Southwestern Manitoba non-profit aims to boost Black student success through mentorship

Posted on September 1, 2024 by Peggy

A non-profit organization in southwestern Manitoba has its sights set on helping black and African students thrive in their chosen Canadian professions.

Loy Excellentia Initiative was created by Aloysius Anyichie — a Brandon University professor— to promote excellence among Black and African students. The organization offers support in adapting to Canadian society and post-secondary education while working to build a cross-country network of students and mentors.

“There isn’t much support for that transition from Africa into Canada … The culture shock, the weather and then even the education system is not the same,” he said. “A lot of them are struggling … because some of these supports seem to be lacking in the institutions.”

Census Canada data shows that Black workers tend to be overqualified for their jobs, work in low-level occupations and earn less money compared to non-racialized Canadians of the third generation or later.

The Loy Excellentia Initiative wants to change that. Loy comes from Anyichie’s first name Aloysius, while Excellentia is the Latin word for excellence — one of the ogranization’s goals.

On Saturday Loy Excellentia Initiative hosted its inaugural picnic marking the start of the fall semester. Anyichie says it brought together students to make them feel welcome at Brandon University and reaffirmed their commitment to Black success in Canada.

How it works

Anyichie initially moved from Nigeria to attend the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

When he arrived there were some African students — but there was nothing like Loy Excellentia Initiative to help them at their new school in a new county.

When he came to Brandon, he saw many students experience the same adversity he did, Anyichie said. They would often visit his office talking about the challenges like finding a job or lacking the support they had at home.

Anyichie wanted to bring them together to support each other and build their social networks.

He launched Loy Excellentia Initiative in 2023 and it has grown to include about 75 student and mentor members.

The Loy Excellentia Initiative has two levels of mentorship: peer mentorship where students are paired with each other, and Black or African professionals in the community working with students.

University of Winnipeg professor Kishi Anderson Leachman is a Loy Excellentia mentor. In her role, she listens to students’ needs and motivations while inspiring them to pursue their dreams in Canada.

A woman sits on a picnic table. — Mentor Kishi Anderson Leachman is a University of Winnipeg professor, and says more supports are needed for Black and African students. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)

Anderson Leachman moved from Jamaica to Canada in June 2020.

She says students need support because they are a minority group and this can create challenges and lack of resources when it comes to reaching their full potential.

Statistics Canada says 1.5 million people in Canada reported being Black in 2021. The Black population accounts for 16 per cent of the racialized population and 4.3 per cent of the overall population.

“It is important to support them … help them to understand the resources that are available to them as Black students, as African students,” Anderson Leachman said. “Help them navigate school or even the community … it is so important because we’re a minority group.”

Loy Excellentia Initiative will give students a common place where they can share their experiences as they grow and learn together, Anderson Leachman said.

“Sharing of my own experiences, my own reality, and just to guide them along,” Anderson Leachman said. “I’m looking forward to … listen to them to hear what their needs are. Because even though we’re from similar contexts, similar backgrounds, we all have different needs.”

Set for success

Mustapha Conteh is in his final year of environmental science at Brandon University. Conteh says he’s one of the few Gambian students at his university.

He joined Loy Excellentia because he wants to work with mentors who can share their experiences and help build his working network.

Now that he’s in his final year Conteh wants to work in a field that allows him to be a climate change activist, he said.

“I want people to look at climate change as a very important thing,” Conteh said. “Everybody needs to know what climate change is and what are the things we need to do to mitigate the effects of the adverse effects of it and the individual and community basis as well.”

A man stands smiling. — Brandon University Student Mustapha Conteh will be a peer mentor this semester. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)

He says Loy Excellentia will help students make the connections that make missions like his possible.

Conteh will be a student mentor this year, while also working with a working mentor. He says it’s part of walking together so everyone can succeed.

Students can sign up for the Loy Excellentia Initiative mentorship program this fall. Mentors and mentees will be matched up for the semester and meet at least once a month.

“It’s a beautiful thing that Africans today will get to know themselves. They come together, share ideas and support one another,” Anyichie said. “The success for me is what I’m already seeing that people who have not made themselves before come together to share ideas.”

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.