Who We Are

Jaku Konbit is a registered non-profit, educational, community-based and family-oriented Organization, established in Ottawa since 2000. Our mandate is to support and ameliorate the lives of minority and disadvantaged people, particularly Canadian children, youth and seniors of African and Caribbean descent within the Ottawa region.

We provide information, including programs and services that pertain to the physical, social, emotional, intellectual and developmental needs of our children, youth and seniors. We do this by providing ongoing support and guidance that foster and promote three important values: Family, Community and Culture.

Objectives

• Create and foster positive educational and cultural experiences through our academic-based programs, events and projects.
• Provide children and youth within Ottawa socio-cultural experiences and exchanges aimed at cultivating a stronger awareness of Black-Canadian culture and history within Canada.
• Provide youth with meaningful opportunities via workshops, including personal development training that aims to foster leadership skills, self-esteem, civic duty, and a positive attitude for success.

What We Do

• We develop and foster new alliances in the Community and invest in strategic networking, including mutual cooperation among Community partners.
• We organize and support cultural programs and events that build a stronger Community and which also promote positive images within the Community.
• We advocate for educational programs and services that meet the needs of children and youth who are of African and Caribbean descent within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) amongst others. The Black Star Tutoring Program was created to address and support the need in the school system.
• We provide programs and events that promote positive physical and mental development for children, youth and seniors. Our “Greatness is Within Me” Summer Camp, the African-Canadian Heritage Mobile Display, the Green Star Garden and our hosting of the International African Inventors Museum are examples of where we promote these values.
• We encourage leadership and entrepreneurship among youth of African-descent, new immigrants and at-risk youth to participate in self-employment activities centered on business and financial themes. The annual Ujima Job Fair, the Summer Youth Employment Network, the Peer-to-Peer Youth Leadership and the Ujamaa Market Day are examples of this principle.
• We encourage inter-generational dialogue and cultural communication between seniors and youth. Our programs Under the Mango Tree, the Mobile Community Kitchen, the Domestic Pioneers Project and the annual Kwanzaa Celebration all contribute to this objective.