African Heritage Celebration 2014 Campaign.

African Heritage Celebration has completed another year of outreach and support in West Africa. Mohamadou Cisse and I returned from Senegal a couple of weeks ago. While we was there, we was able to visit 18 primary schools, 2 kindergarten schools and 1 special education school.

These schools were spread over 6 small remote villages and 4 urban areas in the western, central and southern parts of Senegal.

This year, thanks to the success at the Hyatt Regency gala, as well as the supporters of AHC's mission to provide opportunity for education for children, we were able to deliver textbooks and school supplies to 2120 children.

In addition, we also met with the leadership of Oumar Dia's village, Diorbivol, and made a donation to help further expand the school facilities there, which are used by children from Diorbivol and five other villages in the vicinity, continuing Oumar's legacy.

As in years past, the children, faculty, officials and parents at all of these schools are incredibly gracious - and grateful - for the generosity shown via this project. In addition, the schools are seeing significant and ongoing improvement in the performance of these students. Using Diorbivol as an example, when we first began this project, each year, between seven and twelve of the graduating sixth graders would successfully complete entrance exams to go on to 7th grade. Now, the vast majority of the graduating class - that is, about 90% of the 30+ sixth graders at the school - qualify for 7th grade.

The teachers, administrators and parents of these children attribute this notable improvement to the availability of quality educational textbooks and supplies that the contribution of our supporters and the annual gala enable.It'd be best if you could experience the gratitude of the villagers firsthand, but I can tell you that the authenticity and enthusiasm of their gratitude has not waned; and nor has ours! Thank you so much for all that you've done over the years! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Kevin Miller Chairman of the Board, AHC

AHC RAISED $60,000, IMPACTED 15,000 STUDENTS.

The African Heritage Celebration provided school supplies for 2,164 students in Senegal during its humanitarian campaign in October and November 2013. 1,544 Students from 1st to 6th grade at the elementary schools of the villages of Mbokhadene, Sessene, Ndimb, NGueye-NGueye and Battal, located in the rural community of Ngoye , Bambey; and in city of Diourbel, received learning materials for the academic year 2013-2014, in the central region of Senegal.

In early November last year, AHC distributed supplies to 620 second graders at primary schools in Bargny and Rufisque, where educator Yacine Fall, and retired administrator Pape Ousmane Thiaw joined academic inspectors Abdou Fall, Dr. A. Sadikh Niang, along with parents and teachers for the delivery ceremony.

In the rural community of Ngoye, AHC was responding to calls by local authorities who sought assistance after heavy rains and windstorms damaged homes and classrooms. AHC took the opportunity and traveled to central Senegal on October 28 to extend its humanitarian actions for students of areas where it has not been before. Bambey school district workers Bassirou Mbacke and Babacar Diouf guided the visit to the different villages.

African Heritage Celebration has raised 60,000 dollars and has impacted more than 15,000 students since 2007. AHC raised most of its financial resources through the contribution of volunteers; a 25,000 dollars challenge grant generously given by the Mizel Global Cultural Fund and the annual Dinner Gala hosted by the Hotel Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. In November of 1997, racists murdered African immigrant Oumar Dia in Denver, while he waited at the bus stop for a ride home, after a long day of labor. Oumar Dia worked as a housekeeper at the Hyatt Regency Denver. Since his death, Coloradoans have established relations of solidarity with communities they visit in Senegal. In late fall, corresponding to the beginning of the school season in Senegal, AHC organizes trip to the country to distribute the supplies, bought in-country to support the local economy. Last year, AHC helped Denver Senegal Humanitarian Foundation carry out its educational projects in the villages of Diorbivol, Kounkane and Diaocounda.

AHC volunteers and Coloradoans Joe Phillips and Brett William traveled 12 hours from the capital city of Dakar to delivered DSHF gifts to 345 students in Diorbivol, Matam.

The 5-day-stay in the village of Oumar Dia were highlighted by ceremonies of supplies distribution, meetings with the elders, the youth association, celebrating friendship relations with a community Coloradoans visit since 16 years.

From October 17 to October 25, 2013, DSHF president Theresa Neuroth lead a delegation of volunteers including Tony and Jordana Lachance to the village of Kounkane and Diaocounda , in the region of Kolda.

DSHF is funding a classroom construction project in Diaocounda and have also provided textbooks and accessories to students in the south eastern part of the country.

Theresa Neuroth lived in Kounkane for 3 years as a U.S. peace corps member, in late 1990s. She was positively impacted by the beauty of life and the country’s rich cultures. Her organization’s continued involvement in development projects is well appreciated by the villagers and constitutes an example of solidarity based on mutual respect. The trip to Senegal is an annual expedition to strengthen relationships of understanding; to learn and share life experience.