Our Members

The Alberta Immigrant Women & Children Centre is a charitable organization in Edmonton, Alberta. AIWCC assists and provides support to women and children in need. We recognize, respond to, and focus on the specific concerns of immigrant and refugee women and their families.  AIWCC ’s uniqueness is based on having a gender-related mandate, which has proven best practices in developing customized female-focused initiatives. These initiatives often include children, family, and community well-being as important outcomes of our engagement as we know that our clients live and work within interconnected social systems. Through community collaborations we create programs, promote opportunities, and build connections to support healthy and vibrant communities.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association, as the professional organization of teachers, promotes and advances public education, safeguards standards of professional practice and serves as the advocate for its members.

BVC’s international initiatives extend the reach and influence of the College, bringing innovative education opportunities to communities around the world. Through partnership agreements with other post-secondary institutions, to training and developing projects around the world, BVC remains committed to international development.

Bridges of Hope exists to promote poverty relief and community empowerment amongst the poorest nations on earth. This work is done through enhancing the capabilities and productivity of indigenous organizations, leadership and through people who are committed to poverty relief and community empowerment.

CBE’s Global Learning Services is to attract international students to study in public schools with the Calgary Board of Education, to ensure international students are well supported while studying in Calgary, support international students in getting involved in extracurricular activities and clubs, to provide support to the parents of international students so that they will feel confident in the care, guidance and educational opportunities provided to their children.

The vision of Canadian Peacemakers International is to develop and demonstrate a model of peacemaking and peacebuilding that can be emulated by others to address the structural causes of conflict in Central America (CA). The ultimate goal is to reduce the likelihood of more war in CA.

Canadian Volunteers United in Action Society (CANAVUA) is a bilingual non-profit organization whose mandate is to promote and enhance volunteering in Edmonton, particularly within the city’s French-speaking community. In collaboration with many partnering organizations, CANAVUA recruits, trains and dispatches volunteers to serve throughout the community year-round. CANAVUA also offers volunteer-run services to clients, including a weekly food bank, a community food truck, a driver training course and the “Health Navigator” medical transportation and French-English interpretation program. In 2021, CANAVUA was named as a “Good Food” organization by Community Food Centres Canada in recognition of its work in fighting food insecurity in Edmonton. Food truck sign-up form: canavua.org/foodtruck

CAUSE Canada is an international relief and development agency working in West Africa and Central America. Our development priorities include: Primary Health Care (PHC) Water and Sanitation Education Reforestation Gender-Specific Development Initiatives (Women’s Projects) Micro-enterprise Projects.

CAWST, the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, is a non-profit organisation that provides training and consulting to organizations that work directly with populations in developing countries who lack access to clean water and basic sanitation. CAWST “walks beside” hundreds of organizations, government agencies, community groups, and local and international NGOs of all sizes in 63 countries as they develop their capacities to deliver water and sanitation programs locally.

The Centre for Global Education (CGE) develops and delivers virtual collaborative learning projects that engage and empower youth as global citizens, through connecting them to the people, places, and issues they are learning about in their classrooms.

In cooperation with the indigenous people of developing countries,  Change for Children aims to identify the root causes of poverty and, in the spirit of solidarity,  assist in finding long-term solutions

Change for Children fulfills this purpose by:

• Supporting projects which lead to self-sufficiency and a more just distribution of the world’s resources;
• Maximizing the effectiveness of each donated dollar by applying to government agencies for matching grants and by ensuring appropriate administration of funds;
• Educating Canadians about the developing world to bring about an awareness of our global interdependence and solicit support for greater justice and equity.

Covenant International was established to reach, develop, and mobilize the nation of Ethiopia and in due time other countries. Covenant International works closely with our partner organization: Vision for Ethiopia Association. This relationship & establishment helps us manage our Project Implementation & Vision at a very precise & local level.

We are a democratic movement for international solidarity that supports partners in the Global South in the pursuit of alternatives to unjust social, political, economic and environmental structures.

We educate Canadians about the causes of the impoverishment of peoples and to mobilize them to act for change.

The vision of the Edmonton Public School Board is to transform the learners of today into the leaders of tomorrow and to inspire student success through high quality learning opportunities, supported by meaningfully engaged students, parents, staff and community.

The Embrace International Foundation (Embrace) is a civil society organization that empowers communities, families and individuals with disabilities. Embrace aims to build dignity and decrease dependency for mothers and special needs children in Africa and Latin America. Embrace’s mission is to seek justice for disenfranchised people living on the fringes of society. Embrace supports professional services that benefit children and youth with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and severe behavioural disorders.

Engineers Without Borders creates opportunities for rural Africans to access clean water, generate an income from small farms, and have improved access to the services and infrastructure they need to improve their lives. They harness the problem-solving approach and creative pragmatism of the Canadian engineering sector to address the root causes of poverty in rural Africa.

Expand Hope, EH! is Canada’s platform for global social change. We believe that education, among other interventions, has the power to break the cycle of poverty for more than half the world’s population. We also believe that businesses have the power and the financial resources to drive social change. Through our unique impact model which marries business with social change, we build schools in marginalized communities around the world, impacting the lives of thousands of children and their communities.

FOCAS (The Foundation for Oromian Culture, Education and Art Services), is a registered charity centered around community empowerment and learning excellence. With a desire to advance education, relieve poverty, and advocate for disadvantaged people groups, FOCAS provides many resources and services for the newcomer community. Some of these services and programs include tutoring and mentoring school aged children, sponsoring and settling refugees, teaching English as a second language, food distribution, and document and occupation support. FOCAS is a community based and community oriented organization continually growing to meet society’s needs.

FIIDI-Canada is a registered charitable organization in Alberta, Canada that is affiliated with The Foundation for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue Initiatives (FIIDI) – a non-profit, non-religious, non-partisan and non-political community based organization working in Port Loko District of Sierra Leone, and Foyer pour les Initiatives de Dialogue Interculturel et Interreligieux (FIIDI) – a civil society organization working in Burkina Faso. Each organization operates independently but the vision and mission remains the same.

Arising out of a commitment to end religious and ethnic violence, FIIDI has taken an awareness (education) based approach to address and prevent religious and ethnic challenges affecting the communities in Burkina Faso, Canada, and Sierra Leone. We believe that education, including education for tribal, ethnic, and religious leaders and actors, as well as youth, increase mutual respect; tolerance, and understanding while diminishing the risk that individuals could be manipulated for political purposes. We don’t give aid; we strive for dialogue and tolerance, empowering communities to stand up for peace.

Give A Hand Charity Canada, Inc. is a Liberian-Canadian grassroots based (Not for Profit) organization that is committed and dedicated to providing quality and long-term education support assistance to the poor, marginalized and vulnerable children in Liberia, West Africa. Our mission is to address chronic educational problems/challenges affecting the poorest of the poor in Liberia and other nations of the world. ​Our goal is to change and impact lives in destitute communities across Liberia and globally.

HOPEthiopia is committed to the restoration of both the people and the land of Ethiopia. This will be accomplished by the implementation of four distinct project initiatives, each working together to produce a hopeful nation. The mission of HOPEthiopia is twofold: firstly, to raise Ethiopian children into citizens with exceptional moral standards and strength of character; and secondly, to restore the values of purpose and dignity to the lives of Ethiopia’s homeless pastors. HOPEthiopia will provide care and love to orphaned children and homeless retired pastors in the nation of Ethiopia. HOPEthiopia emphasizes the educational, physical, social, and spiritual needs of the individuals who call it “home”. It is the vision of HOPEthiopia to enable the people living therein to grow into confident and fulfilled Christian leaders, contributing to the well-being of Ethiopia. We will strive to restore a healthy, balanced, and sustainable environment.

19 Elbow River Point, Calgary, Ab, Canada T3Z 2V1

Our organization works to improve living conditions in 3 fields – Education, Health, and Relief.

• Education: Invigorating communities and children to help them explore their identities, express their ideas so they become empowered to create a long-lasting change that could change their and others lives.
• Health: Serving people to provide care at the time of medical need and dealing with poverty-related issues like malnutrition, increasing overall health, and productivity of impoverished communities.
• Relief: Addressing the immediate and long-term needs of communities all around the globe through partner organizations and local communities. Our goal is to strengthen these communities and permit self-sufficiency.

Established in Calgary in 2004, ICE is dedicated to promoting children’s literacy and cross-cultural education, at home and abroad. Our current priority is to donate high quality illustrated books featuring stories from the Middle East and Central Asia to literacy programs serving children in need. Our literacy focus grew from a survey we conducted in 2004 in which we learned that Canadian literacy programs for disadvantaged children suffer from a severe and ongoing shortage of high quality books. Current requests from our Canadian partners reveal a need for at least 50,000 books annually. In 2010 ICE began distributing Dari-Pashto editions of the same books to schools, orphanages and NGOs in desperate need in Afghanistan. In just 15 years, ICE has donated 250,500 books to children free of charge. We’ve given 133,400 books to Canadian children in need with help from over 80 Canadian non-profit literacy groups; 115,960 books to Afghan children assisted by 8 Afghan partner organizations and 1140 books to Mexican children through our partner there.

Islamic Relief works with communities to strengthen their resilience to calamities, and we provide vital emergency aid when disasters occur. We help the impoverished access basic services, including education, water and sanitation, as well as healthcare. We provide lasting routes out of poverty through our sustainable development schemes. Our integrated approach to progress is transforming communities worldwide. We tackle the root causes of poverty and make sure that the world’s most vulnerable people have real influence in both our programs and advocacy. Islamic Relief is active in Alberta, with staff located in Edmonton.

3501 Mainway, Burlington ON L7M 1A9

Keiskamma is a non-profit that is dedicated to supporting the work of the Keiskamma Trust in South Africa by raising awareness and funds for their health and art projects. They have a long-term commitment to building relationships in efforts to restore lives devastated by the AIDS pandemic.

Light Up The World (LUTW) is a Canadian registered charity dedicated to the idea that access to energy changes lives.  We work in remote off-grid communities that lack the basic technologies that many of us take for granted. By providing these communities with solar photovoltaic systems, we help them transition away from using polluting fuel-based lighting and costly single-use batteries. The result is transformational. With a focus on training local technicians and developing the capacity of local service providers, LUTW fosters long-term partnerships so that communities are empowered to move towards a more sustainable future. We are based in Calgary, Canada and have field offices in Lima, Cusco, Andahuaylas and Huaraz, Perú.

Calgary, Alberta

Literacy Without Borders (LWB) is a federally incorporated non-profit organization based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, whose three main goals are to (1) develop global citizens, (2) foster lifelong literacy ambassadors, and (3) improve literacy levels for individuals and families.

LWB’s current projects are focused mainly on developing literacy skills and strengthening community engagement in Belize City, Belize and surrounding areas.

The Mahatma Gandhi Canadian Foundation for World Peace, based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, traces its origins to 1988 when observances of the anniversary of Gandhi’s birth were so well received by the people of Edmonton that the initiators launched plans to enlarge the annual observances, to memorialize Gandhi and to share his teachings through a national foundation. The Foundation has grown over its 25 years and currently supports a summer program of graduate levels courses for teachers at the University of Alberta; hosts an annual conference for youth on topics related to peace and social justice; and supports an annual event marking the International Day of Peace and Non-Violence each year on September 21st.

Medical Mercy Canada Society is a non religious, non partisan registered Canadian charity. We provide support to impoverished people and communities in Ukraine and along the Myanmar borders with Thailand and India. Since 1992 volunteers have been providing medical assistance, education, supplies and funds for projects requiring local participation.

MMC was founded by Dr. Myron and Elaine Semkuley. Over the years MMC has given humanitarian aid to people in need. We are based out of Calgary, Alberta and rely on donations to sustain our charity. Please consider making a donation or volunteering with out charity.

The Mennonite Central Committee Alberta is an NGO that works with national and international programs for relief, development, peace and education.

The Micah Center at The King’s University advances student awareness of justice issues and creates opportunities for experiential learning opportunities around the world through internships.

Nafasi-Opportunity Society is a Canadian organization focussed on delivering trade and business skills that will empower young women in Africa.

The Nile Care Advocacy for Peace and Development (NILECAPD) is a South Sudanese humanitarian and social justice organization. We help by offering the people of South Sudan Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Food Security and Livelihood Improvement, Health and Nutrition, Education, Child Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial, Social Justice and Gender Empowerment, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Program.

NorQuest College is a board-governed public college operating as a comprehensive community institution under the authority of the Post-secondary Learning Act of Alberta. With campuses and learning sites across the Edmonton region, NorQuest enhances access to educational opportunities through its role as regional steward. NorQuest provides high-quality learning opportunities that prepare graduates for careers and further studies in business, industry, health sciences, human services, early learning and education, and information, communication and design technologies. A leader in enhancing access to post-secondary education, the College is widely recognized for its foundational learning opportunities in academic upgrading, adult literacy, employment readiness and English as a second language education. Credentials granted by the College include certificates, diplomas, and applied degrees.

One Child’s Village is a non-governmental, non-religious, not-for-profit Society of volunteers who are united in values and who seek to enhance the quality of life for all members of the global community, especially those who are poor, suffering or are otherwise disadvantaged. The emphasis in their work is placed on supporting orphans affected by or infected by HIV/AIDS.

One Step Learning Opportunities Centre (OSL) is grassroots federally, and provincially registered charity. OSL was incorporated after a Canadian couple freely donated a building and large space for 30 years to be used for early childhood learning. The “why” or cause for their philanthropic generosity is “Making Early Childhood Learning Affordable” for impoverished toddlers in rural Ghana.

Headquartered in Edmonton Alberta, OSL operates in both Canada communities, and Ghana. In Canada the charity serves communities, organizations, and individuals through connectivity, communication, marketing, and accountable stewardship, to ensure OSL friends and donors’ contributions are appropriately channeled for early childhood learning. A foresight goal and outcome for the Canada operations is to leverage the quality daycare operations for collaboration as a placement Centre for Canada post graduate early childhood learning students and volunteers to do their practicum or practical experience credentials; while serving impoverished children through Play-based education.

One! International is a volunteer organization working toward the betterment of life for children and families in Mumbai, India. The main goal of One! is the future. And of course the key to the future is the children and the youth. Basic education for children is a must. However, in order to accomplish this, education must also be extended to the older population by conveying educations necessity, and also to try and break the parent’s dependence on their children for the food and money they earn by begging or working under-aged. In order to conquer education, other problems must be faced simultaneously. Basic needs, such as nutrition, housing and medical attention as well as the problems faced by women: maltreatment by men and continual pregnancy.

Operation Eyesight is dedicated to eliminating avoidable blindness for those most in need. Since 1963, we have brought sight-saving treatment to millions of people, while preventing blindness for millions of others. Today our work is focused in South Asia (India and Nepal) and sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Zambia). The right to sight is a fundamental human right. Vision impairment is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Preventing avoidable blindness and vision impairment has a crucial role to play in the reduction of poverty and in the overall effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Operation Eyesight addresses the root causes of avoidable blindness and advocates for the integration of eye care into primary health care systems. Our model of Hospital-Based Community Eye Health empowers communities to take ownership over their health care needs, strengthens the capacity of local partners, We work in partnership with local governments, medical professionals and community development teams, building essential resources to provide access to quality, comprehensive health and eye health services for all. With attainment of the right to sight, our beneficiaries have increased access to education and better health outcomes, and can contribute more to their communities economically, socially and culturally.

Pamir Canadian Multiculturalism Council (PCMC) is a non-profit community-based organization, registered in Alberta, Canada in 2017 under the Alberta Societies Act. PCMC utilizes the services of a vast group of professionals from different disciplines, including but not limited to research, education, environment, project/program management, refugees’ resettlement and social activism, promoting sports activities, providing fresh food hampers to low income, new to Canada, and Refugees families. PCMC’s vision is to support and promote multiculturalism in Alberta, Canada.

PCMC supports the mental health initiatives and well-being of members of Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities in Calgary and area. PCMC raises awareness of trauma and the impact it can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and communities. PCMC addresses key issues facing LGBTQ2, LGBT, LGBTQA, TBLG, locally and internationally with their partner organizations.

Rainbow of Hope for Children is an Alberta-based NGO working for human development in Brazil, Central America, the Philippines, and Africa. ROHFC works with their international partners in the areas of education, political awareness, health and wellness, life skills, women’s capacity building, land reform, agriculture, and marketing techniques. At home, they provide education services to schools, communities and church groups through experienced speakers and their publication, NEXUS.

The mission of Real Humanitarian is to provide the basic necessities of life such as nutrition, shelter, health care, and education to disadvantaged children everywhere. They work toward this goal through community development and orphan rescue.

Right to Learn Afghanistan exists to make the right to education a reality.

Previously known as Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, Right to Learn Afghanistan has supported human rights and education opportunities for girls and women in Afghanistan since 1998 by providing access to quality education. They have trained 10,000 teachers, established 300 libraries and science labs, and established a digital library with tens of thousands of downloads each month.

As of August 2021, Afghanistan became the only country in the world to ban women and girls from receiving an education. Working in partnership with Afghan women, Right to Learn Afghanistan adapted programs to offer free virtual courses and classrooms to connect thousands of Afghan women and girls with quality education. Their transformative advocacy, humanitarian, and educational programs transform lives, promote gender equity, and uphold the right to learn.

Learn more at righttolearn.ca

SCERDO is committed to promote crucial education and development needs for Somalis at home and around the world. SCERDO is currently working to promote education for peace and sustainable development in primary schools in some parts of Northern Somalia. They have also launched a campaign to promote the importance of education and rural development for Somalia’s future development.

Overseas Mission

Sihle-Sizwe Vineyard Foundation founded in Edmonton Alberta in the year of 2016. Our mission is to empower women and children. Overseas emphasis is on empowering women and children through education on income generating projects and programs.

Canadian Mission

Our focus is to bridge the gap and empower immigrant youth through engagement in programs and education. Making the maximum positive effort for our community. Sihle-Sizwe Vineyard Foundation members and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us affect change. Using data driven models, we provide solutions that make a long-lasting difference.

Sinkunia Community Development Organization (SCDO) is a registered non-profit organization that has been in existence in Edmonton, Alberta since November 2007. Our focus is helping new immigrants-especially youth- to get accustomed to life in Canada. At the international level, we support grassroots projects that facilitate access to portable water, primary education, food security, relief items and micro-credit financing for low income women. SCDO’s long term aim is to alleviate poverty, improve health and learning outcomes, agricultural productivity and income levels of low income families in the communities in which operate.

Sombrilla is an Edmonton based NGO supporting development projects in South and Central America. Sombrilla works in partnership and solidarity with their partners in the South. They presently have projects in Peru and Guatemala with a focus on clean water, education and food security. Sombrilla is also partnering with local youth such as Scouts and high school students to create further awareness of global issues and to raise funds for projects.

Teach Peace Development is the product of a merging between the past military service and experience of some of our team members, paired with the hope and potential that formal education can provide transformation to those individuals, families and communities affected by the recruitment of child soldiers, worldwide. In his involvement with the Roméo Dallaire Child Solider Initiative, Matthew Oostvogels, an educator in the K-12 system and veteran of the Canadian Forces, realized his calling. He successfully completed the VTECS (Veteran Trainers to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers) program at Dalhousie University in 2016, which focused on the training of security sector actors, military and police personnel in preventing the use of children as weapons of war. Returning to his place in the classroom, it became apparent to Matthew that teachers are in front-line contact with children on a daily basis and that this would have further implications with regards to the prevention of child soldiers. Out of this idea, Teach Peace Development was born. The team has been built on the common belief that no child should be used and abused as a weapon of war and that targeted education can break this cycle. The team is working to develop a robust curriculum that can be delivered to educators in their home villages. The content will focus on such topics as: The right of the child, Teacher as advocate, Safe school foundations, Threats to children by armed groups, and counter arguments for targeted students. By educating those in direct contact with children – the teachers – we can help build knowledge and practice that will contribute to the prevention and use of child soldiers in a meaningful way.

The Trebi Kuma Ollenu Foundation for Community Development is a non-profit organisation based in Alberta. The purpose of TKOFCD is to foster healthy relationship among the various cultures that call Greater Edmonton home.

At UBUNTU – Mobilizing Central Alberta, our mission is to act as a bridge in connecting and mobilizing Central Albertan communities in racial and social justice through engagement, advocacy, and community building, both individually and systemically.

United Nations Association in Canada (UNA- Canada) is a national charitable organization and a citizen’s movement, which supports and promotes the values and goals of the UN in Canada. Although not an official office of the UN, UNA- Canada is one of the founding members of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), established in August 1946. UNA- Canada’s mandate is to engage the Canadian public in the work of the United Nations and the critical international issues that affect us all. The association offers individual Canadians a window into the work of the UN, and a channel through which to become engaged in the critical international issues affecting us all. By creating links between the work of the UN and the lives of Canadians, UNA- Canada is helping to build a better United Nations. The Calgary branch of UNA- Canada (UNAC- Calgary) was established in 1980 and incorporated in 1999. We partner with local organizations to engage Calgarians in the work of the United Nations. As we follow the regulations in accordance to the Alberta Societies Act, our affairs are controlled and managed by our Calgary-based Board of Directors, who are volunteers and are responsible for policy decision, action, and management of general branch operations.

Driven by its vision to connect with the world, UAI works to support the creation of an internationally vibrant learning and research environment. UAI’s broad suite of services assists students, staff and community in virtually every aspect of international engagement at the U of A.

Driven to become a global intellectual hub, University of Calgary International helps students, faculty and staff to engage internationally. We work with universities, governments and organizations worldwide to develop international relations, partnerships and development projects that support our international strategy. We help students internationalize their academic experience through study abroad opportunities.