Opiyo Oloya

Currently the Superintendent of Education with the York Catholic District School Board, Opiyo Oloya has been an educator for 24 years. He has worked to address important issues such as bullying and literacy, and has inspired student-led initiatives to reach out to students in Africa.

Born and raised in Uganda, Oloya became involved in national political activism for democratic reforms during the late 1970s. While president of the Makerere University Student Guild, he publicly condemned the 1980 national election as fraudulent. After he rejected the government’s request for a dialogue with students, Oloya was asked to surrender, but he chose exile in Kenya instead. Later that year, he was granted refugee status in Canada in June 1981.

He completed his studies in Canada earning a BA.Hon (Queen’s University, 1983), B.ED (Queen’s University, 1986), M.Ed (University of Ottawa, 1988), PhD (York University, 2010). Oloya was also awarded Honorary Doctorate of Laws (York University, 2012) for his humanitarian work and for promoting peace.

His activities – from founding the Karibuni African Music Program on Toronto’s CIUT 89.5 FM in 1992 to his continuing work as a researcher and observer with African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops based in Mogadishu – underscores his commitment to promoting peace and respect for all cultures and people. Oloya is also the founder of International Resources for the Education of African Deaf and Blind Children (I Read ABC).