This is Esther and Dominic. They work and volunteer with Jaku Konbit to support and champion our city's Black communities. Both were motivated to be part of a Black-led organization working with young people and contributing to the community.

Hello, my name is Haroon Samuel. I am 16 years old, and I am working for Jaku Konbit. Working with Jaku Konbit is an amazing opportunity! We seek to help the community, we are diverse, we can speak freely, and most importantly we are welcomed. I find it comforting and extraordinary that it is easy for us to share our experiences or ideas by any means. It is excellent to witness other volunteers with many different skills, abilities, strengths, weaknesses and personalities. The history classes are also fascinating; it is easy to consume the knowledge in the classes since the teachers are great at teaching. In general, I find it worthwhile that I can meet new people who are charismatic and passionate about the Black community. Overall, working with Jaku Konbit has been amazing. I hope my new learned skills will be useful in the future.

Hi, my name is Chelsey, and this summer I had the wonderful opportunity to work for Jaku Konbit. As for my job, I'm responsible for working in their community garden with the help of the coordinator. Additionally, I'm responsible for doing informational research on the different nutrients that contribute to a healthy diet. Thanks to Jaku Konbit’s efforts and support on creating this job opportunity for Black youth, not only am I gaining a wonderful job experience but an educational one as well. I have had the chance to participate in a weekly history class lead by Dr. Clyde Ledbetter, and attend daily Zoom meetings with different guest speakers that share their incredible knowledge on a range of topics. I've personally gained so much experience but also and most importantly self-confidence in myself and the colour of my skin. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and thank Jaku Konbit for their hard work and dedication towards young teenagers like me.

Hi, I’m Justin. I’m 19 years old, and thanks to Jaku Konbit, I had the great opportunity this summer to work and be part of the community. I was responsible for working in Jaku Konbit’s community garden and collecting research information on health benefits and nutrition. During this time, not only did I have the chance to make new connections, help out and gain more work skills, but I also had a good educational experience that was very beneficial to my learning, and I’m grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to growing with Jaku Konbit.

My name is Mukasa Mochai. I am 15 years old and I have been working for Jaku Konbit for about two weeks. I have been working as an event planner, and I have enjoyed it. So far, I have had to create a list of vendors for a market, create a video and write this paragraph. It has not been too hard and I appreciate the workplace experience that I have been receiving from this job. I hope that I can gain more experience and come out of this job with a lot of new skills.