Introducing Terrera's 2023 Earth Award Winner: Sumi!

We are so thankful that so many of you applied to our annual Earth Award! After reviewing the projects of so many talented and caring women, we were able to narrow it down to our winner for this year. Meet Sumi, a compassionate and energetic woman who created the Queen’s Club, a group that gathers and resources new immigrant and refugee women.

Sumi, a 51-year-old mature student, is making a significant impact through her initiatives, Queen's Club and Mother Wise. She began her journey when the Syrian civil war compelled her to help refugees. Along with her family, she managed a tent school and clinics in Syrian refugee camps for over two years. They even established an olive soap business to help women sustain their livelihoods.

After returning to Canada, Sumi noticed the challenges faced by Arab refugees in Mississauga. She began assisting newcomers, providing settlement services and mastering Arabic. Over the years, she became a crucial part of their lives, embracing their culture and language.

Recognizing the struggles faced by refugee women, Sumi launched the Queen's Club. This group empowers Arab women and focuses on academic motivation, supporting members in pursuing language fluency, education, and various careers. They also run a furniture and food bank, where they collect and distribute boxes of food to 22 families each week, amounting to 300 people each month. It's a place for discovering dreams and encouraging limitless potential. 

About Mother Wise

*For the photo above, faces have been blurred for privacy.

The Queen's Club is gearing up to introduce "Mother Wise," an engaging, 10-week seminar series. In this program, members will collaboratively explore a chosen book alongside fellow newcomers on a weekly basis. The objective is to provide support for their personal education, their children's learning, and self-growth, facilitated through the MBTI framework and individual counseling sessions. The ultimate goal is to sustain ongoing support for newcomers and refugee women, fostering self-enhancement that ripples into their families and empowers them to flourish in Canada.

How the $1000 Earth Award Grant will be utilized

Sumi intends to use the Terrera Earth Award Grant to amplify the reach of Mother Wise and engage the community effectively. Their strategy involves producing and dispersing brochures and invitations for the Mother Wise initiative biannually. They also envision producing videos to spread the word in their community. With the grant, they aim to establish a website that will serve as a platform for connecting with a broader audience of women and mothers within the Mississauga vicinity, effectively spreading the message about the significance of Mother Wise.

In recognition of her remarkable dedication, Sumi's achievement of the Terrera Earth Award is truly inspiring. Her unwavering commitment to fostering positive change through Queen's Club and Mother Wise reflects an exceptional spirit of empathy and empowerment. As Sumi embarks on this exciting journey, we wish her our heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. May her initiatives continue to flourish, touching the lives of countless women and families, and contributing to a brighter future for the community. 

We wish Sumi every success in her ongoing endeavors and look forward to witnessing the profound impact she will undoubtedly make in her community and the world!