It is not every day that Canadians get to meet their Prime Minister and this is one of those lucky encounters as narrated by Ufuoma Muwhen of Edmonton, Canada in a social media post. It is like being at the right place at the right time.Ufuoma is the Founder and Executive Director of NotJustYou.
Sitting beside the Prime Minister to tell him about my life’s work and greatest passions, was definitely NOT on my 2023 bingo card… but oh, the places you’ll go when you focus on your vision!
Last week, I had what was probably my life’s greatest pleasure, to meet the Right Honourable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and 19 other exceptional other Black Youth, were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to discuss with the Prime Minister about pertinent issues affecting Black Canadian youth today.
I had the pleasure to close the discussion by expressing my gratitude for government funded programming like the Black Entrepreneurship Program and the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, and how reinvestment into these types of programming will continue to be transformational for our current and future communities.
For me, the highlight of this experience was getting to tell the Prime Minister about NotJustYou, my nonprofit sickle cell support organization. To which he commended the importance of my work as he expressed that sickle cell disease opened his eyes to understanding just how vast systemic racism is.
As I’ve said before, behind every success story is a team of key players that pushed the story manifestation:
First and foremost, I’d love to thank Velma Morgan, Chair of Operation Black Vote Canada, for championing the generation shaking and shaping program, the 1834 fellowship and providing me this opportunity.
Thank you to the 1834 Fellowship team for their intensive work over the last 8 months, and specifically thank you to Robyn Taylor for seeing the potential in me and urging me to apply for the 1834 fellowship.
Thank you to my mentor and Pastor, Emmanuel Adewusi, CISA, MSIT, MISSM, COBIT, ITIL for consistently pushing me to focus on my vision and opening my eyes to the importance of my voice in civic leadership.
And last but certain not least, thank you Jesus for divinely positioning me for a life of success!
This is just the start because I know that the sky is my beginning.
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