The Fadia Program Breeds Young Queens In Akron Ohio

Yvette Thompson  recognized at an early age that her purpose on this earth was to save others and bring positivity to her community.  In 2012 she started her organization for young women -calling it Fadia, an arabic term meaning to protect others and community.  Fast forward to the year 2018 and it is safe to say that Yvette and her organization are without a doubt living up to their name.   What started as a small group of girls gathering in the basement of her home in Akron, Ohio, has since grown into a fully sustainable organization uplifting and empowering young girls all over the state of Ohio.  We had the chance to chat with Yvette about the future of Fadia and her plans to impact girls in Akron, Ohio and ultimately the world.

What was the motivation behind starting Fadia?

I started it n 2012 in the basement of my home.  I opened my home up so girls could have a place where they knew they were safe at. Growing up, I was very close to my grandmother and when she passed away it motivated me to want more.  I decided to turn my pain into power. I come from a very small city but I never wanted to be a product of my environment. I’m the first person in my family to graduate from college and do something with myself.  So for me, starting Fadia was the start of breaking a cycle and walking in my purpose.

 I decided to turn my pain into power.

How has it grown since its original start?

It has grown a lot. My two friends- Twa’nisha Mitchell and Cavelle Lollar are the ones who helped me get my start.  My friend Twa’nisha had a little sister so we started with her friends first.  We would teach them personal development, self love, how to carry themselves as young women, and things in their personal lives. I have a special project that I do & all the girls love it, it’s called Hot Seat.  With Hot Seat we have the girls sit in a chair and they express themselves about how their day went. From there it turns into their entire lives and everything they’ve been through, and by the end of it there’s a room of crying girls ready to pour out everything.  We always uplift each other and help each other get through whatever we are dealing with in life.

What are your goals for the future?

Reach out to girls all over the united states.  Im re-vamping the website now to add a live stream element.  I’ve met young girls outside of Ohio who love what we do and they connect with us via our youtube page however I want to bridge those gaps and connect with girls all over.

I would also like to obtain donations and fundings.  Outside of the program I run a daycare center. My daycare is the main source of income to fund Fadia, so I definitely want to pull in more resources to receive more assistance in all that I do for the girls.  But even if I don’t receive help from anyone, I know my purpose and my purpose is to help these girls and that is what I will continue to do!

With everything we do, there is always some sort of setback?  What would you say have been some of your setbacks and how did you overcome that?

I think one of my biggest setbacks that I still experience comes from people not accepting me and my girls. It’s unfortunate that people will judge the type of young women I help instead of seeing what they can do to help change these girls lives as well. People will judge the young women I work with based on where they come from without realizing that these girls have 4.0 gpas.  They’re brilliant, they just need someone to listen to their needs.

What do you think has been one of your greatest accomplishments through your organization?

I’ve saved a lot of girls from committing suicide.  Like I said before, a lot of these young women just want to be heard and understood.  So I’m thankful to help them recognize their greatness.

Know a young woman who may be interested in joining the program?  Want more information for yourself? Stay up to date with all things Fadia by visiting their website HERE!