|
Somali
youth give back to the community in hopes of helping other kids achieve
by Louisa Taylor, The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA, June 04, 2009 — You know you’re dealing with a special group of
teenagers when they’re eager to spend hours and hours helping other kids
with homework — and it was their own idea.
For weeks, a group of Ottawa teenagers have been planning and organizing
Our Community, Our City, a fund-raiser to benefit six homework clubs,
places where students as young as six can get help with reading, math
and history. The clubs operate out of community houses in social housing
neighbourhoods such as Britannia Woods, Michele Heights, Foster Farm and
others. They’re run on a shoestring, with volunteer tutors and donated
supplies.
The teen organizers, who work together as the Somali-Canadian Youth
Advocacy Group, are hosting the fund-raiser Friday night at the Ron
Kolbus Lakeside Centre in Britannia Park. CBC radio host Adrian Harewood
is the emcee, and Carl Nicholson,
executive director of the Catholic Immigration Centre, is the keynote
speaker.
“I used homework clubs when I was younger — they helped me a lot in my
academic career,” says Abdurahman Hashi, 18, one of the organizers.
Hashi, who just finished his first year studying accounting and social
work at Carleton University, volunteers in the homework club at Foster
Farm.
“The majority of the kids have immigrant parents who, like mine did,
sometimes have a hard time assisting their kids with homework, maybe
because their language isn’t very strong or they haven’t adapted to the
culture.
“We give them tutoring, friendship, anything they need help with. We’re
older brothers and sisters to all of them.”
The money raised will buy school supplies, after-school snacks and
upgraded equipment for the six clubs in the west end. The teens hope
better-equipped homework clubs will cut dropout rates and build stronger
relationships in the neighbourhoods.
At the fundraiser, the teens will present a fashion show and skits
showcasing the struggles and successes of the Somali-Canadian community
as they have adapted to life in Ottawa. Some homework clubs were started
by members of the Somali community soon after their arrival in Ottawa in
the early 1990s.
While the teens are Somali, the children using the homework clubs come
from diverse cultures.
The members of the Somali Youth Advocacy Group came together at the
Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, where they attended a
leadership course the centre organizes for Somali teens.
“At the end of every session, there are always kids who want to keep
going, who want to give back to the community,” says Sharmaarke
Abdullahi, community youth worker at Pinecrest-Queensway.
“It’s uplifting to see them putting so much time and effort into a cause
they believe in. They came up with the ideas for the event, they found
the space and organized the entertainment, and they’ve been working hard
to get the word out.”
Helping the helpers
When: Our Community, Our City takes place Friday night from 6 to 9 p.m.
Tickets: Available at the door. $15 for students and $25 for adults.
For more information:
Call the Somali-Canadian Youth Advocacy Group at 613-820-4922, ext. 389.
|
