By Ariela Friedmann, MOSAIC Communications Manager
Mentor. Counsellor. Leader.
Those are just some of the words used to describe Ninu Kang, who has left MOSAIC to accept the role of Associate Executive Director for the Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA).
How to say goodbye to someone who has been a key member of the MOSAIC family for 28.8 years? With great difficulty, of course, but also with all due respect knowing that a partner organization is getting a strong leader to continue their excellent anti-violence work.
At a surprise goodbye, tears flowed and virtual hugs were plenty as staff gathered on zoom and a handful in person to show their respect and appreciation to Ninu for her incredible service and leadership.
Ninu has been a key member of the MOSAIC team for almost 30 years, working in a number of roles over her tenure. She began as a coordinator of Canada’s first culturally and linguistically sensitive program working with multicultural men to understand and address intimate partner violence in their lives in 1991 before moving into MOSAIC leadership as Director of Family Programs, and eventually taking on the Communications portfolio as Director. She also oversaw MOSAIC’s first successful CARF accreditation process (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) to meet internationally recognized standards for health and human services providers.
Ninu is one of the leading authorities on anti-violence, anti-racism, and addressing gender equality in the immigrant and refugee communities. She has developed culturally and linguistically sensitive violence prevention programs for immigrant and refugee women and children.
Over the years, she has served as President of the Board of Women’s Research Centre, President of the Board of Battered Women’s Support Services, and Co-chair of Ending Relationship Abuse Society of BC.
Along with her team, Ninu worked to enhance women’s safety by creating a parallel women’s support services along with the first men’s domestic violence treatment program for immigrants in Canada, which she helped expand across the country. She is one of the founding members of the Punjabi Women’s Association and a founding member of the South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence. She led a group on behalf of MOSAIC called Surrey Organizing Against Racism and Hate Network to facilitate dialogue to establish best practices, raise public awareness about racism and hate activities, and develop response strategies to address these incidents in Surrey.
Ninu has set a legacy and a foundation for all these programs and initiatives to continue and grow under the MOSAIC banner.
Among the many well-wishes and comments at the gathering from colleagues and team members, was CEO Olga Stachova who spoke on behalf of the MOSAIC Team: “I want to thank Ninu for her long-term commitment and dedication to MOSAIC and for amplifying MOSAIC’s message and promoting MOSAIC’s services. Ninu has been an active member of the Executive Leadership Team and an instrumental part of MOSAIC’s success and recognition. We wish her well in her new role.”
And from Ninu to the organization: “I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you. I loved the fact that this organization provides space – it has for me and everyone to be exactly who we are and value our strengths, and help elevate each other in those moments when we need each other.”
We wish Ninu all the best and look forward to future partnerships between our organizations, knowing that she will continue to thrive and be a strong advocate for justice and anti-violence through her new position.
