Shelter Music program
SUMMARY OF PROJECT
The Maisha Mingi Youth Music Program is a 12-week, youth-led pilot initiative aimed at empowering six young residents—three male and three female—of Ottawa’s Youth Services Bureau shelters through music, mentorship, and personal development. Each week, participants attend interactive workshops and studio sessions focused on songwriting, emotional awareness, and life skills like goal setting. Facilitated by BIPOC youth with lived experience in shelters or the justice system, the program provides a safe and creative outlet where participants can reflect, express, and build confidence. By the end of the program, youth who complete 90% of sessions will have up to three songs professionally mixed and mastered.
SUMMARY OF PLAN
Many of the youth involved face deep-rooted challenges such as generational poverty, racism, trauma, and the emotional stigma present in many Black and immigrant communities. Traditional support systems often fail to resonate with these youth, focusing more on survival and compliance than self-expression and personal growth. Lacking safe, relatable spaces to explore identity or emotions, youth in shelters are often left disengaged or misunderstood. The Maisha Mingi team understands this from personal experience, having lost peers to systemic failures and knowing firsthand how transformative creative spaces can be when they’re culturally relevant and youth-driven.
SUMMARY OF ISSUE IN FOCUS
Many of the youth involved face deep-rooted challenges such as generational poverty, racism, trauma, and the emotional stigma present in many Black and immigrant communities. Traditional support systems often fail to resonate with these youth, focusing more on survival and compliance than self-expression and personal growth. Lacking safe, relatable spaces to explore identity or emotions, youth in shelters are often left disengaged or misunderstood. The Maisha Mingi team understands this from personal experience, having lost peers to systemic failures and knowing firsthand how transformative creative spaces can be when they’re culturally relevant and youth-driven.
Led by
Israel NkusiDavien Richards Enzo Gihungeree
