When the 2020 Police and Youth Engagement Program was cancelled for safety, the initiative was revamped to provide supports to youth through the Youth Navigator program.

 

Mina, a third-year political science student, is one of ten Youth Navigators hired to support their communities over the summer of 2020.

 

“I heard about the Youth Navigator program from one of our community leaders, Joseph Luri,” she said.  “It seemed like a good opportunity to find some work in the city while I’m back here on summer break.”

 

She was drawn to the program because she saw the needs in the Sudanese community and wanted to do something to address them.

 

“I wanted to be a Navigator because we were talking about some issues in the community, like the resources our youth needed, and it seemed like a good way for me to play a role in my community and help out the youth that I know,” she said.

 

Struggles ranged from language barriers to putting together a resume.

 

“A lot of them can’t speak English that well so it’s hard for them to meet people,” said Mina.

 

I feel like just meeting people at one time was difficult because of the pandemic. Some people, their parents weren’t comfortable with there being a lot of people.  A lot of them had to meet at different times, instead of all at once.

 

“Sometimes I struggled with just not having an answer for some of the things they needed. I don’t know everything and certain things they’re asking are just out of my range,” she said.

 

“One of the people wanted to see if he can bring his brother back home from Kenya and bring him here to Canada. I just didn’t know anything about that so I connected him to a community leader and that’s the best I could do. “

 

But though the work was challenging, it was rewarding as well.

 

“One of the most meaningful experiences I had was when one of the students came to me and said ‘you made my summer’,” she said.

 

“I guess he felt really bored at home and when he was meeting with me and the other youth. He felt welcomed and had fun.”

 

Mina was a natural fit for the job because she could relate to them easily.

 

“It was easy for me to connect with them because, at their age, I had some of their problems in trying to find work. Just trying to do something in the summer, and for them summer started a little earlier because of Covid,” she said.

 

“But I could just tell, I went through that when I was in high school. Just continuing to work hard in school and keeping your mind open helps a lot. That’s what helped me get through it. Having a steady mind and being motivated to do something.”

 

The program was a touchstone for youth facing barriers in an extraordinarily challenging year.

 

“Without this program, I think a lot of them would be confused or very bored, or just not have anything to do because they’d be alone,” said Mina. “It gives them something to do every week that they can look forward to.”