‘I want single moms to be visible’: how Catherine Kyakuhaire is giving back to her community

Oct 30, 2023

Catherine Kyakuhaire standing outside of Woodsworth College at U of T

Catherine Kyakuhaire (BA 2023, WDW) is passionate about helping people from equity-deserving groups find their way forward. The recent U of T graduate, single mother and newcomer to Canada has seen first-hand that the right kind of help can make all the difference.

While at U of T, she received several scholarships and donor-funded awards during her undergrad. She also found a sense of community: a critical resource that helped alleviate the unique challenges of being a single mother at university.

Now, she’s paying it forward by focusing her graduate research on better policies and support systems to enhance the lives of single mothers. “I want single moms to be visible. I want my research to provide visibility and affirm that they matter. We need good jobs, education and housing. We need—like all people—an opportunity.”

Kyakuhaire began at U of T in the Transitional Year Programme (TYP), which is designed for adults who couldn’t finish high school due to circumstances beyond their control. Through the TYP, Kyakuhaire received academic guidance, counselling services, funding assistance, and a dedicated workspace. “I’ve been so privileged in many ways that I never imagined. I had a good support system of friends. We studied together for the TYP, and that had such a huge impact on my success,” she says.

After the TYP, Kyakuhaire pursued a double major in Equity Studies and Women and Gender Studies at Woodsworth College. Throughout her time at Woodsworth, Kyakuhaire received unwavering support from academic advisors and professors who were always willing to assist with academic or financial concerns.

Today, she’s working on her Master of Arts in Women & Gender Studies, a program that allows her to explore her passion for helping marginalized communities. She’s focused on how the housing crisis in Canada affects underserved groups such as low-income single mothers. It’s a complex issue, and it all starts with a better level of understanding.

I want to challenge the stereotype of single motherhood and kids raised by single moms, and this research will help me do that.”

“There is not enough research about single mothers and public housing in Canada,” she says. “I want to challenge the stereotype of single motherhood and kids raised by single moms, and this research will help me do that.”

I want to challenge the stereotype of single motherhood and kids raised by single moms, and this research will help me do that.”

Thanks to the support of donors, students like Kyakuhaire can make a real difference in the world, paving the way for future changemakers at the Faculty of Arts and Science. “My whole experience at U of T has been amazing. The financial support I received has provided the space for me to focus on my studies and changed a lot for my family and me,” she says.

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