Maama Support Circles
Creating a safe world for Women and their Families
Our Circles Enfold; Our Mentors are committed to walking with you to rebuild your centre of tranquility and safety from fear. To learn more about the Circles funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, click the button.
About Us
Maama Support Circles aims to create a mentoring community where Black and other racialized Women and their Families, regardless of their social, economic status or gender identity are equipped with the necessary resources to build their confidence to live in relationships free from all forms of violence in their personal or professional lives.
Maama Support Circles is a special project of Maama Watali [hyperlink to maamawatali.org) as part of our overall mandate to address Gender Based Violence and Violence Against Women.
Committed to justice
In May 2022 Maama Support Circles obtained a 3 year grant under the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Family Innovations Test Grant with the intent of helping Black and newcomer women rebuild self-esteem and confidence as part of the healing process after traumatic experiences, to educate and build awareness about the supports available, to help them navigate access to these supports, to re-establish their personal and professional relationships, and to overcome economic barriers, the mental health impact and address stigma brought on by Intimate Partner Violence.
The Why
We created Maama Support Circles in 2018 to respond to the crises we were facing in our lives. Some of us were experiencing horrific abuse at the hands of our partners; others were dealing with financial instability either because of job losses, or relocation to a new country, city or province.
Pushing for Systems Change
We will also create a digital resource guide of the various programs and supports available for mothers, to include a listing of Black service providers that can deliver culturally sensitive services.
A Watchful Presence
As part of the project team’s accountability and good governance of the project a Community Advisory Committee has been established. Their role is to give feed-back, advice and suggestions to improve the effectiveness of the work. Their knowledge of the community, expertise in social service and lived experiences will be crucial to our success.
Future Goals
In the third year, we will meet with Social Service Organizations to share our findings and encourage them to work towards providing more culturally informed services for Black and newcomer women survivors and their children.
Our Partners
