At our Promote Her annual fundraiser in November, Symbia Barnaby (pictured on the right, with Minerva’s Lisa Tallio) took to the podium for what became the pinnacle of the evening. Her vulnerability, paired with the strength to share it, transformed a room full of listeners. We came to understand what Minerva’s Combining Our Strength™ Initiative is really up to, with her clear testament to the impact it’s had on her life.
We were fortunate to record her speech, to share it with you now:
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Bonsoir Mesdames et Messieurs. I was born Mi’kmaq, but adopted and raised Haida, in the city of Prince Rupert.
I am a nurse; I am an artist; I am an advocate for marginalized people. I have six children, who I’m now raising on my own – three of them with special needs, one of them in particular has autism.
I was asked to come and share with you how Combining Our Strength™ has made an impact on my life. So I’m going to give you a little timeline, and start about a year and a half ago, and then introduce the pieces that lead me to be here today.