Supporting community health through action and social justice

By Danica Hidalgo Cherewyk

The College of Community and Global Health (CCGH) celebrated undergraduate students who completed the Field Experience in Community Health (FMLY 4300) course.

Students and mentors from host organizations gathered April 13, 2026, at the Community Education Development Association office in Winnipeg — one of the field placement sites.

The students completed 120 hours of supervised placement experience between September 2025 and April 2026. Partner sites also included CanU, NorWest Youth Huddle, Nine Circles and Zoongizi Ode.

“This course is grounded in the belief that meaningful learning happens not only in classrooms but through relationships, service and direct engagement with communities, working every day to advance health, equity and well-being,” said Dr. Andrew Hatala, associate dean, undergraduate, and professor in CCGH, who is the course co-instructor.

Dr. Chelsea Jalloh, course co-instructor and senior instructor in CCGH, also thanked the host organizations for their partnership.

“By opening your doors to our students, you have helped cultivate the next generation of thoughtful, skilled and community-minded leaders who better understand the realities, strengths and challenges present across our communities,” she said. “Your mentorship has been an essential part of their growth.”

‘Strong heart’

One memorable moment for Bunmi Adeyemi, a fourth-year international student from Nigeria, occurred during her field placement with Zoongizi Ode at a weekly council meeting held in partnership with the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and the City of Winnipeg.  

“One of the youths said, ‘It’s difficult to dream when you can’t even meet your basic needs. It’s difficult for me to think beyond tomorrow when I’m trying to figure out what to eat today,’” Adeyemi recalled.

“And that really hit me. I learned that supporting a community and advocating for change does not require a saviour mentality — it requires humility. It means listening, paying attention and being present. Showing up does not mean you need to have all the answers, because the community already knows what it wants and needs. Your role is simply to listen.”

Zoongizi Ode supports youth and families involved in child apprehension and welfare in Winnipeg’s North End. The organization’s name is an Anishinaabe phrase meaning “strong heart,” which Adeyemi said reflects its role in the community.

Adeyemi said her placement duties ranged from administrative work to enhancing the organization’s social media presence and providing support during weekly council meetings.

The health sciences student, who is minoring in psychology, plans to pursue a master’s degree in community health and attend medical school. She said the field placement was eye-opening.

Inspiring youth

Olivia Obilo-Josiah, a fourth-year psychology student in the Faculty of Science with a minor in health sciences, said she came to Canada from Nigeria to study nursing.

“I quickly realized that nursing is not for me,” she said. “I started looking at other health-adjacent courses, and I came across community and public health.”

Obilo-Josiah said the field placement course offered an opportunity to explore the field. She was already volunteering with CanU when she was matched with the organization for her placement. 

CanU is an after-school program that mentors youth in Grades 5-12 in Winnipeg, fostering confidence and engagement. Obilo-Josiah supported programming and sessions and facilitated a session on personal finance, teaching participants how to create a simple budget.