Florence Ngenzebuhoro was a winner of the 2023 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant awards

Editor: This report was first posted on Canadian Immigrant: https://canadianimmigrant.ca/

Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards

Florence Ngenzebuhoro

CEO and executive director, Francophone Centre of Greater Toronto
City: Hamilton
Country of Origin: Burundi

Francophone leader

In 1994, Florence Ngenzebuhoro escaped war-torn Burundi and came to Canada as a penniless refugee and single mother.

“During my first year in Canada, I had no resources and no connections,” says Ngenzebuhoro, who was born into the royal family of Burundi and went to law school at the University of Burundi. “I spoke very little English. I had to worry about where my kids and I would sleep and eat the next day.”

Ngenzebuhoro noticed that there were few social services available to French speakers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). “Trying to seek help in French was so immensely challenging to the point where I felt completely isolated,” she says. “All of the major social service networks were English-speaking only, and I was turned away. I decided I would make sure that Francophone immigrants and non-immigrants would never have to go through the challenges that I faced.”

Today, Ngenzebuhoro is the CEO and executive director of the Francophone Centre of Greater Toronto, commonly known as the Centre Franco. Originally founded in 1976 as a downtown cultural centre, the Centre Franco has seen exponential growth and today offers healthcare, legal aid, housing assistance, mental health resources, skills training and resettlement support in nine locations to more than 41,000 GTA residents every year.

“Today, we have service hubs all around the GTA, helping tens of thousands of vulnerable people every day. I want to make sure that people like me or in similar situations can seek help with dignity, compassion and care,” she says. “I love Canada and I will always fight for the country that has given me so much, and so that others can be afforded the wonderful opportunity to succeed and flourish in Canada.”

This June, Ngenzebuhoro received a Prix Boréal for her inclusive work with Centre Franco as well as her extensive community and volunteer work. “That I was the first person of colour (and first woman of colour) to receive Francophone Canada’s highest honour was a significant tribute to the progress of Canada’s immensely diverse French-speaking community,” she says.

Florence Ngenzebuhoro’s Top Tip:

“Never give up. Anything is possible here. We are so lucky to live in Canada. Let’s take advantage of the opportunities afforded to us, but also make sure we give back to this wonderful country. Never be daunted. As a woman of colour, I have seen obstacles. I would say to anyone: stay true to your beliefs, and exercise gratitude and respect. Even when difficult, try to understand the plight of those less fortunate than you.”