Humans of SBOC featuring Kenny Gbadebo
Kenny is making a change by providing black youth in Canada with opportunities outside of school.
“Looking back at my own life, one thing you must do is find a way to love yourself. If you love yourself, you are able to love other people.”
Kenny Gbadebo, Windsor Chapter President
How did you become the Windsor Chapter President of SBOC?
I got involved because of my organization, Youth Connection Association (YCA). I got an email from Julie at SBOC asking to see if there were any groups in Windsor willing to volunteer or lead SBOC in Windsor. I thought combining Spelling Bee with my program would be very enriching. It has been 17 years ago since we’ve been working with SBOC. My organization subsidizes SBOC to buy T-shirts and certificates for participants and award prizes for the winners.
What is the greatest reward that you have gotten from being part of SBOC?
I enjoy seeing these young kids excel. I’ve seen how a young student will register at the beginning and that particular child is timid and shy, and I’ve seen how over the years they have shown more self-discipline and self-confidence. I’ve seen how they can develop the ability to communicate effectively.
With Spelling Bee, we have children from different ethnic groups like African Canadians, East Indians, Chinese, etc. I’ve seen how all these different groups have grown and it’s nice to see the majority of them doing well in life.
Case in point, one Chinese student was part of YCA when she was young, and through that, she took part in SBOC. Then 2 years ago, she moved to Toronto and we connected via Facebook. I couldn’t believe it. I was extremely impressed when she said “Mr. Kenny”, which is what all the kids call me. She talked to her organization in Waterloo to donate. It was remarkable that she could remember what Youth Connection and SBOC did for her.
What has been the most challenging part about being the Windsor Chapter President at SBOC?
Raising funds is a big challenge because we give cash prizes to some of these kids. I was very fortunate for years back then to have had another non-profit organization, Young Canadian Benevolent Association (YCBA). We used that to provide academic support and financial support to some students. That organization subsidized the work of Spelling Bee. Two years ago, I had to let that organization go because it was becoming too much work for me.
Tell me more about your non-profit organization, Youth Connection Association (YCA), which runs a wide range of activities for children whenever school is out.
YCA was founded about 28 years ago by me because of all these struggles I saw young black people going through in school. I was determined to make a change given my own life experience with racism and discrimination.
We’ve advocated for thousands of kids. We go to schools to talk to principals. Given some issues facing our black children and other visible minorities, all these kids come to us so we help them with after-school activities. The pandemic has made it difficult so we do virtual programming like book clubs. I believe last year, we did the Spelling Bee virtually with the London Chapter.
I like that YCA offers a Drama Program. It reminds me of SBOC Championships in the sense that children must memorize words and perform on stage. Why have you decided to offer a Drama Program?
I saw that young black people, a minority population, didn’t seem to have a creative outlet. I did a study looking at the needs of this visible minority and I discovered that no program is open to them. I said that we should incorporate literacy and dance into what we do. We did that for a few years successfully.
We collaborate with Black Kids in Action (BKIA) and we provide support for the group. The ladies in charge are doing drama with the kids, and YCA tries to support them with the hope that they may be able to collaborate and partner with the Youth Connection on various activities and initiatives. We plan to continue the collaboration with the possibility of a partnership between BKIA and YCA. It’s been very successful and very challenging, and now we have so many groups in Windsor due to BLM, which tries to provide various programming for kids.
How does the Job Readiness Program help prevent youth from having “the desire to be involved in inappropriate, harmful, negative, or unlawful activities”?
We don’t offer that much anymore, but they come to us and we direct them or make a referral to different employment agencies. We also help them to write and develop a resume and learn interview skills and techniques. It helps them in life because it gives them direction instead of getting in trouble because they have something to look forward to. We also applied to the government to give funds to 6 young people between the ages of 16–18 to develop their own apps.
After completing these programs, what differences have you seen in youth?
I’ve seen a couple of kids grow up and I’m happy to see them doing well in Windsor right now.
I’ve seen some kids who are now lawyers, doctors, engineers, and pharmacists. I know them personally and I know where they are in their lives. With that said, I’ve seen a few black kids that have grown up and they get in trouble with the law.
I don’t want to say that I saved everyone but at least I’m very proud of the ones that I was able to help and that became productive citizens in Canada.
What have you learned from running youth programs?
I thank God for giving me the health of being able to do what I’ve done for the young people in this community. At the same time, it’s good to maintain balance, because family is the most important thing in life. Looking back, I could’ve balanced my life more.
As someone who has helped youth to cope with stress, what challenges do you think COVID-19 has brought to youth?
This pandemic has brought about so many mental health issues. Not only to kids, but families and adults as well. Everyone is isolated, including me. Isolation is a big thing. The program we’re running right now is run virtually. We don’t see kids like we used to see them before, and the only way we can connect is through Zoom.
You recruit students from Africa to Canadian universities and colleges. Could you please tell me more about this?
For the last 15 years, I’ve been recruiting students from Africa, predominantly Nigeria and Ghana. I got involved in this recruitment business because I used to teach in a college but also at University of Windsor. I saw some of the struggles all these foreign or international students were going through, specifically the ones from Africa.
Through my organization, I advocated for them with different professors in school. I’ve been recruiting students for St. Clair College, University of Windsor, University of Saskatchewan, and Humber College. I’m so happy because I’ve gotten to know African students and their parents. I’m happy to be part of their lives and when they come here I can help them navigate the whole system. I enjoy recruitment because I used to travel to Africa twice a year. Now I cannot travel until I get the vaccine.
We’re talking more openly about depression and loneliness. I think it’s interesting that you’ve helped youth with anger management because I don’t believe that we talk enough about anger. Knowing how to channel negative energy into positive energy and productivity is a great skill to have.
I agree with you because so many people have this pent-up emotion and we don’t tend to talk so much about what we feel. Eventually, all these negative emotions will come up. Then it becomes destructive. When I finished school here in Canada I got two master’s degrees at the time and I started my Ph.D. program in Detroit. Even with the two master’s degrees, the only job that I could get at that time was way below my qualifications. That made me angry. It’s so important knowing how to deal with the way you feel.
How I deal with anger is to call friends and let them know how I feel. I exercise to release negative feelings, like the Detroit half-marathon that I did 10 years in a row.
When I was growing up. I grew up with the lesson that men can’t show emotion and that they must be tough and this and that. Over the years, based on what I learned when I got help, I travelled to different schools and talked about conflict management, anger management, and making friends.
What is some life advice that you wish more people knew?
Looking back at my own life, one thing you must do is find a way to love yourself. If you love yourself, you are able to love other people.
Try to be kind to one another. Some people think that just because you are nice, you are stupid — I don’t think so. “Do unto others as you want them to do to you” is my philosophy in life. I get angry and upset here and there, but we have to put it in perspective and find a little thing in your life that you are grateful for.
Some people will take advantage of your kindness, but it won’t stop me from being nice to people. That’s my personality and that’s the way I am. I believe in trying to help people.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I’m thankful for this opportunity because I get the chance to talk about my life with the hope it’ll help other people. If you can share your life story and someone can relate and they use that to better themselves, then that’s great.
Helping people is a thankless job. I don’t do it because I want people to thank me. I do it with the hope that other people can learn from me and my life. Once in a while, people will say, “Thank you, Mr. Kenny”, but not very often. You must be the one to know why you are doing what you are doing.
This interview is part of the Humans of SBOC series by Erika Carreon, where her passion for storytelling shines through. As a language lover, Erika dedicates her time to learning Spanish.
