It was a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others that motivated Providence Care Logistics and Nutrition Assistant Aima Airiavbere to leave her life in Nigeria, West Africa and start a new career in health care in Canada.
“I lost my mom in 2021 to stroke; she died in my arms. When I was in the hospital, I saw the way care was being delivered and practiced in Nigeria and I got interested. I realized I can contribute in my own way and help a patient on their journey.”
Aima applied and was accepted to the Health Care Administration program at St. Lawrence College, graduating in August 2025. Before graduating, in April 2025, Aima started working as a part-time Logistics and Nutrition Assistant, working at both Providence Care Hospital and Providence Transitional Care Centre.
“My role includes serving and delivering meals while ensuring the quality of the meals,” explains Aima. “I take orders for breakfast, lunch and dinner and do patient transport for sessions of physiotherapy. The role centers around patient care. Making sure patients and clients are having a timely, compassionate, and coordinated experience.”
In fall 2025, when Providence Care’s Inclusion Advisory Council began recruiting new members, Aima decided to apply. She is now the group coordinator for the Events Planning Working Group, which is responsible for planning initiatives and events that recognize and celebrate equity‑deserving groups. This month, she has been busy coordinating activities for Black History Month.
“Because of our skin colour, we go through a lot,” says Aima, “and it’s not talked about openly often. Black History Month is a chance to foster inclusion and to help tell our stories the way we want them to be told, while also showcasing the contributions of the Black community to Providence Care.”
This month Aima has helped to bring multiple local Black voices to Providence Care.
Throughout each week of the month of February, musical talent, local authors, and business owners have visited Kingston’s main Providence Care sites, sharing their passions, talents and stories of hope and resilience.
“Amplifying the voices of the Black community is what Black History Month is all about. It helps educate people and humanize the Black experience. Sometimes racism comes from a place of not knowing. When all you’ve ever known is your own white community, it becomes easy to make anything else as ‘other.’ This month is about sharing who we are and why our stories matter.”
Aima’s own story is one of bravery and strength. On a journey of self-growth and to help others, Aima, a mother of three children ages eight to 16, left her career, husband and family for a meaningful health care opportunity in Canada.
“My story is not unique. I know so many Black people in similar situations like me, yet they don’t ever get discussed. There’s this idea in many Black communities to be strong; we were raised not to show our vulnerability.”
That strength has taken her through a lot of ups and downs, but nothing, she says, prepared her for the mistreatment she’s received because of the colour of her skin.
“Sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on what is happening in certain situations with people. Like, you know they’re being short, or they’re overly guarded. There’s just something in the air.”
“Other times it’s outwardly nasty. I’ve had people refuse me when I try to take their order and one time, I went to take a patient to a physiotherapy appointment and she screamed at me ‘don’t touch me, I don’t like Black people’. That one cut deep and I remember it just like it was yesterday,” she says through tears. “That was a time I had to take a minute by myself.”
While stories of microaggressions and outward mistreatment are hard to discuss, Aima is a true believer that nothing will change unless it’s shared.
It is one of the reasons she chose to join the mission of the Providence Care Inclusion Advisory Council: to ensure those who work, learn and receive care within the organization are treated with dignity and respect for exactly who they are.
“If we don’t tell our stories, how are we going to change things. Share it, name it and help change it. That’s what working with the Council is all about. That’s why Black History Month initiatives matter.”
This year marks the second annual organization‑wide Black History Month recognition, and Aima says she’s been happy to see it all come together in a cohesive effort.
Work continues to build upon the foundations of the new Providence Care Anti‑Racism Policy as the Inclusion Advisory Council strengthens systems that support a safer, more accountable environment for everyone. Recent updates, including clearer processes for reporting and addressing incidents of racism, give Aima confidence that meaningful change is underway.
“It shows we’re moving in the right direction,” she says.
For Aima, sharing her story is part of that momentum. She hopes that by speaking up, others who have had similar experiences will feel encouraged to come forward too — helping to build a culture where every voice is heard, and every story has the power to shape change.
