Nekai Foster
Taneeshia Foster is a devoted mother, caregiver, and quiet pillar of strength in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community. When her son Nekai was critically injured in a near-fatal shooting, doctors gave him little chance of survival. Refusing to accept those odds, Taneeshia became his fiercest advocate — spending countless days and nights at his bedside, navigating fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty with unwavering faith.
Throughout Nekai’s long recovery, she balanced the emotional weight of trauma with resilience and determination, embodying the often-unseen labor of mothers who hold families together in moments of crisis.
Her presence in Nekai Walks reveals the power of maternal love, spiritual endurance, and the strength required to fight for a child’s life when hope feels fragile.
Taneeshia’s journey is not only one of caregiving but of courage, a testament to the women who sustain communities through adversity and refuse to let violence define their families.
Devon Jones is a veteran educator and community leader who has worked in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community for over 25 years. Having lost more than 30 former students to gun violence, he dedicated his life to ensuring their deaths were not in vain. In 2007, he founded YAAACE (Youth Association for Academics, Athletics, and Character Education), an organization designed to bridge divides within the community and provide youth with access to academics, athletics, character education, employment support, and violence prevention programs. Today, YAAACE serves over 300 young people annually.
Recognized nationally for his leadership in social innovation, Devon has collaborated with all levels of government to develop evidence-based solutions addressing inequality, education access, community safety, and youth empowerment. His work is rooted in building sustainable systems that create opportunities, restore dignity, and break cycles of violence.