Mr. Dennis Adeleke Keshinro a Nigerian-Canadian is a Ph.D. Candidate in Education (Leadership), he holds B.Sc. Accounting, M.Ed., he is currently teaching Infotech and Business Courses in one of the High Schools in Toronto. Dennis is not only known as the brain behind running mobile computer on four Buses in TORONTO, Ontario but the 10th in the world to carry out this project. Nigerians are almost everywhere in the world exhibiting their God gifted qualities.

Nigerians in diaspora are making positive waves making every Nigerian proud. By the time he sat down for the interview the time was already 9.30pm. His office where BELKA students use as workshop or classroom was a very big place, on the wall was a photograph where the Newly Elected Toronto Mayor John Tory had group photographs with BELKA students.

What motivated you to start this Mobile Computer Non-Profit Organization?

BELKA is a unique and innovative organization that started as a child of necessity to help the Jane/Finch neighbors, this was consequent upon an ugly incident.

Beaten by thugs

One late evening I entered an elevator and I saw a lady and three young men, the lady was smoking inside the elevator and I told her not to smoke in the elevator immediately she stopped smoking. When we exited the elevator, to my chagrin the three young men who were with the lady in the elevator came out and beat me to a pulp to the point that I had concussion, paramedics were called and I was resuscitated.

When I regained my health, I contacted some of my friends, colleagues at work and others that we shouldn’t fold our hands and let this ugly incident happened again, although Jane/Finch area is known as a bad area where shooting of guns are common. I told my friends and colleagues that preventive measures must be in place to avoid the bad ones going into full scale gunning down innocent ones and that it would be an opportunity to regain the lost glory of the area and impact positive influence on the lives of the young ones living in the area.

BELKA was born

I decided to embark on this project because I discovered that the area that I was living was full of challenging citizens with social problems that was how I founded BELKA to be able to curb criminalities by keeping people busy, as the saying goes devil finds work for idle hands. This trouble became a peaceful creation of an organization that can activate a good educational program after school in a community.

So I launched Belka Enrichment Centre. We started running Homework club, soccer and basketball. One Summer time we asked what we could do for the students living in the area, the students requested for computer and with access to internet where homework would be carried out, that was how we started a computer program. I financed this project with personal income and some friends’ contributions. John Tory has always been my personal supporter in all ways not just financially. His contributions personally are great.

Who is John Tory and how did you meet him?

John Tory is the new Toronto Mayor. I met him at a barbecue party organized at Jane/Finch area in 2011 which was organized to kick against “gun” as many people were killed that year and to discourage people gunning down or killing people with gun, people came out to kick against violence through BBQ Party. I didn’t know John Tory before this party neither did I know his personality but we had a long discussion that centered on helping Jane/Finch community. In the course of my discussion with John Tory, I explained my plans to help the community members to eliminate or minimize gun violence and reduce poverty to him. I made him to be aware of my strong awareness of the local problems facing the people living in Jane and Finch area regardless of age or ability and my assurance that I would succeed.

To buttress my standpoints, I explained to John Tory that I would stay passionate working with the youth in the community and guide them to success with the idea that working with parents and the youth would create positive environment through educational support which would eventually affect the level of the current violence. As a Teacher, I emphasized on my willingness to be fully committed to the neighbors because if they are busy violence would reduce.

Hence the beginning of investing in a Non-Profit Organization that directly impacts the lives of the neighbors, as this would enable the community members to develop the confidence to tackle any challenges they may face in future instead of using gun. Tory is a man that has the love and passion to help the community, he has forum for young people who are aspiring to become lawyers, he believes in long term job and investment, he created professional jobs, he spends time to talk to people who want to work in the media. He sends volunteers to work with me when needed. He has time to read for children at our program, plays sports like basketball, badminton and so forth with the youth participants.

Mobile Computer Laboratory

One of my strategies was to have computers with internet on the buses, I promised to fix one of the City buses that was no longer in use to become Mobile Computer laboratory. John Tory was so fascinated with the plan and he agreed to help and he assisted in the project. Today I have four buses with Computers but I have started replacing the computer desk tops with Lap tops. John has been a power line behind me to be able to see that the program work. Today the dream is a reality. When parents are busy working and the children are home without support, then bringing the Mobile Educational Centre to the community would help many youth and children would not need to go to community centers.

Other programs besides the Computer laboratory

At BELKA, we provide Tutoring and Homework for students, Program for the New Comer Youth Integration program, Youth Advocacy, Parents support, Mentoring, Mobile Education Center, Media Literacy, Media Literacy, Youth Leadership and Outreach, Soccer Clinics, Basket Balls, etc.