Francis Atta
As Canada celebrates Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying campaign started by two students in support of a fellow student bullied for wearing a pink T-shirt to class, one of our own works tirelessly to tackle this issue.
Last year’s Top 25 winner, Ghanaian-born activist Francis Atta who founded K.E.Y.S. — Knowledge and Effort Yield Success— an organization that conducts motivational speech workshops to counter issues like bullying, gang violence and conflict resolution, says that youngsters need a motivating mentor in their lives to keep them on the right path. “I was the lowest of the lows and I’m doing great now. If I could do it, they could do it, too!” says Atta, with passion in his tone. He has seen much tragedy in the last several years, losing many friends to gang violence.
Pink Shirt Day is now celebrated across Canada on the last Wednesday in February.
“When I was in schooling age … I wish I had someone there to show me the right path,” says Atta, who has volunteered his time with most of the youth organizations in the neighbourhood as a mentor, supervisor, basketball coach and, best of all, as a peer.
At a young age, he has taken it upon himself to mentor youth from his neighbourhood — Jane and Finch, one of the most troubled spots in the Greater Toronto Area — so they choose the right path in life. Now with K.E.Y.S, nspire people of all ages to never give up, however arduous the situation may be.
Atta has also started No Colour One Blood (NCOB), through which he organizes multicultural programs. “Since I’m an immigrant, it’s a multicultural program that teaches kids diversity, equality and fairness,” he explains. “It teaches how to appreciate different cultures and interact with each other, looking beyond cultural differences.” The program hosts field trips for students in grades 8 to 12 to ethnic neighbourhoods, for example.
- Culled from Canadian Immigrant
Ghanaian Immigrant Francis Atta leads efforts against bullying in Canada
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