In Loving Memory of Yassin Ahmed

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Yassin Abdu Ahmed on January 12th 2020 at just 20 years old. This has been a devastating loss to his family, friends and community. Yassin was a loving, caring, incredibly intelligent and talented young man who loved his friends and family deeply. In his young life, Ahmed had already been through a lot. His parents, from Somalia, had to flee their home when war broke out. They travelled to Khartoum, Sudan, where they were placed in the refugee camp where Yassin was born and where he lived the first years of his life. In 2010, the United Nations helped his family relocate to Canada where they got a new start in Winnipeg. As a young man, Yassin was committed to giving back to his community – sharing his time, talents and positive energy with everyone he met. He always demonstrated a desire to help others through his involvement in several community organizations and programs. Yassin’s commitment to his community began with his love of basketball. He could always be found on the court at the YMCW or the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre. He joined 'Project SWISH' (Summer Weekend Inner-city Supervised Hoops) and his love for basketball became his gift to other youth who knew the same struggles he had experienced. “On Saturdays I used to wake up early and take my bike or walk—it was a nice walk.” It was a far walk, all the way from the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge to McDermot Avenue. But Yassin knew it was worth it. “It got me away from all the negative things that were happening around me at that time. There were always caring people there. They became my role models.” Yassin will forever be our role model. Yassin became a high school graduate and had hopes to join the army or Winnipeg police after high school so he could give back to the community that helped him and his family. He was taken from us too early to enjoy watching him achieve the dreams he was destined to accomplish. His spirit will live on with us forever. We celebrate his life and honor his memory. We have started this campaign to assist the family with funeral or memorial costs and to not have to worry about finances during this time of grievance. Yassin's family and friends are grateful for your condolences, support and love. Please consider donating anything you feel comfortable to help the family through this incredibly difficult time. 100% of these funds will go directly to Yassin's parents for any support they need.