I’m a woman; Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. Now you understand, Just why my head’s not bowed. I don’t shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing, It ought to make you proud. I say, It’s in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need for my care. ’Cause I’m a woman”
Maya Angelou
Through Ifarada: Centre for Excellence, Oshun group was developed. Oshun brings together women from different experiences to collaborate, share and support each other. Oshun women’s group is a collective group which includes three core members. Through our core membership, we aspire to develop the following projects to support parents and families. We believe that our women are often leading their lives and their families with limited support, and isolated from resources and community to best support their achievements. We know that many of our women are seeking entry into the professional world, while dealing with anti-Black racism and systemic oppression. They need our support. We seek to hold onto our women who are raising children with limited financial resources, with histories of trauma, with educational systems designed to see their children fail, and their youth at risk for further difficulties. We hold our women who lost children to murder. We hold our women whose children are serving life sentences. We hold our women who live in fear after leaving their partners, and are faced with helping their children heal from trauma. This is our purpose. This is Oshun’s Women.
Our Objectives
Helping Families facing conflict and trauma to heal and strengthen their relationships.
Support families with integration after traumatic incidents such as abuse, trauma, and criminal activity.
Support families with navigating systems such as child welfare, criminal justice system, and education.
Our core member, Nicole Perryman (Executive Director) has led Aset Group Consulting and Counselling Services. In this established role, she has learned of the experiences of women affected by intergenerational trauma, early life experiences, grief and loss, abuse, sexual abuse and trauma, systemic oppression, and poverty. Ifarada brings together social workers, parents, and professionals to develop psychoeducational workshops, and Oshun-led support groups and counselling support for families and parents. Oshun works in collaboration with the core members who plan and initiate projects with the support of Ifarada, its staff team and resources. Oshun is collaboration of women and mothers we service, our families and community partners. Currently, our community partners play a critical role in sending us referrals, showcasing our work at their events, and providing us in-kind resources to support our initiatives. As we move forward into the upcoming decade, we are seeking to enrich our services.
Past Accomplishments:
- Psychoeducational webinars for parents
- In-house training for parents
- Oshun support group for women
- Family Reunification & reintegration program, Kujenga
Our Future Projects:
Our core group members are visionaries, and hope to make a larger impact in our community. With the support of potential funders, we strive to support our families and women in a powerful way.
- A fully developed support group for women addressing issues such as family violence, grief and loss, families impacted by crime, intergenerational trauma, poverty and financial wellness, mentorship, life coaching, navigating systems (i.e. child welfare, youth criminal justice and education), and mental health.
- An active reunification program, which focuses upon improving family relationships involved or at risk for involvement for child welfare or criminal justice, abuse and trauma. Our program builds on African principles of healing and raising families.
- An annual wellness fair, designed to connect women to resources evident within the community.
Our Unique-ness
We are proud to be the only group in Durham Region providing this service. However, while we are trailblazers in our field we are want to build our communities’ efficacy to develop programs which are culturally-relevant & responsive, and which are founded on a rich African culture and heritage. Through our asset mapping projects of mental health services & social work professionals, we hope to bring these services together to collaborate and build a resource center for our families.
We aspire to:
- Support the creation and development of a website which will list organizations and professionals who can support families and women in Durham Region.
- Collect and produce information for families and women on a website. This website will provide women and families access to resources, articles, professionals, and information that address many of the issues they face.
- Build an annual wellness fair with collaboration from our community partners and professionals.
Our Change Principles
| OSHUN ASPIRES TO SEE CHANGES | OUR PROCESS |
| Parents will have access to resources which will help them navigate challenges they experience within their families. | Website Navigation Teams (future) |
| Parents will have access to mental health support, especially to address intergenerational trauma. | Website |
| Women will have access to mental health support and social support | Website Support Groups |
| Women will have access to professionals who can support them in their initiatives, in their careers, and with their finances | Mentorship program (future) Website Psycho-educational programs |
| Women will have access to information about topics pertinent their experience from an equity seeking group. | Psycho-educational workshops Support Groups |
| Women with similar experiences will have the opportunity to connect with each other to improve their social support, guidance, and healing. | Support Groups Online Support Groups |
Want to learn more? Wish to collaborate with us?
