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Imagine waking up in hospital discovering you have not only broken your spine and will never walk again.
\\nBut then learning that you are also pregnant.
\\nWhen Faustina was about to start university in Tanzania in the year 2000, this was what she was facing.
\\nAnd today you will hear her story.
\\nFaustina Urassa is a spinal cord injury thriver, and founder and Executive Director at Songambele Initiative Organisation.
\\nBeing a woman in Africa isn\\u2019t easy.
\\nAnd Faustina saw being a disabled woman in Africa as a death sentence.
\\nThis is a story of a woman who not only came from a challenging experience, but one who refused to accept the status quo on all fronts and thrived as a result.
\\nToday we hear about the challenges she faced in the early years. No one in her family, including her, knew what a spinal cord injury was, let alone what it meant for her life moving forward.
\\nThere wasn\\u2019t clear information on how someone with a spinal cord injury could safely deliver a baby. Would her disability compromise the health of her child?
\\nWas it even possible for her to ever be independent again?
\\nFaustina takes us on a journey from a spinal cord injury victim to a spinal cord injury thriver.
\\nWe hear about how her life changed when she met others going through similar situations as her.
\\nShe tells us about the power of self-awareness and self-acceptance.
\\nAnd the power and importance of community.
\\nWhich all lead to why she founded Songambele.
\\nWe hear about what life looks like for people once they have come into contact with Songambele and the power that is Faustina.
\\nThis is one inspirational story. So, grab that favourite beverage or throw on those running shoes, and enjoy this conversation.
\\nAnd please don\\u2019t forget to let us know what you think of this episode, leave a review and subscribe.
\\nAnd if you would like to be reminded of future podcasts and other inspiring stories from TIE, join our newsletter here. http://bit.ly/TIENewsletter
\\nAnd if you want to support Songambele, you can reach them here https://www.songambele.org/) and donation here (https://www.songambele.org/donate-1)
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