by Sarah Onyango
On April 25, 2015, community volunteer Joanne Robinson, arts education advocate and media personality Jewne Johnson, and teen music sensation Angelique. Francis were among the 18 recipients recognized with the Government of Ontario’s a Leading Women, Leading Girls, Building Communities Award at Tom Brown Arena. The event was hosted by Ottawa-Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Leading Women/Leading Girls Building Communities Recognition Program which celebrates the achievements of women and girls who demonstrate exceptional leadership in working to improve the lives of others in their communities.
For more than a decade, Joanne Robinson’s tireless advocacy has contributed to improving the health of our community, especially seniors. She is highly regarded in the community for her advocacy in the area of elder care. As President of Jamaican (Ottawa) Community Association Inc., she initiated information sessions to raise awareness about elder abuse. With that same organization, she helped organize programs by the Healthy Lifestyles committee in partnership with other community organizations such as: Basketball with Bayshore Community Centre and the Outreach program of the Ottawa Police Services; soccer with Rockers United Soccer Club; walking with the Friendly Corner at St. Laurent; bowling with the West Indian Transit Club; information sessions through the City of Ottawa, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Prostate Cancer Association etc. As a Black History Ottawa board member, she has managed a New Horizons for Seniors program focused on financial literacy and retirement planning. As a member of the Jaku Konbit Board, she helped start and still runs the “Under the Mango Tree – Stories between the Generations” program, which, along with promoting literacy as well as African and Caribbean storytelling traditions, teaches children to value and respect elders. As a member of the Sickle Cell Disease Parents’ Support Group, Joanne supports families affected by this condition and raises awareness by helping to organize information sessions about symptoms, treatment and care. All this and more, she has done as a volunteer.
Angelique Francis is a 16-year-old grade 12 student who has used her exceptional musical talent to support various community causes and inspire audiences of all ages in Ottawa and beyond. Be it at major world-class festivals like the Ottawa Blues Festival, official government functions like the 2014 Citizenship and Immigration Canada National Black History Month Launch or the recent swearing-in of newly elected Ottawa city councillors, or grassroots gatherings like the annual Kwanzaa celebration, Angelique always delivers inspiring and memorable performances that deeply move audiences. She understands, even at her young age, that youth in the community look up to her and never hesitates to encourage them at every opportunity. Angelique’s incredible mastery of various instruments and soulful vocal delivery have so impressed older musicians like local Cuban jazz artist Miguel de Armas that they regularly invite her to perform with them. Angelique is also a great advocate of music education and never wastes a chance to talk about how music changes lives.
Ms. Jewne Johnson stands out to me as a dynamic fundraiser for various charities, and as an effective promoter of art education for children through her remarkable Art Child initiative. A performance teacher and event coordinator, Jewne is a social entrepreneur and founder of the company In Da Industry as well as a volunteer host of the radio show Fundamentally Sound on CKCU 93.1FM at Carleton University. Art Child is a one-day art festival that fosters the development of the arts by providing free workshops to children of all ages in a wide range of art forms. The ultimate goal of Art Child is to provide children with the opportunity to take part in artistic activities that are no longer readily available within the school system due to cuts in government funding. Jewne’s efforts have helped increase awareness of the vital role played by the arts in the overall development of children and youth. Since Art Child is a family-oriented initiative, it has provided the perfect environment for parents to further bond with their children while learning and having fun. Also, I have noticed various local businesses owned by women participate in this event, which enables these business owners to market themselves to potential clients. As a radio host, Jewne has provided a platform for a number of emerging female artists to promote their work.
Congratulations to all the recipients! For more information about this recognition program, please go to: http://www.women.gov.on.ca/owd/english/leadership/leading.shtml.
