Programs
“LBGMF Empowering Families and Youth to Build A Resilient Community”
National Programs and Projects
The Foundation’s long-term goals are to preserve South Sudanese cultural heritage while incorporating the mainstream Canadian Cultural heritage, empower the youth and the families, and promote the unity of the Lost Boys and Girls of (South) Sudan by carrying out the following programs.
Family Enrichment Program
- Provides parent child communication skill education, consultation, and support to strengthen parent/child relationship
- Provides knowledge of community resources, access and support
- Offers advocacy and mental health/addiction support
- Provide safe a environment for parents to be with each other for support and build a relationship
Youth Life Skills Programs
- Provide safe environment for peer support and building healthy relationship
- Provide career counseling, job coaching, resume prep/job search
- Provide education on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) by integrating the South Sudanese culture in mainstream Canadian culture
- Provide Mental health/addiction education and support
- Provide education on Canadian laws/crime and charter of rights and freedoms to reduce involvement in the criminal justice system and to know their rights once convicted
- Provide mentorship
- Safe gang exit strategies
- Organize Youth sports: winter sports (skiing, Skating, Hockey) and all season sports (soccer, basketball, badminton, football, volleyball)
- Creative arts: music, acting, modeling, spoken words, writing, drawing, debating, contemporary/cultural dance
Social & Mental Health Support
- Mental health/Addiction support and referral
- Trauma counseling and referral
- Tutoring
- Community leadership training
- Court representation/Advocacy
- Housing/food security resources connection
Black-Canadian students Support
This is an initiative designed by Lost Boys and Girls Memorial Foundation to helped Saskatchewan and Alberta Black Canadian students in high schools to experience equity and inclusion in the school system.
The statistic indicates that Black Canadian students high school drops out to second to that of First Nation students compared to the mainstream Canadian students due to lack of support in the school system, isolation and inequality in how their issues are address by the school administration and teachers.
There had been an outcry from Black Canadian Families, students and advocate to make changes but there had been no changes done to this day this in reference to Edmonton CBC News headline: Edmonton schools failing Black students, advocates say July 25, 2020 7am.
There had been also outcry in Saskatchewan by the Black students for an education system that include Black history in the curricular so other students can get educated about Black history.
Programs and Services
- LBGMF develops, implements and evaluates effectiveness of programs and services that provide student support, advice and referrals related to various issues and challenges unique to Black students and their families.
- LBGMF creates and conducts assessments of student services and programs with the goals of assisting Black students to enhance their academic success to graduate successful from high school
- LBGMF conducts research and gathers feedback from the community members and Black students to develop on-going programs to address growing needs
- LBGMF collaborates with both Catholic and Public school division to improve outcomes related to the equity, inclusion, retention, and successful graduation rate of Black students from high schools in Saskatchewan
- Develops educational programs to educate Black students, the mainstream Canadian students and teachers on Black history and heritage to diminished prejudice about Black and create unity and peaceful co-existence in the school community.
- Establishes a community among Black students by offering an ongoing program of activities to encouraged student, involvement, and achievement
- Provides training sessions, workshops, and resources for administrators, faculty, staff, and students.
- Coordinates with the school guiding counselors when a Black student is choosing classes gearing towards their dream career
- Tracks the progress of Black students through routine meetings and interactions.
Mental Health Navigation and Support Program
Many South Sudanese families suffer in silence as they watch their children and youth struggle with mental illness without knowing how to access mental health services and support.
The family struggles to support their child at home. There is
a wide gap in mental health/addiction support and navigation in the South Sudanese-Canadian community due to the language barrier and cultural beliefs stigmatizing mental health.
LBGMF seeks to provide the following service and support to the community:
- Provide health education on mental health and addiction while destigmatizing it
- Act as a connecting point between the families and the mental health services and support by doing referrals to agencies offering mental health and addiction services and support
- Provide health education on how to detect early signs of mental illness or addiction in the family to seek early mental health intervention
- Provide advocacy for mental health support and service when a family hits a roadblock in accessing mental health services.
- Run a mental health and addiction support group once a week via the social media platform. The family support group runs on Saturday, and the Youth support group run on Sunday.
