Storytelling is at the heart of everything Lily Gyamfi-Kumanini does. The holistic healer, coach, actor, podcaster, writer and community builder—to name only some of her titles—focuses her work on helping others express their stories.
“[S]tories are so important,” Gyamfi-Kumanini said. “They tell people who we are, what our life experiences have been. [O]nce you get to the point of owning who you are… that’s when you can get on with the business of being who you are designed to be.”
We met to walk along a section of the Walter Bean Trail that connects to the Grand River Floodplain, giving us the chance to take in the natural beauty of the river as well as the man-made creations of the railroad and graffiti art.
Born and raised in Waterloo Region, Gyamfi-Kumanini followed her passions to explore the world before returning with her family to the area. She pursued modeling and was recruited for athletics, playing university basketball while completing a degree in journalism.
“I was always really interested in arts, academics and athletics—the trifecta!” Gyamfi-Kumanini said.
As a young adult, Gyamfi-Kumanini spent some time in Ghana where her family is from.
“Going to a country where I was the majority and seeing people in power, making big decisions, doing so well just owning who they are as Black people, that really moved me,” she said.
Growing up as one of the only people of colour in her classes until reaching post-secondary in Toronto had a big impact on Gyamfi-Kumanini. That, along with her health journey, including feeling unheard by medical professionals, inspired her to help other people, especially women, learn to own their stories and reclaim their voices.
She also lived for a time in the Bahamas where she got involved with the Bahamas International Film Festival as an executive, once again finding meaning in the stories she helped people to tell.
“All of those people found ways to tap into their story but also to tell their story and realized that it was valuable to the world. That was eye-opening for me,” Gyamfi-Kumanini said.
“[I]f we stop telling our stories then we have no point of reference…and we can’t see ourselves in other people,” she said.
Family circumstances brought Gyamfi-Kumanini back to the Kitchener-Waterloo area. A change of government in the Bahamas and the onset of COVID-19, as well as the roots her children were beginning to form, meant that the temporary visit back became permanent.
“[I]t’s been another journey since I’ve been back…so many things didn’t feel like they had changed. I saw a lot more…people who looked like me, but the things that we’re still talking about and advocating for, they still feel the same,” she said.
Gyamfi-Kumanini’s work often centres around the intersection of stories and healing.
“We are all creative beings,” she said. “If everyone was able to tap into that part of themselves, I think we’d all be walking around more balanced human beings,”
Our walk gave Gyamfi-Kumanini the chance to reflect on the importance of green spaces in her work and life. Being in nature is a source of healing and strength for the holistic practitioner and speaker.
“[J]ust hearing the rush of water, it’s very meditative,” she said.
Finding moments to experience nature during her day allows Gyamfi-Kumanini the chance to tap into her creativity.
She is currently writing a piece with local playwright Gary Kirkham. While working together, the two discovered that their histories shared a point of intersection in Ghana, and the work will explore their grandmothers while shifting between the nineteenth century and present day.
“[I]t’s very empowering,” Gyamfi-Kumanini said. “[B]eing able to say some things I maybe wouldn’t normally say when speaking to colonialism, rites of passage, tradition and gender inequality.”
Whether through helping others value their experiences or exploring her own history as it impacts the present, stories remain a constant inspiration and focus for Lily Gyamfi-Kumanini. And it is this focus that can be found at the centre of her work as a community builder, parent, healer and artist
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