He was homeless and stealing food to survive. Now he's teaching kids how to heal from trauma — with improv
At 17 years old, Youness Robert-Tahiri slung a hockey bag filled with clothes and textbooks over his shoulder and left his childhood home for good.
As he hopped into his friend's red Honda Prelude, he realized he had no plan except to escape the home where he was suffering.
A difficult upbringing manifested in depression, anxiety and a prevailing sense of inadequacy later in life. At his lowest points, he dabbled in drugs, drank heavily, and attempted suicide multiple times, he said.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Through years of therapy and discovering a passion for theatre and performance, Robert-Tahiri channelled his formative experiences into a program that teaches youth how to understand and cope with trauma through comedy. He piloted it at an orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa, last summer and will move there Friday to continue the workshop for three months and hopefully long term, he said.
The program, called HaHaHelps, uses improv exercises to help orphaned and precariously housed youth analyze how their upbringing and experiences have shaped their emotions. It fuses comedy and psychology to develop confidence, emotional regulation skills and a stronger sense of self.
Robert-Tahiri, who grew up in Brampton and graduates on Thursday with a degree in psychology from the University of Toronto's Woodsworth College, said he has a passion for working with kids, especially boys who are reluctant to share their feelings, because he can relate to their experiences.
'I'm validating them, encouraging them, homing in on their interests ... I try and give them what I wish I had,' he said.
As a teenager, Robert-Tahiri said he felt like he was living a double life. To the outside world, he seemed privileged and never wanted for food or clothing. His father, who worked in the aviation industry, would take the family on annual trips to Hawaii.
At the same time, he said his father constantly belittled him, telling him he was stupid and would never amount to anything, while his mother was emotionally distant.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Robert-Tahiri said he suppressed feelings of self-loathing for years and took on the role of class clown to find validation.
'I was so invisible at home. But as soon as I popped a joke and got a laugh in class, it was like 'Oh my God, I matter.' '
When he became homeless in high school, he started stealing food and selling drugs to make ends meet. He hid that he was couch-surfing from school staff, and remembers breaking into tears when a teacher once pulled him aside and asked why he hadn't submitted an important assignment.
'(I said) I don't have a computer because I don't have a home,' he recalled. 'How am I supposed to write about Louis the 14th or whatever in the distant past when I don't even know if I got a future?'
Robert-Tahiri tried to repress negative emotions he carried from childhood, but couldn't stop them from surfacing. After an angry outburst got him kicked off the soccer team, a classmate encouraged him to rehearse for a school play. He unexpectedly landed the lead role.
One teacher, who would become a mentor, noticed his knack for performance and encouraged him to foster his talent and apply to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
'That's what sparked hope for me when I was homeless,' he said.
Robert-Tahiri was accepted to the school, and paid for it through money he saved from working in a call centre and later a scholarship. He spent about a decade as an actor and comedian before enrolling in U of T as a mature student.
He said he decided to study psychology to form a better understanding of the links between childhood adversity and mental health. Improv comedy, in particular, is helpful in building mindfulness, resilience and self-awareness for kids because of its kinetic pace, he said.
Youness Robert-Tahiri is pictured holding a workshop last summer focused on mental health, delivered through improv comedy, at SOS Children's Villages in South Africa.
Youness Robert-Tahiri
Zama Mbele, program director of SOS Children's Villages in South Africa, where Robert-Tahiri piloted the program, said she marveled at how the kids she serves were able to connect with him because of his gentle approach and relatability.
'They actually saw themselves in Youness ... it helped them come out of their shell,' she said.
Robert-Tahiri will travel back to South Africa on Friday and said he hopes to expand the program to other countries, including Canada. He's in talks with a youth homeless shelter in Toronto to implement a version of it.
'This won't resonate with every single child of course, but I believe there's potential for those kids who don't respond to traditional treatments,' he said.
'Now is the time to try new solutions, not $200-an-hour therapy, not a five-year wait-list, but something that's rooted in joy and connection.'
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are worried about a loved one, call or text 988 for suicide-prevention support at any time of day or night, or call the Talk Suicide Canada helpline at 1-833-456-4566.
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Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Toronto Star
He was homeless and stealing food to survive. Now he's teaching kids how to heal from trauma — with improv
At 17 years old, Youness Robert-Tahiri slung a hockey bag filled with clothes and textbooks over his shoulder and left his childhood home for good. As he hopped into his friend's red Honda Prelude, he realized he had no plan except to escape the home where he was suffering. A difficult upbringing manifested in depression, anxiety and a prevailing sense of inadequacy later in life. At his lowest points, he dabbled in drugs, drank heavily, and attempted suicide multiple times, he said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Through years of therapy and discovering a passion for theatre and performance, Robert-Tahiri channelled his formative experiences into a program that teaches youth how to understand and cope with trauma through comedy. He piloted it at an orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa, last summer and will move there Friday to continue the workshop for three months and hopefully long term, he said. The program, called HaHaHelps, uses improv exercises to help orphaned and precariously housed youth analyze how their upbringing and experiences have shaped their emotions. It fuses comedy and psychology to develop confidence, emotional regulation skills and a stronger sense of self. Robert-Tahiri, who grew up in Brampton and graduates on Thursday with a degree in psychology from the University of Toronto's Woodsworth College, said he has a passion for working with kids, especially boys who are reluctant to share their feelings, because he can relate to their experiences. 'I'm validating them, encouraging them, homing in on their interests ... I try and give them what I wish I had,' he said. As a teenager, Robert-Tahiri said he felt like he was living a double life. To the outside world, he seemed privileged and never wanted for food or clothing. His father, who worked in the aviation industry, would take the family on annual trips to Hawaii. At the same time, he said his father constantly belittled him, telling him he was stupid and would never amount to anything, while his mother was emotionally distant. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Robert-Tahiri said he suppressed feelings of self-loathing for years and took on the role of class clown to find validation. 'I was so invisible at home. But as soon as I popped a joke and got a laugh in class, it was like 'Oh my God, I matter.' ' When he became homeless in high school, he started stealing food and selling drugs to make ends meet. He hid that he was couch-surfing from school staff, and remembers breaking into tears when a teacher once pulled him aside and asked why he hadn't submitted an important assignment. '(I said) I don't have a computer because I don't have a home,' he recalled. 'How am I supposed to write about Louis the 14th or whatever in the distant past when I don't even know if I got a future?' Robert-Tahiri tried to repress negative emotions he carried from childhood, but couldn't stop them from surfacing. After an angry outburst got him kicked off the soccer team, a classmate encouraged him to rehearse for a school play. He unexpectedly landed the lead role. One teacher, who would become a mentor, noticed his knack for performance and encouraged him to foster his talent and apply to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'That's what sparked hope for me when I was homeless,' he said. Robert-Tahiri was accepted to the school, and paid for it through money he saved from working in a call centre and later a scholarship. He spent about a decade as an actor and comedian before enrolling in U of T as a mature student. He said he decided to study psychology to form a better understanding of the links between childhood adversity and mental health. Improv comedy, in particular, is helpful in building mindfulness, resilience and self-awareness for kids because of its kinetic pace, he said. Youness Robert-Tahiri is pictured holding a workshop last summer focused on mental health, delivered through improv comedy, at SOS Children's Villages in South Africa. Youness Robert-Tahiri Zama Mbele, program director of SOS Children's Villages in South Africa, where Robert-Tahiri piloted the program, said she marveled at how the kids she serves were able to connect with him because of his gentle approach and relatability. 'They actually saw themselves in Youness ... it helped them come out of their shell,' she said. Robert-Tahiri will travel back to South Africa on Friday and said he hopes to expand the program to other countries, including Canada. He's in talks with a youth homeless shelter in Toronto to implement a version of it. 'This won't resonate with every single child of course, but I believe there's potential for those kids who don't respond to traditional treatments,' he said. 'Now is the time to try new solutions, not $200-an-hour therapy, not a five-year wait-list, but something that's rooted in joy and connection.' If you are having thoughts of suicide or are worried about a loved one, call or text 988 for suicide-prevention support at any time of day or night, or call the Talk Suicide Canada helpline at 1-833-456-4566.
CBC
10-06-2025
- CBC
Linwood Barclay, Uzma Jalaluddin and Eliza Reid among authors at the Motive Crime & Mystery Festival
Social Sharing Linwood Barclay, Uzma Jalaluddin and Eliza Reid are among the authors at this year's Motive Crime & Mystery Festival. Presented by the Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), Motive is a festival focused on crime and mystery literature; this year's event takes place June 27-29, 2025 at the University of Toronto. Canada Reads 2025 contestant and bestselling author Linwood Barclay will be there to discuss his most recent novel, Whistle, which dips into the horror genre as a train set comes to life with sinister motives. In Whistle, Annie moves to a charming town in upstate New York with her young son. She's reeling from the sudden death of her husband in an accident and the fact that one of the children's books she authored and illustrated ignited a major scandal. Linwood Barclay's latest novel, Whistle, is a spooky tale about an evil toy train set — read an excerpt now When her son, Charlie, finds an old train set in a locked shed on their property, he's thrilled, but there's something eerie about the toy. As weird things start happening in the neighbourhood, Annie can't help but feel that she's walked out of one nightmare and right into another. Barclay has written over 20 books, including thrillers I Will Ruin You, Find You First, Broken Promise and Elevator Pitch and the middle-grade novels Escape and Chase. Many of Barclay's books have been optioned for film and television, and he wrote the screenplay for the movie Never Saw It Coming, adapted from his novel of the same name. His books The Accident and No Time for Goodbye were made into a television series in France. Barclay lives near Toronto. He championed the memoir Jennie's Boy by Wayne Johnston on Canada Reads 2025. Linwood Barclay and Wayne Johnston dish on Canada Reads strategy — and the magic of writing a life's story Jalaluddin will also be at the festival. A romance writer making her debut when it comes to cozy mystery, she'll be discussing her latest book, Detective Aunty. In Detective Aunty, when recently widowed Kausar Khan hears that her daughter has been accused of murdering the landlord of her clothing boutique, nothing can hold her back to help figure out who is the true culprit. But even Kausar is unprepared for the secrets, lies and betrayals that she'll uncover along the way. Uzma Jalaluddin explains how writing about love is similar to writing about murder Jalaluddin is a teacher, parenting columnist and author based in Ontario. Her previous works include the novels Ayesha At Last, Hana Khan Carries On, Much Ado About Nada and Three Holidays and a Wedding. Reid will be attending Motive to discuss her debut novel Death on the Island, a mystery set in Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands) during a diplomatic dinner party. When the deputy ambassador of Canada dies suddenly, her boss, the Canadian ambassador, is quickly thrown under suspicion, and his wife must figure out everyone's secrets to clear his name and save her crumbling marriage. Reid is the writer of Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World. Born in Canada but currently living in Iceland, Reid served the unofficial role of First Lady while her husband was President of Iceland from 2016-2024. You can see the full program on the Motive Crime & Mystery Festival website.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
A cracking good read
Oology: the study — and the cherishing — of bird eggs. The Impossible Thing is largely stock mystery thriller, yet unconventionally centred on a bunch of rabid oologists, spanning decades and decades. British mystery-writer Belinda Bauer here switches gears rather dramatically from her usual trilogy fare featuring small towns beset by far too many clever, terrifying murderers inevitably entrapped by humble heroes, and opts instead to test the limits of wrapping a 'thriller' around characters — historical and contemporary — who behave in quite crazed ways because they over-value birds' eggs, in the extreme. Jay Brooks photo Belinda Bauer was named to the Booker Prize long list for her 2018 novel, Snap. The breathless opening scene of this precious egg caper plops us into the point-of-view of an apparently good-guy sniper, utterly in the middle of chasing an obviously dastardly black hat named Matthew Barr. This hook has the scant details and the onus-on-the-reader feel of a desperately clever Cold War spy caper. It chucks in murky waves of movement, absolutely nothing of dialogue nor explanations, and a big dose of our guy's driven, nigh-maniacal inner thoughts. We quickly get our man, Matthew, and pin him down so that we might pontificate at him and his gross ideology. And here we first encounter our oological MacGuffin. Why have we been chasing Matthew as if the safety of the free world depended on our valorous efforts? Because Matthew had stolen some eggs. Cut immediately to the historical set-piece as we are flung back to the 1920s. Here, we meet and follow lovely teenage Celie Sheppard and her charmingly, painfully oafish, (Of Mice and Men's) Lennie-style friend, Robert. These two are the opposite of dastardly — they are mismatched, quaint and endearing, with a touch of pathetic. The reader can't help but adore them as they do the most unusual thing: hulking Robert ties one end of a heavy rope around himself and the other to a frighteningly makeshift sitting contraption for wee Celie, and he delicately, lovingly (you can see it coming from oh-so-afar) lowers her down through 'The Crack,' a devilishly beckoning fissure in a blood-curdling overhang that teeters atop the cliffs that survey the chilling, blustering North Sea. Why is sweet Robert dangling his beloved Celie's fragile life? Because beneath that overhang nest hundreds of guillemots. At least once a year, these otherwise ordinary seabirds settle under that dramatically protective ledge to lay their eggs, one per guillemot couple. They're beautifully coloured eggs, extraordinary in their peculiar variations of hue — no two eggs are precisely the same colour, nor sport the same intricate patterns. These snowflake eggs therefore are ridiculously valuable and insanely coveted — by keen, studious oologists, to be sure, but also by far-too-wealthy, early 20th-century British male snobs. Dainty Celie and lumbering Robert eke their way through their harsh existence by, just once a year, poaching one of those prized eggs. Jump back to the present and we meet two differently charming, very young men (although, again, the charm is purchased mostly by grand awkwardness): Patrick and Nick. Nick has a tag, one that just about captures this whole book: he's known as Weird Nick. We never really learn why, but nonetheless must agree wholeheartedly — this fellow was bestowed with an apt epithet. In any case, stashed up in the attic of Nick's mother's house is one of these vital eggs that a century ago Celie and Robert had so frightfully and fatefully retrieved. Immediately and inevitably it is stolen before poor Nick realizes the nature of the thing he was just about roosting on — and the prolonged chase scene is on. Two teenage buds who bonded over Call of Duty fling themselves into a real-life sortie, bumbling their way over harrowing hill and through daunting dale to get that darned egg back. The Impossible Thing You end up with spectacularly colourful, spectacularly invaluable 1920s eggs and the conflicting quests not only for ownership of them but also for some kind of philosophical comprehension of their essential meaning driving a — let's be honest, weirdly — gripping scramble across divergent time and rural place. It's a lot. Yet somehow, it works. In some spades. In 2018, Bauer was unexpectedly longlisted for the Booker Prize for her eighth novel, Snap. Bauer's books are hardly rarefied literature. Still, they are sporadically sprinkled with exquisite moments of diction and syntax, moments that catch one's breath, even as they are so fleeting. One can only imagine that the sum of such moments in Snap achieved some sort of critical mass that garnered Bauer the celebratory nod. Good. The Impossible Thing (Bauer's 10th book) will not likely repeat the feat. (Again: it's about frantically, irrationally chasing bird eggs.) But it oozes the charm of its quirky props and their dogged pursuers — eggs, and the oologists who adore them so. Laurence Broadhurst teaches English and religion at St. Paul's High School in Winnipeg.
