Transforming lives through faith, love, and skill building
A registered non-profit Canadian charity dedicated to the holistic empowerment of women, families, and children in Canada and internationally.
Building resilience, economic dignity, and confidence
Canada Virtuous Women (CAVIWO) is a black-led organization of Christian women that have come together to empower women and their families. CAVIWO began in 2016 as Ottawa Virtuous Women and quickly grew nationally and internationally causing them to change their name to Canada Virtuous Women (CAVIWO). CAVIWO is governed by Biblical principles and is a registered charity, non-governmental, not-for-profit, philanthropic and nonpartisan organization which operates in accordance with the laws of the land.
We believe that empowering women's minds from a holistic and socio-economic support perspective can help turn their lives around. We also realize that most women with children face enormous challenges to make ends meet. Born out of the desire to pray together, empower, strengthen, support and build women according to Biblical principles (Proverbs 31: 10-31) as our guide and to give back to women and their families; beginning with Ottawa, then Canada and abroad or wherever God will lead us, we came together to prayerfully, emotionally and economically support every woman along their journey of life.
Our base is Canada, but we also operate in Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania. We are trusting God to move in the hearts of men to support us reach every nation of the world and help women and their children. Read the founder's story.
Women and families supported
Countries with CAVIWO branches
Sisterhood and solidarity
Weekly gatherings providing spiritual growth and peer support.
The Woman Who Fears The Lord!
Adeline Ijang
Founder / Vision Bearer (The Headgirl)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
A Canadian citizen born in Cameroon in West Africa, Adeline grew up in a Christian community where many women were unemployed and they struggled to send their children to school. She was only 19 years old when her father died, leaving her mother to raise the family alone. She witnessed women go through false accusations, trauma, homelessness, and extreme poverty in her country of birth. So, she vowed that as long as she lives, women must be empowered and every child must have an education.
One beautiful evening in 2016, she was having dinner at her friend's house and as she sat on the dinner table with Adeline Akwa and Fabiola Nyufor, one of them suggested that they should join a group in the city. She said no, unless it's a prayer group where women can have a safe space to pray and share knowledge and help each other. They all said, let's do it.
She left from there and gathered other women, and by their first meeting, they had more than 10 women. The group soon started attracting women from outside the Ottawa community, across Canada, the USA, and across the continents.
"We do not just offer hand-outs; we offer hand-ups. Our goal is to equip every woman with self-confidence, economic skills, and a supportive community so she can stand tall and raise thriving children."
Our official charitable objects
Refugee and immigrant poverty relief
Relieving poverty of refugees and immigrants in Canada who face unemployment by offering job-readiness, resume building, and language assistance.
Entrepreneurial training
Providing practical small business and micro-entrepreneurial training to women in socially and economically deprived communities in Canada and internationally.
Domestic abuse support
Promoting health by granting individuals experiencing domestic violence access to trauma-informed counselling, peer support groups, and crisis aid.
Education and women support
Advancing education through specialized training programs regarding domestic violence prevention and response tailored for traumatized women and families.
Faith and spiritual observances
Advancing religion by teaching tenets, doctrines, and observances associated with Christian faith, love, forgiveness, and moral integrity.
International branch aid
Extending humanitarian reach to women, orphans, and vulnerable youth through CAVIWO branches in Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania.