Mahalaga Ka (You Matter)

COVID-19 Pandemic Response and community care (2021/2022)

What is it about?

The Filipinas of HamOnt, sponsored by the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion and the Mariam Assefa Fund are working towards building connections with each other in the spirit of bayanihan (mutual aid), understanding and compassion, encouraging conversation to address vaccine hesitation, vaccine confidence and creating plans of action in the Pilipina/x/o Hamilton community and our neighbours.

The “You Matter” or “Mahalaga Ka” project is a community-rooted digital campaign that seeks to bring the community together as Hamilton continues to tackle the impacts of COVID-19. 

“Getting the COVID-19 vaccine keeps everyone safe. It not only keeps you safe but also your loved ones and those around you, It lowers your risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. So let’s keep everyone safe.” - Charissa Cordon, RN, MN, EdD, Former Chief of Nursing Practice, Hamilton Health Sciences

Sponsored by the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion and the Mariam Assefa Fund.

  • To support several health professionals and leaders from the broader Hamilton community, who are lending their expertise to address questions about COVID-19 vaccination.

  • In celebration of International Women's Month this March (2022), the Women Writing Women workshop explores their feelings, concerns and hopes for now and the future. Participants will have the opportunity to submit their reflections to the Hamilton Public Library Archives.

  • Art programming for kids ages 5 to 11 years old, to express their COVID-19 experience.

Mahalaga Ka/You Matter: Women Writing Women

The Women Writing Women initiative is part of the #MahalagaKa #YouMatter digital outreach campaign of the Filipinas of HamOnt. It invites Filipinas in the Greater HamOnt area to write letters to women in the future and their future selves about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we write these letters, we hope to find strength in each other, find strength that we are not alone, that in our different circumstances, we share common stories of struggles and joys.

Are you a Filipino/a/x living or working in Hamilton, Ontario? We want to hear from you!

This form will help us understand better on who is and who isn't vaccinated in the Filipino/a/x Hamilton community, and why. The data will give us a better understanding on the decisions Filipino/a/x's make about the vaccine and help decision making recommendations to Hamilton Public Health and other policy bodies around COVID-19 vaccination.

“COVID-19 has highlighted the need for community organizations to be a central piece in addressing the health outcomes of residents. In Hamilton 47% of people that contacted COVID-19 were from racialized communities. This project is one of many ways that community organizations can work to address the health outcomes of their communities.”

— Kojo Damptey, Former Executive Director, Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion