OTTAWA, ON – For many Canadians, swimming is a common and leisurely activity learned from early childhood. However, for women and girls in Afghanistan, access to education and recreational activities, including swimming, has historically been limited. Zahra Jafari, who fled Afghanistan in 2017, knows this reality all too well. After tirelessly fighting for women’s rights, she was forced to leave her home country to protect her family. Since arriving in Canada, Zahra and her daughters have found hope and healing through swimming lessons at Sawmill Creek Community Centre and Pool in Gloucester.
When I came to Canada, my wish came true and I’m happy for that. Every time I go in the water, I feel better. It makes me happy.” Mahsa Jafari
Zahra’s activism came at a great personal cost. Pregnant with her youngest daughter, Elisa, she had to leave her eldest daughter, Mahsa, behind temporarily for three years to escape the Taliban’s oppressive rule. She recalls this as one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Masha’s journey to overcome her uncertainties and build confidence with staff and other children was gradual but transformative. “When I started swimming, I was really nervous because they were strangers to me,” recounted Mahsa. “But we played games and stuff, so I got more comfortable with them.” Zahra emphasizes the positive impact swimming had on Mahsa’s self-confidence and social skills, crediting the supportive environment created by the staff and other children. “She was nervous, it was very hard for her. But when she started, the help of the staff, coaches, and the good management, she just changed – even her behaviour.”
Doing what you love without barriers
While swimming might seem like just another activity, it means much more to Mahsa. It represents a choice to do what you love without barriers. “I thought for me, it would be impossible to swim,” says Mahsa. “When I came to Canada, my wish came true and I’m happy for that. Every time I go in the water, I feel better. It makes me happy.”
For Zahra, swimming is more than just a life skill; it’s about breaking down barriers. “It seems like a small hope,” Zahra says. “But for the girls from Afghanistan, with a situation like Mahsa, it is not a small hope. It is a big dream.”
Whether you’re just beginning or already experienced, the City of Ottawa offers swimming activities(link is external) for children and adults of all levels on Register Ottawa(link is external).
lead photo For Afghan refugee, Mahsa Zahra the Ottawa swimming program represents a choice to do what you love without barriers. Pictured, Mahsa Jafari, right with her mother, Zahra.
SOURCE City of Ottawa
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