Governance

Camina is a cultural programmer and entrepreneur of Haitian descent, passionate about youth empowerment and improving youth livelihoods for equity-seeking groups both locally and internationally. Her employment experience includes Communications and Events Coordinator at CEED Concordia, External Affairs and Mobilization Coordinator at the Concordia Student Union, Member of the President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism – Leadership Committee. She is also the founder of ​​BUYPOC, pop-up shops for Black, Indigenous and people of colour youth led businesses and Urban Wrappers, a fashion, and accessories clothing line. Her passion for community development has brought her to Uganda, Benin, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, where she’s facilitated youth-centered skill-building workshops on media production, employment, and entrepreneurship. It has also motivated her to learn four languages. An experienced speaker, she has spoken on CBC Radio, at the Salon International de la Femme Noire and YES Employment + Entrepreneurship. She was also the keynote for the John Molson Diversity in Marketing panel, as well as the MC for the Women in the Workforce: Diversity and Leadership conference, among others.

Merveille is a final year student for a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a minor in Multidisciplinary Science Studies (member of the science college) at Concordia. She is a dynamic, motivated, and resilient person who finds drive and fulfillment in engaging, connecting, and transforming and puts these values at the heart of her multidimensional strive for betterment. She is a beautiful and passionate human being- a people’s person who is relentless at getting involved and giving back to her community.

She believes in using our personal narratives, positionalities and intersectionalities as powerful tools to shape and impact the world around us. To her, each human being is unique and can contribute to the world in a unique way. As a young, black woman with a keen passion for issues pertaining to education, gender violence, women and youth empowerment, social and racial justice, she has chosen the lanes of activism, volunteering, advocacy, and community-building to effect positive change. Prior to joining CEED, Merveille worked for a couple of organizations among which the Commonwealth Youth Council for the regions of Africa and Europe, the Center d’appui aux Communautés immigrantes (CACI), a non-profit organization located in Montreal and an NGO called Open Dreams which advocates for the equalization of educational opportunities for low-income students. In addition to that, Merveille is currently president of the Quebec Black Medical Association’s youth initiative, Education Coordinator for the African and Caribbean Synergic Interorganizational network of Canada Concordia chapter, Faculty of Arts and Science representative at the Black Perspective Office Student Council at Concordia and Vice-president Sponsorship for the organization Stronger than Stigma; a student-led association which works at raising awareness and fighting the stigma associated to mental illnesses in the student community.

Merveille is unapologetically in love with what she does and eager to contribute to and grow alongside CEED’s amazing community.

Christopher is a Political Science student at Concordia University, while also being heavily involved in student politics. Christopher has been involved with the Political Science Students Association, the Concordia Student Union, the Sustainability Action Fund and the Climate Emergency Committee. Christopher has put sustainability at the forefront of his political career, by writing the first ever sustainability policy at the Political Science Student Association, which has contributed to 250 trees being planted in disadvantaged areas in Montreal.

Christopher has also helped with advocating for free and sustainable menstrual products to be provided on campus and has had an active role in advocating for Concordia to become a leader in sustainability. He also campaigned to push for more sustainability in curriculum at Concordia University by 2030, alongside fellow Concordia Student Union executives and Waste Not, Want Not. Christopher is also a member of the Sustainability Action Fund, where he and his colleagues champion student-led initiatives that put sustainability and all intersectional topics at the forefront.

Awel Uwihanganye is an alumnus of Concordia University and the co-founder of CEED Concordia, founded in 2005 along with Peter Schiefke, another former student of Concordia University. He served as the Director of Operations for CEED Concordia from 2005 – 2009 and has continued to support the organization as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.  He has over the last fifteen years of accumulated experience working in public and private sector settings, and currently serves as the Senior Director at the LéO Africa Institute, which he founded in 2012.  Awel’s footprint at Concordia University includes other roles and responsibilities over the years;

– 2017 and 2018, served as the founding Lead at the Concordia Africa Initiative, the University initiative looking to strengthen relations between Concordia University and African Countries.

– In 2015, he was presented Concordia University’s Young Alumnus of the year Award

– In 2006, along with Peter Schiefke, they were presented with the Forces Avenir

Award by the city of Montreal in recognition of their championing of CEED Concordia

– In 2005, he represented students of the Arts and Science faculty in the University Senate Council. The same year, he was also the inaugural recipient of the Colors of Concordia Award

– In 2004 along with other students, founded and led the formation of the Global Forum on International Cooperation, a student forum inspired by professor emeritus Dr. Henry Habib.

Awel is a passionate social entrepreneur, invested in the innovation ecosystem, youth leadership development, and championing Africa’s growth. He is a privileged fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative East Africa, and a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network.

Born in Burundi and raised in Montreal, Tessie Nikuze is passionate about the cross-cultural engagement and youth community-led development that CEED embodies. 

Nikuze is currently pursuing a certificate in project management and has an academic background in international development and social entrepreneurship. She looks forward to applying the skills and knowledge acquired in these fields to her work on CEED’s Board. 

Her current position as an Executive Management Assistant at Fondation Jeunes En Tête sharpened her interest in governance through her work supporting the management team in the preparation of their Board of Directors and Executive Board meetings and attending these meetings. Nikuze also has experience in the fields of management, administration and community work which has prepared her for implementing impact strategies. Furthermore, she has previously participated on an advisory committee for an initiative seeking to welcome asylum seekers and foster a sense of solidarity and connectedness between newcomers and Montrealers which was spearheaded by the Samuel Center for Social Connectedness. 

Nikuze looks forward to contributing to CEED’s mission of shaping better communities and future leaders.

Chair, Board of Directors

Tuhirirwe Karane is a communications enthusiast and is deeply passionate about open governance and public accountability through new media.Currently serving as the Communications Lead for the Makerere University Endowment Fund, he works closely with the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance, Ministry of Health, Uganda AIDS Commission, UNAIDS and the United Nations Population Fund. Karane has previously worked as Head – Digital Communications, Office of the President and as a Communications Officer at the Government Citizen Interaction Centre. Karane also seats on the board of CEED Concordia, a non-profit organization providing youth with experiential learning and development opportunities that make a positive impact in their communities.

Jessica is a Political Science student at Concordia University, who is currently doing a minor in Economics and Sustainability. Jessica believes in achieving lasting social change through patience, knowledge, negotiating skills and hands-on experience, which she was able to gain through some cross-cultural work, developmental work, and non-profit organizations. Through a recent internship experience, she worked on several projects related to these skills. She has also travelled to Mexico, Costa Rica and Morocco to work with different organizations.

Jessica recently created a page on Instagram called @Asanimtl. With this page, she wants to challenge the idea that individuals have to spend a lot of money to reduce their ecological footprint. Being sustainable should be inclusive. 

Majaliwa Byendimbwa is a Concordia alumni currently working as an auditor at the accounting firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. In addition, he is one of the co-founders of the tax preparation company Tax Nimbus Canada. During his university experience, Majaliwa has been part of the John Molson Competition Committee as an accounting delegate and participated in several volunteering opportunities such as the John Molson  Accounting Society tax clinic. He is now pursuing the CPA, auditor designation as a graduate student at Concordia. With experience in audit and accounting, he wants to contribute to CEED’s success and face new challenges with a forward-thinking mindset.

Sabrina joined the board in summer 2019 after completing CEED’s Youth Advocacy and Communication internship program in 2018. She has past experience working with asylum seekers; as part of Science Po Refugee Help’s legal clinic in Paris, she trained asylum seekers for their interview with the OFPRA, and she volunteers locally for Actions Réfugiés Montreal where she accompanies detained migrants to their detention review hearings at the IRBC and reports on it. Sabrina recently completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Cultural Studies and a minor in Law & Society at Concordia University. She strives to contribute to more sustainable and empowered communities through education, social justice, and development.

Daniel has worked in the non-profit sector since 2008 in both the environmental and international development sectors. He began his career as a CEED intern and eventually became the Executive Director, a post he held between 2012 and 2016. Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Environment from Concordia, an MBA from HEC Montréal, and currently works as the Global Operations Manager for the Canadian Association of Midwives. He is most proud of his work as a co-founder and Treasurer of the Mercy Project, a registered charity that, for the past 12 years, has funded health and wellness activities for the St. Jude Children’s home and Sports Outreach Ministry, two amazing organizations located in Gulu, Uganda.