Uzima Women International is a non-profit organization working to dismantle societal barriers faced by women and disadvantaged citizens of Toronto and beyond, with a particular focus on supporting victims and survivors of gender-based violence.
The Black-led, women-led charity also provides services to vulnerable people living in or fleeing areas affected by war and disease in an effort to alleviate and eradicate the wide-reaching impacts of manmade and natural disasters on at-risk populations.
Domestically, Uzima’s mission is to address the diverse needs of women, young people, seniors, newcomers to Toronto, and marginalized individuals, by offering employment support programs, youth empowerment workshops and initiatives designed to combat gender-based violence.
“We do most of our work here in Toronto…our mandate is to provide support to vulnerable communities, mostly racialized communities, and we are focused on Black communities in Canada,” Jacobet Wamayi, executive director of Uzima, told Now Toronto.
The charity also works tirelessly to equip those experiencing or exiting poverty or seeking health care with the tools to establish and nurture a caring community of peers and reliable supports.
Moreover, Uzima seeks to provide culturally appropriate services by collaborating with other agencies.
The charity works closely with the Kenyan Canadian Association, a federal not-for-profit combating issues affecting marginalized Canadians of Kenyan origin.
The partnership offers 100 microgrants to youth aged 15–30 of up to $5,000 to fund creative service projects.
The program aims to foster leadership skills and enable recipients to build a sense of fulfillment and belonging by implementing meaningful community initiatives while enabling young people to grow their professional networks and elevate their socio-economic standing.
“A lot of the youth have ideas where they want to make a change in the world. They’re very bright, but they sometimes feel inhibited because they feel there are so many things going against them…so being able to feel comfortable and to let them know they have people who support them and provide them an outlet of expression is important,” Renu Dinesh, an Uzima staff member, told Now Toronto.
Similarly, Uzima offers employment transition support services to COVID-19 recovery workshops, mentorship programs, and activities addressing mental health. Moreover, the charity is constantly adapting its services to meet the ever-evolving needs of the communities it serves.
Uzima also runs senior’s programming including the “New Horizons for Seniors” and “Black Mandated Funding Framework (BMFF)” which aims to empower Black seniors in Toronto and the GTA by addressing the impacts of the pandemic, focusing on supporting healthy aging, educating on financial and digital literacy, and combating food insecurity.
But, empowering people to share their experiences sits at the heart of the organization’s broad-ranging initiatives, as it serves to establish autonomy amongst those often squandered by established structures of power.
“We find that those who are racialized feel like they don’t have a voice. But in sharing their own stories about coping with racism, especially systematic racism seen at work and educational institutions, they have an opportunity to become actively engaged with our support services,” Dinesh said.
Uzima offers a digital media library featuring videos, photographs, blogs, and a podcast all of which are accessible to those looking to engage with others procuring Uzima’s services either anonymously or by name.
On March 8, to coincide with International Women’s Day, Uzima will hold its annual fundraising event. Guest speakers will be in attendance as well as members of the community Uzima supports, and awards will be presented to youth who have made outstanding contributions to their communities.
Act now and grab early bird tickets to Uzima’s fundraiser dinner by emailing them at info@uzimawomeninternational.org
For more information about Uzima and further insights into the scope of its services visit its website.
