Having been a refugee himself as a youth, Leo shares how he has taken his own experience and created an organization to support youth to ensure they can navigate the Canadian system for educational success, to lay the foundation for life’s success. We hear about Empowerment Squared’s work with Hamilton youth, and importantly, their parents or caregivers.
We learn of the effects of COVID-19 on their work, and how they’ve pivoted and are now serving many more people, and in a broader way, which they see as a lasting effect. At the same time, we hear how his work has now expanded to a ground-breaking learning centre in his native Liberia.
While there are needs here at home, there are greater needs globally and Leo is part of addressing that, too. Finally, we talk about the sector itself, and how the funding model must change for nonprofits to be successful, and particularly to address systemic racism.
Resources:
Empowerment Squared: https://empowermentsquared.org
Liberian Learning Centre: https://empowermentsquared.org/liberian-learning-centre/
Brock University: https://brocku.ca/education/
Hamilton Community Foundation: https://hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca
United Way Halton-Hamilton: https://www.uwhh.ca
Ontario Trillium Foundation Systems Innovation: https://otf.ca/our-grants/youth-opportunities-fund/system-innovations-stream
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Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal
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