In recent years, discussions around the importance of generational wealth within Black communities have gained significant traction. Studies show that poverty rates go up 3% between the second and third generations in the Black Canadian community.  This underscores the urgent need for effective wealth transfer strategies across generations to ensure financial stability and growth within Black communities.

One compelling example of how generational wealth and wisdom can be nurtured and preserved comes from the family of Adaku, who, along with her daughters and mother, Elsie, have successfully navigated the challenges of preserving cultural heritage while fostering personal and professional growth. 

Through their stories, we understand how these three generations of women have balanced their Canadian identity with their African roots while championing the importance of financial responsibility and cultural preservation. 

Elsie (Grandmother): Cultural Heritage and Legacy

Adapting to Canadian Culture and Maintaining Heritage

I am Elsie Ogechi Uju, from Imo State and I live in Edmonton, Alberta. As the family’s matriarch, integrating into Canadian society while maintaining my Igbo heritage has been a journey. I’ve made sure to teach my children and grandchildren about our cultural roots. Respect is a core value I’ve emphasized, ensuring that they show respect to both elders and juniors alike. This includes addressing everyone properly, such as calling elders “uncle” or “auntie.” I’m also the President of the Nkwerre Aborigines Union (NAU) in Edmonton, an organization dedicated to executing events to celebrate our heritage, including people of all nationalities. Through these efforts, we foster a sense of community and belonging while upholding our cultural traditions.

Life Lessons and Values

I’ve imparted wisdom to my daughter, Adaku, and my granddaughters, Oluchi and Amarachi, by teaching them about empathy, humility, and respect. I believe in supporting others mentally, physically, and financially. I encourage them to pursue their passions while respecting others along the way. I see these values in my family members—they are empathetic, respectful, and successful in their businesses. I particularly admire Adaku’s dynamic and innovative nature. Her entrepreneurial spirit and creativity taught me a lot, proving that we can always learn from one another.

Financial Responsibility

I’ve cultivated financial responsibility in my family by encouraging them to support community causes and volunteering their time. This includes feeding people at homeless shelters and assisting at-risk children in various capacities. My children and grandchildren participate in food drives and support shelters, understanding the importance of giving back. I also promote entrepreneurship and pursuing one’s passion, which has enabled my family to be financially savvy and responsible. Adaku’s business acumen and ability to turn ideas into reality have been a significant influence. Her success has motivated other family members to develop their businesses and contribute to our family’s financial foundation.

Preserving Wealth and Wisdom vs. Change and Innovation

Balancing the preservation of our family’s wealth and wisdom with fostering innovation involves respecting our heritage while being open to new ideas and changes. I teach my family the importance of timeless values while encouraging them to embrace modern entrepreneurial spirit and innovation. Adaku has brought many innovative ideas into our family. For example, she helped me start a seniors’ group that addresses the specific needs of African, Caribbean and Black seniors. This project perfectly exemplifies adapting to societal needs while preserving our cultural heritage. By blending traditional values with new approaches, we ensure our family’s legacy evolves and adapts.

Adaku (Mother): Balancing Cultural Identity & Financial Literacy

Growing up under Elsie’s Guidance

Growing up under my mother, Elsie, was invaluable. Her mentorship has profoundly shaped my experiences as a mother. She taught me the importance of balancing cultural identity and financial literacy. I’ve focused on instilling empathy, humility, and respect in my daughters. These values are not just preached but practiced daily. I ensure that my children understand the importance of supporting others and giving back to the community, much like my mother taught me. This has significantly impacted how my daughters perceive and handle their responsibilities.

Adapting to Changing Culture

Keeping my children connected to their Nigerian roots has been a core passion of mine. I make sure they are interested in learning about their heritage. They understand Igbo well and are always eager to learn more about our language and culture. At home, we frequently touch base about their studies and interests, maintaining a solid connection to our roots. While they learn in school, they also learn from home. I stay involved in their academics, always ready to support them, ensuring they know the importance of their cultural identity alongside their Canadian upbringing. I enjoy giving back through volunteering and serving the needs of the community. I cannot quantify the importance of knowing that I am positively impacting people’s lives.   

Financial Literacy Strategies

Enhancing financial literacy and accountability in my family has been crucial. I don’t just preach; I practice what I preach. Financial education, literacy and understanding are key, and we monitor transactions, review expenses, and discuss financial matters openly. Once my kids turned 18, I ensured they started trading stocks and saving a portion of their paychecks. Sometimes, they experience losses, but it’s all part of the learning process.

Additionally, I’ve brought in experts to provide them with financial literacy education. My mother, Elsie, taught me the importance of saving through methods like “Esusu.” Esusu is a traditional credit union where members contribute fixed sums of money at fixed intervals. The total amount contributed by the entire group is then assigned to each member in rotation. I’ve passed this knowledge on to my children, emphasizing the significance of financial responsibility.

Challenges as a Canadian

Living in Canada has presented unique challenges. I came to Canada with a law degree but couldn’t practice right away. I worked various jobs in healthcare, even while pregnant and in labour, to support my family. While raising two young children, I completed my Master’s in Law from 2006 to 2008, then decided to switch my career to Information Technology (I.T), as my goal was to be an I.T Lawyer. After working in various IT capacities, particularly in consulting, advisory and management, I decided to continue on my legal path. I had to rewrite my law exams while working full-time.

An achievement that I am particularly proud of is implementing the virtual Alberta Court system during the core of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that access to justice and administration of justice prevailed despite the lockdown. This virtual court system is still utilized today, providing convenient and secure access from any phone or computer, and is enjoyed province-wide. My career and academic experience shaped me into the woman I am today. It has taught me resilience and the importance of hard work. My daughters have seen my struggles and my strength. Though I didn’t want to show them struggle, they’ve also witnessed strength, courage and resilience through these experiences. They know that education, commitment, mentorship and hard work are essential, and these experiences have shaped my parenting methods, ensuring my daughters are resilient and prepared to face their challenges.

Family Legacy

I see my family’s legacy expanding and adapting over time through the values and skills we pass down. My children are learning from both myself and their grandparents. I’ve instilled in them the importance of education, resilience, courage, mentorship and financial literacy. Our family’s legacy is built on these principles. 

My father’s stories about my grandfather, a successful businessman, continue to inspire us to uphold and expand our family’s legacy. I ensure my daughters understand their heritage and the importance of contributing positively to their community and the world. By teaching them financial literacy and responsibility, cultural identity, and the importance of education and mentorship, I am confident they will carry forward and expand our family’s legacy.

Oluchi and Amarachi (Daughters): Embracing Heritage and Building a Future

Inspiration from Mother and Grandmother

Even though we were born and raised in Canada, our mother and grandmother made sure we connected deeply to our African heritage. At times, it felt like a self-worth shock, mainly because we were constantly navigating between two worlds — our Canadian identity at school and our African heritage and traditions at home. 

For example, while our Canadian friends might have more relaxed household rules, we had to adhere to strict respect and hospitality traditions. This balance has been incredibly enriching. It has taught us the importance of respect, community, self-worth and responsibility. We’ve learned to embrace our roots while thriving in a multicultural environment, making us unique and grounded in both worlds.

Vabrand/linee Choices

The values our mother and grandmother instilled in us have profoundly shaped our lives. Respect, empathy, patience, humility, kindness, courage, persistence and love are our way of life. 

We are both pursuing our Psychology and Pre-Med degrees at the University. Thanks to our mom for teaching us entrepreneurship at an early stage of our lives, we are grateful to now own our cosmetic brand/line of products, LuMi Cosmetics. Our business philosophy ensures everyone feels happy, beautiful, comfortable and confident with their physical appearance, positively impacting their mental wellbeing. We built a technology application which conducts a skin scan to analyze the right cosmetic products to match your skin tone. Also, we are expanding with the start of our clothing line, LuMi Clothing, for every shape, body type, and size. Bridging various gaps and needs has led us to provide these services and bring core values to our clients, prospective clients and everyone in general. 

Looking ahead, we plan to pass these values to our children. We want them to understand the importance of empathy, gratitude and perseverance. Our mother always emphasized empathy and gratitude, and we’ve seen how being kind and thankful can make people more willing to help and support you. We aim to create a similar environment for our future children, teaching them to be respectful, patient, and kind, ensuring that these values remain centred in their lives.

Financial Literacy Experiences

Our mum’s teaching style goes beyond theory; it’s about practical application. She involved us in managing family accounts from an early age and encouraged us to trade stocks when we turned 18. We gained invaluable lessons in risk management and resilience through both successes and setbacks.

Moreover, our family’s entrepreneurial endeavours provided hands-on experience in financial literacy and independence. As we continue to apply these lessons, we’re committed to sharing our knowledge and empowering future generations to achieve financial success.

Balancing Being Canadian with Your Roots

Over time, we’ve come to appreciate our dual identities as Canadians and Nigerians. We’ve learnt to embrace both cultures and live comfortably within them.

To preserve and celebrate our cultural traditions, we actively participate in cultural events and will strive to ensure that our children understand and appreciate their heritage. We plan to teach them traditional practices, stories, and values our mother and grandmother passed down to us. Social media has also made it easier to stay connected to our roots and share our culture with a broader audience, helping us bridge the gap between our identities.

New Perspectives and Family Legacy

We recognize the importance of flexibility and staying informed about global trends while remaining rooted in our cultural values. For example, we’re more tech-savvy and open to using digital platforms to promote our heritage and engage with a global audience.

We also emphasize the importance of mental health and well-being, which wasn’t a significant focus in previous generations. By integrating these modern perspectives with our traditional values, we hope to create a more holistic approach to life that we can pass down to future generations. Our contributions ensure that our family’s legacy evolves while preserving the core values that define us.