A Calgary non-profit that supports pregnant Black women and families wants help to expand

A grassroots non-profit that helps pregnant women arriving in Calgary, mostly from African countries, says demand is growing for Black-specific supports.

Immigrants from Africa are a growing demographic in the city and Clare Jagunna and her non-profit, Hands Lifting Hearts, is here to help.

Run by Jagunna and a small team of volunteers, her organization is focused on helping pregnant mothers arriving in Calgary with no friends, family or experience of life in Canada.

Since 2021 she's been helping newcomers with every aspect of settling into a new city and navigating parenthood. 

It's something she says needs to be tailored to the Black experience by people that understand them and their journey.

Her organization provides pre-birth, labour and post birth support, help for women experiencing miscarriage and early disabilities among other things.

"We realized coming to a new country where you're probably alone with very little information, we need to integrate them into the community to make sure we settle them well and make Canada a new home," said Jagunna, who came to Canada from Nigeria. 

She describes the relationship she forges with the newcomers she comes into contact with as a partnership.

She starts with finding them accommodation and covers everything from building a network of Black friends, helping them find jobs and connects them with mental health support and the medical help they'll need while starting a family.

"Sometimes we help connect them to doctors from their home countries, just to make them feel comfortable. When they see someone with the same colour and same language they are able to interact," she said.

"They are more open and it's like transitioning from home to home, not from home to a no man's land," she said.

Jagunna also helps immigrants battle the loneliness and separation from family, who would usually play a big part in a pregnancy and welcoming a new baby into the world.

"Back home with a new baby everybody is all over you, they want to help in every way and when the baby comes everyone is excited. It's like that adage one woman bears the child but the whole community looks after the child." 

She says new mums arriving from African countries need a support network to succeed and thrive.