Empower Grassroots: How TheMarriageAdvocates Canada is Transforming Immigrant Communities
In the diverse city of Calgary, a new story of hope and growth has emerged, driven by the passion and dedication of TheMarriageAdvocates Canada (TMA). This is a story about how a vision for healthier relationships blossomed into a successful program with the support of ActionDignity’s Grassroots Organization Empowerment (GrOW) Initiative.
A Vision for Healthy Relationships
In 2022, Mr. Ife and Dr. Dami Adingupu, the founders of TMA, saw a pressing need for immigrant families. Immigrant families in Canada face unique challenges that can strain relationships—challenges like loss of social networks, changes in economic status, and power imbalances. Mr. Ife and Dr. Dami Adingupu, who had been creating social media content to promote healthy marriages, wanted to turn their vision into a tangible solution.
They decided to offer more than just online advice. Their idea was to create a program that would provide couples with the tools they needed to build and maintain healthy relationships. They tested their concept with a small pilot program for five couples and received encouraging feedback. But to expand this initiative, they needed more resources.
A Pathway to Growth
With their vision clear but resources limited, the founders of TMA reached out for support. They spoke to several charities, but only ActionDignity responded with enthusiasm and a willingness to guide them. “ActionDignity was like a big sibling to help direct us on the right path,” Mr. Ife recalls.
With ActionDignity’s support, TMA was able to develop a solid business plan, form a Board of Directors, and apply for a partnership grant. This grant from the Calgary Foundation, with ActionDignity as the lead charity, was crucial in funding their new program: the Relationship Advocacy and Support Program (RASP).
The Launch of RASP
RASP was designed to support immigrant couples from the Asian-African diaspora by offering free workshops, mentorship, and community-building opportunities. To make the program accessible, TMA provided childcare and meals, removing barriers for couples who might have otherwise struggled to participate.
TMA recruited volunteers to do community outreach to raise awareness of the program. They also recruited marriage mentor couples to be paired with couples participating in the program. RASP has supported forty couples through four cohorts, each lasting two months. Surveys and reflection sessions helped TMA continually improve the program and measure its impact.
One couple shared their experience, saying, “…my partner and I put on the table topics we had not discussed before, opening a window to understanding how we could build a strong foundation for our future.”
Celebrating Success and looking forward
The success of RASP was evident not only in the feedback from participants but also in the growth of TMA as an organization. They had achieved their goal of helping immigrant couples build healthier relationships, and the positive results fueled their ambition for the future.
As TMA looks ahead, they are focused on further growth and impact. They are working to strengthen their organization, develop new policies, and expand their reach to new communities. With recent support for translating their resources into French and Vietnamese, they are taking their mission beyond Calgary and into other Canadian cities.
“We know there will be different challenges in different places,” Dr. Dami explains. “But we’re committed to working with communities to adapt our resources in meaningful ways.”
A Tip for Future Changemakers
Mr. Ife and Dr. Dami have valuable advice for those starting on their own community projects: “Get a Board of Directors who are willing to work with you, who believe in the vision, not just people to fill the number of seats.” Their journey underscores the importance of having a dedicated team that can guide, support, and sustain a project.
TheMarriageAdvocates Canada (TMA)
https://www.themarriageadvocates.ca/
TMA is a charity organization registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. It exists to serve the immigrant community by providing healthy relationship skills training, mentorship, coaching, and community engagement. It works to help families foster healthy relationships that flow naturally into the health of communities.
GrOW Initiative GrOW-Platform – ActionDignity
ActionDignity is an equity-seeking organization that works with racialized and ethnocultural communities to create transformational changes in communities and society. The Grassroots Organizational EmpoWerment GrOW) initiative was designed to support grassroots groups and nonprofit organizations to grow their organizational capacity, build skills for working together with other organizations, and carry out actions to address priorities in their communities. GrOW operated from September 2022 to March 2024 and received funding support from United Way of Calgary and Area and Suncor.
If your organization is interested in being featured in our story, please contact: Helen.Zhang@actiondignity.org
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