Hawa Mohamed is a founding member and the coordinator of the CSMA. Using her lived experience and passion for building strong and healthy communities, Hawa has, over the years, dedicated her time to advocating for marginalized youth who are in trouble with the law and their families. Hawa seeks to bring attention to the connection between poverty, school dropout, and youth violence. Rallying the community, Hawa has created platforms to discuss these issues and find creative solutions. Leading a significant number of women volunteers, Hawa and her team met with politicians at both the federal, provincial and municipal levels to bring forward ideas for addressing challenges that low-income families face. She has created a lasting partnership with organizations, and her work is recognized in Ottawa and beyond, and she is frequently requested to share the CSMA work.
Hawa has been recognized for her commitments with several awards, such as the Heroes Among Us award by Immigrant Women’s Services Ottawa) and the Leading Woman of the Year (2016) by the National Council of Canadian Muslims and several awards that the CSMA garnered. Hawa is a long-serving Healthcare Support Worker, a mother, and grandmother. Hawa speaks English, French, Somali, and Arabic.