Terence Kwaramba

Leveraging his experience to help others When Terence Kwaramba arrived as a refugee in Canada from Zimbabwe all he brought with him was the enthusiasm to start a new life. He’d left everything, including his family behind, but he was determined to battle the odds and become successful. He slummed in shelters, worked as a door-to-door salesman, packed boxes in a bookbinding factory and spent 24 hours working in sub-zero temperatures in a meat processing plant. His spirit was undefeated. Five years later, Terence is a career services coordinator at Seneca College leading workshops on employment access and an advisor to various boards and governing committees. Along the way Terence has worked with all kinds of socially and economically disadvantaged people. That breadth of experience and the unique perspective and energy he brings to the table has helped people with multiple barriers to employment. “What has always given me an edge,” says Terence, “is my age.” Terence is only 27. Added to this is his ability to listen and to use lessons learnt from his own experience as a refugee to help others. For six months after his arrival in Toronto Terence worked at survival jobs. Despite his circumstances he wanted to volunteer and began at the YMCA. His worldliness and his ability to promote himself immediately drew the attention of managers there. Within three days, he was interviewed for a paid summer position to help youth between the ages of 15 and 24 get summer jobs. By the end of the summer, he had helped place 800 students. Not wanting to let Terence go, the YMCA hired him to spruce up its resource centre in September 2002. He had been in Canada for less than a year but his leadership skills were evident. Moreover, Terence was pro-active. “I was all alone at the centre with 80 clients a day,” he says, thinking back on his time there. “I had to figure out things for myself.” It’s something he handles very well. Within weeks, he had set up the resource centre with 20 computers outfitted for high-speed internet access. When this assignment ended, Terence began working for the Ontario Works Employment Placement Program helping social assistance recipients get hired. As one of two facilitators, Terence managed a structured 18-week program with clients. At any given time, his caseload included about 40 clients. In September 2004, Terence was offered a job at the Employment Services Centre in downtown Toronto at a time when employment centres across Ontario were slashing programs and funding. As one of the youngest employees, he quickly lost his new job. Two steps ahead of the game, he was already exploring a six-week Seneca College program training position for youth who were at risk of being expelled from their schools. The program was life-skills rehabilitation designed to keep troubled youth in school. Terence continued his association with Seneca College working as an employment consultant providing re-employment services for internationally trained professionals. “Most of my work is inspired by my own experience,” he says. “I like to help people. I looked at a lot of the available jobs and I didn’t see myself doing any of the jobs out there. I am aware of what it takes to get there, and I don’t want people to go through the same experience I did.” Terence’s experience has shown him that the key barriers to employment are lack of access, information and resources. Terence has volunteered with the YMCA, abcGTA, Toronto Youth Cabinet, Ontario Young People’s Alliance and Toronto Youth Summit. He is now on the governance committee for the Second Base Youth Shelter in Scarborough and volunteers for the “Power Within” motivational speaker’s series. “I’m very action-oriented,” says Terence. “I like to get things done. I think being a leader is doing the things that you say you will do and not necessarily wanting public approval when you do it. I wanted to do something and I went out and did it.” Terence participated in the 2004-2005 Leaders for Change program.