3E Organization is hosting Together Towards Tomorrow: Shaping the Future, a hands-on seminar that aims to engage youth and women to be proactive and learn from specialists in particular professions. It will take place on May 9 at the Surrey City Centre Library.

“The 3Es mean to engage, enable and empower,” says Reena Singh, 3E co-founder and executive director.

A budding organisation

3E hopes that the participants who attend this session will be comfortable asking any questions they have so that they leave the session better informed than when they came into the session. The panel that has been assembled will include a youth counsellor, educator/teacher, mental health advocate, young CEO/philanthropist, member of the organized crime agency of BC, and a student volunteer.

“…it’s all about building a community for youth and women to be seen, to be heard, and to belong. We would be giving them something bigger than themselves to stand for and creating a healthier, more powerful world,” says Singh.

A relatively new community network, the 3E Organization was registered as a charity in January 2017. It was created by a small group of women of Fijian ancestry who connected with each other through volunteer activities within their communities. They sought to create a platform to support women and youth in becoming successful. The group consists of six volunteers motivated by intrinsic rewards and by civic virtue and pride. They are looking to recruit additional members and hope that through community engagement they can increase their numbers.

“We are hoping to enrol more volunteers and members as we now engage in our communities and showcase the work that we do to make a difference,” says Singh.

Hopes and challenges

The focus of 3E is on supporting youth and women. It sees youth as being the future of the country and wants to make a positive contribution to society by engaging this population to help prepare them for an increasingly dynamic but often unpredictable world.

Members of the 3E Organization | Photo courtesy of 3E Organization

“We hope that the 3E organization will bridge the gap by providing youth and women with opportunities and resources that fosters not only personal growth but leads to social change,” says Singh.

In its response to current social challenges, 3E seeks to empower women, and to provide them with the tools to improve their lives and the lives of their family members.

“We need to work to help women see the positives in themselves and inspire that in others,” Singh says.

The organization’s goal is to turn self-doubt into self-love by providing a safe space to connect, network and have conversations about things that matter. 3E provides opportunities and resources to encourage better employment opportunities and lifestyles.

The organization has faced challenges along the way, such as struggles in getting youth engaged and motivated. 3E attributes this, in part, to individuals having their own personal issues and being negatively affected by peer pressure. And they faced struggles in helping women to redefine and value themselves because women are often bombarded with messages that emphasize their limitations rather than their abilities.

“Our hope is that our panel that day is able to address whatever is raised by the youth and that at the end of the evening they leave better informed. We are very confident that by participating and being involved in these activities, it will promote communication, self-confidence, self-esteem, team building, respect for peers and elders, and identify role models amongst the youth,” says Singh.

For more information, please visit www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/26483.aspx?startDate=Apr-25-2018.