a great
(16:40):
moment for everyone.
And yeah, and I couldn't, likeI will not forget this moment.
So, yeah, and then we start ourlife in Canada.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I just want to go back for a minute, Maryam, what
you talked about you wereleaving 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 inyour voice at the reborn, but
there must have been such asadness about leaving the
(17:14):
country that you loved.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Yeah, because I like myself, I really like my
homeland and my home country andI had so many good memories
from Afghanistan and it'ssomehow like a sad moment for me
to leave my country behind.
If you don't have any Taliban,I would like prefer our own
(17:38):
country.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So Maryam, it sounds like you became the leader of
this group.
Did you ever think that youwould be called on on to take on
such a leadership role?
Speaker 3 (17:53):
No, as I like, as I said, everything happened
suddenly and when I collecttheir IDs and did all this like
communication and organized thisgroup.
So when I was in Islamabad andtalked with the embassies, the
Canadian embassies, and did allthis stuff and it was not easy,
you know, you have to hideyourself and you don't need like
(18:16):
you have to put your hide, yourphone, to don't like let
Taliban take because they werechecking or like the phone, and
I just hide my phone and justsending messages, like in a high
, in a secure way, which was noteasy for me, and we had 20
people behind me that they werecalling.
(18:37):
What is the process?
Where are you, how should weget there?
And lots of this like thisstress things, which was not
easy for me.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
So now, so you arrived and tell us a little bit
about the process of of change.
What was your reaction likewhen you reached Canada?
Speaker 3 (19:02):
So when I was in Islamabad, I hear about
Saskatoon City and I searched inGoogle 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 soshocking for us with this
(19:25):
extremely cold weather here.
Yeah, we had cold like winterin Afghanistan, but not like
this.
And Saskatoon is like so coldit's minus 14.
And we had lots of training andlots of zoom meetings from
global gathering, from SIA, fromOpen Door that they were
talking about like just havegloves, have like warm jackets,
(19:50):
because it's going to be so coldand you're going to like if you
don't wear those things, you'regoing to like it's going to be
black and so many that is.
And we were so scared that whyit's so cold, why we came here.
And then, beside this, it'strue that now, on that time we
(20:11):
were safe and we have a goodlife here, but beside this, it
was a like big culture shock forme and for all this group.
You know, we came from acountry and then start a new
life here.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So you really have responded to the calling of
being a leader of these 200people.
But, as you say, there wasincredible stress that they were
feeling and they were puttingit on you.
And where have you gone foryour strength and support?
(20:48):
How do you reach out to othersto help you?
Speaker 3 (20:56):
Because I have my mom and my brother and my sister,
so my only support was my mom.
She was always encouraging mebecause during the way we were
just four people fromAfghanistan to Canada and my mom
was like she's just great andshe was always encouraging me
and all the other members in ourgroup were also supporting me
(21:24):
and also I have the singinggroup and the martial arts group
and they were so supportiveduring the way and during when
we came here.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
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 thefood, the transportation?
Probably your kitchen looksvery different than it did at
(21:57):
home.
Speaker 3 (21:59):
So yeah, as I said, it was a big culture shock for
us.
And so once we get here and wewere under support of government
and government had monthlyincome support and when I see
that support it was not enoughfor us, for me and for my family
(22:22):
and I have to make money and Ihave to work and the big
challenge that we had on thattime our language barrier and
all the environment and the foodand the people.
But people were so nice andkind and they help us a lot to
(22:42):
settle in Saskatoon and yeah.
So I was searching lots of likejob opportunities and I found
my first job and I started fromTeam Heartlands, from like the
Canadian coffee shop, andbecause I had no idea about any
coffee, any like smoothies inAfghanistan we just have like
(23:06):
green tea and black tea, buthere we have lots of coffee,
lots of smoothie and it wassomehow hard for me to learn
those things.
And, like I was not sure aboutthe currency Canadian currency
how should I get back tocustomers?
Because I was like hired inlike for a frown counter.
I have to be like serve peoplelike customers.
(23:29):
And then it was somehow hard tolearn those things.
But during the time during theday, like passing day by day.
I have learned a lot from TeamHeartland and from, like, my
colleague in Team Heartland, andthen that was not like a job
that I would really want to dolike in the future.
As I said, I really interestedin journalism and my background
(23:53):
is I have lots of experience injournalism and media.
So that's why I just search andlook around.
And first, when I came toCanada and when I arrived to the
airport and I saw the opendoors stuff, they were like
(24:13):
white shirts with like with abeautiful logo circle with
colorful word circle.
And then I say to myself thatthey were helping us and I want
to help other people as well.
So I sent my resume and CV toOpen Door Society and then they
had, I had an interview withwith Open Door Society and then
(24:37):
when they checked my background,like my, like my leadership
skills and they then they hiredme as a youth program
facilitator, which was a great,and I started last year from
June 9.
And then, yeah, so after that Iwas looking for a media job and
journalism job as well.
And then I found CFCR, thecommunity radio, and I got.
(25:02):
I sent my proposal to thedirector there and then they,
when they review my proposal,they accept my proposal and then
they, like, I got a show inCFCR.
So now I have a show on theweekend and I call my show, my
name, my show Kabul John, whichmeans dear Kabul, and I played
(25:26):
like Afghani music, and I talkin Derry in Persian and as well
in English, and I feel so goodthere.
Believe me, I feel like a home.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
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, thinkingabout that is, I think, about
yourself that surprised you, atwhat you learned about yourself.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Yeah, so the things that I have learned about me
it's like I never lose my hopebecause it's a big change from
Afghanistan, came fromAfghanistan to Canada.
And it's like a depressingthings for me and I got lots of
stress, lots of depress when Ihear news about Afghanistan and
(26:21):
it's like I just logged myFacebook because I couldn't see
the news there and, yeah, I justfocused on my skills there and
I have I learned, like I readthe SGI driving book and I
passed my SGI, like the writtentest, and I got my learner.
(26:43):
I got like I bought a car formy family because it was somehow
hard in winter to get the businside.
The buses go like everywhere.
So that's why I try hard, likeI work hard in team hard times
and I make money and then Ibought a car.
So, yeah, it's somehowchallengeable for me.
(27:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Well, it's a remarkable story you have.
Do you feel settled now?
Do you feel like this is home?
Speaker 3 (27:14):
Yes, I do so.
Now I'm so happy because,beside my Open Door Society, I
got a job also in CBC, which isgreat for me.
It's the Radio Canada, likeRadio Canada, and I'm working
there like part-time.
I'm working in Open DoorSociety and also I'm working as
(27:37):
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 dayI learn a lot from them.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
You have any advice for people that are making you
know, making change in theirlife that's thrust upon them,
that they didn't choose?
Speaker 3 (28:07):
So yeah, as I have experience, like I wanna say to
never lose your hope, just staystrong and just make to learn a
lot and like, make yourcommunications and networking a
lot, because by the networkingyou will have lots of things,
(28:28):
lots of opportunities.
You know, and, yeah, just tryhard, you will get whatever you
want.
Yeah, just never lose your hope, you know.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Well, what a remarkable story, Maryam.
It's just you know, I gotta saywe're just so glad that you
landed in Saskatoon.
I've heard your story, I'velistened to you in the media and
we're just thrilled that alsothat you could join us on our
podcast today.
So thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
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 thatthey're gonna kill me, they're
gonna kill us, and because Idon't have my father, my father
(29:23):
passed away like four years agoand 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 mybrother, where are you going?
And yeah, it was a terriblemoment.
I can't talk about that moment.
It was so hard for me and formy family on that time.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
I think also, you know you talked about the
bureaucracies, the foundationthat was there to help, and yet
the 30 Birds Foundation, and yetthey.
You had to go back, you know,to back into, back to
Afghanistan, back to the city,and you just don't think about
(30:11):
the aid organizations andprobably how challenging it is
for them to navigate all of this, but the bureaucracy that you
have to go through to get tosafety.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Well, that was a very great story.
Thank you so much for sharingthat.
I think our listeners will befascinated by that, because you
know you hear the stories.
Well, there's people comingfrom Afghanistan and the planes
landed in Calgary or Toronto,but I don't think people can
(30:48):
really feel that they have anykind of true understanding of
what people have gone through.
If you've learned just onething about change while
listening to this podcast,please subscribe on Apple or
Spotify and share with a friendthis episode recorded via Zoom
(31:10):
Audio.
Producers Peggy Keneck andCatherine Greiba.
Executive producer, KeneckLeadership Advisory.
Theme music La Pompée writtenby Chris Harrington, music
publisher in Vato Market.
For information on this podcast, please visit wwwgetyourgoatca.
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