Sofifran celebrates Father’s Day

After a successful Father’s Day celebration in 2023, Sofifran chose to do it again on June 15 at Memorial Park in Welland. About sixty people, mainly from Niagara, Welland, St. Catharines and Thorold, gathered at the park to honour their fathers.

The weather was beautiful and warm. The children had fun playing soccer and, throughout the day, enjoyed a meal provided by the organization along with music. Young girls shared tender moments dancing with their dads.

“We arranged group rides through Uber so that families from the surrounding area could take part in the picnic. Six volunteers, four of them sent by the Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara, helped make sure everything ran smoothly and handed out the food and juice. We grilled chicken, corn and hamburgers on the barbecue. Everyone ate well, there was nothing left,” said project coordinator Emmanuel Mompongo.

At one point during the day, 10 children between the ages of 3 and 15 spontaneously thanked their fathers with messages of gratitude. “The children came up to thank their dads for everything they do every day. One of them spoke about the sacrifices his father made so he could take part in sports, and about his father being there with him,” Mr. Mompongo added. The fathers were deeply moved to hear the children praise them.

To set the mood at the end of the day, a DJ played international music and got young and old dancing. Participants, including francophone newcomers, had a wonderful time.

“We are really happy that everything went so well. We tend to celebrate fathers quietly, which is why it was essential for them to feel recognized in a system where men feel marginalized and feel they are losing their role as husbands and fathers,” concluded Fété Ngira-Batware Kimpiobi, Sofifran’s executive director.

“We hope our sponsors will be able to support us next year so we can offer small gifts to the dads, just as we usually do for the moms. We need to keep celebrating Father’s Day. It strengthens family bonds.”

Photo (Sofifran): This dad was deeply moved to share this moment with his son.