Minerva Helping Women Work™ Combining Our Strength™

Minerva Helping Women Work™ Combining Our Strength™ (MHWW COS) program supports Aboriginal women in developing their skills and assets to foster self-sufficiency and economic independence.

To meet the diverse needs of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women throughout BC, we have created the MHWW COS Community Outreach program. MHWW COS has approximately 22 modules (workshops) of this economic security program. The Minerva Foundation works in partnership with a community to choose and offer six of these modules to Aboriginal women in their community. Examples of these workshops include:

Visioning
Values
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Resume writing
Cover Letter writing
Interview Skills
Negotiation

In the past, MHWW has been delivered in Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Prince George, in New Aiyansh for the Nisga’a Nation, Cranbrook and has been delivered in Vancouver. Our goal is to work in partnership with potential MHWW communities to be inclusive of the communities specific needs.

The MHWW COS Community Outreach program is unique in that we recognize that the needs of Aboriginal women in smaller communities can be significantly different than those of urban Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women in major city centres. To meet their needs, we have created MHWW COS to be culturally relevant and culturally sensitive.

If you have any questions about MHWW please contact Lisa Tallio, Combining Our Strength^TM Program Director at 604 683 7635 ext. 222 or at lisat@theminervafoundation.com

When I moved to Canada in 1998, I was pregnant and all alone. I was scared as to how I would take care of my daughter without a decent standard of education. I realized that without English I would be useless so I focused on improving my English by attending ESL classes at Vancouver Community College. When my English level improved, I was confident enough to go for science courses. And in 2003, the Minerva Foundation offered me the Minerva Foundation Award For BC Women in recognition of my excellent grades at school.
This scholarship changed my life as it offered me the opportunity to take post secondary course. Then when I entered the Licensed Practical Nursing Program in 2006, I faced financial problems. Again, it was Minerva that helped me with funds to solve my financial problems. Now I am working as an LPN and have solid hopes of furthering myself in this field.
Thanks so much to Minerva for giving me a life of hope. Thank you so much Minerva for helping me by believing in my abilities.

Sasiratha Uthayakumar, LPN