Fazilatun Nessa Babli
Nessa is a proud community member of the Kingston Galloway Orton Park (KGO) neighbourhood where she participates as an organizer, advocate, and mobilizer for various social justice and grassroots initiatives. She has community development experience particularly in areas of poverty reduction, homelessness, and women and children’s health. Nessa has had the pleasure of working with her fellow community members and stakeholders to bring a collective voice to the three levels of government to inspire and continue to advocate for meaningful change.
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Founding Story
Fazilatun Nessa, affectionately known as Babli, earned her Master’s in Sociology from Dhaka University in Bangladesh. From a young age, she was deeply drawn to community building, and throughout her early career in the non-profit sector, she managed projects focused on family planning, health and nutrition, gender equity, domestic violence prevention, and poverty reduction.
Nessa immigrated to Canada in 1996 with her two daughters, an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding of community needs and barriers faced by newcomers. As a single-parent newcomer, she quickly became rooted in her new home by volunteering with organizations such as the Rexdale Women’s Centre, Planned Parenthood Toronto, the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, and Women’s Health in Women’s Hands.
Healthy Living Through Arts (HLA) was born from Nessa’s observation that children, especially those from immigrant families, faced significant barriers to accessing free, meaningful extracurricular activities. Using her own savings, she founded HLA to provide young people with a welcoming, community-centred space to express themselves, build confidence, and feel a sense of belonging.
Today, Nessa is a proud resident and active community organizer in the Kingston Galloway Orton Park (KGO) neighbourhood. She continues her advocacy through grassroots mobilization, community research, and programming that uplifts seniors, women, youth, and migrant workers. Her work includes leading poverty reduction research with the University of Toronto and Social Planning Toronto, organizing cultural celebrations such as South Asian Heritage Month, hosting dialogues like Women and Poverty, and coordinating events that bring neighbours together in shared purpose.
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Nessa’s decades of dedication have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Women Leaders in Scarborough Award (2016), Scarborough Mirror Urban Hero Award in the Arts (2013), Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), and the Leading Women Building Communities Award (2008). She was also recognized by the Deputy Premier of Ontario for her contributions to promoting Bangladeshi culture and heritage.
Contact
Nessa is passionately dedicated to uplifting the community, providing mentorship, and always being there to support those in need!