Babas ”˜n' Babies offers fathers and their young children an opportunity to get together once a month in Ottawa and participate in a unique set of engaging programs.

“Babas ”˜n' Babies is the very first program in Ottawa designed specifically for children and their fathers,” says Omar Mahfoudhi, organizer of the activities. “The goal of the program is to give fathers of young children the opportunity to engage in various fun and interesting activities with their children in a safe, comfortable and supportive environment.”

Initiated early last year, the Babas ”˜n' Babies meet-ups offer fathers and their children a wide range of activities to enjoy together, including cooking sessions, guided nature walks, treasure hunts, gardening, library sessions, guided museum tours and woodcraft workshops.

With the academic year getting back in full swing, many families across Canada spent the last few weeks of their summer vacation preparing their children to go back to school. At the Sadaqa Food Bank, similar preparations were underway this month, as the organisation ran its annual Back to School campaign to help families in need.

“We have many needy families in the community and they don't just need food,” Yacoub Abu-al-Hawa, coordinator of the Sadaqa Food Bank explains. “One of the things that many families need help with is back to school preparations. If you need to buy just one item, it's not expensive, but when you have a whole list of things you need and especially when you have a lot of children, then it quickly becomes very expensive. And this cost comes all at once; it isn't distributed over the year. It is very difficult for many families to afford. So we are just trying to help them and provide what we can.”

After taking the Montreal Muslim community by storm, women's clothing store Boutique N-Ti opened its first Ontario location in Mississauga early this month.

“We've been discussing the opening of a store for more than two years,” says Fatma Nurmohamed, CEO of the Toronto branch. “We've been planning, researching, marketing and selling through our mobile store until we were finally able to find the perfect location.”

Nestled between the fruit markets and video stores on a busy street in St-Laurent, many may pass by the modest bureau of the Amal Center for Women without a second glance. An inconspicuous sign at the front door leads the way up a flight of stairs to the center's office, where Muslim women from different parts of the city come together to bring hope to those that need it most.