Today, we have an incredible story to share about Renison Alum Msenwa Mweneake.
Msenwa grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo until 1996 when, at age 15, war broke out around him. Msenwa witnessed unimaginable brutality. Through perseverance and determination, and after years as a refugee, he arrived in Canada in 2011 eager to practice Social Work. At the time, Renison had just launched its Master of Social Work (MSW) program and Msenwa became part of the first cohort. The focus on health with a diversity and inclusion lens was a program that he saw himself in. He has practiced social work in Africa and Canada as a clinical social worker in mental health and child welfare, and is particularly interested in how policies affect macro social work, migration, diversity, equity and inclusion.
Since graduating, Msenwa has been working to empower individuals and organizations to become more inclusive. He founded the Msenwa Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that provides educational, financial and other supports to orphaned children and widows in Democratic Republic of Congo. He also wrote a book about his life experiences called Still With Us: Msenwa’s Untold Story of War, Resilience and Hope where all proceeds go to support the work of the foundation.
Msenwa has been a visiting lecturer in the School of Social Work at Hope Africa University in Bujumbura Burundi since 2015, and works in Eastern Ontario as the Director of Equity, Community and French Language Services at Family and Children’s Services of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. In 2023, Msenwa established The Mweneake Consulting which offers services to DEI, leadership, change management and mental health services to organizations and individuals.
Learn more about the Msenwa Foundation, and Msenwa’s story, by visiting msenwafoundation.com