Editor
Good morning all
May 2015 has been a month brimming with activities and events within Ottawa’s Black community. The Ottawa Race Weekend brought the very best athletes from round the world and, as usual the Ethiopians and Kenyans swept the field. Victory for athletes from these two countries now seems routine; the names change but the countries remain the same! The New Horizons for Seniors program funded by the government of Canada brings us the SOCCA Teatime event with info sessions on financial prudence and prevention of fraud, plus promoting healthy lifestyles for seniors and those approaching retirement.
In this edition we welcome new volunteer reporter Anu Oduwole, who begins her role with reports on community leader Jimmy Sebulime’s fund raiser for the Agnes Zabali Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Uganda, named after Jimmy’s late mother; she also reports on the African Caribbean Ballet festival organised by Suzan Lavertu. Anu joins other volunteer reporters such as Delta Reuben and Annette Ejiofor and of course our veteran contributor, Sarah Onyango, . Black Ottawa Scene is still in need of more volunteer reporters, feature writers and photographers, so please spread the word.
Our Top Story features the award of scientific excellence to Dr. Carol Pietters of Ottawa’s Children’s Hospital. Caroll signifies the kind of role model we want our children and young ones to emulate. Community leader Abebe Engdasaw’s piece on the St.Tekle Haimanot Ethiopian Orthodox Church is a great example of how a small but dedicated group of volunteers can achieve their goals of raising funds through self-sacrifice and community engagement. Our Interview features Sudanese-born Professor Awad Ibrahim who shares his perspective on challenges facing young black youth in Ontario’s educational system. Sports analyst Andy Kusi-Appiah brings his expert knowledge and experience in his analysis of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup competition which Canada is hosting for the very first time. Our Diaspora News features Ghana-born millionaire Patrick Awauh who fulfills his dream of transforming the education of young Africans through critical thinking in his innovation-driven university in his homeland. Not to forget that June 21 is Fathers’ Day, so Black Ottawa Scene pays homage to Nigeria-born and widely respected Bashir Agoro, in a tribute from his children. Not to forget, Anthony Bansfield and Victor Akpata as they continue to make us proud with their awards at the Versefest event. Of course there is much more in this edition to keep you our readers engaged.
Finally we remind you to participate in our poll survey to predict the winner of this month’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.
Enjoy!
Godwin Ifedi
Editor