Ifarada: Centre for Excellence, Leadership and Self-Determination has three main tenets, which are guiding principles for the organization and its work within the community. Each principle leads to a grand description of our innovative interventions as defined in our Mission Statement.
Principle #1: Leadership
Strong leadership- The company is managed with strong leadership, African-inspired leaders with a history and understanding or anti-oppression, anti-Black racism and a passion to support our youth’s development. We utilize our Elders (60+) as one of our strong leaders to mentor young people and provide leadership to those who have not been exposed to elder support. We work with African-inspired professionals, business people and crafts people to connect with youth seeking employment and legitimate earning power. This will support youth who are gang affiliated to seek alternative ways to earn financial resources to support their families. We use a holistic programming and consulting approach to identify and support healthy mental wellness and awareness. Our strong facilitators are well grounded in alternate therapies which support African-communities such as art, music, drumming, dance, spoken word and more. For more information, visit: Our Leadership Programs
Principle #2: Self -Determination
In this 2nd principle, we utilize Group Programming and Workshops to build self-determination, empowerment and strength within the lives of young people. Our interventions focus on achieving greater balance within the mind, body and soul. Ifarada’s programs includes mentorship, life coaching, counselling and sports engagement designed to support individual growth, healing, education and awareness. All programs are culturally-based and educational workshops designed to help improve knowledge in a specific area. For more information, see Programs.
Principle #3: Excellence through Learning
In our final principle, we believe by educating our youth and building their confidence in their voice, their expertise and their experience we can then develop youth who can create better outcomes for their future generation. Education Leadership focuses on key themes such as civic engagement, advocacy, leadership programs, mentorship, knowledge and development programs. For more information, see Education Leadership.
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Our Practice
Ifarada: Centre for Excellence has a Board of Directors team who act as a support to the organization and the Chief Executive Officer. The membership ranges from 6 to 12 members. Ten to twenty percent of the membership consists of youth ages 18 to 29 years old. Interested in joining our Board of Directors team? […]
Our History
Every story begins with a dream. Every African, Caribbean, Indigenous, and European individual, family and community has a story. A story that brought them here, to Canada, to Ontario, to Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area. Some community members story is heard and told in classrooms, on television and movie screens, in music, and […]
Ifarada: Our Story
African-Canadian youth and families in Canada have had a rich history and culture from experiences of trans-Atlantic trade, to the freedom land, to mass immigration from Caribbean nations to refugees from war-torn African countries. These shifts in movement created disruptions in their community, furthering changing the landscape of knowledge, language, spirituality, and culture. Centuries of […]
