Sponsored by RBC, our Newcomer Champion Award recognizes an established leader, community group or organization making the community a welcome place for immigrants and refugees.
Our annual DIVERSEcity Awards of Impact are about celebrating and uplifting diverse changemakers working to create a more equitable and sustainable world. This year, we presented awards to recipients in 10 award categories, showcasing the diversity of our community. One of those winners was Dr. Lawrence Chidzambwa, Executive Director of the Great Zimbabwe Cultural Society of BC (ZICUSO BC).
Chidzambwa is a community leader supporting newcomers and other people from the African diaspora, specifically the Zimbabwean community through the non-profit organization he leads to uplift individuals and families to their highest potential. He has been a thoughtful champion for change, striving to empower those around him.
“It was quite a surprise for me to be nominated and given this award. When you do this work, you don’t do it for awards. It’s very easy to be called champions, but the real thing is that there is so much to do and so many people to save, that you are just driven by the work you’re doing. And it becomes something you never thought it would,” he said, adding that ZICUSO BC serves people not only from Zimbabwe, but from other African countries as well.
“Coming to a new land is not an easy thing for most of us. And it’s a privilege to be working with organizations like DIVERSEcity who have been trailblazers and have shown their dedication to this work.”
He adds that success for newcomers may be challenging, but it is possible. “We bring all our experiences as Black people from Africa to raise our voice and also to show the way that it is possible to succeed in Canada,” he said. “There is probably for most newcomers a high expectation of having an easier life or a straightforward path to success, but when that doesn’t happen, it’s a real shock to most people and shattering to others, particularly for families with children. So, we are privileged to be working in this sector and partnering with organizations and people with the same passion and heart.”
Thank you to RBC for sponsoring this award and to Kevin Ebert, Sr. Relationship Manager, Public Sector & Not For Profit – Commercial Financial Services for presenting the award!
Congratulations to Dr. Lawrence Chidzambwa on this well-deserved recognition!