Between 2016 to end of 2018, members of the Somali- Edmonton community gathered in hopes of unifying the community. The volunteers conducted multiple community engagement sessions and met with the majority of Somali non-profit service providers, business owners, religious figures, parents, youth and other community leaders.
The volunteers collected input and feedback on how to improve the state of our community’s well-being and how they can set up a well-functioning structure that can unite the Edmonton Somali community. From this meeting the community expressed a desire to establish a system-level advocacy organization that becomes the voice and tackles the systemic barriers faced by the Somali community in Edmonton.
The organization will play a critical role to change the narrative and take the community from where it is now to where we deserve to be which is – unified, vibrant, thriving community that maintains its core values and cultural heritage.