WEST END YOUTHS PUT COMMUNITY FIRST
What do you do when you live in a neighbourhood that’s known mostly for violence, poverty, and shootings?
Well, if you’re a member of the West End Youth Motivators (WEYM), you make an effort to showcase your community in a different light. In late May, WEYM organized an energetic community basketball tournament to bring young people together and to fight negative perceptions of their neighbourhoods. Media coverage about their communities usually covers shootings, violence, and poverty. WEYM chose to tell a different side of the story.
WEYM is an eight-member youth committee run in partnership with the Youth Services Bureau and the City of Ottawa, facilitated by three youth mentors. WEYM members all live in neighbourhoods in Ottawa’s Bay ward area, including Michele Heights, Foster Farm, Britannia Woods and others.
The program is focused on providing at-risk youths in the community with the resources, mentorship, guidance and support to help make their community a better, safer and more special place. Mentors work closely with the youths to deliver specialized workshops on topics such as leadership, employment preparation, crime prevention, health and wellness. They provide training and host various community events, such as the most recent three-on-three basketball tournament, #Balling4OurBrothers.
“This tournament helped the city to see the west end for what it really is, a big community that pushes each other for greatness,” said WEYM member Mukhtar Ismail. “We want to shed light on the positive attributes of the community.”
For the #Balling4OurBrothers tournament, the youth leaders from WEYM brought together
This (basketball) tournament helped the city to see the west end for what it really is, a big community that pushes each other for greatness.
more than 100 local youths. Through the course of the day, between games, they talked about how to make their community a better, safer and stronger place, a place in which they could all be proud to live.
The WEYM youths work hard with their mentors to gain the leadership and mentorship qualities required to mobilize other youths and community members in improving their communities. Many, if not all, WEYM members have personally been affected by violent crimes in their communities. They are all exceptionally motivated to become positive role models to younger children and youth in hopes of breaking the vicious cycle of criminality.
“Although there has been so much controversy with crimes in the west side in the past year, it’s nice to see the community coming together, enjoying each other’s company and demonstrating a sense of wholeness,” said Nyinyar Peter, a member of WEYM.
The basketball tournament took place at the Michele Heights Community Centre. The event’s unique hash tag, #Balling4OurBrothers, was created by the youth members to pay tribute and acknowledge the young men and women killed by violent crime in their communities, all of whom were personally known by every one of the WEYM members.
The tournament’s objective was not only to acknowledge the friends and family members who have died, but also to mobilize and bring youths together, to bond over one of their common interests: basketball.
Before enjoying an outdoor barbecue lunch, tournament participants were graced with the presence of four special guest speakers: Ottawa police Supt. Uday Jaswal, teacher and activist Adrienne Codett, Ottawa Community Housing security officer Trent and southend community member Noor.
All four speakers talked about their personal experiences, relating to issues such as growing up in marginalized communities, being pressured by negative peers and being inspired by the youths. They shared personal success stories, and all provided the audience with words of wisdom, encouragement and success. The guest speakers were a special part of the tournament’s overall purpose, which was to rally youths and celebrate the positive aspects thriving in the community, including leadership, support, passion, family, dedication and success. Ultimately, the tournament’s purpose was to showcase a special part of the community and its members who are regularly ignored and not acknowledged.
The WEYM youths strongly and positively affect their peers, families and communities. Their dedication to being positive role models for others, as well as making a change in the lives of others living in marginalized communities, is nothing short of inspirational.
When committee members return to their respective communities, they use the resources, skills and support gained in the program and apply it every day. They each plant countless positive seeds in their community.
“This tournament is a positive example of youth-led programming,” Jaswal said. “Things have changed, and now the adult allies are here to support the leadership of the youth, rather than run the program.”
One of the committee’s mentors, Adriana Sirskyj, has watched several of the WEYM members grow up over the last handful of years, and is exceptionally proud of the young men and women that they have become.