here - My Roots

6 MY ROOTS Fall, 2008
words have power: express yourself
Kiah Welsh
Community Submission
This June, youth from the Malvern
community participated in “Express
Yourself.” The writer’s workshop was
hosted by MY ROOTS, in partnership with
the Malvern Public Library. The workshop
showcased
young,
accomplished
speakers such as, Priya Ramanujam,
Editor of Urbanology magazine, Boona
Mohammed, Spoken Word Artist/
Rapper, Julia Dow, Youth Columnist for
the Toronto Star, MY ROOTS Alumni and
English Literature graduate from McGill
University, and Paul Nguyen and Mark
Simms, Creators of Jane-Finch.com and
producers of the CBC documentary “Lost
in The Struggle”, gave the youth insight
about writing, journalism and the film
industry and its realities.
The main message of chasing
your dreams, despite obstacles that may
arise, was understood by youth as they
listened attentively to these aspiring
speakers that were once in their shoes.
The morning started with Priya
Ramanujam. Before speaking with youth,
she gave everyone a recent issue of her
Urbanology magazine. By observing the
issue alone, one can see that it takes a lot
of hard work and dedication to produce a
product with such glamour. “It starts with
initiative and passion,” said Ramanujam. As
the youth flipped through her magazine.
she explained, ”if you are always in doubt
to take the next steps in life, you will
never
studio two
Dillon Lobo
Community Submission
Studio Two, a program for
students between the ages of 12 to 24,
created by the Violence Intervention
Project (VIP) of East Metro Youth Services,
along with Ryerson University, the Youth
Challenge Fund, and Anique Jordan and
Karla Smith-Brown of STEPS Magazine,
develops fundamental skills for youth
that wish to enter the field of journalism.
The free journalism program is
thirty-six weeks and divided into four nineweek sessions. The first session is print
journalism. This foundational step builds
the essential writing and interviewing
skills necessary for aspiring journalists.
This program is organized and instructed
by the publisher and Editor-in-chief of
Urbanology Magazine, Priya Ramanujam.
The three other components
»» mark simms and paul nguyen
know what accomplishments you could
have done if you have not tried,” she
explained. Ramanujam expressed that
hard work and being passionate about
something you love can go a long way.
The workshop proved to be
very interactive. Boona Mohammed
encouraged the youth to write their
own spoken word after he presented a
beautiful portrait of words about loyalty
and friendship. The youth were stunned
by his use of creativity and believable
presentation. He later revealed that in
order to have an effective message you
must “write what’s personal and speak
from your own experience… of the program concentrate on radio,
television/film, and photo journalism.
According to Ms. Ramanujam,
Studio Two was established to “engage
youth living in Scarborough’s seven priority
neighbourhoods and help them become
more media aware while encouraging
them to question the world that they
live in,” she said. “[Studio Two] focuses on
training young aspiring journalists from
marginalized backgrounds to hopefully
incite more multiculturalism and diversity
in the mainstream media.” She added. “[We]
create youth-led media voices within the
Scarborough community through various
print, online and broadcast formats.”
The print journalism program is
currently working on their own newspaper,
VIP Voice, which is directed towards
youth in seven priority Scarborough
neighbourhoods. This newspaper is the
first project of Studio Two which centres
on issues that are relevant to youth in
Scarborough. Priya states that the VIP
Voice will allow “the young people in the
Speaking from what you know
leaves a lasting impression.” He later
discussed that frustration with life was
a type of therapy for him and writing
how you feel in a journal or notebook,
can compensate for outrageous feelings.
Julia Dow also had a discussion
with the youth. Dow, an accomplished
English graduate from McGill University,
mentioned how she was able to
achieve her successes. She discussed
that in order to become a great writer,
you must first love to read. Reading
enables you to use fresh vocabulary
and come up with innovative ideas. She
also encouraged youth to never stop
learning. Her fluency in French, Spanish
and Portuguese was impressive and
shared that the more you know, the more
likely one is open to endless opportunities.
Last to present were Paul
Nguyen and Mark Simms. They presented
a clip of their documentary “Lost in
The Struggle,” which was electrifying.
It showed youth living in the high-risk
neighbourhood, of Jane and Finch, and
their struggle to stay on a straight path.
They also spoke about following your
dreams and to be what you aspire to be.
Nguyen and Simms mentioned that they
did not always have the support of their
parents, but as long as they love their
work, whether creating websites or filming
documentaries, that’s what really counts.
Michelle Singh, an eleven year
old, said “I learned that you should believe
in your dreams and they will come true.”
These speakers pushed that education is
a tool to success. The youth were certainly
privileged as the speakers gave youth
a different spin on how they should go
about their futures.
program the chance to create a more
hard-news project and examine
serious societal issues while covering
timely community events and more
light topics like sports and arts.”
Participants that choose to
continue with the print journalism
program after the nine-week period
will work on the more wide-spread
project,
STEPS
(Showcasing
the
Endless Possibilities of Scarborough)
Magazine. Similar to this newspaper,
STEPS Magazine exhibits Scarborough
youth through a positive approach.
Studio Two is a great opportunity
for aspiring young journalists to be
able to have their work published in a
distributed newspaper. These articles can
be used to build a portfolio that will assist
the application process for a university
or college journalism program. The skills
gained throughout the course of this
program will give participants a honest
perspective of the journalism industry
and what it has to offer them.
Fall, 2008 MY ROOTS 3
outstanding student of the season
Hilori Kaloti
Community Reporter
“There is no limit to how far you can go... ” – Jemy Joseph
Jemy
Joseph has not had
an ordinary childhood. She grew
up in Kuwait but was forced to flee
during the Gulf War in 1990. Joseph
and her family moved to India where
she studied in over five different
elementary schools. She explains the
hardships of fleeing from a war-torn
country, “It was particularly difficult
when we had to leave Kuwait because
we had to leave all our paper work and
documents behind. My parents had a
hard time finding jobs because they
didn’t have any paper work that proved
they went to University.” She lived with
aunts, uncles and grandparents while
her parents looked to find suitable
jobs to raise her and her siblings.
In 2000, Joseph moved to
Canada where she attended Francis
Libermann Catholic Secondary School
in Scarborough. In 2004, Joseph
graduated as her class Valedictorian
and went on to pursue a degree in
Neuroscience and Biology at the
University of Toronto Scarborough.
However, school was only a
part of Joseph’s life. Her other passions
and interests included research
and student government. While in
University, Joseph was extremely
active in the school community. She
worked as Vice-Chair, Vice-President
of Academics and Director of Life
Sciences for the Scarborough Campus
Students’ Union and the Biology
Students’ Association. In addition,
she volunteered as an undergraduate
research lab assistant for three different
labs at the University of Toronto where
she worked on research studies such
as epilepsy, osteoporosis and ecology.
If that hasn’t kept Joseph busy
enough, in 2004 Joseph helped found
a registered charity called Reaching
with Compassion (RwC). “Since a
very young age, my parents never
celebrated birthdays in my family;
instead the money that would have
» Jemy joseph
at the university of toronto
been spent on a birthday party
was sent to support a child living
under the poverty line by providing
basic necessities such as food,
sandals and umbrellas for the
monsoon season,” said Joseph.
The idea of charity and
missionary work was not a new one to
Joseph but a value that she believed
and pursued wholeheartedly. “After
coming to Canada, myself and a group
of passionate individuals decided
to formalize what we were doing.
Working in collaboration with 96
churches, we introduced operations
in India to uplift women by providing
them with a means of living such as
training them on sewing, helping
students by providing study materials
and scholarships and motivating
youth to rise up through collective
efforts like agricultural fields and
animal farms,” she explained.
In 2006, Joseph travelled
to India as a part of a missionary
trip with RwC. “This experience
opened my eyes to the poverty and
the daily struggles that our fellow
human beings go through; yet they
are content with the little they have
while many of us living in the firstworld take the wealth and best of
life for granted.” said Joseph.
One
of
Joseph’s
most
memorable moments include her
winning the John H. Moss Scholarship
from the University of Toronto
Scarborough. Her aspirations don’t
stop here. She has dreams of becoming
a clinician scientist and a professor.
“This career path will hopefully
allow me to incorporate my passions
including research, public health,
advocacy, involvement in governance
and
teaching,”
she
explained.
She
appreciates
the
opportunities and the freedoms she
received in Canada. “Canada is in
general, the land of opportunities. If
you have the determination and are
willing to work hard, there is no limit
to how far you can go, ” said Joseph.
“We’re privileged to live in one of
the most diverse communities in the
world [Scarborough]. Embrace the
diversity and make an effort to get to
know different people and cultures.
Scarborough has a reputation for
having high crime but don’t conform to
the stereotypes. Rise above and beyond
the circumstances because if you set
your mind to what you are passionate
about, there is nothing stopping you. ”
» Jemy josepH doing an experimental transplant
MALVERN ALUMNI
4
MY ROOTS
Fall, 2008
Devin Persaud
Community Reporter
GAVIN STEPHENS: ““Malvern is Opportunity””
Born in Malvern, Gavin Stephens was voted by Star TV as one of the “12 funniest Canadians”. For the last five seasons, he
also appeared as a star and writer on the sketch show Comedy Inc. on CTV, for which he received a 2007 Gemini nomination for
Best Ensemble Performance in a Comedy Series. In addition, Gavin is one of only a handful of comedians to have filmed multiple
one-man specials for The Comedy Network’s hit series Comedy Now. He has also garnered rave reviews in England, the United
States, and South Africa with his unique brand of thought-provoking silliness that has also been a proven hit on tours across
Canada.
Speaking with Gavin opened my eyes to his infectious personality which has the unique ability to mix contemporary
social issues with a fresh innovative sense of humour. His take on the media and its images also provokes thought and discussion
on breaking stereotypes and prejudices. His experiences thus far are a prime example of knowing what you want and going after
it.
Q: What can we expect to see in the
future from Gavin Stephens?
Q: What was your experience like in
Malvern?
A: I’ve put a lot of time working on my
one man show (dates are listed below)
and also I have begun to work on a
comic book based on my life, personal
experiences and my stand up act. I am
also working on a seminar about reading
images in the media, and how it can
empower you as well.
A: I actually lived on Burner Trail, right across
from Burner Trail Public School. I was very
young when I moved, but it was a good
experience; a real community oriented
place. Most people in the neighbourhood
knew each other and looked out for one
another.
Q: What inspired you to get into Comedy?
A: I’ve always had a passion for comedy, as
a child and in school, I was always the funny
person that was telling jokes. I wouldn’t say
I was the class clown, but I enjoyed making »»» gavin stephens
other people laugh. I remember listening Q: You’ve done some outreach work in
to and watching Richard Pryor and seeing the Malvern community before, can you
what he did, and thinking that’s what I share your experience with that?
want to do when I grow up.
Q: Did you face any adversity or setbacks?
A: My parents were always hands off and
very helpful. They were kind of unsure
when I first told them what I wanted to do,
and my Dad suggested I had something
else to fall back on in case comedy didn’t
work out, but now that they’ve seen where
I am today they admit I knew what I was
doing.
Q: So were you really driven then?
A: I guess it was a bit more of ignorance
too, if you’re really driven to do something
you don’t really care or think about what
you can’t do. There were always tons of
people telling me, “you can’t do it, you
can’t do comedy,” yet everything they said I
couldn’t do, I did. I guess it comes down to
being clear about what path you want and
setting goals to make sure you get where
you want to be.
A: Talking to the youth of Malvern
was no different than talking to youth
anywhere else. My impression of them
were that they were polite and nice, just
normal kids. I think the images of youth
portrayed by media outlets give Malvern
teens a certain label of what they are
like and how they are supposed to act,
which after being heard again and again
I think, even they have come to believe.
There are a lot of things within the Malvern
community that the media takes power
away from. The media places labels and
walls on the community and makes it a
hot button issue, and only takes notice
when something goes wrong. At a local
seminar I attended, many people were
using the term “At-Risk”, it’s small words
like this that can change the way one
looks at him/herself. Youth should be
empowered to grow into what they want
to be, by changing their own perspective
first, and then trying to change the labels
around them.
Q: To Conclude, if you had to describe
Malvern in one word what would it be?
A: Opportunity
Try and catch his hilariously crafter One
Man Show.
GAVIN STEPHENS PRESENTS:
SPECTACULAR! SPECTACULAR!
One man’s journey for awesomeness!
For tickets visit http://www.
brownpapertickets.com/event/42530 or
call 905-528-3000
»»» gavin stephens doing what he does best, entertaining
Fall, 2008 MY ROOTS 5
The outside looking in
Kiah Welsh
Community Submission
mother demanded, “Kaylee! I’m not going to
ask you again!”“Myself,”I muttered hesitantly.
The room fell silent. I didn’t watch
my mother’s face, simply because of my
embarrassment, but by her silence I could
imagine her reaction, puzzled and unclear
of my emotions. Tears of frustration came
rolling down my face onto my pillow. My
pillow was soaked like a sponge. My mother
made her way towards me after a few
minutes had passed. She sat on my bed and
asked, “Kaylee, sweetie.” I didn’t reply. “Do
you really feel that way?” she asked softly.
“I don’t want to talk about it!” I
shouted. At this time I would have expected
my mother to walk away from the situation
and simply ignore me. However, today she
took a different approach. She stayed with
me and loved me like a parent should. I felt
relieved, yet scared of what the outcome of
talking to her would be. I told my mother
what had been bothering me. “I’m not good
enough mom,” I blurted out. I wanted to
stop talking but my lips kept moving. “You
know… no one notices me. I’m practically a
ghost at school. Girls are always gossiping
behind my back and the boys… I just don’t
feel pretty.” I hung my head low with shame.
“Kaylee,” my mother said firmly.
“You are beautiful; don’t let anyone tell you
otherwise.” “You’re just saying that because
you’re my mom,” I charged outrageously.
“No! I’m serious. You are a gorgeous girl. The
problem with you Kaylee is that you need to
build up your confidence and self-esteem. I
believe you’re beautiful...but the question
is, do you?” My mother had a good point,
I thought. “Kaylee, get up and look in the
mirror,” my mother insisted. I wondered
what she was up to. The mirror was my
worst nightmare. Every time I would see my
reflection in the mirror, I would feel turbulence
within myself. I would fret and feel smaller
than I actually was. Unwillingly, I stood in
front of the mirror with my mother behind
me. She said to me, “Now what do you see?”
“I see myself mom! This is stupid!” I
rolled my eyes and turned away. My mother
grasped both of my shoulders and repeated,
“What do you see Kaylee?”
“I see me.” I said. “I see a person with flaws,
ugly hair and dark skin! Thanks a lot mom
for allowing me to realize just how useless
I am! Why can’t I be like the girls in the
magazines? They’re so pretty!” I declared.
“They are,” my mother said. “But there is a
lot of work into making a picture perfect.
You my dear are naturally beautiful and you
don’t realize that.” I was relieved when my
mother had spoken these words of life to me.
Although I was going through a
difficult time at school and battling whether
I was beautiful or not, I was willing to take
life one step at a time. A few weeks ago, I
was a wreck. I couldn’t take the pressures
that I was going through and was willing to
take my own life. However, knowing that my
mother cared for me I knew there was more
to life. I turned away from the mirror and
gave my mom an enormous hug. “Thanks
mom! Thanks for being there for me!” I said
happily.
kids help phone
you’re being bullied is talk to someone. Talk
to an adult that you trust (e.g. a teacher,
parent, guidance counsellor, coach, etc.) so
that they can help you deal with the situation
and make the bullying stop. Remember that
none of the bullying behaviour is your fault.
The mirror stared directly in my face.
I stared back with my reflection in the
mirror.
“Who do you think you are?”
“Kaylee Edwards.”
“Why do you look the way you do?”
“Because God made me this way.”
“Good answer!” The voice said sarcastically.
“Do you have any friends? I bet you don’t!”
“I don’t,” I replied with my voice shaking.
“I bet you sit alone during lunch hour at
school. Don’t you?”
“Yes,” I responded with droplets of tears
flowing down my face.
“Wow. You’re pathetic! Why don’t you just
disappear?”
“I can’t. I have people that care about me,
like my parents.”
“Your parents? Don’t fool yourself! They just
put up with you for the sake of it.”
“That’s not true!”
“Sure it is! You’re nothing. You’re not even
…potentially pretty.” The voice laughed.
“Let’s see, you have big ears, dark skin, short
hair... and your weight... well I don’t want to
go there.” I fixated my eyes on my body and
realized all these things were true.
“I…I…I’m.” “You’re nothing!” The voice
interrupted.“You never were and never will be!”
My mother came inside
my bedroom and asked, “Kaylee who are
you speaking to?” I didn’t respond, Quickly,
I dove into my bed sheets covering my face
What is Bullying?
with my back against her. Finally my
Bullying happens when someone says or
does hurtful things to someone else on
purpose. These mean things often happen
more than once and may go on for a long
time.
why?
Sharla Smith
Community Submission
Damn,
There you are.
I can’t go down this hall
You’ll make my life a living hell
Probably trip me, so I can fall
Everyone will laugh and I’ll be the loser again
You’ll come out as the hero
And I still won’t have as many friends
I just want to know why?
Because I can be very shy but
It bothers me to know your at school
I try to fake sick, but mom doesn’t buy it
I try to skip but my marks are dieing
So...I think I’ll walk down this hall today
And when you approach me I’ll ask why
And force you to explain.
Other things you can do:
•walk away or avoid the bully;
•ask your friends to stick up for you and
intervene when someone starts to bully you;
Types of bullying:
Bullying can happen in many different ways. •try to avoid being alone – walk to class with
friends when possible;
For example:
•stand up for yourself, shout, tell the bully to
•Physical: hitting, punching, spitting,
breaking someone’s things like schoolwork. leave you alone;
•know when to run – if the situation could
•Verbal: calling someone names, teasing
get violent, leave the area immediately and
in a hurtful way, making racist or sexist
find a trusted adult.
comments.
•Social: spreading rumours, excluding
others from a group, talking about someone Need to talk?
behind their back and publically humiliating The sooner bullying is stopped, the safer
everyone can feel.
someone.
•Cyber: using technology (e.g. cell phones,
Kids Help Phone’s counsellors are available
computers, Internet, instant messaging,
etc.) to threaten, harass, exclude, intimidate, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to talk about
bullying or any issue that’s important to you.
make fun of or embarrass someone.
You can talk to a counsellor by calling 1-800668-6868 or going online at kidshelpphone.
Dealing with a bully:
ca.
The most important thing you can do if
8 MY ROOTS Fall, 2008
***New Dental Office***
Neilson and McLevin Dental Office
Accepting New Patients in Family Dentistry Care
1371 Neilson Road, Suite 103
(On the ground floor, next to Rexall Pharmacy)
Call: 416-286-6001
www.nmdentaloffice.com
Dentists:
Dr. Priya Jeganathan & Dr. Girish Hattay
Hygienist:
Shyamala Sivananthan
A beautiful smile and healthy teeth for you and your children.
*Free Parking*
Malvern Youth Forum
the most important and informative.
“It gave critical information about
workplace hazardous materials” he said.
The Real Facebook Workshop
taught those attending the safe way of
networking, and how to avoid possible
threats through the World Wide Web.
Sweta Patel, a nine-year-old student
»» continued from page 2
from Mary Shad Public School, said
she enjoyed The Graffiti Workshop
the most, as she finds drawing
the best way to express herself.
Numerous guests, such as MPP
Bas Balkissoon, Councillor Raymond Cho
and MP Derek Lee, voluntarily attended the
event. Mr. Balkissoon spoke of volunteer
opportunities at his office over the
summer break, and offered one-on-one
discussions for youth with any questions.
After
a
very
fun
and
inspiring
day,
four
scholarships
were distributed to Malvern youth.
After the positive turn out at this year’s
Youth Forum, there are high hopes that this
event will continue to grow and have an
impact on the lives of the youth of Malvern.
Volume 5 Fall, 2008 MY ROOTS 1
The taxi project
STAND UP FOR...
YOUR community
yourself
others
WHAT’S INSIDE?
>malvern youth forum-PG. 2
>OUTSTANDING sTUDENT OF THE
SEASOn: jemy joseph- pg. 3
>ALUMNI: gavin stephens -PG. 4
>what is bullying? kids help
phone provides guidance - pg. 5
>the outside looking in creative
story about self-esteem- PG. 5
>writer’s workshop-PG. 6
»»» The opening scene of the taxi project. photo taken by alex felipe
Writers Living in Exile-See it through their eyes
Natasha Rajaratnam
Community Reporter
What if you were to leave
everything you loved behind? You get off
the plane and finish with all the hustle and
bustle at the airport. You step outside and
look around. “TAXI! TAXI!” After putting
your bags away and settling inside the
taxi the driver says, “where to?” So what
now? You have no idea because the
streets, buildings and people are all new
to you. Living in exile is one of the most
undesirable things to be wished upon
anyone. Unfortunately, it is something
that immigrants living in Canada are
experiencing. In order to bring attention
to such issues, PEN Canada and Art for Real
Change Collective, collaborated to create
an original play called The Taxi Project.
The play is written by Emma
Beltran, Martha Kuwee Kumsa, Sheng
Xue and Goran Simic – all members of
PEN Canada’s Writers in Exile Program,
with their own personal story of living
in exile. Their stories, although shared in
a short biographical pamphlet, leapt to
life on the stage. Beltran took part in a student strike
at the National Autonomous University
of Mexico in 1999. She soon became a
victim of political charges, kidnapping
and torture by the Mexican National
Army and year later, was exiled. Kumsa was a proud journalist
in Ethiopia up until she was imprisoned
in the early 1980s for about ten years.
With the help of PEN Canada and
Amnesty International she was able to
come to Canada soon after her release.
Sheng Xue comes from Beijing
and moved to Canada in 1989 soon after
the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre.
Finally, Goran Simic was a
popular writer in his country. Simic and
his family were trapped in the siege of
Sarajevo. Thanks to the PEN Freedom
to Write Award, he was able to settle
in Canada with his family in 1995.
Josh Bloch, the producer ofTheTaxi
Project, is a community organizer, producer,
»»» continued on pg.2
>Studio two: free journalism
program for youth- pg. 6
>students create public service
announcements- PG. 7
volunteering in peru
»»» see page 7 for more
2 MY ROOTS Fall, 2008
THE MY ROOTS
EXECUTIVE
malvern: where dreams From the Editor’s Desk
are within your reach Now that we’ve all settled into
Pooja Bhagat and Kelvin Ramchand
Community Submission
On June, 7, 2008, the Malvern
Family Resource Centre collaborated with
the Malvern Community Coalition to host
the annual Malvern Youth Forum at Lester B.
Pearson Collegiate Institute. Their objective
was to provide Malvern’s youth with an
opportunity to witness the numerous
prospects available in their community.
All attendees began the day with
Left to Right: Sydney Elias, Natasha
Rajaratnam, Laxmi Parthasarathy, Hilori Kaloti, a complimentary breakfast. Participants
workshops,
games,
Lindee Ballentine and Devin Persaud. Missing: experienced
Alexandra Kasper.
information
booths,
entertainment,
and an informative panel discussion.
Attendants were given an opportunity to
question panellists about their personal
successes and how it was achieved.
fOUNDER/EDITOR
Students were enlightened by
malvern.youth.roots@gmail.com
various success stories from the panel
which consisted of comedians, Gavin
Stephens and Morgan Smith, freelance
hairstylist and therapist to celebrities,
managing editor/community Veronica Ciandre,
founder of MY
reporter
ROOTS and recipient of Canada’s Top 20
under 20 award, Laxmi Parthasarathy,
hilori.kaloti@gmail.com
founder of Urbanology magazine,
Priya Ramanujam, and spoken word
artist, Boonaa Mohammed. Students
were than able to interact with the
sponsorship co-ordinator/ panellists throughout the day to discover
more about their individual fields.
community reporter
The
diverse
workshops
were
devinpersaud@gmail.com
quite
informative
according
to
participants. Kadeem Vassell, an 18year-old student at Monsigner Fraser,
found the WHMIS workshop to be
LAXMI
PARTHASARATHY
a new school year, the MY ROOTS team
has been reminiscing about some of
the issues we all faced during the backto-school season. We’ve come up with
an edition that highlights the theme of
oppression on a large and small scale. Whether the oppression is
conflict from government policy, as the
Taxi Project will reveal, or a bully at school,
we hope that after reading this edition
of MY ROOTS you will be inspired to rise
above a difficulty and stand up for yourself, your community and others.
Enjoy,
Laxmi Parthasarathy
Founder/Editor -MY ROOTS
Hilori kaloti
devin persaud
natasha
rajaratnam
»» continued on page 8
public relations co-ordinator »»»continued from page 1
publishing assistant
natasha_rajaratnam@hotmail.com educator and founder of the Art For Real
Change Collective. The medium sized
theatre occupied a full house. On the
night which I watched the play Josh Bloch
informed the audience that one of the
public relations co-ordinator writers, Sheng Xue, went to Beijing that
akskasper@hotmail.com
morning and was immediately arrested.
The play from that point onward carried
with it a gut-wrenching realism that
endured throughout the performance.
The lights dimmed and out
advisor/community outreach
came
the
actors. They each told their
eliassyd@yahoo.com
story about how they came to Canada
and how their struggle to survive in
a new environment connected them
to each other. Watching the play gave
my roots/tdsb liason
me the most exhilarating feeling.
lindee.ballentine@tdsb.on.ca
The actors did an excellent job of
ALexandra kasper
reverend sydney
elias
lindee ballentine
»» youth learn about local opportunities at the
malvern youth forum
grasping the audience’s attention with
their sincerity and authenticity. Garrow
was a strong figure in the lead role
and masterfully demonstrated how
war and the loss of one’s family could
consume one’s emotions throughout life.
Although they were all exiled
from different countries for unjustifiable
reasons they redefined themselves here as
storytellers and used this opportunity to
freely express themselves through writing,
photography and more. There are many
opportunities here in Canada that we take
for granted, but these four writers are living
examples of how to make the best of them.
Clearly this is a play that we all
should watch to remind ourselves of
the opportunities we have in Canada.
Fall, 2008 MY ROOTS 7
from malvern to peru
Alexandra Kasper
Community Submission
then tied up the llama beside the cow
and the chickens in the small yard.
While I stayed in the community,
I helped with the chores and took part
in all the daily activities. We walked
the llama and cow to the carrot patch,
weeded, pealed potatoes, cleaned
around the house, shooed the pigs
out of the kitchen, and even had the
opportunity to go to school with the
children. Before the school day began,
the students, aged five to ten, organized
themselves into their class groups. They
sang the school song and then recited
the pledge and the national song. Once
the teachers arrived, we went into the
classrooms where the children were
enthusiastic about the lessons and
projects in their workbooks. That day
they were writing about their families.
Helping in this community was a
wonderful learning experience for This June I left behind my
textbooks and studies in Malvern,
to go on a volunteer trip to Peru, a
country I knew nothing about. While
there, I would be helping families in
a village with their daily activities.
After a bumpy ride though the
Andes, we finally arrived at our destination;
the community of Ccaccaccollo, deep
in the Peruvian mountains. Our group,
consisting of 11 volunteers from across
Canada and the United States, got off
the bus to find ourselves surrounded by
dozens of smiling faces of the women
and children in the village. To support the
community, families sell the hats, blankets
and clothing that they weave from alpaca
wool, dyed using natural materials.
I had only been in the village
for five minutes, and already was leading
a llama with one hand, and a six-yearold girl with the other, finding myself
wondering what was to come next. I was
introduced to my host family; a mother,
father, and two girls, ages six and ten,
who pointed to their “casa,” a little house
halfway up the mountain. After huffing
and puffing up the mountain, we finally
arrived at the mud-floored house. We »» alexandra kasper playing with host-sister yuli
the monarch project
Natasha Rajaratnam
Community Reporter
This summer, the youth of Serve
Up The Summer, a program organized
for Malvern’s youth, collaborated with
the Scarborough Arts Council to tackle
issues within Toronto, through the
creation of The Monarch Project. They
wanted to bring about change in the
community, so together they brainstormed
issues pertaining to environmentalism.
“The butterfly is an amazing
metaphor for the transition and search for
identity experienced by adolescents during
this turbulent and challenging time of life.
Not only is the Monarch butterfly one of
the larger and noticeable butterflies, it has
a local connection since every year it passes
through Scarborough along the Kingston
Road area. This graceful, yet bold insect
undergoes such a rapid transition from a
cocoon to a butterfly which I’m sure many
can relate too,” explained Taha Othman,
Program Assistant for the Monarch Project.
The project resulted in the creation
of two Public Service Announcements
(PSA). The premiere of their work took place
»» alexandra kasper helping with chores in peru
me. Although the trip was described
as volunteer, I think that I have gained
more from my visit than I could have
possibly done to help in the community.
I watched people enjoy
themselves without needing all the
luxuries that we take for granted. It
made me aware of the importance
of connecting to the people around
you. We spoke different languages,
but we could all still communicate.
When I returned to Malvern
after my trip, I realized that you do not
need to go far to find diversity. There is
so much we can learn about the world
from people right here in our community,
it’s just a matter of communication.
So get out there. Whether
out there is a village in Peru, or right
here in Malvern, you can make an
impact in the lives of others around
you. Most importantly, it will open
your eyes to the world around us.
the audio level and created a frame for
their camera shots. “Youth were able to
utilize their creativity and had the creative
freedom to express their own views on
environmental issues,” said Jamille ClarkeDarshanand, Serve Up The Summer Program
Assistant. It appeared that the final product
won the appreciation of the audience.
Once GREENPEACE took over,
the audience was introduced to a new
world, a world of empowering activists.
The organization shared stories of the
extremes they have gone to in order to be
heard. They have faced charges and have
even been arrested for their risky actions.
They split the audience in half
and challenged everyone to come up
with causes to promote. The results were
student rights, pollution, education
expenses, schools should all have equal
funding, lowering the age required to
begin work, changing the minimum wage,
decreasing the price of food. When they
asked how everyone would come about this
change, everyone agreed that they would
speak with their Member of Parliament.
The youth that took part in The
Monarch Project displayed intelligence
and awareness. They found a cause to
fight for and did something about it.
at the Malvern Public Library where they
held an open discussion with the assistance
of GREENPEACE who orchestrated an
environmental forum.
It took four days and three
hours each day to brainstorm, write
the script, and then shoot and edit the
footage. The youth held a vote to decide
on an environmental issue for a PSA.
Their first PSA Raccoons, was a
video with both the scenery and characters
drawn by the youth. The video portrayed
the message that pollution and garbage
affect the animals in our city. The next PSA,
Fill it Up took place at the gas station. This
message was simple and clear. The PSA
encourages people to carpool. “Kids have
to be very interested in environmental
issues and they have to care about all the
animals in order to do something about
it,” stated Samantha Wieland. Samantha
participated in Serve Up The Summer
and was also involved in making the PSA.
The youth were extremely
involved in the project. Some of them were
holding the mic, some were characters
in the video, while others monitored »» search for the Monarch project on youtube for more.