About Us
In the summer of 2012, fed up with the wave of gun violence that plagued Toronto’s Somali-Canadian community, a group of concerned mothers came together with a simple objective: to stop their sons from dying. Fueled by their passion for change, they formed the Positive Change Toronto Initiative (PCTOI), an ad-hoc advocacy group dedicated to addressing the root causes of violence in our city. In 2018, PCTOI became an official organization and continues to lead the fight against violence in the Somali-Canadian community.
​Making a Positive Change in the Somali Community
Our Mission
PCTOI works to end youth violence through advocacy and research, addressing systemic barriers in education, criminal justice and policing, employment, family and community and mental health.
Our Vision
Our vision for the Somali-Canadian community is one in which every young person is safe and can be successful; where the community continues to be engaged, prosperous and strong.
Our Campai​gns
Start Healing, Stop Bleeding Workshop for Community Members who have lost their loved ones to gun violence.
PCTOI conducted a community healing workshops for the Somali-Canadian community to address the roots of youth violence at an early age.The project which has been funded by the City of Toronto encompasses two components:
The first component of the workshop was about start healing for those who have lost their loved ones to gun violence. In this part PCTI brought licensed psychotherapist and social worker with extensive background in facilitating trauma-informed sessions for the community to start their healing journey. The purpose of this particular part was to stop the Somali community from suffering in silence, and start healing from their traumatic experiences. The workshop consisted of 5 sessions, each one is 90 minutes in length. We categorized the participating folks into age group, where we allocated one time for the young Somali men, one for Somali women, another for Somali fathers, and lastly one separate session for Somali mothers.
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The second component of the project was the “Stop the Bleeding” workshop. Hodo Samater, the owner of Begin to Heal Counseling and Consulting Services facilitated these workshops. The facilitator in these sessions focused on preventative measures, by disrupting the pipeline from school to prison, to grave. The workshop was particularly interested in working with parents who have children in grades K-12. Positive Change TO was building the capacity of parents and legal guardians to better equip them with the knowledge in preventing young children and youth from joining gangs or being involved with the street life. This workshop helped parents and guardians access the tools they need to better raise their children in Canada.
Positive Change Toronto Initiative Provides Visiting Services for Muslim Youth Inmates
​Positive Change Toronto Initiative provides services to Muslim youth inmates incarcerated at Toronto’s East Detention Center (TEDC) and Toronto’s South Detention Center (TSDC) through the institution’s chaplain volunteer programs. These services include: religious and relapse prevention counselling services, lead Friday prayer and study groups, and provide beverages during the Islamic festivals. PCTOI directly engage with both correctional institutions and chaplaincy services.
Black Mental Health Week: Somali-Canadian Community Fights for Mental Health Supports
As part of our campaign to raise awareness about the impacts of anti- Black racism on mental health outcomes of the Somali community, each year in the month of March, PCTOI hosts public awareness sessions to discuss the ways that anti-Black racism and mental health intersect. Communities get loud about how stigma and shame still prevent too many people from speaking up, and about how systems do not provide culturally appropriate support to Black people who are struggling. This year, Positive Change Toronto Initiative organized three different events which commemorate Mental Health Week to highlight, support and improve the mental health of the Somali Canadian community in Toronto. These events aim to shed some light upon the unique mental health challenges faced by Somali community, as well as to engage members of the community, government and health care to take actionable steps to discuss and address racism and racial discrimination.