We all have that Inner Power; all you’ve got to do is tap into it!

Arielle Kayabaga: The first black woman to ever be elected as a Member of Parliament in London and to the London City Council in Canada. She serves the electoral district of London West under the Liberal Party of Canada.

The proverbial “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is meant to inspire optimism in the face of adversity but I’m sure some will agree with the fact that more often than not, it sounds far-fetched. Albeit powerful-sounding, the statement always seems rhetorical, and many-a-time when we try to relate it to our situations (in real time) it’s pretty close to impossibility.

But here’s the fun thing about it, sipping on that lemonade whilst helping others make their own is when it all makes sense. Such an individual is squeezing out the fears of new immigrants into Canada and serving equity in the London community while preventing homelessness, now that’s one heck-of-a - a lemonade. Her life is one of resilience and focus, no aversions to hardship, no short-cuts, her wince-inducing story covers her escape from the traumatic eon that held fellow Burundians captive and develops into the triumphant yet strong Arielle we know her to be today. I’m very certain that you’ve all survived some things in life and if you haven’t yet, you will! Because this universe gives every one of us a fair share of lemons. So, in the spirit of inspiration, I bring you the most authentic, tried-and-tested embodiment of resolve, Arielle Kayabaga.

It’ll come as a surprise to many how Arielle’s story builds up like the exact opposite script to the movie ‘The Little Mermaid’ which in its rendition features a black Arielle “Ariel”. Arielle Kayabaga' s life story features a black, Burundian, immigrant and single mother and is certainly no fairytale. Kayabaga'  s journey starts in Bujumbura, Burundi but as fate would have it, it doesn’t end there.

The circumstances around her movement to Canada were nothing compared to a Disney movie as her family fled the eerie experience of the Burundian Civil War and effectively became refugees in Canada. Her family started out in Montreal and later moved to London, Ontario. Arielle, just like the hundreds of thousands of immigrants into Canada, didn’t escape the newcomer's welcome. This is not your typical party with balloons and happy faces making merry, Kayabaga is greeted by insecure housing and fluctuating employment. Not handicapped by the events in her past, in 2013 she pressed on to achieve a Bachelor’s degree in political Science from the Carleton University in Ottawa.

If I had to write a book about Arielle, I’d title it “Tap Into that Inner Power- Pursuing Your Purpose against all odds” but I don’t have to, so I might as well derive a pseudo excerpt from it detailing Arielle’s real-life story and how she continues to do exactly what my fictitious book’s title says. But what better way to do this than to interest you with how Arielle becomes who she has come to be known today? It’s fair to start by assuming that Arielle had to smile from the start to the end of her day, whilst she worked as a settlement worker for the newcomers to London.

She experienced firsthand, that stories similar to her own play out before her eyes, and all she did was give hope to those individuals but what got her elected as the first black woman city councilor is the fact that the communities she has served and continues to serve ‘experience’ Arielle. “I view each and every one of their stories as if it were my own”, she mentioned in an interview with PILLAR a nonprofit network that awarded her the Pillar Community Leadership Award in recognition of her efforts in creating a more equitable London. Recognized as a national trailblazer Kayabaga has heavily invested her time and energy in building an inclusive and welcoming London that cherishes equity.

While Arielle’s character starts to build up to something of a superhero, you will be pleased to know that “heavy is the head that wears the crown”. Kayabaga is a multi-skilled and talented individual as she gracefully yet with finesse takes on the mantle of a civic leader, active public speaker, community activist and mentor. She passed a Private Member’s Motion that amended the federal framework on housing improving access to affordable housing for individuals with non-visible disabilities in Ottawa, and advocating on global food security, and women's health.

Also, before you go cold turkey on all of your dreams you might find it noteworthy that Arielle is a single mother yet she tackles the ever-increasing and morphing political issues as a Member of Parliament and community activist. As Arielle usually says in most of her speeches, “We all have that inner power, some people need somebody to help them realize and tap into it”, and “We all have that inner power, all you’ve got to do is tap into it”. While Kayabaga continues to represent the very least in the community, our real-life superhero though not landing with a cape flying at the back of her shoulders is carrying the weight of the marginalized society in Canada on her shoulders.

“Ever wondered how hard it would be to turn lemonade back into lemons?” I have, and my answer is “impossible”. This goes to show that Arielle Kayabaga' s legacy will not be undone and its impact will be forever felt. Go check her X (former Twitter) out, and if what you find there doesn’t inspire you then I don’t know what will.

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