Laini
Young Women in Leadership
"Laini" is a Swahili word that means 'to flatten an area with the intent of making it accessible'. It is a very similar meaning to “esplanade”, which is a flattened path for people to walk on. Laini is about giving every young woman the confidence and tools to see themselves as leaders; it is about equal chances, and the ability for all to walk the path of leadership. We thought it was a perfect word to describe these opportunities.
Jamii is offering FREE leadership programs for girls and young women of The Esplanade community
We are excited you are interested in our programs!
NEW PROJECT!!!
Ages: from 11 to 19yrs old
Design an entire photo exhibit featuring our local seniors
FREE TO PARTICIPATE
For this project, our goal is to highlight the experiences of seniors in our neighbourhood through a series of portraits and one-on-one interviews. You, along with a group of young women from The Esplanade, will curate and envision the exhibit and have a say in every step of the project. You would be invited to be in conversation with a senior in our neighbourhood, and be tasked with writing and creating a photographic portrait of the senior. An exciting journey we hope you can take with us!
All workshops are free.
Are you interested?
Would you like to register your daughter?
Work Experience
Ages: 19+
Gain working experience as a Summer Project Coordinator or launch your career at Jamii
GET PAID
Since 2017, we have been lucky to welcome talented young women with Canada Summer Jobs opportunities: Nadifa Mohamed, Maysam Abu Khreibeh, Yusra Yacout, Afnan Yakot, Mio Muyoboke, Afsheen Chodwdurry, Mira Ghabiel, Cynthia Cella Russo and Jonelle Sills.
They have contributed to make the Summer seasons a success by bringing new perspectives, fresh ideas, passion and energy. We are so grateful to be able to welcome them into the Jamii family.
Be our 2022 Summer Project Coordinator. Send us a letter of interest and résumé at info@jamii.ca.
Creative Workshops & Projects
Ages: from 5 to 13yrs old
Learn new artistic skills and ignite your leadership
FREE TO PARTICIPATE
Jamii offers a wide range of workshops for your daughters and all girls and young women of The Esplanade community to discover new artistic skills, take part in different artistic experiences, and nurture the seeds of creative leadership.
From musical, movement-based, photographic, visual arts wokshops, creative writing, there is something for everyone with Laini.
All workshops are free.
Are you interested?
Would you like to register your daughter?
Click HERE to discover workshop opportunities.
Volunteer hours for high school students
Ages: 14-18 yrs old
Enhance your artistic skills and get a taste of what it is to work in the arts & community.
GET YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS
Are you looking for an opportunity to be involved in your community and make a difference? Jamii always welcomes volunteers from the neighbourhood to be part of our team and help bring magic into The Esplanade. We would love to count you in!
Volunteering with Jamii can contribute to High School Volunteer Hours for students.
Recent Jamii Programs
Take a peak at the exciting projects we produced in 2021
In 2021, with our Laini girls, we organized three photo exhibits, an Opera introduction workshops series with Jonelle Sills, a series of dance performances connected to nature with Ayelen Liberona, musical workshops with Raha Javanfar, self-finding workshops with Arlene Paculan and much much more.
Click HERE to check it out!
What Zarita says
The experience of Sharon Zarita with Jamii
"It is human nature to begin a journey with expectations of how it will turn up, but the past year has shown me life often offers paths that not even our wildest imaginations can anticipate. When I joined Jamii just after completing my postgraduate course in Arts Administration last year, my expectation was broadly to engage the Esplanade community through the arts. I had no idea a few months later we would begin WIND STORIES, a project that would tap into my personal love of listening to people and celebrating their lives."
Testimonies
What are past participants saying?
For years, Jamii has been engaging young women in its programming through volunteering opportunities, participating in creative workshops, and working within the organization.
Here is a series of testimonials that speak to the work we have already done.
Research
Read about our impact on young women
Jamii is committed to assess its impact on the young women who participate in Laini activities and programming.
In 2019, we conducted a series of 20 interviews to collect data on the impact of Jamii programming. In 2021, we continue researching Laini's impact on our young women. The findings of both reports are inspiring.
(photo of Tanjin Ashraf - researcher & writer)