From gangs and sexual exploitation to isolation and mental health issues, youth are increasingly facing critical issues both in life and online, all at a young age. Now, a program in Ottawa looking to reach youth directly to help them navigate it all, is receiving a major financial boost. César Ndema-Moussa is the president of North South Development Roots and Culture, which has created a program called “It’s a Trap” to help support kids. Ndema-Moussa says today’s youth face issues in real life as well as online. “There are always those who are predators who seek after those vulnerable youth to get them into a life of crime,” he says. “Ultimately, it changes lives. That’s why we need to be there.” He says the organization connects kids — especially those in vulnerable communities — with those who have life experience, as well as advocates and community organizations, who can help provide early intervention. “We don’t pretend that we are going to eradicate the crime among youth, but we choose to be part of the solution,” explains Ndema-Moussa. “For a better city, for a better community, and for a better future for all the youth we come in contact with.” The program has received a major financial boost in the form of $162,000 from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation. Ndema-Moussa says the money will help the program expand their work in schools and the community, with the goal of one day moving beyond the nation’s capital. At an event marking the funding on Friday, politicians and community members spoke on the program’s success and importance. “The belief in youth and their potential and in the power of community to lift one another up,” says George Derouze, the MPP for Carleton. “The presence of a trusted mentor can be the single most important counterweight. A mentor doesn’t just offer advice, they offer an alternative vision of what is possible,” says Ottawa City Councillor Rawlson King.
