About Me

Hello! I really appreciate you taking the time to inquire about me.

Like most millennials, I’m a mixed maker, which means that I have several passion projects that you will see throughout my website. There are many factors that have shaped who I am and the work that I do in the organizing and healing world. 

My radical organizing started in Ottawa, Ontario, where my family migrated after leaving Lilongwe, Malawi — the place of my birth. I had the privilege of starting my roots at the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women when I was 18 years of age, and spent the next 11 years working at a number of organizations committed to ending gender-based violence and sexual violence. The majority of my time was spent at the Sexual Assault Centre of Ottawa, where I spent 8 years working as the Public Education Coordinator and as a front-line support worker within the Women, War, Rape and Torture Program and the Young Women at Risk Program. During those 8 years, I worked closely with Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres, serving as the Vice-Chair and General Executive Member for 2 years combined. 

During this time, I managed to complete 2 degrees at Carleton University, a BA in Women’s and Gender Studies (2011) and a MA in Women’s and Gender Studies (2016) at the Pauline Jewett Institute of Womens and Gender Studies. The most memorable moments at Carleton were working with Dr. Egla Martinez and Patriza Gentile - both professors really shaped my early academic and political feminist awakenings (did I mention that I was a feminist?!). 

In 2016 two significant shifts happened within my feminist organizing. I began to ask questions about how organizations can commit to doing anti-oppression work internally. During my time at Planned Parenthood Ottawa, where I served as a board member, I took a keen interest in capacity building and policy development of anti-oppression practices within non-profit organizations. And that’s how UBUNTU Consulting was born - my passion for helping organizations build capacity through policy and training took off. You can find more information by clicking here. 

The second awakening that happened in 2016 was that I knew I wanted to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence using movement based practices. I had used yoga in my own healing journey and wanted to offer the space to others. After registering for 200 hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training at Pranashanti Yoga Centre in Ottawa, I had no idea where the journey would take me. In May 2017 after graduating from I began teaching body affirming classes at the Afro- Carribean School of Dance with Teacher Suzan Levertu. I also would teach classes that were geared for survivors of gender-based violence at the request of sexual assault centres across the city and province. SEEDS Yoga was born out of listening to the needs of survivors around movement based practices and it took about 2 years before I solidified the program. It took two years because I wanted to learn the skills of working with different bodies and getting the proper training, which I acquired through Yoga For All Training with Dianne Bondy and Amber Karnes & Transcending Sexual Violence through Yoga with Zabie Yamaski. Click here to learn more about the SEEDS Yoga program. 

One thing I have learned over my short time on this earth, is that the world is truly an oyster & I’m grateful for the journey that has brought me here and you here!

Hopefully we will get to work together or connect in person. 

Until then, take Care!

Yamikani Msosa

Biography for presentations, workshops, panels etc.

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General Bio:

Yamikani Msosa (they/them or ze-hir) is a black genderqueer Malawian arrivant-settler currently living within the Dish With One Spoon wampum treaty territory, who grew up on Algonquin Territory.  As a creative and strategic consultant and facilitator, they love building containers for connections to be forged, and holding space for individual, community, and systems transformation.Yamikani is committed to a practice of anti-racism & anti-oppression,using popular culture, creative facilitation , emergent strategy and digital engagement.

 Ze completed hir Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies at Carleton University and Certificate from Michigan State University on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Organizational Change.In 2013 Yami founded UBUNTU Consulting, which focuses on equity, anti-oppression, inclusion training, conflict resolution and organizational development for grassroots organizations and nonprofit agencies. As a strategic troublemaker, Yami has worked with Amnesty International Canada, Greenpeace Canada, Association of Women In Development, the, Canadian Women Foundation, City of Toronto, Peterborough Pride, Tools for Change, LGBT Youthline and more.

Yamikani has held positions such as Black Academic Success and Engagement Coordinator at Humber College and  Vice-Chair of Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centre. In hir spare time Yami teaches yoga to survivors of sexual and gender based violence. 

GBV Bio:

Yamikani (they/them or ze-hir) is a black genderqueer Malawian arrivant-settler currently living within the Dish With One Spoon wampum treaty territory, who grew up on Algonquin Territory. Yami is an anti-violence educator, support worker and movement based facilitator, they love building containers for connections to be forged, and holding space for individual, community, and systems transformation. Their lens to the anti-violence liberation movement is intersectional and centers disability and healing justice organizing. 

Yamikani has held positions such as Black Academic Success and Engagement Coordinator at Humber College and  Vice-Chair of Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centre. Yami currently sits on the eQuality Project Advisory and in featured in Violence Interrupted: Confronting Sexual Violence on University Campuses with Jane Bailey and Suzie Dunn. 

In 2017 yami founded Seeds a yoga program  that centers the needs of survivors of sexual violence. You can learn about about hir work at www.yamimsosa.com   

Education

CARLETON UNIVERSITY- OTTAWA,ONTARIO, CANADA

Masters of Arts: Women and Gender Studies & African Studies, Graduated June 2016

CARLETON UNIVERSITY- OTTAWA,ONTARIO, CANADA

Bachelors of Arts: Women and Gender Studies & Law, Graduated May 2011

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN- MICHIGAN, USA

Leading Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, Completed May 2019