Our Staff
Mona Loffelmann
Founder and Executive Director
Over the past decade, Mona has been working to ensure that all members of our community feel valued, included, and heard. In this role, she is be responsible for developing and implementing outreach programs that engage black and other marginalized groups, building relationships with key stakeholders, and working to create a more inclusive and equitable community.
Mona possesses adequate communication, organizational, and resilience skills. She is enthusiastic about her work and continues to collaborate with other organizations to provide community-oriented services. More importantly, Mona is constantly looking to collaborate with other organizations to track and measure the success of outreach efforts, making recommendations for improvement as needed.
Mona has a strong understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and she strives to educate others through presentations and training programs. In fact, Mona has completed a number of training programs including; “Train the Trainers Resilience Training” in partnership with Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region. She has also completed “Intercultural Leadership Training” with Muslim Social Services of Waterloo Region.
Mona is the Project Coordinator and Cultural Navigator for AFRO's Support Through Generations program, as well as the Executive Director of AFRO. Mona, along with the other AFRO board members, contributes to major decisions and changes that benefit the organization and community as a whole.
Randa Salih
Youth Facilitator
My name is Huda Bana. Growing up passionate about empowering others and dedicated to education, I attend the University of Waterloo for Health Science. Alongside my studies, I’ve always been involved in activities that allow me to make a difference in my community. That’s why joining the AFRO team was a natural fit for me. AFRO’s commitment to empowering girls and tutoring youth resonates deeply with my own values and aspirations. I believe in the power of education and mentorship to uplift and inspire, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a meaningful cause.
Isinino Ali
System Navigator
Isinino Ali Sheikh was born and raised in Nairobi Kenya and came to Canada when she was 14 years old. She’s been volunteering with AFRO for over two years and was a part of the AFRO youth.
As a black Muslim girl, she understand the challenges that many minorities face on a daily basis. She is passionate about highlighting the lack of representation in the black community, racial profiling, lack of social support and social network. She chose to continue with AFRO as a System Navigator because she wants to give back to the community and change lives for the better.
“You don’t have to be loaded to help. I believe all you need is to be passionate and motivated. There’s no better motivation than seeing a grateful smile from someone whose life has been made better by your effort.”
Randa Salih
Youth Facilitator
My name is Randa, and I am currently in my fourth year of communications studies at Wilfred Laurier University. I love all things art and sports and try to surround myself with experiences that will help me connect better with myself and the larger community. Working with AFRO and, specifically, the empowering girl’s group has been a great experience. I see myself in some of these girls, so being able to supervise them has been a time well spent.