What was the initiative?

Nayaelah’s initiative, “Empower’Em” focused on improving an existing mentorship program for women of colour aged 18+ in Canada. By combining the lived experiences and insights of women of colour with personal and professional development support, she aimed to create culturally appropriate mentorship and networking opportunities for other women of colour. Through the Pathy Fellowship, Nayaelah was able to improve upon the first iteration of her programming, by building a theory of change and continuing to apply an asset-based approach to the her work. Nayaelah and her team expanded their programming during the Fellowship year, facilitating fifteen mentor-mentee relationships, planning seven community events, as well as hosting additional socials and workshops. The program was continuously adapted based on the feedback received from the participants after each session.

What was the community connection?

Nayaelah explains, “as a woman of colour, I have the lived experience of dealing with the many challenges faced by my community. Often the programs offered for us are not catered to our needs (such as being culturally appropriate). When I first started to notice these gaps, I organized an initial workshop for women of colour to have a space to come together. Since then, the organization I founded, Empower’em, continues to foster a safer space for women of colour to not only feel heard but celebrated for who they truly are!”

How was it innovative?

It’s extremely difficult to find mentorship programming that is built for women of colour; many programs don’t incorporate a cultural aspect to learning, while the additional barriers that women of colour face while trying to grow personally and professional are often overlooked. By pairing women of colour with mentors that have a similar lived experience, Empower’Em’s program facilitated a space that that was safer and stimulating for women of colour. During the Fellowship, Nayaelah and her team brought 30 diverse women of colour from across Canada together and watched the magic happen. Through the program’s activities, meaningful and lasting relationships were formed. Mentors and mentees both learned more about themselves, (re)identified their assets, and learned how to leverage them to tackle the challenges in their lives. Many participants affirmed the need and appreciation for the program.

What is Nayaelah doing now?

Nayaelah continues to build and expand Empower’Em’s programming. She currently works with Global Affairs Canada.