By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
The Liberian Association of Canada (LAC) has received $95,000 to establish youth programss in five cities.
The amount is a Civil Remedies Grant awarded to the Association by the Ministry of Attorney General (Ontario) to support a youth program called “RESILIENCE”.
According to a press release dated September 16, 2021, the program will provide culturally relevant mentorship, education, information literacy and training to prevent participation in unlawful employment activities that lead to victimization and endangerment.
With this funding, the association says it will support hundreds youth of Liberian Descent in five cities around the world, including Hamilton, Toronto, Kitchener, London and Windsor in the province of Ontario. This will be done through weekly training and culturally relevant mentorship sessions as well as national campaign to empower other at-risk youth dealing with similar challenges.
In a related development, the Association in the release announced that it has secured another grant in the tone one of $19,000 as part of the Second Harvest Emergency Food Security Fund to support eligible single mothers in the Liberian community in Edmonton, Alberta.
“This is part of the Association’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Program to ensure that the most vulnerable members worst affected by the pandemic are supported and empowered through food security” the release indicates.
The Association said it will work with the various community associations in the selected cities over the next 12-months to laid the foundation for youth empowerment and reduce the marginalization of women in their community as a cardinal pillar of engagement and mobilization.
It says this effort is in furtherance of the association’s agenda of youth and women empowerment under the leadership of President Leo Nupolu Johnson and his team of officers supported by regional Vice Presidents leading various Liberian associations across Canada.
The Association’s President, Leo Nupolu Johnson asserted that without intentional and purposeful investment in the empowerment of the young people and women, the Liberian community in Canada is in serious trouble because the stability and promise of a better future collectively rest on their well-being and active participation.
“This is why we will continue to work with partners like the Federal and Provincial Governments in Canada to ensure that our youth and mothers who are often marginalized are empowered to drive the growth of our community” Mr. Johnson added.
The Liberian Association of Canada is building a community where Liberians and people of Liberian descent are empowered with the tools and opportunities to thrive and contribute to Canadian society and celebrate their cultural heritage.
This is done by strengthening bilateral development assistance relationships between Liberia and Canada and empowering Liberian Community Associations in Canada to succeed through capacity building, community organizing, networking and resource mobilization.