Mandela Kuet plays basketball at a youth program he runs through his organization, The HoodFams. © Pajack Obeing
Mandela Kuet’s childhood in Winnipeg’s North End was shaped by the sights and sounds of a community deeply intertwined with both Indigenous and newcomer cultures. It was a place where the sense of family, culture, and community provided a foundation for Mandela’s lifelong commitment to making a difference.
By Zeba Tasci in Ottawa, Canada
“I believe in leading by example. If we want to see change in our communities, we have to invest in ourselves first. When you lead with that mindset, others will follow.”
Growing up in this vibrant yet challenging part of Winnipeg, Mandela was surrounded by a close-knit group of friends, many of whom shared similar refugee and immigrant backgrounds, as well as Indigenous families.
“I didn’t see us as different,” Mandela recalls. “We were just kids, and we lived our lives the same way. Our parents worked hard, often holding down two or three jobs. We had a lot of time to ourselves, riding bikes or hanging out at the community center, learning about each other’s cultures and experiences.”
For Mandela, the North End was more than just a place to live—it was where his values took root. Fleeing Sudan to Egypt during the Sudanese Civil War, Mandela had faced hardships and persecution. Arriving in Winnipeg after several years of separation from his family and homeland, Mandela found a community to settle into. In this community, everyone looked out for each other, and the strength of familial bonds was evident. As a youth trying to navigate a new country and culture, Kuet found friends in Winnipeg’s inner city by playing basketball.
Mandela’s life in the North End wasn’t without its challenges. The area had faced crime and economic decline as factories closed. Assumptions and negative stereotypes between newcomer and Indigenous communities were not rare, and kids would sometimes leave school and get caught up in gang activity.
“In communities where parents and caregivers were working two or three jobs to support their families, sometimes kids had too much time on their hands, they didn’t have anywhere else to be, so they would get into trouble. … A lot of kids don’t necessarily have the language or opportunity to deal with their stress. A lot of them want to take care of themselves and their families but get caught up in the wrong things, things like gangs, coming into contact with the justice system.”
After an incident at home, Mandela ended up leaving his family, eventually ending up involved in the justice system himself.
“It was a really difficult time. It took me some time, but after a while I just realized I don’t want to be on this path anymore. I wanted to get back to a community.”
– Mandela Kuet
Determined to create positive change, Mandela went back to school, working towards getting involved in the community. After going back to college he eventually started working with local organizations and schools to prevent youth from getting involved with gangs.
“I believe in leading by example,” he says. “If we want to see change in our communities, we have to invest in ourselves first. When you lead with that mindset, others will follow.”
Working in communities where people, newcomer or Indigenous, often struggle with the same socio-economic challenges, Mandela knew that sharing his own experience would be key to build empathy and understanding. He could see that Indigenous and newcomer populations have a shared experience of struggling to be accepted by the mainstream and experienced racism and poverty.
“It didn’t feel like I was different from anyone,” he says about growing up. “We were all trying to make it, and we did that by sticking together. We shared similar struggles, but we also shared joy—whether it was playing sports together or learning about each other’s cultures.”
Mandela’s experiences growing up shaped the work he does today as a youth worker and community advocate in Winnipeg. Kuet now runs a non-profit organization called HOOD FAMS INC, which works to prevent youth from getting involved with gangs. For more than a decade, he has worked to bridge gaps in the North End, focusing on building relationships and creating spaces where young people, particularly Indigenous and newcomer youth, can thrive.
“We work with all kinds of kids; white, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, doesn’t matter, we treat them all as equal.”
Newcomer and Indigenous youth play basketball at a youth program run by The HoodFams, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. © Pajack Obeing
Working directly with schools Mandela and his organization provide drop-in programs, as well as structured programs and youth basketball groups.
“I want to give these kids opportunity. There’s no judgement, I’ll share my own journey to try to give them perspective and tools to stay on a better path.”
– Mandela Kuet
His work is deeply rooted in his experiences as a refugee and the values of respect, family, and culture that he learned growing up.
Through his work, Mandela emphasizes the importance of community empowerment. “To make real change, you have to start with yourself. If we want to change the dynamics of our community, we have to be the ones to lead that change. But it’s not just about the work we do—it’s about how we support each other, how we show up for each other.”
Mandela’s story is a reminder of the power of community and the importance of looking inward when it comes to creating meaningful change. For him, it’s about ensuring that the next generation, whether they are from Indigenous, immigrant or refugee backgrounds, have the resources, support, and opportunities they need to succeed.
In a city often divided by socioeconomic challenges, Mandela Kuet’s work stands as a testament to the power of unity, resilience, and the shared values that can bring people together, no matter their background. And as Mandela continues to lead by example, he’s not just changing his community—he’s inspiring others to take action and invest in the future of the North End, one story, one relationship, and one young person at a time.
