Kenyan Community in Ontario ready to work with ZCSG

The Kenyan Community in Ontario (KCO) hosted a glittering, high profile celebration in Mississauga of their Republic Day, the Jamhuri Day which coincides with the country’s Independence Day. (Click here to see photos of the event).
Meeting with KCO officers
One of our executive committee members, Treasurer and Communications and Marketing Lead, Kuthula Matshazi was privileged to attend the function, having been invited by a Zimbabwean colleague who is married to a Kenyan. They facilitated a meeting for Mr. Matshazi with a couple of leaders from within the ranks of KCO. These were the President of KCO, Muoi Nene; the Chair of the KCO Women’s Forum and Education Portfolio, Grace Mwawasi and a member of the KCO Bereavement Committee and facilitator of the KCO Bereavement Fund, Duke Ongechi. Mr. Matshazi also linked up with a member of the Constitution Review Committee.
Share Experiences
Mr. Matshazi had a useful conversation with his peers as they explored areas of common interest. Mr. Nene indicated to Mr. Matshazi that his organization is interested in sharing experiences of how they have developed as an organization over the years. This is in line with a commitment ZCSG made to establish several of such relationships in order to learn from the experiences of similar organizations. According to Likwa Nkala, the ZCSG Resource Development/Fundraising Lead, “We want to establish mentorship programs with other African associations so that we can learn from them how they have managed to build effective community groups. ZCSG views KCO as a very useful partner to establish contacts with and learn from”.

Mr. Nene indicated that the KCO started as a very small and informal group, but grew over the years to an established community organization. “The challenges that come with a growing community challenged us to become more formal and organized. We realized that as we settled, we were confronted with several challenges and needs that we could not address as individuals or informal group but as an organized community group”, Mr. Nene said.

“For instance, when the community grows, the needs expand. What we saw in the Kenyan community was that in the case of bereavement for instance, which has become a sort of obsession of the community as a matter to formally address.  Bereavement a decade ago was been handled by the community in the same manner as it would have been handled on the Motherland with members of the community playing a role in consoling the bereaved including offering financial support.  Deaths however, have begun to occur at a frequency that was beyond the capacity of the community members to assist as they had in the past”, Mr. Nene further elaborated. 
We are seeing that trend in the Zimbabwean community as we come to terms with the reality that many of us are now making Canada our second home for a long time to come.
TV Program Invitation
Mr. Matshazi also formally invited Mr. Nene’s organization to an upcoming TV program on Rogers TV called The Immigrant Talk Show that will broadcast in March 2012. ZCSG was invited to discuss the role of ethnic community groups in integrating their members into the Canadian society.