Why Tallawah Matters: Kujitambua – Know Yourself, Reimagine Your Future

On March 27, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Ifarada: Centre for Excellence will host the second annual Tallawah Youth Conference under the powerful theme Kujitambua:

Know Yourself, Reimagine Your Future.

We are doing this conference because our young people deserve spaces that affirm who they are, acknowledge the realities they face, and equip them to build bold futures. Across Ontario, youth are navigating rising unemployment, economic instability, and growing mental health concerns. Youth unemployment remains significantly higher than the general population at approximately 14%, while Black youth unemployment is nearly double at 22–24% (Statistics Canada, 2023; Employment and Social Development Canada, 2024).

Housing insecurity continues to disproportionately impact young people, with Black youth overrepresented among those at risk of homelessness (CMHC, 2023; Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, 2022). At the same time, anxiety, depression, and social isolation are increasing (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2022). In Durham Region and across Ontario, Black youth are also disproportionately impacted by human and drug trafficking. Research indicates that the majority of identified trafficking victims in Canada are under the age of 25, with Black youth significantly overrepresented. Further, Black youth encounter systemic vulnerabilities including poverty, racism, child welfare involvement, and housing instability (Public Safety Canada, 2023; Ontario Human Trafficking Prosecution Team, 2022). These realities have led to the expansion of prevention, mentorship, and culturally responsive community initiatives aimed at disrupting cycles of exploitation and strengthening protective factors for youth.

The Tallawah Youth Conference is part of that response. Ifarada is a Black-owned charitable non-profit rooted in Durham Region and grounded in Africentric principles, holistic healing, trauma informed practice, and culturally relevant programming. Through initiatives such as the Kujenga Wellness Project, Wonderfully Made Girl, and Kujipenda Cultural Centre, Ifarada has consistently created spaces where children, youth, and families can heal, lead, and thrive. In 2025, the inaugural Tallawah Youth Conference welcomed over 120 youth from Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area. Building on that momentum, Tallawah 2026 will deepen its impact by centering three pillars: Knowledge of Self, Knowledge of Systems, and Knowledge of Possibilities. Youth will engage in interactive workshops, storytelling, artistic expression, and leadership development sessions that strengthen identity, cultivate emotional wellness, and build critical thinking skills. They will examine how systems—education, employment, housing, technology, and racism—shape their lives, while gaining tools and networks to navigate them confidently. Through Afrofuturism, mentorship, and innovation, they will be guided to reimagine futures beyond limitation. The conference will feature keynote speaker Orlando Bowen alongside dynamic facilitators including Matthew Morris, J’Mone Manhertz, Georgia Fullerton, and Kwasi Adu-Poku.

Tallawah is more than a one-day event. It is a movement to reduce isolation, strengthen intergenerational connection, affirm cultural pride, and ignite possibility. When young people know themselves, they can reimagine their futures—and in doing so, they transform our communities.