What is TVFH?
Towards Violence Free Homes or TVFH is a core program of the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW that addresses gender-based violence (GBV) among Waterloo Region racialized Muslim women and their families.
TVFH is a culturally integrative, multilingual, GBV-focused outreach and support program in Waterloo Region. TVFH fills a crucial gap in local GBV services by reaching out to very isolated women and providing them with information and connections in their language and cultural communities. The aim is to empower isolated Muslim women and their families with knowledge, skills, information, connections, and resources to effectively respond to family violence situations involving spouses and/or parents and teens.
We provide our TVFH services through community support workers (CSWs) that speak different languages. The CSWs conduct community education sessions and awareness-raising activities around violence and abuse in families.
Everyone working together is crucial to TVFH’s work in addressing GBV.
Our CSWs have successfully built trusting relationships within their communities, resulting in a continuous increase in referrals for CMW.
Mission & Vision
TVFH follows the CMW’s vision of a just, harmonious, and equitable community.
TVFH leads the mission to:
- enhance communication and foster understanding between Muslim women and the larger community,
- provide opportunities for personal and professional growth, and leadership development for Muslim women, and
- engage and support Muslim women to actively participate as leaders in the Muslim and larger community.
Our values are grounded in faith-based principles that demonstrate the strength of Islam. These values guide all that we do.
- Empowerment and Support: We encourage, support and equip current and future women leaders to foster positive change in their communities.
- Social Activism: We actively promote social justice locally, nationally and internationally.
- Outreach: We constantly strive to build bridges and focus on removing systemic barriers faced by marginalized communities.
- Equity, inclusion, and diversity: We strive to create safe spaces, seek to understand, support belongingness so that everyone is welcomed and encouraged to participate.
TVFH Staff
Sahver Kuzucuoglu
COORDINATOR, TOWARDS VIOLENCE FREE HOMES
Sahver holds a master’s degree in religion and culture, a second MA in Cultural Analysis and Social Theory, and is currently a PhD candidate in Religious Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. Sahver is fluent in multiple languages, Sahver has worked for many years as an Interpreter/Translator in the settlement of new Canadians in Southern Ontario fueled by her passion for volunteerism, community, decoloniality, pluraversality, and intercultural dialogue. Her current research areas include Turkish Cultural Studies, Sufi Studies, liminal spaces, and the identity negotiation of the minority within a minority.
Wisam Osman
DIRECTOR, PROGRAMMING & SERVICES
Wisam Osman came to Canada 12 years ago with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Statistics. Since her arrival, Wisam has been engaged in the community in different ways. She started with her friends a Moms & Toddlers’ interactive group that welcomed everyone to join. Wisam has been very active in the local Sudanese community, helping and organizing social events, ladies’ gatherings, and youth activities. In 2012, she joined the CMW as a volunteer and shortly after became a member. Wisam has served CMW in many capacities including more than four years as a board member, after which she joined the staff roster as the Coordinator for TVFH. Wisam always believed that everyone is able to give back to the community because everyone is gifted in a special way.
Community Support Workers
Gyamfi Gabriette
Community Support Worker
Gyamfi Gabriette graduated with a degree in Social Work and Sociology from the University of Ghana (Legon). She is currently pursuing a Management Community Service program at Conestoga College to further her career in community development and social work. Her dedication to helping others led her to work at the West African AIDS Foundation in Ghana, where she facilitated access to resources for individuals with HIV/AIDS. She is motivated by her commitment to aiding racialized women, immigrants, and vulnerable populations. As a Community Support Worker, she has a strong passion for assisting marginalized groups.
Eda Ozturk
Turkish Community Support Worker
Eda Ozturk is a motivated and passionate social worker, who has academic and work experience in both Turkey and Canada. She holds undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in Sociology. After moving to Canada, Eda changed her career path to social work with a dream of trying to promote social justice and provide everyone equal access to resources, especially to marginalized and vulnerable groups. She has worked for several non-profit organizations, playing various important roles in supporting different events. As CMW’s Turkish Community Support Worker, Eda is looking forward to enhancing the lives of Turkish women in Waterloo Region. She looks forward to supporting racialized women and aims to listen to their concerns and needs. Eda also strives to connect them to local resources and initiatives that will help them improve their circumstances, and mental/physical health.
Samya Mohamad
Black/African Community Support Worker
Samya is here to strengthen bonds within the Muslim community and advocate for justice and harmony. She has a strong background in business administration from Cairo University. Samya worked in Sudan and Saudi Arabia before moving to Canada, and she is currently working as a part-time teacher assistant at Tayba Elementary Islamic School.
Samya finds joy in helping and volunteering at the Kitchener Mosque, with the Sudanese community, at the Eid Carnival, and at A Better Tent City. she is also founding member of CMW.
Tuba Sangar
Dari/Farsi Community Support Worker
Tuba has an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Afghanistan after which she worked as women’s cricket team manager with the Afghanistan Cricket Board. She has volunteered with the Afghan Women Journalist Union since 2015, working for Afghan women growth, empowerment, and development in journalism. Tuba also has a one-year diploma in Leadership and Advocacy and in 2016 she also promoted women’s athletics when she participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program, a U.S. Department of State premier professional exchange program. Tuba moved to Canada in 2021 and joined CMW as a Community Support Worker in 2022.
Bouran Abbas
Arabic-speaking Community Support Worker
Bouran Abbas is a moved to Canada in 2021 from Lebanon and quickly became involved in the Kitchener-Waterloo community. She helps those around her by using skills gained from years of social work experience, dealing with the vulnerable and refugees. Bouran has collaborated with various local groups to help Arabic-speakers overcome challenges they face in the community. She is directly involved in helping others understand and gain control of their situations, access practical support, and managing problem solving in a better way. Bouran has a master's in psychosocial support and dialogue, as well as a bachelor's in social work and sociology from Lebanon. She has worked for the United Nations for more than 25 years, providing support in the field of mental health. In addition, Bouran was the chair of the Community Based Rehabilitation Centre for Disabilities program in Lebanon for more than 10 years.
If you or someone you know is facing domestic abuse or violence, help is available here.
