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- [00:00]
JP Swenson
Have you heard that Rotary Has a new WhatsApp channel? It's now easier than ever to keep up with all things Rotary. The channel is in English only for now. To find it, tap Updates in the bottom bar of the app, tap Explore and search for Rotary. Then tap Follow in the upper right corner of the channel screen. We can't wait to connect with you.
- [00:24]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
We have eradicated 99.9% of the illness of the disease and the fact that we're so close should be motivating factor and just crossing that finish line. So I think by sharing my story it creates that awareness and knowledge and it helps us take action One day. Just like smallpox, I know polio will also be eradicated, but that will only be possible if we continue to create awareness and continue to share my story and other polio survivors as well Foreign.
- [01:06]
JP Swenson
Welcome to this special edition of the Rotary Voices Podcast from Rotary Magazine. I'm JP Swenson. If you've never heard of the Moth, I'm about to open your eyes and ears to thousands of inspiring stories that have been told over the past 28 years. The moth is an award winning nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching and showcasing the craft of storytelling. They accomplish this through eight ongoing Moth programs, some of which tour on stages around the world, while others air on public radio stations and podcast platforms. So who are the storytellers? Well, they range from prolific authors like Elizabeth Gilbert to rappers like Daryl DMC McDaniels to astronauts, hot Dog Eating champions and everyday people all telling their sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking personal stories. In September of 2023, the Gates foundation partnered with the Moth to host a storytelling event in New York City during the UN General Assembly. The event was titled Don't Stop Stories from the Final Push to End Polio. The event highlighted the personal stories of people whose lives have been impacted by polio. One such person was Safiyyah Ibrahim, a polio survivor and global health advocate. Safia was born in Somalia, where she contracted pol as a toddler, preventing her from walking. Her disability excluded her from education in Somalia and caused her to miss out on important childhood milestones. It was clear to her that her life would be vastly different, but with the help of her grandmother and healthcare professionals, she learned to walk, escaped civil war in Somalia, and found normalcy and a new life in Toronto, all before she turned nine. Today she works as a public Engagement manager at Results Canada, a grassroots advocacy organization mobilizing everyday people to end extreme poverty. Over the past year or so, Safiya has participated in three Moth workshops one in Dubai, one in Kenya, and one leading up to the Gates foundation partner event in New York. Today on the Rotary Voices podcast, we'll hear Safiyyah's story as she told it on the Moth stage in New York. She also joins me on the show to discuss her paralytic polio, her advocacy work, and her experience with the Moth. Safiya, thank you so much for joining us on the Rotary Voices podcast.
- [03:40]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
Thank you so much for having me.
- [03:41]
Sarah
Glad to be here.
- [03:43]
JP Swenson
So I want to start by talking about your early life in Somalia. You were born in Somalia and lived there until you were eight years old. What do you remember about your life during those years?
- [03:52]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
I contracted polio at the age of one. My grandmother actually raised me and I just remember wanting to go to school and wanting to do all the other things that my peers and other children my age were doing. So whether that was riding a bike or having a race or playing hopscotch or anything that involved any sort of physical activity that I was unable to do. I remember wanting to join and wanted to, like, take part in.
- [04:23]
JP Swenson
On that note, I'm kind of curious if you remember anything from those years about the emotional impact. You've spoken a little bit, as you just did, about not being able to participate in these activities, participate in school, and I'm kind of curious about how that affected you, especially being so young.
- [04:40]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
So I didn't really understand the fact that my limitations due to polio was what was hindering me from having a regular childhood. But what I do remember is feeling extreme anger and frustration that there's so much I wanted to do, but I was being limited by my own body. And it wasn't something that I was born with, but it was because of something that was preventable with a simple vaccine. And I remember just feeling extreme frustration and being upset that I couldn't just be a regular kid.
- [05:17]
JP Swenson
You also mentioned that your grandmother raised you and you once wrote that the best gift she ever gave you was her strong will. I'm wondering if you can tell me a little bit more about her and your relationship with her.
- [05:29]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
My grandmother was my strength. She always encouraged me to push beyond my imitations. She never saw me as Kacha last. Or someone with a disability just always told me, if you want something, then you gotta go after it. You can't just sit back and watch. So she is actually the reason why I was able to start to walk when I was six years old. One day I was playing outside with a couple of kids and they were playing hopscotch and I wanted to join, but they wouldn't allow me because they told me that I was disabled, so I couldn't jump or hop or play. So that day I got really upset and I got into a fight with the girls, and luckily my aunt was around and she picked me up and took me back to my grandmother's house. And when my grandmother saw me, she told me that if I want to play hopscotch, then I'm going to have to learn to stand up on my own two feet and walk. So with reinforcement and encouragement from her, I was able to stand up and take my first steps. She passed away now, but she was my rock and my strength.
- [06:41]
JP Swenson
You moved to Canada when you were 8 years old, and you also started school, which was something that you had always wanted to do up until that point. Can you tell us about your first day of school in Canada and how you felt leading up to that first day?
- [06:54]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
It was surreal. I just remember not being able to sleep that night before and waking up a couple of times and just preparing my clothes and folding my clothes and unfolding them and then folding them back up again. And I couldn't believe it because I've been waiting for this for a very, very long time. And I never thought I would be able to actually go to school. So it was very, very exciting for me. When I came to Canada, I was able to see a doctor for the first time about my disability and went to physiotherapy and received the care that I needed as a child. And I got my first set of braces and also crutches as well. But at the same time, I did not know how to speak a word of English. So I was also very nervous. I was afraid that my teacher wouldn't accept me or the other students wouldn't accept me or wouldn't even be able to understand me. But that wasn't the case at all. I felt very included, and I received all the support that I needed to catch up to my peers. And it was, again, independence, freedom, everything I ever wish for.
- [08:00]
JP Swenson
That is so incredible. I can't imagine what that felt like. How did you first get involved in global health and vaccine advocacy?
- [08:08]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
I always had that advocate in me. I always felt like I could express myself and say whatever that came to my mind. And I know most of that came from my grandmother as well. So I had to have a hip replacement surgery a couple years ago, and the recovery took longer than anticipated. It brought my whole life into a standstill. And at that time, I had Three young children and I had a full time job and I had a full life. And I honestly did not have the time to just sit back and let my body recover and wait. As I was sitting one day on the couch watching tv, I saw that in the city that I then lived in Toronto, there was vaccine hesitancy within the parents. And I did not understand why that was because the reason why I was sitting on that couch waiting to get back to my regular routine was because of polio, was because of me contracting that virus at the tender age of one. So I immediately picked up the phone and called Toronto Public Health and reached out and just asked them if there was anything that I could do as a polio survivor. And immediately I was invited to speak in front of the Toronto Public Board of Medical Health, and they asked if I could share my story because that day they were trying to decide if they were going to take action against vaccine hesitancy within the city. And when I got to City hall that day, the building was filled with the anti vaccine movement within our city and they were all wearing matching shirts. They were organized and they were ready to voice their opinion. So when I got up and spoke that day, the city actually did decide to combat vaccine hesitancy within the city and took my story over everyone that was there to speak against immunization. At first I felt frightened because there was just so many of them. But after, I felt empowered because I knew my voice was much stronger. So that was the moment that I was like, okay, I need to do more, because really, this is a huge problem.
- [10:19]
JP Swenson
So then for our listeners who don't know what is Results Canada and what can you tell me about your work there?
- [10:25]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
Results Canada is an advocacy organization that mobilizes everyday people and Canadians to use your voice either by social media or engage with members of Parliament or write a letter to the editor to combat extreme poverty and issues such as global health and education, economic opportunity. So we have over 300 volunteers, and my role as a public engagement manager is to work with our volunteers and make sure they are prepared to take action for our campaigns throughout the month and year. So we mobilize people and we empower people in using their voice to take action.
- [11:11]
JP Swenson
That's fantastic. That work seems really impactful, especially now. So in 2023, the Gates foundation partnered with the Moth to host a storytelling event titled Don't Stop Now, Stories from the Final Push to End Polio. So how did you get involved with that event and what was that experience like?
- [11:29]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
A couple months prior, I found out that the Moth was holding storytelling networkshops for members of the community with polio lived experience stories. So for instance, if you contracted polio or if you're a polio survivor, or if you are a community health worker and working in the polio field, and I was selected to attend and the workshop actually took place in Dubai. So then a couple months later I was invited to share my story at that stage and also to the Global Citizen Festival as well. So it was amazing.
- [12:08]
JP Swenson
Can you talk a little bit more about the workshops themselves? Because I can imagine that a lot of the skills that you learned in shaping how you tell your story as an advocate, I'm sure that you found that potentially very useful.
- [12:20]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
It was a three day workshop and there was a group of us about 12. And what we did was we broke up into three different groups and we were supported in drafting our story and learning to develop a concise, straightforward story that has a beginning, middle and end. So with the skills that we developed, I'm able to tailor my story according to the audience. So it was very helpful. And I was able to attend another workshop again in Kenya actually, which was a master's class in storytelling. As I said, I use the skills I develop at workshop in my day to day advocacy work.
- [13:04]
JP Swenson
Now we're going to take a listen to Safiyya's story from Don't Stop Stories from the Final Push to End Polio presented by the Moth and the Gates Foundation.
- [13:13]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
Please welcome Safia Ibrahim.
- [13:24]
Sarah
I remember when I was six years old, I would wake up every morning and crawl out of bed and go to the bathroom to comb my hair and brush my teeth. I would then crawl to the front steps of my grandmother's house and watch my peers as they walk to school with a thermos in hand and a backpack on our backs. I wanted to go to school too, but I contracted polio at the age of one and I was left out of school. One day I saw two girls playing a childhood game, hopscotch. I wanted to play, so I crawled up to them and said, may I please join you? One of them looked at me with a laugh and said, how are you going to hop when you cannot even stand? Not even knowing what I was doing, I immediately grabbed that girl by the leg and dragged her down to my level. Next thing I knew, I was pulling punches while another girl was pulling my hair. Luckily, my aunt was visiting and she saw what was happening and plucked me out of the dust and threw me over her shoulder. She took me back to my Grandmother's house. And my grandmother, when she opened the door, she said, what does she do now? Because back then, I was known as a rebel. That was the day my grandmother decided that I was going to have to learn to walk if I was going to continue fighting with other children using the wall and furniture. And with my grandmother's reassurance and confidence in me, I myself gained confidence in my new ability. But walking also came with new challenges, and that included falling. Every time I stood up, I fell down. But then I got back up again. Then I stood up, then I fell back down again. Eventually, my legs were strong enough for me to walk to the corner store to fetch oil and rice for my grandmother, just like the other children in my neighborhood did for their parents. Two years later, the civil war in Somalia broke out and my family and I immigrated to Canada. For the first time, I was able to see a doctor about my diagnosis. And he gave me two braces that reached up to my thighs and crutches for support. Most importantly, this is the time when I started going to school as well. This is the time I first felt ordinary, because that's all I wanted to be growing up. I graduated from elementary school, graduated from high school, and I even went to college. I was starting to feel ordinary once more. At that point, I've decided the next thing to do would be to get married. I fell in love and got married and I got pregnant. I went to go see my doctor and she told me to be careful because I was high risk. Couple months later, as I was coming home from work, driving my car, I went down to the garage, I parked my car and I walked to the elevator. As I was walking, the crutches I was given for support slid and I fell front forward onto the cold cement floor. I was 27 weeks and five days pregnant. I felt sharp, strong pain travel down my stomach to my pelvis and to my back. But what was more concerning to me was I didn't know how I was going to get back up. Using my crutches once more, I was able to stand up, went into the elevator, got to my apartment, took a shower and went to bed. The next morning I woke up with cramps. Very strong, dull cramps. I immediately called my doctor and she told me to go to the emergency room. I went to the emergency room, but then I was sent to the labor and delivery ward. They did an X ray and I sat in a room waiting for the doctor to come. I waited and waited and waited. Eventually, he showed up with his head down Looking at the ground, he said, safiya. Unfortunately, we were not able to detect a viable heartbeat. You will need to be induced. Today I was in disbelief. I mean, just last week, my friends threw me a baby shower and they gave me bottles, baby blankets, and a nursing pillow. I was looking forward to raising my son, playing with my son, even vaccinating my son so he could have an ordinary life, just as I imagined it to be. The next day, I went home. I cried. I was angry. How could polio come back and take something that was precious to me just like that? Because my whole life I have been fighting polio and I have been beating polio. But this time it felt like polio got me. But then I realized I'm not the type of person that focuses on what ifs. I'm the type of person that focuses on what could be. I decided that I could get pregnant again and I will have another child. Within months. I was pregnant, this time with a baby girl. I took every precaution possible. I went on early maternity leave. I stayed home in the winter months and waited for my daughter to come into the world. In the summer of 2008, my daughter introduced herself to the world with the loudest cry I have ever heard in my life. Two years after that, I had another daughter, then a son. Now I'm a mother of three. Just recently, I was at the store with my son at the cash register, and I fell. Actually, I fell down. And I said really loudly, wait, it's okay, I'm fine. I always fall. But then I get back up, and my son looked back and I said, hey, don't you think I'm getting the hang of this? I'm okay. I don't think I fall as much as I used to anymore. My son looked at me with a mischievous smile and he said, mom, you just fell in January, February, March, April. But then I realized polio doesn't really affect our family because we're just used to me falling. And I was like, okay, so this is our ordinary. And then I realized, because at that point, that I defeated Pollo, and I wasn't just ordinary like I hoped to be, but I was extraordinary. Thank you.
- [21:23]
JP Swenson
When you told your story at the MOTH event, one thing that seemed to really connect with the audience was your use of humor throughout. And this stood out to me because it seemed to reflect this mental strength that you've talked about that you can look back at these harrowing stories from your life and laugh. Where does that humor come from? And did the MOTH Workshop help shape your use of humor in telling this story?
- [21:47]
Sarah
Yes.
- [21:48]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
So I actually worked with a wonderful producer named was Sarah, and with that particular story. And to be honest, I was trying to find the latter side of things. I'm an optimist. So if we don't laugh at ourselves, then what's the point? Right. So I did want to add humor and give the audience that idea that there is hope. Something good will come out of this. It will end in a good note. It's not going to stay dark forever. Right. So it was Sarah who guided me and helped me shape my story in that way. But I'm glad you picked up on the humor.
- [22:26]
JP Swenson
So why do you feel it's important to share the stories of polio survivors?
- [22:31]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
Well, first of all, not many people know that polio still exists today, and there are children who are exposed to this virus and who contract polio. We have eradicated 99.9% of the illness of the disease. And the fact that we're so close should be our motivating factor and just crossing that finish line. So I think by sharing my story, it creates that awareness and knowledge and it helps us take action one day, just like smallpox, I know polio will also be eradicated, but that will only be possible if we continue to create awareness and continue to share my story and other polio survivors as well.
- [23:18]
JP Swenson
As a polio survivor, what do you want the general public to understand about this disease?
- [23:24]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
So, for me personally, polio has given me muscle weakness. I fall constantly. In a week, I probably fall two or three times. But again, I always find the humor in my falls. So I just get back up and laugh about it. And I'm a mother of three, and I cannot enjoy simple activities that they like to do. It was very difficult for me when they were younger. For instance, just this weekend, I took my Tron of rollerblading. They're like, oh, mom, aren't you going to join us? I'm like, yeah, maybe one day, but not today. Right? Because obviously I can't. But I know if I wasn't limited by polio, I would be on that rank rollerblading alongside them. Another way it affects me, actually, is I'm constantly tired as well. I don't have as much energy as everyone else, and it's just very limiting. That's what I could tell you. And I know when I get older, it will just continue to get worse and my legs will be weaker and my crutches and my brace will not be sufficient, and I will eventually be confined to a wheelchair. So, to be honest, when I was born, we had the polio vaccine available, and I shouldn't have even contracted polio. Our leaders to honestly get together and get behind this initiative, the Global Polio Eradication Education Initiative, and commit to eradicate this disease once and for all.
- [24:49]
JP Swenson
What would the end of polio mean to you?
- [24:53]
Safiyyah Ibrahim
Hmm. The end of polio for me would mean freedom. Freedom for all children to play and live life to the full potential and to not only just survive, but to also thrive in everything they do. That limitation will not even be in existence, and it would just mean that we're able to come together for that common cause of eradicating polio and achieve something huge as a whole. Which is honestly why I wake up every morning. And the current campaign, we're actually working at results. Canada is immunization for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the Gabby Vaccine Alliance. And every single morning, I tell myself, okay, I have to motivate over 300 people and make sure they are taking action so that we're able to make sure that no child is left behind and every child has access to vaccines. Our whole team strives to make sure that Canada recommits to eradicating polio. And that's why we're asking Canada to commit over $150 million over three years in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. And once we cross that finish line, then all children will be free of this debilitating disease. It's time to get this done. I think it's time to make polio history.
- [26:20]
JP Swenson
Since I spoke with Safia, the Canadian government has made that commitment of $151 million over three years towards the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, largely thanks to global health advocates like Saf Foreign. This episode of the Rotary Voices podcast was produced by me, JP Swenson and edited by Wen Huang, with production by Mike Novak and Yoo Soo Kim. Special thanks to the Moth and the Gates foundation for providing the audio from Safiyya's story and additional help producing this episode. If you enjoyed the show, please rate us five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and share it with your friends. The Rotary Voices podcast is produced by Rotary Magazine, the official monthly publication of Rotary International. Thanks for listening.