SPEAKER_02 0:17

Welcome

Welcome And Meet Augustine

SPEAKER_02 0:18

to Speak Up International with Rita Berg and Elton Brown.

SPEAKER_04 0:24

Well, as you know, on Speak Up International, we travel the world to find people we consider to be community builders. Today is no exception. We didn't have to travel anywhere because we have with us Augustine Obi. He's a primary health care practitioner. He works at a nurse or practitioner-led clinic where he combines advanced clinical training with a compassionate, patient-authentic approach to health care. Augustine has developed a specialized clinical focus in mental health and supports seniors and seniors, particularly with chronic disease care. As we say on Speak Up International, we prefer for guests to tell their own stories. There's so much more I could say about Mr. O'Bing, but we'll allow him to tell his story. Welcome to Speak Up International.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Wonderful, wonderful. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be on Speak Up International.

SPEAKER_02 1:28

So tell us your origin. Where are you from? If you are not from Canada originally, or your parents are not originally from Canada. At any rate, how did you wind up to be where you are today? And you can also talk about your degrees.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Okay, that's uh a

Identity, Roots And Jane And Finch

SPEAKER_01 1:52

wonderful question. Um, where I'm from, I think identity is important, um, and heritage means a lot. Um, so where am I from? Um, my name is Augustine, Nana Kwame entry boysa kung o bing. I'm from Ghana. My parents come from Ghana. I was born in Canada, um, Toronto to be specific. Um, when folks often ask me the question, who am I? I like to say I am a lover of life, a student of life, and someone who believes passionately about the power of literacy, um, reading and writing comprehension, and connecting with others and doing that self-work to get yourself to the next destination. Um, I love uh people. I love sharing my learning and my knowledge and my experiences with others to impact the world in a positive way. Um where am I from? I was born and raised in Toronto, the inner city in Jane and Finch. Um, went to school, um, Fir Grove, Oakville, Emory, York, U of T, pursuing sports as a medium or as a catalyst that propelled me to uh higher education and higher

Education Path And Creative Work

SPEAKER_01 3:11

learning. Um, as it relates to my my background um educationally, I have obtained from York University an honors, double major in criminology and education. Um, following that, I've worked on the reserves and with the school boards and many other B3 organizations in the community and have gone on to complete my master's of social work with a specialization in indigenous trauma and resiliency from the University of Toronto. Um I graduated in 2018, the first cohort. Um, and this is about 10 years later from there. Since then, I've published two books. My first book is entitled Changing Lanes, the first XXV, which is Roman numerals for 25, um, in 2016. So actually, in two days, it would be the official 10-year anniversary of my first published book, um, Changing Lanes, the first XXV. Um, I went on to uh complete another book, which was entitled Poetic Panther, which is a collection of poems and of poems that I've written in my life to describe certain periods and stages I was in and uh how I healed therapeutically through narrative and poetic therapy, which is my pedagogy and my framework. And also um I had the opportunity and the pleasure of also including five local uh artists and uh poets in the poem and in the book, the collection, um, to help support them to get their message out there and also to build a community of healers through writing and reading. Um and lastly, I have also um released an album um called entitled Poetic Therapy on all streaming platforms under my artist name Gusto Flame. G-U-S Gus from TO from Toronto, Gusto Flame. Um, I just love I'm happy to be here. I love learning, inspiring, teaching, mentoring, and just traveling the world. So I think that the world is a beautiful place, and I like to see the world from a positive lens and um act accordingly. So thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

I'm hoping that you can read from your what your book that's coming up on its 10-year anniversary, which is called Changing Lanes XXD. And if you could just one to two minutes, give us an exert so that our audience has a taste for your writing delivery, your thoughts.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

No worries, it's my pleasure. I will do that.

Poem Reading Dare To Dream

SPEAKER_01 6:25

I think, yes, I'm gonna choose this poem. I haven't read this poem aloud in a while, and I think it's fitting for the conversation we're having, especially as we're uh in the second week of school in Toronto. So uh this poem is entitled Uh Dare to Dream. So the book, my first book, Changing Lanes, the first XXV, is a compilation of stories as well as some poetry uh woven into a semi-autobiographical depiction of my life, paying homage to my community, my parents, my family, my mentors, and role models and friends, and the people, places, and things that I've gotten the honor and privilege to be a part of. So this poem is entitled Dare to Dream. Daydreamer, daydreamer. You're needed in this world. Daydreaming dreams that are diamonds and pearls, goals and visions of things you want to accomplish, build, or create. These thoughts and ideas are needed in this world. They're needed in this place. They add meaning and life, flavor and taste, pushing conventional notions of reality to the test, thinking beyond the box and limitations that they have that have been created and set. Set and cemented in stone. There's nothing like creating something, a manifestation of a dream you've had while you're at home all alone. Bringing life to those ideas, nurturing them like a baby out of a womb. I challenge you to unearth those dreams and never let them lay dormant or stay stowed away like a tomb. Boom, that idea was right. Boom, that idea was tight. Boom, it's worthwhile, it's worth the fight. Mixed with the pain and turmoil and those sleepless nights that you will have to endure to bring those feelings to light. Your dreams, your visions, your thoughts of the future being bright, being bright, bring a bright light to your life. So harness and feed energy to your dream. And you have laid the and then you will have laid the foundation and invested time and effort. You may need some help, so you might need to assemble a team. Until then, daydreamer dream. Continue to dream of the things that you have not yet seen. Dream, dreamer, dream. Dream dreamer dream.

SPEAKER_04 9:27

That is absolutely wonderful, beautiful. Now you seem to me as if you've done a little bit of everything. You have a bachelor of ads, you're a social worker, you have a master's in social worker. We've just discovered that you also are an author and a poet. That is truly fascinating. Let's start at what I consider the beginning.

Why He Chose Social Work

SPEAKER_04 9:56

What took you into social work in the first place?

SPEAKER_01 10:00

All right. So if we're gonna go for the beginning, the beginning is education or criminology and education. What prompted me to get into that lane? I would say many things. Um, my love uh and passion for community. Um, I was inspired by many of my teachers, coaches, pastors, friends, and family members that had always told me I had an innate leadership gift and quality. Um so much so I didn't know the gift that I had um when I was young. And they often would put me in situations and places and positions to lead and harness that ability. As it comes to my primary motivation when I went to school and I started playing basketball officially was to be that change I wanted to see in the world, you know. Um growing up in the community that we we grew up, you know, we had a lot of um obstacles put in our way, um, a lot of roadblocks, a lot of stereotypes that kind of wanted to label us as less than and and not worthy and incapable of doing things. And for me, that uh put a chip on my shoulder um to defy the odds and to do what many would have deemed the unthinkable. Um Christ is at the center of my life, and and that's what kind of motivated me, my my faith and my spirituality and my my belief in culture, heritage, and history and the ancestors that came before me that did that weren't afforded the opportunity. So I had to change my lane and do something different. Um and education was the way, um, primarily because I had a lot of great teachers, had a lot of great coaches that kind of poured into me and said, Hey, you know what? Um you can do it, uh, whether it's through sports or through academia. Um you could, you had you're gifted and you and you're special. So they they poured into me and and gave me hope when I was hopeless and paved the way when I couldn't see. So I decided to go to school to study criminology initially to become a lawyer. However, York had a strike and life had to life. So I decided to transition and change lanes and become an educator to be that positive role model for younger folks that come from communities like I did. And um ultimately for the younger me, for my inner child, right? So um that's that's what was the impetus behind um becoming a teacher and and attending school at my local university, which was 10 minutes away from where I where I was raised. Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Tell me, what is patient-centered relationship?

What Patient-Centred Care Means

SPEAKER_02 13:07

What is that?

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Um patient-centered, client-centered um practice or pedagogy. It's something that is intrinsically important to the work that we do and that I do as a as a clinician, as a therapist, a social worker, a life coach, however you you want to coin it. I think it's important um to meet the client or the person you're working with where they are, you know, highlighting some of their strengths and giving them hope and belief in themselves that it's, you know, um, and life is a series of moments and things that happen. Um, it's important to uh in those darkest moments cling to or remember some of the things that you're you're good at, um, the people that empower you and the things that bring you joy. So in our first few sessions of engagement, uh I strive to create a therapeutic alliance with my clients or with my staff, um, whereby we could see the person for who they are and not by by virtue of the condition or the traumatic experience they're currently experiencing or going through. And yeah, just pull strengths, um, solution focus and strengths from them and and go where they want to go. They uh clients typically uh for me, I like to give them the floor to dictate, um, you know, or to express what they hope to gain from this relationship, and I work and walk alongside them as we we journey together towards healing.

SPEAKER_04 14:54

That is certainly interesting. I hear the term uh client uh-led, client-focused in many professions. Uh I sometimes I'm a little skeptical, but you sound so genuine and authentic in the way you're describing. Would you want to talk to us a little bit about your specialization? You kind of alluded to being a guide, a mentor, a healer, kind of, as you read in your poet. Talk about your specialization, please.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

Um, as

Trauma, Perspective And Real Listening

SPEAKER_01 15:31

it relates to social work, um, I was trained at the University of Toronto with a master's of social work with a specialization in indigenous trauma and resiliency, right? Um for me, what I've learned from that experience is a lot of um importance being played to understand as a clinician, we don't have the answers. Um it comes from the client, it comes from their experiences. Um you know, everyone is triggered and experiences a lot of different things. And for example, all three of us could be in a room right now and we're looking at a picture. We're looking at, you know, the staircase behind Elton, right? It's like, wow, maybe I see the stairs. Maybe you see the kettle over there, and maybe someone sees the brown ball on the table. We may have gone through the similar or the same experience, but the way we internalize and rationalize and and um heal and grow or or interpret the situation could be different. So that's why it's critical to connect with the client and build that reflexive discourse and engagement where you, me as a clinician, uh, I tried my best to attune to my clients and their needs and actually listen to them because oftentimes um it's just they just need a sounding board, someone to listen and reframe things in a different way that is not um deeply related or influenced within their circle of care. So I don't know them from anywhere, they don't know me. And this is a professional therapeutic relationship. I have no biases, no um infested interest in in the outcome, other than to help you to unearth the tools within yourself or to utilize some tools and strategies for healing and um uh healing that could support them along their journey.

SPEAKER_04 17:44

Let me interrupt just a little bit before Elton comes back. When you when you talked about the three of us seeing staircase, seeing different different things in the picture, yeah it brought to mind the word the word perspective. So, yes, we all see the world from different perspectives, and it's important to value that if you're working with individuals. Over to you, Elton.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

Thank you. I have to agree with Rita, even in photography, that falls into place because all of us could take a picture, let's say, of a vase, but we all see it differently. So we would capture that vase differently, all of us would. So um, yes, it is all about uh perspective and the importance of uh respecting that. A lot of old people or elderly experience depression, and how do you go about untangling depression so that they don't begin to fade away because of being depressed?

Supporting Seniors Through Depression

SPEAKER_01 19:00

That is a great question, Elton. I mean, every um encounter is unique and different. So depending on the client that I'm working with at the time, um, my approach would be different, right? Um, but something that is streamlined that most clinicians um and and healthcare providers will provide or would uh administer is a GAD-7 uh or PSQ9. Those are some tests in relation to anxiety and depression to kind of score and to rank where they are. And then um as it relates to you know, an elderly person or a senior or someone, it's anybody in general that may be feeling you know isolation or depressed, it's okay figuring out what are I like to hearken at the past, like your past is your prologue, your past informs your present and your future. So um I try to you know discover different things that they'd like to do, things that bring make them happy. Think recall to a time, maybe your childhood, when you were a teenager or a different time in your life that you had a great experience. What are those experiences? Sometimes we do um, you know, these these things, it's like a timeline. Um ace test. There's an ace test, so pretty much we'll go and timeline from the earliest time that they remember till now. What are the highlights? What moments do you give me all the positive moments we had? Oh I learned how to ride a bike when I was four, I went to prom when I was in grade 12, I ate my first ice cream, I went on my first pain when I was 15, whatever those things are, and then use those as experiences to to to build from. You know, those are positive things. Okay, maybe I went to my first concert uh, you know, in 2007. I went to go see Fred Hammond. Oh, it's amazing. Oh, Fred Hammond, that's amazing. I know him. He's a gospel singer. Oh, oh yeah. So when's the last time you listen to his music? All right, let's play a song. And then, okay, when you're playing a song, let's write about it. How does it make you feel? What what you know what I mean? So unearthing those positive things, that's one. Two, um connecting them with and and the ports of community, connecting with somebody, you know what I mean? Maybe, maybe if you don't have any friends, that's fine. But we're in your neighborhood, there's an online community now. You can connect online. I'm sure there's many different group um programs. And if you're at mobile and you can connect in person, go to your local YMCA or community center. There's often um programming for seniors or for older folks, whereas Aquafit um and water aerobics is little chess clubs. I see when I was a kid, I remember going to a community center seeing uh these older Italian men, um, and they're playing uh bocce ball or something. I didn't even know what that was. And they're playing cards in the room, and you know, it was every Thursday. At seven, they're there, you know, and that could give you some a sense of community and belonging um that could help you get you out of um the funk that you're in. Um yeah, and just try to watch and do things that make you laugh and exciting, watch a comedy show, go for a walk, get some fresh air, drink some water. You know, those are some of the tools that I would use.

SPEAKER_04 22:27

We're speaking with Augustine Obe, who is a clinician and a master's in social work, and does a lot of his work with seniors. As you know, on Speaker International, we seek to inform, to inspire, and to educate, and there's no question that that is happening through this conversation.

Who Shaped The Person He Is

SPEAKER_04 22:51

And so, Augustine, I'd like for you to tell us, tell our audience who or what do you believe is responsible for the person you are today? Who or what do you think is responsible for the person you are today?

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Who or what? Great question. Great question. Listen, I'm gonna who or what? I would say first and foremost, um in the literal sense, my parents are um, you know, what has made me literally um here today, and deeper um I'm I'm a I'm a religious man, I believe in Christ, I believe in God, you know, at the center. So he's responsible. All blessings flow through them. Um but deeper than and also in addition to that, I'll say my family, my brothers, my my my teammates from sports, my close circle of friends, um, the schools that I've gone to, the experiences that I've had, uh, the learning that I've done, I think I I can't attribute it to one thing, um, or one person. Um, my community growing up in Janet Finch, my church community, going to church, my basketball community, my social work community, my education community, my music community, um, and the people, you know, some fans or supporters or however you deem it. Like, I am not who I am, the man you see before you by virtue of my own doing. Rather, it's a compilation and uh aggregation of everybody that has poured into me all the interactions, the conversations that we've had, the shows that I've watched, everything has has informed my nurture um into my maturation into who I am today. So I would say life, life has inspired me to be who I am today, and and I hope to bring life to this conversation and also to share life with others so that they could uh be who they want to be or need to be, or who they envision themselves to be.

SPEAKER_02 25:05

I want to go back to seniors.

Chronic Disease And System Barriers

SPEAKER_02 25:09

You know, what's overlooked, I think, are systemic barriers that seniors face, like hypertension, diabetes. How do you deal with that along with depression and whatever other challenges that your patient or patients have?

SPEAKER_01 25:36

A great question. I think with seniors, I work with anybody for that matter, but specifically seniors, I think there's a it's very nuanced and it it requires an uh integrated, multidisciplinary approach, right? Um, as you mentioned, you know, hypertension, diabetes, like health, physical health um challenges, mobility, um, those things matter. Um, and in the work that I do, I connect with a care team, um, connect with folks that are that specialize in different disciplines, whether it's nurse practitioners, whether it's social workers, whether it's educators, teachers, facilitators, programmers, um, admin, um, everybody plays a role. And that's my philosophy in life. Everybody matters, every person's story matters, everyone's experience matters and should be respected. And while while caring for and working with um senior senior population, I think it's also important to understand or to acknowledge that things are a lot quicker these days. Technology is real. Um, learning new things as as we continue to press forward. Yes. So it's important to connect with the care team to provide services and supports for everyone for the clients that we work with. So it's challenging dealing with core mobility. Some people have mobility issues, so they can't access care, they can't come to the space. Maybe have, you know, um food insecurity, that's another challenge. Maybe have access to the internet, which is a challenge, or navigating all the forms and paperwork that needs to be done for OES and uh, you know, pension and all these things. So I think it requires a lot of attention to detail, a lot of patience, and a lot of um uh reflexive conversations and and service navigation um when working with with with seniors specifically.

SPEAKER_04 27:47

You know, uh during this conversation, you quoted someone famous who said, be the change you want to see in others. So I don't know if you remember saying that. Yeah, but I want you to think of perhaps a time, maybe professionally or personally, when you had to say enough and share that with us. When I had to say enough in what in regards to what anything you feel comfortable talking about.

Enough Is Enough With Red Tape

SPEAKER_01 28:27

And the work that I do within especially within the healthcare and community settings and um, you know, working with the uh underprivileged or under-resourced, um, there's a lot of conversations, a lot of dialogues, a lot of meeting at the table and conferences and meeting after meeting after meeting, and what should we do? And oftentimes it's just conversations and very little movement um due to bureaucratic things and red tape and budget lines, etc. etc. Right. So um, you know, when we're in those conversations, those rooms and those spaces, I listen before I speak. And then I'll just, you know, offer a suggestion. Um the little bit of experience that I have, and I know is that first of all, the solutions don't exclusively come from this table or shouldn't. It needs to be informed by the people that we're supporting. So if they're not included in the conversation, then what what's the point of it all? We're probably coming up with solutions that for a challenge that we're not possibly experiencing or have little to no connection with when the person right here, right in front of you, or the people that we're supporting are right there and they're speaking, but we're not listening. So enough is enough. Why are we having all these meetings? We have this catered meeting with these uh finger foods and all this stuff. How about we take that money for that catering and go donate it to a shelter and buy some things for them? How about we use that and reallocate the funds for something that is that is meaningful and challenging? So I feel like you know, there's time, oftentimes, many times, when I feel like enough's enough. Like all these meetings are are are pointless. They're not really pointless, but the it could be better, the time and the resources can be better utilized in community, and we we would be better off if we listen to the folks that we're supporting instead of coming up with ideas for the challenges that we're not currently experiencing. Um, so yeah, that that's that's one of the times, one of the many times when I say enough is enough.

SPEAKER_02 31:04

I can agree with you. Sometimes when you are, especially when you're on a roll and you're moving, and all of a sudden now you gotta stop to go to this meeting, and you're like, look, you know, y'all go ahead and do your thing. I'm rolling here. I got my patients, they're happy right now. I I just want to hang out with them for a little bit, but no, you're gonna make me sit in this meeting and break my rhythm. So, yeah, I can I can definitely understand that situation and how if it persists, it not only hurts the patient, but also hurts the caregivers' uh passion because it's broken. Um, not that it's it's not that it's you would do anything to hurt your patients, but it allows you not to continue being persistent. So, speaking of persistent, there are cultural generation stigmas that go along with being you know old. And so one of those things happens to be mental health. So, how do you get past the stigma uh to help individuals with mental health?

Destigmatizing Mental Health In Community

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Stigma. I actually have a presentation, a keynote presentation that I that I um developed and delivered around um destigmatizing mental health and and having a conversation, especially among is it recorded?

SPEAKER_02 32:45

Did you record it?

SPEAKER_01 32:46

No, I don't record it. So I can do it again and again at different places.

SPEAKER_02 32:53

Okay, go ahead. I'm I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

Hey, for anybody listening, if you want to book me to come do a session, I can do it for you, no problem.

SPEAKER_02 33:06

Face it. Black people, if there's somebody in your in your family and they have challenges, you don't usually don't talk about it. It's not something you talk about. I had an uh the woman could play piano, she had a voice like an angel, but after her being with us for an hour, they would tell her she needs to go to her room and rest because of her mental challenges. So, how do you get past that stigma of people not talking about it or the individual who actually has mental health, maybe they don't even want to discuss it? So, how do you get past that?

SPEAKER_01 33:48

I think it's a great question. It's it's tough. Um the solution or an approach that I have found to be effective is just having the conversation, but teaching it in a way that is more palatable, um, and giving examples of, you know, I think education is the center. A lot of people don't want to talk about things they're not educated on. And because within, especially within, you know, BIPOC, within black community specifically, um, it's it's taboo, like, oh no, like we don't want to talk about this, right? But the I firmly believe, and shout out to my professor, um, Jane Milton Moss, she says this thing. Um, you need to name it in order, you gotta name it to tame it. All right. So you gotta speak on it. We're talking about this so we can address it. Um, it's better that way than then, you know, prevent uh, you know, sweeping it under the rug and pretending like it's not there, and then things faster and then they could explode, right? Where on the flip side, when you have the conversation, you educate people, okay, this is what this is, or could potentially be. Someone is, you know, mental health is a spectrum. There's I think life would be so bland if all we experienced was joy, or all we experienced was pain, right? Um all we experienced highs, but never any lows. It would be it'll be regular, it'll be boring, right? One of my favorite artists, um, Sean Carter, Jay-Z, he has a song, and in that song, he said it has a line where it says, in order to experience joy, you need pain. Somebody's loss is another's gain. You know what I'm saying? Like, dichotomy of life. So within that conversation of mental health and um, you know, yeah, I think it's important. You just gotta educate what are these things? What is mental health? Mental health is this. Okay, what are what is depression? Depression is this, uh, seasonal acute depression said it happens in the summer months, in the winter months, and da-da-da-da. So if people don't know, and a lot of people, you know, in school, if you go went to school in the traditional in our system in Toronto or in the Ontario, health, you got like one health class, we learn like very little about mental health and and and those things. So I think it's educate, it starts first with education and then creating um braver and safer spaces for folks to to talk and discuss without fear of judgment. And and then it goes to the each one teach one model whereby you share what you learn and and hopefully you could spread that knowledge one person at a time.

SPEAKER_04 36:48

That's worth thinking about and reflecting upon. Life would be boring if all you experienced was joy. So you need to experience a little bit of everything. Although, as you know, as we know, some people experience the lows longer than some people.

SPEAKER_01 37:06

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 37:07

But

Daily Habits For Better Well-Being

SPEAKER_04 37:08

help us to um share with us three habits you would like to see all people practice on a daily basis to maintain some kind of well-being.

SPEAKER_01 37:21

Three habits three habits that people uh should do to maintain some kind of well-being. Well, okay, three habits. Okay, first and foremost, very important, super slept on is sleep. You see what I did there? Yeah, sleep. You gotta sleep, man. Sleep is very important, not only for your physical body, but for your mind, for your soul, for your body, for everything. You gotta sleep. Try to sleep and regulate your sleep as best as possible, and um you regulate your circadian rhythm. I think that's very important. That's when everything gets restored and repaired. So sleep. Secondly, I would say um it's something that we all have within us, where we're we're what we're made of. Water. You gotta drink water, you gotta drink water. It's very important. I have a headache. Do you drink water? No, maybe that's why. Drink some water. Drink some water. I think the hydration is very important. And third, I think the uh the importance of it should have been first. For me, believing in something greater than yourself. You know, um that for me holds me accountable to myself and to others and to try to lead a positive lifestyle. And I'll add one more. I would say um community, the power of community, um, having your tribe, your family, your chosen family, people that you could connect with when times are low, people that support you when times are high and low. Um, and and you also taking up that mantle and that baton to also be that person for for someone else, you know, and to be there for them too. So it's it's like a symbiotic relationship, I think that's important. Um, and if you can, I'll add more five. Get some fresh air. Get some fresh air, go for a walk. Just go for walking, low impact, just walk, it's free, just walk. That's it. I mean, also reading. I there's so many things, but yeah, there's so many things, but though I'm just gonna keep it at five. I think um, yeah, we'll just leave it there. But reading is very important, it's fundamental.

SPEAKER_02 39:49

It's uh reading is is good for the mind, and it allows your mind to travel places that maybe no one else will ever go to, but that's your that's you know your journey.

Preventing Burnout And Reimagining Care

SPEAKER_02 40:04

The health system is beginning to feel the weight of people needing it, eight people are getting older, more people are laying into our into our system. How do you see the I don't want to say nursing, but the medical profession supporting that load without burning out? I know I'm gonna we're going right back to the sleep thing, I know.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

I think it's all related. That's a great question, and something that I feel like now a lot of organizations and levels of government are thinking about in a meaningful way. I think it's important um to have those conversational dialogues. And the reality is the boomers that there's a lot of seniors, and and as if you can see and tell, there's a lot of uh retirement homes or old age facilities being built, um, which is important because we have a duty of care as Canadians um that are taxpaying citizens to care for the families and people who built this country um with their economics, right? So I think it's a lot more nurses and doctors and uh social workers and teachers need to be um trained, um adequately supported, or else uh there's uh something that I've noticed. There's been a lot of flight. A lot of the top people that get educated and they leave because the conditions of the workplace are not favorable oftentimes, but I think we're gonna have to reimagine what care looks like um for families. And we we examine what retirement looks like and what the family structure looks like, and I think in many ways it could be a good thing. Um, whereby, you know, in Canada or North America, and the dream is like, oh, you I'm gonna buy my own house and live in my own condo and do my own thing. But for me, hearkening back to my history, um, being Ghanaian and of Ghanaian descent, um, is a village, took a village to raise a child. You know what I mean? We worked as a community. You lived in the a household where as multi-generational. You have a child, you have their mother, maybe their grandparents or great-grands, aunties and uncles, all in the community. And I think that communal living is a good thing, not only for maintenance of culture and identity, but also uh for financial uh reasons as well, and also cut just consumption. Our footprint is too too large, you know. We're we're destroying the planet um by individualism. So I think you know the the name of the game is community and and village-centered living, community-centered living and a multi-generational existence that's at the heart and the essence and the genesis of our community, and sometimes we're counseled by others to move away from that, and I think it only serves to harm us more than do us good.

Three Things He Admires In Himself

SPEAKER_04 43:47

But I want you to tell us three things that you admire about Augustine Obin.

SPEAKER_00 43:55

Three things that I admire about myself, yes, sir. I never heard that one before.

SPEAKER_04 44:04

Now I know that. That's why I'm asking it.

SPEAKER_01 44:06

That's a good question. Um wow. Three things that I admire about myself, Augustine Obank. Jeez. Passion. My passion for um literacy, for community, my passion for community. You know what I mean? I just love community. I yeah, I value, I admire that about myself, my passion for community and building, building together, not tearing down, building, building, building, building. Um, I also admire my tenacious resilience when it comes to my my pursuits of projects and or education. Um, you know, literacy. Like I love learning, learning. I just love learning. Um I admire that about myself, my passion for for continual knowledge and seeking of wisdom and discernment. Yeah. And then lastly, one thing I admire about Gustin. Um admire. I admire Gustin's heart. I think. Yeah. I move with a spirit of love in all things I do. Um, oftentimes I wear my heart on my shoulders and on my sleeve, or so to say, and uh, you know, sometimes it gets a little hurt. But if I love you, I love you. You know what I mean? And if I rock with you, I rock with you, and I'm gonna I'm not gonna change who I am because you don't appreciate that. This is who I am, and I'm not changing, you know, so I admire my heart and everything that I do, I put my my all into it. My heart's awesome. I admire that. Yeah, that was a great question.

SPEAKER_02 46:17

Okay, just one more question from Rika. When you thought about coming on uh this channel, was there anything in specific uh specifically that you wanted to that you wanted to talk about?

SPEAKER_01 46:32

I mean

You Matter And Closing Message

SPEAKER_01 46:34

yes and no. No, because I like to approach each interview that I do or each podcast I do or conversation that I do, um, typically without any um context. I don't want to know the questions. I don't I don't care. And this is why. I want to provide the most authentic response to a question that is not scripted. Because why? It came from the heart. This is what I feel in this present moment. So you know, I didn't have anything I wanted to speak about. However, I was um delighted and honored and felt privileged of the opportunity to come on your platform and to speak and to connect and share my knowledge of whatever questions that you had for me. I think the platform is amazing. Um, if there's something that I do want to and I try to convey in all of my conversations with folks, is simply you matter. You're important, you're loved, you're here for a reason. Believe in yourself, you can do it. And life is gonna life, there's gonna be ups and downs, there's gonna be trials and tribulations, there are gonna be roadblocks, there's gonna be amazing days, there's gonna be not so amazing days, but one thing that you do have and is important to be thankful for and to give gratitude and appreciate you have life. So from you have life, you have another day to try. So it's that it's that simple. And I'll just read something from the back of my book, which is like my message. And it's like the most inspiring thing, the most inspiring thing um that I'm able sorry, the most inspiring thing is that I'm able to share my story in hopes that it will encourage you to change, to chase your dreams and to make it reality. I believe everybody has greatness inside of them. Everybody has it within them, and you could do it. You just gotta believe. Uh, and with this tagline, this is what my I'm screaming this to the day that I go. Remember, it's never too late to change lanes. It's never too late. You could have started in a negative path, things could have been not so good. It's okay. You can still go. Hey, that means you got a lot of up to go, upside. The upside is crazy, right? So I think everybody has a power of choice. Life is about a series of yeses and no's, what you say yes to and what you say no to. And I implore and encourage everybody who's listening or who has the opportunity to hear that invest in yourself because you matter, your story matters, your experience matters, and you are here for a reason. Try to find out what that reason is and live it to the fullest, live it to the maximum because somebody's watching, and somebody could be inspired, and somebody can learn, and somebody could could could be there to provide assistance if you need it. So just share your story.

SPEAKER_04 49:57

You know what? My next question, you just answered it in what you said. You just answered my next, and my final question was going to be what is one thing you would like our listeners to take away from this conversation with you today? And you just said it. You mat you matter, your story is important, live your life, dream. I I really appreciate that. That was going to be my final question to you, but you've answered it for us, Augustine Obin. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 50:29

No problem, pleasure. My pleasure.

SPEAKER_02 50:32

This has been wonderful. Uh, this has been inspirational. Uh, this has been authentic, this has been relaxing, and this has definitely been a conversation as opposed to a question and answer situation, and I really do uh appreciate that. I am so impressed with your passion, your devotion to your profession, and you always perceive whatever you do with love, and that kept coming up. Two words that kept coming up with love and joy. Those two things are so important, especially when you happen to be a medical practitioner. And I want to thank you so much for finally getting here after it took a year uh to get here, but that's okay. You know, I believe that there's a you know, the whenever things happen, that is the right time. That's that's the right time for it to happen. So uh thank you, thank you so much. And Riga, do you have anything you want to add to that?

SPEAKER_04 52:00

Nothing to add, but to say I really appreciate having this conversation with you. I am a forever learner, and today I learned quite a few things from you. So go enjoy, go enjoy, go enjoy.

SPEAKER_01 52:17

Appreciate it, appreciate you all, man. Appreciate the opportunity for folks that want to check me out. You can hit me up on my website, augustinobang.com. That's Augustin A-U-G-U-S-T-I-N-E. Augustine last name, obangob.com, augustinobang.com. And yeah, you can follow me. Just Google my name, you should find some things. But it's a pleasure being on the show. I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the day. And thanks for listening. Appreciate y'all.