Youth Outreach & Mental Health Webinar
Objective
The objective was to provide information to attendees about how to effectively manage their personal finances, education, and career.
Summary
The webinar kicked off with a presentation on KCA, its objectives, programs and initiatives undertaken in the year 2020. Maureen Mwaura, the Youth outreach director also presented an overview and achievements so far under the Canadian Red Cross project which included distribution of grocery cards to 40 beneficiaries from marginalized groups across the greater Toronto area (GTA). Apart from the general overview of KCA, Maureen provided an overview of the Youth program and the upcoming activities under the program in 2021.
The first speaker Gwyneth Chapman, senior advisor, economic empowerment & anti-black racism, City of Brampton talked about how the youth can find their purpose and what they want to do with their lives. Gwyneth encouraged the youth to seek mentors as well as do extensive reading in their bid to discover their purpose. Apart from that she had a few pointers which included having a positive attitude during challenging times and building resilience to overcome obstacles as well as learn from personal experiences. Lastly Gwyneth affirmed that her unit was looking for young volunteers who could benefit from mentorship and personal development.
The second speaker Ray Gover, a youth advocate and all-star athlete shared his life experiences with the audience. Through his own journey Ray was able to relate sports and a strong mind set are key in developing a good character. He inspired the audiences through his resilience in his personal journey and encouraged the youth to have a purpose as well as working towards their goals regardless of how difficult they may seem. His key message was to always have a plan, be consistent and put in the work.
The third speaker Dr. Rukia Swaleh a registered Physician spoke about how the youth can forge their own career paths. Dr. Rukia encouraged the attendees to be open to explore different career paths and choose a career based on passion as well as what one is good at. She also spoke about the importance of mentorship in helping the youth navigate career paths and life in general. She also noted that there were a lot of opportunities in big cities and it was critical to also examine the skills required in one’s career path to be able to build towards having a successful career.
The fourth speaker, Ketul Raval, a financial coach, started educating low to middle income families about basic rules of finance. He has met thousands of families in the last few years and helped them change their financial futures forever, by helping them reposition their money to stay debt-free and making them save more money for their retirement. During the webinar, Ketul encouraged listeners to plan for their financial wellness by having three basic accounts: an emergency fund account, a short-term savings account, and a long-term savings/wealth building account.
He also spoke about how to reduce taxes by utilizing RRSP and TFSA accounts.
Regarding wealth building account, Ketul stressed upon the importance of investing earlier in life rather than later, and seeking to get above average rates of returns, for example, by utilizing mutual funds. He taught the rule of 72 to demonstrate how long it would take their investments to double. Regarding debt reduction, Ketul used the rule of 72 to demonstrate how interest expenses accumulates when individuals choose not to pay off credit card debt every month. He also advised that individuals should not have more than 2 credit cards. Last, Ketul spoke about the importance of life insurance. He advised that individuals should never buy life insurance with any kind of cash value, life insurance with as an investment, or life insurance policies that pay dividends. He advised that they should buy low-cost term insurance.
The fifth speaker, Christopher Alexander, a business coach, an entrepreneur and a former banker, shared his nuggets for daily living, which included: thinking positive thoughts, being confident, being prepared to fail; thinking before speaking, writing down goals and reading them every day, getting involved in your community, trying to understand the politics of the day and always voting, making every effort to be the best at what you do, managing money well, choosing where to spend, practice delayed gratification, create a side hustle, share your ideas and build your community.
The last speaker, Moy Fung, an author, and entrepreneurship coach with over 15 years of experience working with women entrepreneurs. Moy reiterated the importance of continuous learning and development for the youth. She also encouraged the attendees to have proper support systems that help go through issues of life. Lastly, she advocated for the need to take personal accountability of our lives and empowering others and helping them through difficult periods in their own lives.
The webinar concluded with participation awards of Walmart gift cards worth $100 for 4 participants and a Samsung tablet. The awards were given to the webinar attendees that registered and participated at the event.
The Panelists:
- Gwyneth Chapman - Senior Advisor, Economic
- Empowerment & Anti-black Racism - City of Brampton
- Ray Gover - Speaker & Youth Advocate
- Dr. Rukia Swaleh - Registered Physician
- Eve Mpofu - Therapeutic Counsellor
- Ketul Raval - Financial Consultant
- Christopher Alexander - Business Coach
- Moy Fung - Entrepreneurship Coach
