Tapfuma graduated from Pathways Regent Park in 2013. He then studied Finance at Dalhousie University and is now an Underwriting Associate at Zurich Insurance Group.
Tapfuma was born in Zimbabwe and moved to Toronto, Canada, with his mother when he was seven. They lived in a refugee shelter, then moved around to various neighbourhoods in the city before finally settling in Regent Park. Despite the challenges he faced, Regent Park became home for him—a community where he found belonging, even as he navigated an unfamiliar world. “I never felt truly alone. I loved Regent Park and the people I grew up around.”
When Tapfuma began high school, he faced another set of challenges. The high school he attended was further away, in a more affluent area. “Commuting there and back became a burden,” he explained. Luckily, his mother learned about Pathways through their neighbour, and she enrolled him immediately. Right away, the bus tickets helped to alleviate the financial strain of travelling to and from school.
Pathways also introduced Tapfuma to a community that was different from his high school, which was predominantly white. He was now surrounded by students he could relate to and shared similar experiences with, such as growing up in a single-parent household, being a refugee, and living in community housing. “One of my biggest challenges was trying to explain my situation to people who had never been in similar circumstances. By getting more involved in school activities, I always had someone to partner with, and sometimes just being able to vent to someone who truly understood made all the difference.”
What moved Tapfuma the most was having someone who believed in him and advocated for him. “My support worker, Savannah, always told me I could do great things. She also talked to me like an adult, which I really appreciated as a young person.” When Tapfuma got into trouble at school, Savannah would step in. “She’d tell them, ‘I know he’s a good guy.’ And she’d tell me, ‘Tap, you’re smarter than this!’ She was really patient with me.”
By the time post-secondary applications rolled around, Tapfuma had decided to apply to Dalhousie University, and Pathways was there to help him through that process. “When I got my acceptance letter from Dalhousie, I lost my mind! Savannah was the first person I called. I called her before my mom—that’s how much she meant to me.”
During university, he yet again navigated an unfamiliar environment—going to school far from home in another province. However, one thing that stuck with him from Pathways was never being afraid to ask for help. “There were always resources around me, and I felt empowered to seek out those resources.”
Today, he is an Underwriting Associate at Zurich Insurance Group. “Being Black and working in finance can be challenging, especially since I started there as an intern. But the support I get at work has been outstanding.” Through his work, he formed a resource group for African and Caribbean people working in finance across Canada. He also recently won the Rising Star Award, which awards emerging professionals under the age of 35 who are excelling in the insurance industry.
Tapfuma continues to carry through what Pathways instilled in him—self-confidence and the ability to ask for help. “When I feel like I do not ‘belong’ or like an outsider, I remind myself that I earned the right to be here.”