HASSAN ADENOLA

A message from our founder

There is a large number of youth in marginalized communities who lack the vision, motivation, support, resources and skills to pursue educational or workplace goals. Having worked as a youth leader under the City of Toronto for three years I have seen many young people who seem to have no interest or hope for what their future may bring.

On a personal note, I have a brother who is in the federal penal system. He has many good qualities and had he been mentored to make better decisions which has brought him to where he is today. I have lived in a high-risk community from from the age of ten. That is where I met others that had a similar experience of our community as me. Many of our friends have dropped out of school, became involved with the legal system and some that has lost their lives.

We believe that we can help stop this cycle by helping the youth in the community to make better decisions, by engaging the youth & educating them as their mentor, on how to explore opportunities in community where socio-economic barriers are of strong impact.

Throughout our time in the community, our lives have been impacted by similar events. I personally have been fortunate enough to have survived my teenage years relatively unscathed. I attribute this to my mentors and role models.

I am in my last semester in University of Toronto, and feel the need to give back to the youth in the community. As a result, I am actively associating myself with like-minded individuals that share the same passion, to grow this  not-for- profit organization for the youth. The goal of our group is to provide education, mentorship, and be the role models our youth needs. Our G.A.I.N.S (Great Achievement Involves Numerous Sacrifices) program is CTYC’s main program that we hope to equip the participants with the tools and knowledge to cope in today’s society and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Thank you to all of those who are making this vision a potentially life-saving reality for the young men and women we aim to serve and empower.

Hassan Adenola