MEET NINANDOTOO SOCIETY

Our organization’s name, Ninandotoo Society, comes from the Swahili word ‘nina ndoto’ which translates to ‘I have a dream.’ We added another o at the end, because we have a dream “too”!

After supporting “Black Shirt Day,” which received overwhelming support around  the world on January 15, 2021,  the members of Ninandotoo Society created the Black Excellence Day initiative. We chose to create our own event after consulting with various community members, including Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, and BC Human Rights Commission, who all voiced that the words ‘Black shirt’ and seeing people march wearing black shirts brought up traumatic experiences of Holocaust survivors.

Being truly anti-racist is about inclusion for all and Black Excellence Day was born. Despite moving away from “Black Shirt Day,” the meaning of Black Excellence Day remains the same: acknowledging the ongoing civil rights struggle of Black and racialized Canadians and fighting for mandatory curriculum on Black history.

Director

Temi Omotola

Temi is most fulfilled when helping women achieve their financial and career goals. She has been able to train women and young girls to start out their online businesses

Temi is married to her childhood sweetheart Ola and a mum of 3 beautiful children. Temi and Ola moved to Canada and are raising their family of 5 in a townhouse in Vancouver. Her day job is as an IT Professional, and she's got about 15 years’ experience in this field.

In her spare time, she counsels and consult for new immigrants in Canada and provides them with valuable information that enables them to settle seamlessly in their new home/country. This is her way of giving back to her immediate community. She loves making people happy and she has channeled her creative persona to meet this goal by creating custom decorations for homes, offices, and events.

She is most fulfilled when helping women achieve their financial and career goals. She has been able to train women and young girls to start out their online businesses which has become a useful skill with the recent global pandemic that has grossly affected small businesses without online presence. Her goal is for women to be able to run a successful business from their kitchens.

She recently became a published author by contributing a chapter in the “She Is Enough” series from the Great Canadian Women publishing house.

She is Enough is a collection of real life stories from women who have realized their worth. Stories that will encourage all women to trust their intuition and live their life on purpose.

Director

Gloria Abada

I believe strongly in bringing communities together and I do that through food, as food is a universal language and can connect people together in spite of your background.

I moved to Canada over two decades ago. Now married with three kids. I hold a degree in Business Administration and Management. Currently working from home as a financial analyst. I have numerous experience volunteering with different communities. Currently sit as membership committee with the Guildtown housing, because I believe affordable housing should be a human right. I believe strongly in bringing communities together and I do that through food, as food is a universal language and can connect people together in spite of your background.
President & Co-Founder

Kamika Williams

As President and Co-Founder of Ninandotoo Society Kamika plays an active role within the organization.

As President and Co-Founder of Ninandotoo Society Kamika plays an active role within the organization. She has a strong background in business, finance, and hospitality and uses those skills to provide business strategies that support the organizations direction and growth.

Kamika currently works for the Ministry of Education and Child Care as a Project Coordinator on the "erase" portfolio, which is all about building safe and caring school communities. Kamika's own experience with racism and going through the criminal justice system as a youth is what drives her to fight for systemic change. One of her goals is to fight for the redistribution of funds and resources away from the criminal justice system and into community programs that prevent people, especially youth, from entering into the criminal justice system in the first place.

Growing up and attending school in Victoria, she learned very little about Black History. She is vocal in how such a lack of representation impacts one’s sense of belonging. In 2021 Kamika initiated and mobilized advocacy around Black Excellence Day to mark the civil rights struggles of Black Canadians and to push for more Black history in the school curriculum. For this achievement, she was the recipient of the 2021 'Hands Against Racism' award.

A firm believer in community, Kamika has experience volunteering in various roles such as Community Engagement Coordinator during the 2015 federal election, as a mentor with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Canada, and with the Racial and Ethno-Cultural Equity Advisory Committee for the City of Vancouver. She always makes time to connect with and advocate alongside racialized communities against systemic racism and discrimination.

Director & Secretary

Connie Wan

Connie is a marketing professional with a passion for bringing communities together. She believes strongly in giving back to the community and helping where she can.

Connie is a marketing professional with a passion for bringing communities together. She believes strongly in giving back to the community and helping where she can. She is always looking for opportunities to learn and for ways to be better. Connie is an active volunteer in the community, having worked with children, seniors, and racialized groups. She strives to help make the communities she’s a part of more equitable, inclusive, and diverse.