Name & Position      Biography
Malcolm Hassan Zoraik – Chair Malcolm Hassan Zoraik is an experienced personal injury lawyer with extensive trial and appellate skills. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C, before doing his Bachelor of Law (LL. B) at the University of Victoria in B.C. He later completed his master’s in law (LL.M) degree at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, ON. He is currently a member in good standing at the Law Society of Ontario and the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. He also served as a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Victoria Bar Association, the British Columbia Trial Lawyers Association and the British Columbia Law Society. He has been practicing law as a Barrister and Solicitor in both B.C. and Ontario. Previously, he worked as a policy analyst with the Ministry of Human Resources, Health Services Branch in Victoria, B.C. Malcolm served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of both Victoria Immigrant & Refugee Centre Society and West Shore Arts Council in Victoria, B.C. He was also a member of the Executive Council of the Victoria Bar Association. He is fluent in English, Arabic, and Somali languages.
Mahad Nur – Vice Chair Mahad Nur is a dedicated and seasoned professional who has been serving as the Manager of Control of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control at Toronto Public Health since 2020. In this pivotal role, he has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading a dynamic team of multidisciplinary professionals, including Supervisors, Nurses, and Public Health Inspectors. Mahad provides strategic leadership and oversight to a team of diverse professionals, ensuring seamless coordination and collaboration. This includes day-to-day supervision, training, scheduling, assignment of tasks, and performance evaluations. He actively plans, develops, implements, and evaluates Public Health programs. This includes identifying and securing the necessary fiscal and staffing resources to ensure program success.
Arlene Wallace – SecretaryArlene Wallace is an educator, employed with the Toronto Catholic District School Board for approximately nine years, a member of the ACCO (African Canadian Community Organization) as an advisory board member with the TCDSB and also aligned with the community organization Midaynta in the mentorship program. She chose this career path because edifying children and youth is her passion and purpose. Passion and purpose allow her to change and affect lives; the way to do that is to continue educating and advocating and bringing awareness through self-identity.
Safiya Osman Kulmiye – Treasure Since 2011, Safiya has been actively engaged as a Community Animator, employing various outreach methods to bridge gaps within the community. Door and street communications, polling, facilitating focus groups, and conducting one-on-one interviews have been integral components of my role in executing comprehensive outreach strategies.

Functioning as a facilitative leader, she is dedicated to creating and inspiring circumstances that empower the community. Her approach employs facilitation methods to encourage a collective consciousness within groups, enabling them to deliberate and consciously establish a sense of identity, time, purpose, meaning, and trajectory. She has played a vital role in fostering community empowerment and cohesion through these efforts. Her commitment to facilitating positive change and building a sense of shared purpose has remained steadfast, making a lasting impact on the communities she serves.

Fowzia Muhamed – Director

Fowzia has over 10 years’ experience working in Higher Education Institutions in Toronto, Dubai, UAE and London, UK. Most recently she worked as a School Trustee with the Toronto District School Board with responsibilities to oversee 600 schools in Toronto. In this capacity, she provided leadership in the following areas:

Lead and support transformative changes in schools through the implementation of effective models of inclusion to close access, opportunity, achievement and participation gaps.She has worked as a researcher with youth-based organizations, such as Pathways to Education, where she helped students from inner city communities with high dropout rates achieve their full potential, and Delisle Youth Services, where she was a youth counsellor for mental health services.Fowzia gained invaluable domestic and international experience in the education sector in various capacities, including but not limited to working as a: professor; a health promoter at Community Health Centre; a student equity program advisor; a central coordinator for parent and community involvement; an applied researcher; and an entrepreneur.
Zahra Abukar – DirectorZahra has an academic background from Seneca College as Social Service Worker, majoring in Immigrant and Refugee studies. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor Degree in Social Work from York University part time. She successfully completed her Field Placement at SIAO, which has allowed her to see first-hand the needs that our vulnerable community requires. This includes specializing in homelessness, mental health, settlement and housing. Her experience gained from Rexdale Women’s Centre and Homefirst Shelter as a Support/Settlement Worker has helped develop skills in information and referrals services, working in diverse cultural, ethnic, age and socioeconomic backgrounds. She is fluent in English, Somali and Swahili.
Joel Mukweneya – DirectorJoel Mukweneya is an English and Dramatic Arts teacher with over 10 years of quality experience in teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing through literature, grammar, and communication. He has a Master of Education from OISE/University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Education Degree, Worcester College of Higher Education, Worcester, UK. Currently working as, a Director of Development/Teacher/Tutor at Total Tutoring for the past 16 years, he also volunteers at OISE/University of Toronto, OISE Alumni Association conducting collaborative research, working with staff to recruit staff, and compiling data base of committee members. Joel did his Comparative & International Education Practicum at Midaynta Community Services and collaboratively complied the 2nd annual Youth Radicalization Report– New and Emerging challenges. Worked as an Employment Advisor at TDSB and an Employment Counsellor at YMCA.
Ahmed Elmi Kulmie – DirectorWith a rich community advocacy and leadership background, Ahmed has dedicated his career to fostering positive change and empowering communities. As a seasoned community advocate, Ahmed’s commitment lies in championing the rights and well-being of individuals at the grassroots level. Over the years, he has served in various capacities, each contributing to his comprehensive understanding of community dynamics. From grassroots initiatives to senior leadership roles, he has been instrumental in driving initiatives that address pressing issues and uplift the community as a whole—his advocacy work centers on social justice, inclusivity, and equitable access to resources. He has been a vocal proponent of policies and programs that aim to bridge gaps and eliminate disparities within communities. Through strategic collaboration with stakeholders, he has successfully advocated for initiatives that prioritize the most vulnerable members of society. In his capacity as a senior leader, he has effectively steered teams toward impactful outcomes. Whether it’s overseeing community projects, managing resources, or crafting innovative solutions to complex issues, his leadership style is characterized by a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and results.