Success Story: Uplifting Eritrean Canadian Elders Through Community-Led Initiative

At the heart of every thriving community are its elders—quietly resilient, deeply wise, and the living memory of culture, tradition, and history. For the Eritrean Canadian Multicultural Association (ECMA), this truth has always been a guiding force.

Building on the success of its youth and family initiative in 2023, ECMA has launched a second major effort—this time focused on uplifting, engaging, and reconnecting Eritrean Canadian seniors. With continued support from Action for Healthy Communities (AHC), and close collaboration with its Community Development Unit (CDU), ECMA introduced the “Forget Us Not” initiative: a program designed to promote connection, well-being, and dignity for elders within the community.

Building on a Strong Foundation

Last year, ECMA, in partnership with AHC, launched a vibrant youth and family initiative. Through weekly Saturday language classes held at AHC, children connected with their Eritrean heritage while learning valuable skills to navigate life in Canada. At the same time, parents were supported with tools and resources to better engage with their children's development. These sessions became more than just learning spaces—they fostered belonging, pride, and cultural continuity. The overwhelming community response demonstrated a clear demand for culturally grounded programming.

Listening to Elders, Responding with Care

In 2024, ECMA turned its attention to the community’s elders. Through intimate coffee ceremonies and community conversations, a consistent message surfaced: many seniors were seeking meaningful ways to stay socially active, mentally engaged, and physically well—but lacked opportunities to do so.

The “Forget Us Not” initiative was born directly from these conversations. Weekly gatherings were designed around three core pillars:

Physical Well-Being – Gentle fitness sessions, walking groups, and health-promoting activities aimed at supporting mobility and vitality.

Social Connection – Community events, group outings, and social clubs provided opportunities for elders to reconnect and combat isolation.

Mental Engagement – Arts and crafts, traditional storytelling, and games sparked creativity and kept minds active.

A Community-Led Approach

With the support and guidance of AHC’s Community Development Unit, ECMA conducted a thorough needs and assets assessment rooted in community engagement. This collaborative process helped shape the initiative’s direction and identified new ways to create lasting impact.

Out of this emerged “Forget Us Not”—a heartfelt response to the voices of elders and a reflection of ECMA’s commitment to co-creating programs with the community, for the community.

A Vision for the Future

ECMA views this initiative not as a standalone project, but as the foundation for a sustainable, long-term model of elder care and engagement. By partnering with local organizations, pursuing ongoing funding opportunities, and staying responsive to evolving community needs, ECMA is building an enduring structure that celebrates seniors as active, valued members of society.

Through this intergenerational lens, ECMA continues to show that when communities rally around shared values and mutual respect, real transformation becomes possible. From preserving cultural identity in young minds to restoring dignity in aging hearts, ECMA is nurturing a future where every generation is seen, supported, and celebrated.

Land Acknowledgment

As an organization working towards improving peoples’ well being, we acknowledge our presence on Treaty 6 territory and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4, a traditional meeting grounds, gathering place, and travelling route for the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, Dene, Ojibway, Anishinaabe, Nakota Sioux, and Inuit, as our responsibility to extend support for healing to our Indigenous Community members during this difficult times.

We acknowledge all the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries and whose histories, languages, and cultures continue to influence our vibrant community.

As an organization, we commit ourselves to continue to acknowledge, learn, understand, and create opportunities to educate our staff, volunteers, and community members about the lived experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, walking the path of reconciliation.

Action for Healthy Communities Society of Alberta (AHC's) Diversity and Inclusion Statement

AHC is a proud proponent of diversity in the workforce, and we support an inclusive workplace that values the diversity of ideas.

AHC fosters diversity and inclusion at all levels of our organization. It is among the cornerstones of our core values of inclusion, collaboration, participation, personal development, innovation and excellence. We understand that equity deserving individuals and communities possess huge potential for growth and development but facing myriad of challenges which can be addressed through their capacity building by hiring and retaining individuals with an array of competencies, talents, experiences, and ideas to propel the innovation that drives our success.

A diverse workforce and inclusive culture help us strengthen performance and inspire creative solutions. We believe the attention given to diversity and inclusion makes us more responsive, agile, trustworthy and innovative.

AHC's diversity and inclusion policies aim to foster an inclusive space that encourages more meaningful engagement among all program participants, employees, volunteers and other stakeholders to strengthen our performance.