The lives of Abdi Sidnoor, his 6 younger siblings, and their mom and dad have all been changed by the programs and people of Empowerment Squared. The Sidnoor family arrived in Canada as refugees from Kenya when Abdi was only 10 years old. Originally descending from Tanzania, moving to Hamilton was a drastic change for the family.
The Sidnoors were introduced to Empowerment Squared when Abdi’s father met Executive Director Leo Johnson at the Immigrants Working Centre. Since then, every member of the family has engaged in Empowerment Squared programs to help their integration and success. Although he always valued education, it wasn’t until the end of his grade 11 year that Abdi began to fully utilize all of Empowerment Squared’s resources. He was inspired by the success of his younger brothers and sisters, who had attended multiple after-school programs. He was grateful and motivated to have seen major improvements in their language comprehension and writing skills. At that moment, he decided to take his academics more seriously, and his success has prevailed ever since. Seeing the success of her seven children, Abdi’s mother Sudio has also been inspired to go back to school and get a better further education.
Abdi’s most memorable moment at Empowerment Squared was the day he was granted the Nirmal and Om Joshi Scholarship for the first time. This scholarship recognizes post-secondary students who demonstrate outstanding community leadership and academic achievement. Receiving this scholarship was a tremendous help to Abdi in his pursuit of a degree in Political Science and Economics at the University of Windsor. Once he graduates, Abdi is considering many fields of study for post-graduate schooling, including law school and marketing. Through his personal development at Empowerment Squared, the Sidnoor family has been blessed to watch their eldest son and big brother grow into a person who strives to make a difference in his community.
Whenever Abdi returns home from university, the first place he visits is the Empowerment Squared office. He raves about the kind-hearted and genuine staff that have shaped him into the person he is today. He shares that Empowerment Squared has greatly impacted his life in countless ways. He started his journey in Canada as a shy and quiet kid, and has now transformed into a strong and confident young gentleman. Empowerment Squared has provided him with academic, emotional, and financial support, but most importantly, they’ve given him, his parents, and his siblings a true sense of community, and a place to call home.
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