Executive Director, Heritage Skills Development Centre (HSDC), Scarborough, ON. Born: Lagos, Nigeria.
Charity has over 16 years of international organizational, community and economic development, mentoring, marketing and management leadership professional experience. She has a focus on dealing with issues around diversity, access, equity and advocacy for disadvantaged groups including youth at risk, immigrant women and families. Her experience comes mainly from the private and not-for-profit sector.
Since 1995, Charity has held the position of Executive Director for Heritage Skills Development Canada. She has over 16 years of volunteer experience.
Honours: Numerous awards and recognitions including being named one of the “Women of Substance” in the Nigerian Canadian Community (1997); Black Achievement Award (1998); Continental African Award for Community Services (1999); profiled in Who’s Who in Black Canada (2nd edition, 2002); and in the Canadian “Who’s Who” (2004). Received a Certificate of Excellence from both the premier of Ontario, Hon. Dalton McGuinty and Mayor of Toronto, David Miller for Courageous leadership in helping to achieve lasting improvement in the lives of young people in Toronto’s priority neighborhoods. In 2010, received Certificate of Appreciation from the Toronto District School Board for contributions towards human development and capacity building of inner-city school children.
Community: Charity has served on prior boards as a Board Member, Social and Publicity Secretary and Vice President. These include the Nelson Mandela Children Funds (2001-04); Africa-Canada Women’s Business Alliance (2002-05); Canadian Feed the Children (2000-04); Canadian Women Executives (1999-2000); Nigeria and Canadian Associate (1998-2002) and African Community Health Services (2001-04); co-leads, the City of Toronto’s Working Women Group of Access and Equity (2003 – 2005) and African Canadian Social Development Council (2005-08).
Education: MBA, University of Strathclyde, Scotland, Post Graduate Diploma specializing in Industrializing Nations; Marketing Diploma, Chartered Institute of Marketing in the United Kingdom. She is fluent in Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba.
Favourite book? The Holy Bible. It gives me inspiration and direction.
Favourite quote? Train one woman, you have trained a whole family because the income she makes is shared by the whole family. Hence, children’s early development is largely dependent on their mothers.”
Given the chance, what would you love to do that you haven’t done yet? Create empowerment and poverty alleviation programs in 3rd world countries, especially in Africa. Too many people are suffering. Too many people are sad.
Who inspires you? Visionary leaders in business and politics like Nelson Mandela, etc.
Why do you do what you do? I love helping people. This has now become the calling of my life.
Contact: HSDC
