October 3, 2024
Ivy Maganito, an environmental services worker at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, shared her love of Pinoy pop and her homeland at the site’s first annual Diversity Days with a special Filipino pop performance. Photo by Evan Isbister.
After performing an Indian folk dance as part of the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s Diversity Days celebration, registered nurse Simarjot Brah visited her colleagues on the surgery unit to share details about her traditional clothing. Photo by Evan Isbister.
Story by Sharman Hnatiuk | Photos & video by Evan Isbister
EDMONTON — It’s not every day the sounds of Filipino pop, Bollywood and Bhangra music rock the atrium of the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH), but these uplifting tunes and cheers for live dancers echoed in the hallways during the site’s first Diversity Days celebration.
Friends and colleagues hooted and hollered their support from the mezzanine when Ivy Maganito, an environmental services worker at the RAH who came to Canada from the Philippines at 14, took to the floor to share her love of Filipino music with a choreographed dance.
“It’s wonderful how the site recognizes and celebrates the cultural diversity at the Royal Alex,” says Maganito. “I love my culture — and I wanted to share a piece of that today.”
The idea for Diversity Days, which ran Sept. 16-20, originated with an idea from the Diversity & Inclusion Committee at the RAH, says Karina Lopuszak, senior advisor, RAH Patient and Provider Experience Office.
“We thought it would be a fantastic idea to really showcase all the heritages and cultures from those who work across the site,” she says.
RAH workers and volunteers were invited to create booths to showcase various cultures or countries, which were on display in the atrium all week. In the food court, Compass created an international daily dish inspired by cuisine from Mozambique, the Philippines, Mongolia, India and Korea.
Simarjot Brah, a registered nurse on the surgery unit, created a display on India and performed a traditional folk dance for the kickoff event. Brah was born in Punjab, a state in northwest India, but wanted her display to showcase foods, customs and sites of interest from across the country.
“I’ll bring in samosas to share with my colleagues, but today, I get to show off more than just food from my country,” says Brah. “I get to show a dress and accessories that would be worn for a celebration. Wearing this connects me to traditions — and I’m so happy to share this with my coworkers.”
Maganito says she loves to see how diversity is represented across the Royal Alex workforce, as well as among their patients.
“I’m lucky to be able to speak Tagalog with some of my colleagues, but also with patients. I’m so happy to help a patient feel more comfortable during their stay at the hospital just by greeting and chatting with them in Tagalog. I love bringing my language and culture to work.”
