Hamilton – Canadian novelist and essayist, Mr. Lawrence Hill says the world is witnessing an increasing number of famine and refugee displacement than at any time in modern history as he stressed the need for cross border aid between the haves and the have nots.
Addressing the 2017 Fundraising Gala of Empowerment Squared at Hamilton’s spectacular LIUNA Station Banquet and Conference Centre Friday evening, the author of the highly-acclaimed Book of Negroes, said he has been touched by the work of the Empowerment Squared, a Hamilton, Canada-based charity that works with youth and communities to erect sustainable change through education, social development, and lifelong learning opportunities.
This year, Empowerment Squared is supporting over 200 youth ranging from grade two to twelve. marking an increase in program participation by over 50% over the previous year.
Led by dedicated staff, volunteers, and a committed board of directors, the organization engages a diverse group of youth new to Canada from countries including Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Congo, Kenya, China, Liberia, and Yemen.
Care for Humanity
The Book of Negroes is a historical document that records names and descriptions of 3,000 Black Loyalists, the African-American slaves who escaped to the British lines during the American Revolution and were evacuated by the British by ship to points in Nova Scotia as free people of colour.
The book, since its publication, was adapted by Canadian director Clement Virgo into a six-hour television mini-series of the same title.
The series premiered on CBC in Canada on 7 January 2015 and on BET in the United States on February 16, 2015, starring Aunjanue Ellis, Lyriq Bent, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Louis Gosset Jr.
At Friday’s gala, Mr. Hill hailed the organization’s Executive Director, Mr. Leo Johnson for an initiative that is making impact in Canada’s immigration communities and the potential to extend to other parts of the world.
Said Mr. Hill: “Whether it’s in Hamilton or in Liberia, we should think about them.
Somehow, we are witnessing an era of famine, displacement of refugees is greater today than at any time since the holocaust and yet with the rise of the crisis among people who are risking death, crossing seas, in the same time we’ve seen the rise of hate.
We’ve seen the rise of hate in this country, we’ve seen it amongst our southern neighbors, we’ve definitely seen it amongst politicians and rising problems in Europe, in The Netherlands and France and other countries.
I think those of us who care about humanity and care about our brothers and sisters and care about others, it is an increasing obligation to think about how we can care about each other in our time of needs; and not only time of crisis, but also think about the investment of support and social infrastructures such as library and learning centers.”
Mr. Hill said he has been touched and impressed by the organization’s work over the years, although new to its operations and outreach.
“Unlike many of you who have been following Empowerment Squared for years, I’ve only been in touch with their work just a few months ago, I was able to come to the immigrant working center and meet with many of the children who are being tutored and mentored regularly at Empowerment Squared here in the city of Hamilton and the faculty and students at McMasters University who are tutoring and mentoring.”
Support Learning Center for Liberia
He said it is a great and brilliant thing that all the people involved and volunteering and working with Empowerment Square have a two-front approach. “They’re most concerned here with promoting literacy and progress amongst people living right here in Hamilton – refugees, immigrants, blacks, Muslims and others; all are welcomed, all are being tutored for free. And that is just one wing of their work which is already fantastic and real and felt.”
The author described the organization’s work as vital to young people.
“In addition to that Empowerment Squared has this fantastic program which I entirely like to endorse and support in anyway that I can and to support a library learning center in Paynesville, in Liberia.
I think it is important to remember that this will be the first public library learning center in Liberia. I think it is important to remember that it will be the first public learning center in Liberia.”
Mr. Hill averred that it is important to know how vital social infrastructure is.
“You know sometimes it is easier to capture the attention of the world when it comes to a famine or crisis that involves life and death than it is to involved in the long-going development and infrastructure to lift that society up.”
“I think that one of the primaries of civilization is to render how active we are engaged both with people in our communities and the people around the world. Sometimes it could be national borders. We are all brothers and sisters on this planet.”
Ms. Cyvette Gibson, Mayor of Paynesville, the community expected to benefit from the center, appealed to donors for aid in making sure that the center and Leo’s vision become a reality.
“Usually, it is very difficult for families to pay tuition for girls because they see there is more of a need to invest in a boy child as compared to a girl child.”
“We have female enrollment for girls at 140,000, female enrollment is 21,269 high school. We have 119,000 girls drop out of primary schools because they do not have access to further education.”
Islyn Yoryor, 17, recalled how the mentorship and tutorials at Empowerment Squared helped mold her into a better human being.
“Eventhough I was born in a refugee camp in Ghana, I never fully understood what being from Liberia meant and how it was going to impact my life.
But all that change in 2013 when my mother started to take me and my little sister to Liberia. Many things struck me. The lack of clean water, no electricity, no healthcare.
But the main thing that struck me the most was the alarming lack of roads, the lack of education, the lack of electricity when young girls gather to study to learn and the ones that dare to defy all odds. As a result, many girls like me have to drop out of school and become pregnant as teenagers.”
The seventeen-year-old paid tribute to the organization for her transformation.
“I was born in a refugee camp but yet, I still had a chance to dream and now I am receiving the support that I need to accomplish my dreams.”
‘Incredibly Thankful’
Roger Trull, retired Vice President, Advancement McMasters University and a member of the board, urged attendees to consider what they could do to help make the learning center in library a reality.
“A few years ago, a young Leo walked into his office to share his vision for a learning center in Liberia. Much has happened since then. Many people who are here tonight have been inspired by Leo’s vision.
Leo, for his part, recalled setting forth in Canada on March 24th, 2006, which coincided in the gala.
“I turned on my laptop this morning and realized that it was the first day I set forth on Canadian soil. I am incredibly thankful to everyone who have gone above and beyond to support me not just in my work but in my personal life and are on board with me to make this vision of a learning center and library in Liberia a reality.”
The founder paid homage to an army of young people who put in hours of their time to keep the project alive. I sometime feel embarrassed by the level of commitment that they make because sometime I say to myself, why are they here. So, I just want to say thank you to all of you.
Leo recalled how his vision came about just from reading a book that inspired him.
“About fourteen years ago while on the refugee camp in Ghana, we read this book which incredibly was about a young Liberian, Samuel Kaboo Morris, who came to the United States with a dream to go back to Liberia with an education.
Morris moved to the U.S. and went to Taylor University but was unable to fulfil his dream of bringing back education to Liberia due to death.
Leo drew inspiration to his own story when he stepped into McMaster University’s library for the first time as a student.
“I was scared. You just pick up a book and nobody asks you a question. I couldn’t get over it.”
That experience fuelled him to fulfill a promise he made all those years ago at the refugee camp: build Liberians a space to inspire learning, and bring back new knowledge to a country ripped bare by war and poverty.
“We’re asking people to share what we have in so much abundance with places in the world where its non-existent.” He concludes with these words, “it’s been quite a journey.”
For now, Leo’s focus and vision is not just limited to Hamilton, Canada but his homeland, he has not forgotten.
He hopes that a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility which will house a co – working space for social innovation, business and social enterprise incubation center, community conference hall, maker space and desktop publishing platform.