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For over a year, students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) were without an active African student association due to leadership challenges and a lack of funding. The absence left many students, particularly international ones, without a familiar cultural space on campus. Now, a new executive team has stepped up with fresh ideas and financial backing, ready to revive the ASA.
The club announced its new co-presidents, Abigail Iserhienrhien and Beamlak Tareke, as well as their vice-president Arman Suleman, before the start of the school semester. Together, they addressed the details behind the ASA’s notable absence.
“ASA was inactive because of handover issues,” said Iserhienrhien, a fifth-year TMU accounting major. She explained that when the previous co-presidents graduated, the transition period was difficult because students were too busy to take on the responsibilities.
“Most of them were either doing their last years and whatnot so I guess managing this while being part of that might be difficult,” said Tareke, a third-year computer science student. While he noted that there may have been other reasons for the bumpy transition, he also observed that there was not enough passion to ensure continuous leadership, leading to the club’s absence over the past year.
Iserhienrhien also said that when the new board reactivated the club, the trust account was empty. To her this indicated that no one was funding the ASA due to its inactivity.
“I know for certain that no one was running it or funding it,” she said. “We probably would have found some money in the trust account.”
However, TMU alum Khadijah Balogun, who co-led the club from 2020 to 2022, explained that the ASA did not receive funding even during its highly active years.
“A lot of times we paid out of pocket,” Balogun wrote. “It was so hard getting your money back.” She explained that while student organizations were supposed to receive funds, ASA often struggled to access compensation without a clear reason.
Fortunately, the new board now receives support from the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union (TMSU), according to Tareke. He added that the ASA is also exploring other funding opportunities available to student organizations.
The club’s absence had an impact on students who had been looking for a space to feel connected to an African community on campus.
“For those who are here living alone, it’s that small sense of home or comfort,” said Suleman. “When I joined TMU, there wasn’t an active African Student Association, and I felt like I didn’t have that community.”
Tareke highlighted how important such spaces are, especially for international students adjusting to life in a new country.
“I think especially being an international student, that’s a major part of uni experience. Because, okay, cool, you’re moving to a new country, you don’t know anybody, and you’re trying to find like-minded people who you can relate to,” he said. “And having that space of ASA would be very beneficial to anyone coming into first year, or anyone who wants to be part of it. It’s a place to feel welcome, to feel safe and to share your thoughts and to connect with one another.”
Over the summer, the new leaders reached out to other students to build a new executive team and lay the groundwork for the ASA’s revival.
“I remember it was like a 15-minute call, but like, our mindset clicked, and we were both passionate about it,” Tareke said, recalling his first conversation with Iserhienrhien. “And I guess that person who’s like, really passionate about the same idea was great because I was looking forward to making this happen.”
Their efforts paid off, and the team quickly filled the 14 board positions with enthusiastic students.
“We ended up creating a good team—everyone is amazing, everyone’s great. And above all, everyone is passionate about it,” said Tareke. “We’re essentially coming together for a common goal: to create a community of African students, share our culture, and learn from one another.”
Since the relaunch, the ASA has already gotten to work. They’ve hosted a meet-and-greet and an Afrobeats dance workshop. Up next is a pub night on Nov. 8, followed by a tote bag-decor workshop and an African movie night towards the end of the semester.
ASA’s chairs emphasized that their events are not limited to African students. They encourage any student interested in learning about the richness of African culture to join.
“As much as we are an African Student Association, everybody is invited, and we encourage everyone to come to our events,” Suleman said. “At the end of the day, we’re not just about creating a community for African students but also welcoming others to learn about our different cultures.
“We’re one of the biggest continents in the world, and I think it would be a huge help as Africans to build that sense of community within our continent and between our people. It starts with initiatives like ours – building this African community here at TMU.”
Learn more about the ASA’s events, opportunities, and initiatives on Instagram: @tmuafricans.
Tomi Raji is a fourth-year journalism student with a passion for fascinating storytelling. She reports for On The Record, Fall 2024.
