Remarks at the 37th Mayors’ Dinner by Oluseun Olayinka
Published June 2026
Tonight, I would like to begin from somewhere a little unexpected, but very important to me, Africa.
In many African communities, social capital is not just a concept, it is a way of life (Mbaya, 2011). It is the shared understanding that my wellbeing is tied to yours. Children are raised collectively. When someone is struggling, the community steps in. Belonging is assumed, not negotiated.
Research has confirmed what many cultures have long known and practiced: ‘strong social connections make people healthier, happier, and more resilient.’ (Zaid & Liamputtong, 2025)
North America, including Canada, once lived this reality too. Community centers, shared meals in clubs and associations, neighborhood programs, and faith spaces created places where people were known and supported. Over time, many of those spaces weakened, and today we are living with the consequences.
Thankfully, we are relearning something essential: Belonging is not a luxury. It is infrastructure.
That belief sits at the very heart of my work.
When I was 16 years old, I had a dream. In it, I saw myself working with children, youth, and their mothers, creating spaces of safety, growth, and hope. That dream shaped my life. It is why I took two different community development courses in South Africa, convinced this calling was meant for my home country, Nigeria.
So much so, that I almost didn’t marry my husband, now of 20 years, because he had a dream of living in Canada one day. And I had this big dream that I thought was for back home. Life, as it turns out, had a wider vision.
Years later, after job transitions and resettlement, my family and I found ourselves here in Waterloo Region. And it was here that I realized something profound.
The community I had seen in my dream was not back in Nigeria.
They were right here in the Region of Waterloo. These were families navigating complex systems. Children with immense potential but limited access. Mothers carrying responsibility without adequate support. People not just needing services but needing a place to belong.
That realization led me to Adventure4Change.
Adventure4Change exists to build belonging, stability, and opportunity for children, youth, and families who are often excluded from traditional systems.
What makes our work different is not just what we do, but how we do it.
We create safe, welcoming community spaces families can call “home.”
We provide after-school children and youth programs that support academic success, leadership development, and identity formation, especially for children who would otherwise be left behind.
We help families navigate complex systems, education, social services, and community resources, so they are not alone in the process.
But most importantly, we build social capital.
At Adventure4Change:
- Our programs are designed not just for relief, but for growth, so children and youth can imagine and step into brighter futures.
- Our decisions are community informed. Those closest to the challenges help shape the solutions.
- Our staff and volunteers come from the very communities we serve. Representation is built into our model.
And the outcome we care about most is this:
Lives positioned to become confident, contributing members of our society.
Over the past few years, this approach has allowed Adventure4Change to grow from a small, niche organization into a recognized regional contributor, serving more families, building stronger partnerships, and creating lasting impact across Waterloo Region.
This is what places of inclusion look like in practice. This is belonging with structure. This is community work that lasts.
And here’s why this matters for all of us: When people belong, neighborhoods are stronger.
When families are supported, systems can focus on prevention and quality not constant crisis response.
When young people are seen and invested in, the future of our region becomes more hopeful, and more equitable.
This is belonging with structure. The work of inclusion does not belong to any one sector. It requires collaboration between government, nonprofits, businesses, faith communities, and residents.
Tonight, as we reflect on Places of Inclusion, The Heart of Belonging, my invitation is this:
Let us continue to invest in spaces that create real belonging. Let us treat social capital as essential infrastructure. And most importantly, let us build communities where everyone has the opportunity not just to survive, but to contribute and thrive.
Oluseun Olayinka is a wife, mother of four amazing children, nonprofit executive, and doctoral scholar committed to strengthening families and communities. She serves as Executive Director of Adventure4Change, a registered Canadian charity based in Waterloo, Ontario, and is a PhD student in the Faculty of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Adventure4Change’s goal is to prevent poverty and negative life trajectories by inspiring self-discovery using the A4C model to enable communities to make meaningful contributions to society.
