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Kelly De Fogain-Taylor

@its_kdf

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🇨🇲🇨🇦
Founder @afropolitan_canada & @rooted_travel

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If you did not use this once in your life, what are you even doing?

Teach them young

Outdoor movies were the vibe this summer

Dinos too

🌋🦖

Festivals meant unlimited ice cream

Blue Mountain

Can’t run programs if I don’t know them.

Grow your own food

Soccer on Saturdays

On their way to unlimited ice cream again with dad leading the charge

It really doesn’t take much

Mommy elephant and her girls

Back-to-school shananigans

There is food at home

My baby boy took this picture

❤️

National drowning prevention week

🎾🎾🎾 by @its_kdf

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24 days ago

Q2 recap.

Navigating a demanding 9-to-5 while strategically leading a growing nonprofit, all while being a mom, a wife, a friend, a daughter, and everything in between, is no joke.

Lately, I’ve felt like I’m dropping the ball in every area of my life.

Some days, I’m the kind, patient, and thoughtful CEO and leader I strive to be but that often means I have less to give at home. Other days, I feel like I’m showing up fully for my family as a wife and mother, only to realize something else has fallen behind.

I’m learning that balance isn’t really about giving everything equal attention every day. It’s about accepting that different seasons and even different days require different parts of you.

Some days are heavy. Community work can be especially hard because the challenges are endless, and the work is never really done. But a fellow community leader recently reminded me that the purpose is bigger than us. And they’re right.

The smiles at Fishing Day. The thank-you messages after swimming lessons. Watching children gain confidence on the tennis court. The excitement on the soccer field. The personal stories people trust us enough to share. Those moments remind me why I keep going.

As we wrap up Q2, my heart is simply full of gratitude.

Grateful for the purpose and vision God has entrusted to me. Grateful for the opportunity to serve through @afropolitan_canada, through @rooted_travel, through my career, through motherhood, through family, and through friendships.

None of it is perfect. Neither am I.

But I’m still here. Still growing. Still learning. Still trusting that God will provide the strength for every season.

On to Q3. by @its_kdf

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3 months ago

Life lately in Jamaica 🇯🇲
Life is not harder, it’s just bigger. #perspective taken in Jamaica by @its_kdf

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6 months ago

Aye Qatar 🫱🏾‍🫲🏽🫡 cc: @websummitqatar + @artbasel
Thank you for the hospitality. taken in Doha, Qatar by @its_kdf

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8 months ago

Meet our main performer: Ṣẹwà (@askaboutsewa)

Toronto-based Nigerian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and budding producer, Ṣẹwà brings a powerful sound rooted in Afrobeat, Fuji, Jazz, R&B, Soul/Blues, and Pop.

After selling out her first concert in Nigeria in 2021, she moved to Toronto and completed the Independent Music Production program at Seneca College. Since then, she has headlined sold-out shows, performed at major festivals, and opened for global superstars.
With her soulful voice and compelling storytelling, Ṣẹwà bridges cultures through music — perfectly embodying the spirit of our Harmony of Cultures Festival.

📍 Saturday, February 21 | 12:00–6:00 PM
🏛️ Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum

Découvrez notre artiste principale : Ṣẹwà (@askaboutsewa)

Chanteuse, auteure-compositrice, multi-instrumentiste et productrice émergente nigériane basée à Toronto, Ṣẹwà propose un son puissant inspiré de l’Afrobeat, du Fuji, du Jazz, du R&B, de la Soul/Blues et de la Pop.

Après avoir affiché complet lors de son premier concert au Nigeria en 2021, elle s’est installée à Toronto où elle a complété le programme de production musicale indépendante au Seneca College. Depuis, elle a donné des concerts à guichets fermés, participé à de grands festivals et assuré les premières parties de stars internationales.

Grâce à sa voix soulful et à son art du storytelling, Ṣẹwà crée des ponts entre les cultures à travers la musique — incarnant parfaitement l’esprit du Festival Harmony of Cultures.

📍 Samedi 21 février | 12 h à 18 h
🏛️ Ken Seiling Waterloo Region Museum by @its_kdf

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8 months ago

Even when the world feels heavy, we owe it to ourselves to find joy in the cracks of the day. 🍂
ps: skip if you don’t like worms. by @its_kdf

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a year ago

✨🤍🌺 by @its_kdf

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a year ago

by @its_kdf

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a year ago

We’re so grateful to see our Swim to Survive program featured on CTV News during #NationalDrowningPreventionWeek! 🏊🏾‍♂️💙⁠
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Huge thanks to Karis Mapp (@kmapp10) and Shelby Knox for spotlighting the urgent need for equitable access to swimming lessons and water safety across Canada.⁠
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Most newcomers believe swimming is a vital life skill — yet half identify as weak or non-swimmers. Families cite cost and lack of time as major barriers to lessons. That’s the gap we’re closing.⁠
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Now in its third year, Swim to Survive teaches essential survival skills — treading water, surface swimming, self-rescue — building confidence and safety for BIPOC families across the Waterloo Region.⁠
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We’re proud to lead this work. But we know we can’t do it alone.⁠
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Join us in raising awareness, advocating for inclusive water safety policies, and supporting programs that save lives.⁠
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Huge thanks to @cityofkitchener and @ctjumpstart for helping us make this happen for nearly 200 participants this summer 🙌🏾
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🎥 Video and reporting: Karis Mapp and Shelby Knox from CTV News Kitchener.⁠
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#Swimming #SwimmingLessons #Kitchener #Waterloo #Cambridge #AfropolitanCanada #FreeLessons #Skills #LifeSkills taken in Kitchener, Ontario by @its_kdf

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a year ago

We're so grateful to @CBC and @asad_ch for capturing why our #SwimtoSurvive program matters.⁠
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Swimming isn't just a recreational activity, it's a survival skill. Yet for many BIPOC, low-income, and newcomer families, swim lessons have been out of reach.⁠
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When we launched with 96 participants in 2023, we knew there was a need. We didn't anticipate the overwhelming response: 178 participants in 2024, 197 this year, and over 250 people on our waitlist. ⁠
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Our 8-week program teaches three essential survival skills — ROLL into deep water, TREAD water for one minute, SWIM 50 metres — while building something deeper: confidence, community, and hope.⁠
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Temitope Bello, whose son is in the program, shared: "It's very beneficial, not just that we are benefiting from it, but other people because who knows with our skills being learned here, we might be able to save other people from drowning, too." ⁠
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That's the ripple effect we're seeing: skills that protect individuals while strengthening our entire community's water safety.⁠
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Thanks to the City of Kitchener (@cityofkitchener), Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (@ctjumpstart), and our incredible team for making this possible.⁠
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🔗 Read the full article and join our waitlist for the next cohort — link in bio!⁠
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#Swimming #SwimmingLessons #Kitchener #Waterloo #Cambridge #AfropolitanCanada #FreeLessons #Skills #LifeSkills by @its_kdf

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a year ago

We’re proud to share that our Swim to Survive program was featured in @cambridgetodayca!⁠
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In just three years, what began as a pilot initiative to close the racial gap in water safety has grown into a regionally recognized program with nearly 200 participants this summer — and a waitlist of over 250.⁠
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🛟 Why our program matters:
According to the @lifesavingsocietyon, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death for Canadian children under 14. Newcomer children are four times more likely to be unable to swim. And historically, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) families have faced systemic barriers to swim lessons — including lack of access, financial constraints, and cultural exclusion.⁠
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Our Swim to Survive program is changing that.⁠
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We provide:⁠
✅ Free water safety instruction over 8 weeks⁠
✅ Kids and women-only cohorts to foster trust and comfort⁠
✅ Nationally recognized survival skills⁠
✅ Opportunities for BIPOC families to feel safe, confident, and included in a key part of Canadian life⁠
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This work wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated instructors, our Board of Directors, and the continued support of the City of Kitchener (@cityofkitchener) and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (@ctjumpstart).⁠
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Together, we’re removing barriers and creating safer futures — one swim lesson at a time.⁠
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📣 We’re calling on more municipalities, partners, and donors to help us expand this work across the region. The demand is there. Let’s meet it together. For more information, visit our website: www.afropolitan.ca⁠
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🔗 Read the full article via the link in our bio! by @its_kdf

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a year ago

💰 How much does egg freezing really cost?⁠
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In our latest #Spotlight episode, Marina Mathieu, Sexual Health Advocate and Filmmaker (@m2.0.talks) shares the financial side of her fertility journey—including how she navigated out-of-pocket expenses, insurance, and government support in Quebec.⁠
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Whether you’re considering this path or just want to understand your options, this is the financial transparency we rarely get to see.⁠
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🔗 Full episode linked in bio.⁠
🔖 Save this for when you’re ready to explore your options.⁠
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#FertilityAwareness #EggFreezing #WomenOfColour #ReproductiveHealth #Healthcare #Equity #FertilityJourney #RepresentationMatters #Wellness #MillennialWomen⁠ by @its_kdf

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a year ago