Now for Tomorrow is a community initiated non-profit organization, registered by the Canada Revenue Agency-CRA and the province of Ontario as a charity. Established in 2010 under the Name “Sudan Canadian Medical Care, its primary purpose was to support the work of a local Non-Governmental Organization, Sudan Medical Care which is providing Public Health and Primary Healthcare services in inaccessible rural areas of South Sudan.

In 2009, a Sudanese Canadian doctor started working in South Sudan for Sudan Medical Care. Few months into his work, he was very touch by the overwhelming need of the local population with limited resources. As a result, he returned to Canada and started “Sudan Canadian Medical Care” to be a supporting organization in Canada to Sudan Medical Care work in South Sudan. With support from Good News Church in London Ontario, Sudanese community, and friends, money was raised to purchase and distribute mosquito nets to pregnant women and children, to prevent Malaria, Maternal Multivitamins given to pregnant women as part of antenatal care, in addition to medical supplies for the public.

In December of 2020, the Board of Directors of Sudan Canadian Medical Care reflected on the needs of newcomer Sudanese/South Sudanese community in Canada. The Board concluded that despite more than 20 years in Canada, South Sudanese did not settle positively into their host communities in terms of sustainable employment, children education attainment and a sense of belonging. As a result, a difficult decision was made to end the support and delink from Sudan Medical Care and rebrand the organization to shift focus in helping South Sudanese in Canada. After applying for Supplementary Letters Patent with the Government of Ontario and updating charity information with CRA, the name was legally changed to “Now for Tomorrow; A South Sudanese Wellness Network” as of May 4, 2021. At Now for Tomorrow, we are driven by an altruistic mission and vision for changing the lives of South Sudanese immigrants across Canada.

Background

Since 1955 to date Sudan has gone through civil wars. That is a total of 67 years or three generations that have been born, raised and even die without a consistent peaceful environment. As a result, Sudan was split into two Countries in 2011 (Sudan and South Sudan). Though, there is relative peace in both sisterly countries, insecurity and wars did not stop. As a result, several thousands of Sudanese have sought refuge in the diaspora, namely East Africa, Europe, Australia, United States of America, and Canada.

In Canada several thousands of Sudanese are concentrated in Alberta and Ontario while smaller number is dispersed across the nation. As families reunite in whatever host nation they find themselves in, it is not uncommon to find members of the same household that can only speak Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Swahili, or their African Maternal language. This linguistic diversity implies routes taken through the journey to settle at the permanent destination, in this case Canada.

The Main Problem

First, the immigration journey brings along a linguistic/cultural diversity within same family unit which results in short circuits of communication and subsequent misunderstandings and dysfunctional family dynamic. The new immigrant older generation have never settled in their host communities and countries and live with nostalgia of going back home. Well, that dream never materialize and decades go by with nothing to show for. On the other hand, the younger/first born generation in the new found land don’t connect with the ancestral land, but at the same time don’t fit in well in their actual place of birth. As a result, many of Sudanese/South Sudanese end up struggling with metal health, lack of meaningful employment and not benefitting fully from opportunities or potentials available for them.

Consequences

1. Dozens of deaths for suicide, at home in isolation, shooting by the police or the gangs

2. Youth drop out from schools ending up in the streets as homeless or in jail because of getting involved in unlawful activities.

3. Domestic violence and family breakup due to roles conflict as a result of new culture and financial hardships.

4. Cost to the society/system as whole to reform or care for those individual and families that are not self-reliant.

Expected Outcome

Now for Tomorrow is a start up organization. To implement its outlined programs, it will
rely on a good will of the donors, community members support and partnership and
collaboration with similar community organization with better resources. The ultimate
outcome of our programs would be a South Sudanese Community well settled in the
host community, empowered with confidence and self-reliant, achieving full potentials of
its members and a positive contributor to Canadian Society.

Values:

Solidarity: Looking after those who have fall through the cracks of system barriers to settlement and integration by facilitating professional and community social services to meet their needs.

Neutrality: Regardless of political or spiritual affiliations, services are facilitated with goal of common human good. Strive to encourage principle of mutual respect and appreciation of differences.

Accountability: Be steward of the resources at our disposal and transparently own our actions within our role boundaries.

Integrity: Ethically behave in a representative manner to reflect the goals, mission and vision of Now for Tomorrow.