Lady Via Foundation

Guest Blog Post by Sharon Kambale 

We asked Sharon to tell us a little bit about her business and foundation, called Lady Via Foundation.
Her words are open and honest, and bear so much truth we need to hear.

Read on for her story:

Where to start? I have always had the passion to support the health and wellness of POC so that spaces could be created in means of being able to increase the voices and representation of this group. 

The reason why it is so essential in means of creating the health and wellness of POC is because of the issues that are continuously faced. Queen B Mentorship started from the space of not allowing any other child have to go through what we have gone through as POC. (Queen B Mentorship is a program Sharon runs within Lady Via)

The Skin I’m In: 

As a girl growing up I always knew I was different simply based on the colour of my skin. I knew that because of being a dark skinned child with a different hair texture than what was perpetuated as beautiful I was destined to live a life much different than most. I would soon take on a life that was shaped by social and economic barriers with a lack of leaders that looked like me. Mind you my own family struggled with their own issues due to intergenerational trauma based on colonialism. The struggles that my family and I faced were those such as: domestic violence, a break down of the family unit, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, incarceration, homelessness, shelters, foster care, welfare and government housing.

As a child I do know that if there were more leaders who looked like me it would be a lot easier to have navigated the social system granting me and my family opportunities that we were not granted. 

Queen B Mentorship girls’ program:

Our mentorship program is a program that works to empower girls through cultural advocacy and recognition. We work to increase their social-emotional needs by increasing their cultural wellness. We create safe spaces where girls can begin to engage in effective dialogue and creative activities, which includes Afrocentric dance. Here they can begin to address issues that are continuously experienced by our children such as low self esteem, body shaming, bullying which results in anxiety and depression. A negative paradigm continues to have pour outcomes such as high school drop out rates, early pregnancy, substance abuse, and incarceration. By transform little minds by providing them the skills and experience to increase self-expression which results in confident leadership for our families and greater communities. A positive paradigm strengthens our communities.

Sharon offers opportunities for membership, girl camps, and dance programming!

Learn more about Sharon on her website, reach out to her if you’d like to contribute to her foundation through volunteering or otherwise.