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Fatou Souare

Fatou Souare has always felt called to serve others. As the co-founder of the Kentucky African Women’s Association (KAWA), Fatou spends her weekends helping immigrant women and their families adjust to life in the states through education, job placement, and mentorship. She also advocates for diversity and helps people find work through her role as the Senior Specialist of Talent Acquisition at Cincinnati Children’s. Between her hours spent with KAWA and her full-time job, Fatou stays busy. But the work is fulfilling and a natural way to spend her time.

Fatou Souare

“When I’m doing it, I don’t see it as work,” she says. “I see it as something that makes me feel good.”

Before taking her role at Cincinnati Children’s, Fatou worked for Staffmark where she provided translation services and assisted people with job applications. Her investment in the success of others gave her a reputation as a generous, enthusiastic helper, and even after she left her role at Staffmark people knew they could come to her for support. If she couldn’t help them, she would find someone who could.

“Word of mouth went out here in Cincinnati that if you contact Mama Fatou, you’re gonna get help,” she says.

Fatou Souare


As a Senegalese immigrant, Fatou was familiar with the complexities of the immigration process. When she wanted to make big moves, like buying a house or going back to school, she faced a learning gap that made these steps more complicated. Where a native citizen had benefits like cultural context and local family, an immigrant has to do more legwork to learn the ins and outs of life in the U.S. As Fatou considered this gap, a light bulb went off—she would create a non-profit to help new immigrants navigate the system.

“We know some stuff that they don’t know,” she says. “So we can guide them for housing if they wanna buy a house, if they want to get an apartment, if they want to apply for food stamps, for medicare, jobs, translation…”

Initially KAWA started as a WhatsApp group where people could ask questions and share resources, and a weekly meet-up at the library. Fatou and her co-founders would put fliers up advertising their services and make themselves available at the library each weekend. Eventually they begin partnering with other nonprofits to extend their reach and capacity to serve. KAWA has helped countless people since its inception, and continues to provide mentorship and support for newcomers.

For Fatou, collaboration has been a big element in her work. Bringing together diverse ideas and sharing knowledge can help people get further, whether they’re working to serve a community or grow as an individual.

“I would love for people to connect with others. That’s how you learn,” Fatou says. “If you want something done, see who already does it and, you know, get a coach or a mentor to help you out.”

She also advocates for celebrating and sharing one’s culture with pride. Fatou does this each day through her traditional, hand-made Senegalese wardrobe, and finds that people in Cincinnati are curious to learn about it.

“I love my culture dress as you can see. Even at work, that’s what I wear,” she says. “That’s what I love about Cincinnati. They respect everyone’s culture.”

Fatou has been honored by multiple organizations for her community work, including the Labor Union, the Senegalese Association, and Cincinnati Compass. She loves serving others, and says that volunteering is a sure way to learn about one’s community and oneself.

Fatou Souare

“Amazing work for me to just, you know, [be] able to help others and learn while I’m doing it,” she says. “It’s just amazing that I see myself grow just by helping people.”

Project Leadership: Cincinnati Compass Community Council | Bryan Wright, Ph.D. | Jane Muindi | Farrah Jacquez, Ph.D. | Michelle D’Cruz, MFA

Photography: HATSUE | Copy-writing: Katrina Eresman | Design: MDC Design Studio