Staff Members

Namarig Ahmed
Executive Director

Namarig Ahmed is a master’s prepared registered nurse. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of Wanasah: Mental Health Services for Black Youth, providing Black-centric, culturally affirming and holistic mental health services in the community. Namarig’s professional experience spans mental health, hospice-palliative care, homeless health, and sexual assault and domestic violence care. Namarig was raised in Regent Park which has impacted her deep understanding and passion for social justice and health equity with marginalized populations.

Nedu Ejeckam
Clinical Lead

Nedu Ejeckam is the Clinical Lead at Wanasah. He is an MSW registered social worker. He has worked in mental health support, trauma counselling, group therapy, and activism within the Black community in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has since moved to Toronto and hopes to continue to grow his understanding of supporting communities.
He feels one of the most important things about mental health is nurturing meaningful connections. He has a strong passion for community connection, creative ways of engaging with mental health, and understanding the interaction between our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Wanasah’s strong understanding of what it means to be Black-centric in its approach to the community is what drew Nedu to join their team.

Shayna Pascal-Webb
Office Coordinator

Shayna is the Office Coordinator at Wanasah. With a background in Mental Health Psychology and Human Resources Management, she combines her empathetic approach with nearly 4 years of administrative experience. Shayna is dedicated to ensuring that Black youth and their families have access to the Mental Health services they need.

Hawo Mohamed
Community Support Worker

Hawo Mohamed is Wanasah’s Community Support Worker. Referred to as Aunty Hawa as well as Mother Theresa by members of the Regent Park community, Hawa has been a resident of Regent Park for over two decades. She offers a rich lived experience and is a voice of the community that contributes to the advocacy and focus of Wanasah and the Black community. Hawa is also a member of Mothers of Peace, Safety Table run by the City of Toronto. Her decades of volunteering and advocating for members of the community have also resulted in recognition by the city of Toronto in various awards.

Samatar Mohamoud
Spiritual Care Facilitator

Samatar is Wanasah’s Spiritual Care Facilitator, dedicated to the holistic well-being of Black youth by integrating spirituality into their mental health care. With over a decade of experience in mentorship and community work, Samatar has facilitated various youth programs, including professional workshops, sports leagues, and numerous community initiatives.
Samatar believes in the transformative power of spiritual guidance and mindfulness, helping youth find meaning and purpose amidst their challenges. His approach is rooted in empathy, resilience-building, and fostering a deep sense of hope and healing.
In his free time, Samatar enjoys engaging in community activities, reading spiritual texts, and exploring nature, always striving to inspire others towards personal growth and wellness.

Abdifatah Mohamed
Access and Engagement Worker

Abdifatah Mohamed is an Access and Engagement Worker at Wanasah with a long history of involvement in the Regent Park community. Since the age of 16, he has worked with both large and small organizations, contributing to initiatives that have positively impacted youth. Abdifatah chose Wanasah because of its dedication to addressing mental health, an issue often overlooked in the community. Having experienced the same challenges many Black youth face today, Abdifatah understands the importance of mentorship and genuine care, recognizing how a single interaction can change a young person’s life.

Inas (Noosa) Zein
Access and Engagement Worker

Noosa is an Access and Engagement Worker at Wanasah, born and raised in Regent Park. Her experiences growing up in the neighborhood shaped her understanding of the mental health challenges faced by youth and families. Driven by her commitment to bridging gaps and fostering support, Noosa embodies Wanasah’s mission of promoting mental wellness and accessibility for her community. With a deep understanding of the cultural and systemic barriers faced by Black youth, she is passionate about Wanasah’s vision and dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of those she serves.

Board Members

Chair

Dr. Andrew Ssawe

Andrew is the Director, Integrated Primary Care Services at South Riverdale Community Health Centre. He is physician, with post graduate degrees in Public Health, Surgery and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. He has board and governance experience both locally and internationally. He joined the Wanasah Board in 2022.

Vice Chair

Dr. Leslie Shanks

Leslie is a physician trained in public health who has worked in Nunavut, northern Ontario and inner city Toronto.  Internationally she has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a variety of countries and roles. She currently practices Family Medicine in Toronto and is a founding director of Wanasah.

Board Member

Fatma Hassan

Fatma Hassan is a public policy expert currently working as Director of Public Policy at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.  She has worked in business, the not for profit sector and at the provincial and federal government.  As a founder of Wanasah, she is Chair of the Board since Wanasah’s incorporation in 2021.  She lives in the Downtown East area of Toronto.

Board Member

Joulaika Buchans

Joulaika is Program Manager Mental Health and Substance Use at Unison Health and Community Services. She is a Masters level registered Social Worker with over 20 years’ experience managing community mental health. Her areas of focus include individual and group psychotherapy, trauma counselling, community mental health and youth work.  In addition, she is an Adjunct Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Work at University of Toronto. She joined the Board in 2021.

Treasurer

Mohamed Osman

Mohamed Osman is a CPA who currently works as Finance and Reporting Advisor at HydroOne. He has 10 years of experience working in the private sector as a financial analyst. He completed his MBA at Schulich School of Business at York University and lives in the Downtown East area of Toronto. He joined the Board as Treasurer in 2022.

Board Member

Dr Russell Goldman

Russell is a Palliative Care Consultant and Director, Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care at Sinai Health. He initially practiced as a Family Physician in Toronto, and then focused on providing palliative care. He joined the Board in 2021.

Board Member

Dr. Amy Gajaria

Dr. Amy Gajaria is an associate scientist in the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth, & Family Mental Health and a psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).  She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.  Dr. Gajaria completed her postgraduate training in psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Toronto.  She has a specific interest in supporting the needs of racialized young people and was a recipient of a Public Psychiatry Fellowship from the American Psychiatric Association.

Board Member

Rimay Yohannes

Rimay Yohannes is a dedicated Youth Worker in the community, with a fervent commitment to advocating for Black youth. Over the past 5 years, Rimay has been actively engaged with young people in the Downtown East, making a positive impact on their lives. Rimay is honored to have been a part of many young individuals’ journeys and believes that they have enriched his life in ways beyond measure.