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Location: Calgary, Alberta
In an ever-increasingly digital world, Calgary’s Camilia Thieba recognized the need to bridge the digital education gap that has loomed as a barrier to success for youth in Alberta’s racialized communities. So, amidst her doctoral studies and professional commitments and fueled by a passion for social justice, Camilia stepped forward as one of the founders of the Hakili Community for Sustainable Development.
One of a growing number of black-led charitable organizations in the country, a cornerstone of the Hakili Community mission is to address social challenges like intergenerational poverty through innovation. Building digital literacy and ensuring access to technology are a focus of the
Hakili Community approach to empower individuals to thrive in the digital era. Key to the organization’s game plan has been the success of the YesWeCode program.
Through YesWeCode, Camilia, along with a dedicated team of volunteer mentors, offer interactive workshops, empowering underserved youth with essential coding skills while instilling social responsibility. The impact of this program on participants and their families has been profound. Parents have reported significant improvements in their children’s creativity, interest in STEM (science, technology, mathematics and engineering) subjects, personal growth and academic performance since joining the program.
Behind the scenes, Camilia works to create awareness of the impact of YesWeCode as a program to unlock the potential of youth and to build a solid foundation for Hakili Community to continue its work.
As a volunteer and leader, Camilia Thieba is helping to end the cycle of poverty in marginalized communities. Her experience as a full-stack developer has enabled her to work both the back and front ends of this community to build a better future for youth. For her leadership and service to marginalized communities in Alberta, Camilia is recognized with Northern Lights program honours.
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