Friday, December 4, 2015
AFRICAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION 2015 CAMPAIGN.
The following is a summary of the results African Heritage Celebration’s (AHC’s) 2015 fundraising and distribution results. The distribution trip to West Africa was executed from October 27 through November 17.
• Thanks to a generous grant AHC received from Baal Dan Charities and partnership with the Hyatt Regency of Denver, the 2015 campaign to support education has been completed and we have been able to provide support to a record number of children.
• On November 3rd, AHC visited the central localities of Diourbel and Bambey.
o Second graders at Cheikh Ibra Fall and Serigne Mbaye Sarr elementary schools In the city of Diourbel received supplies .
o AHC went to five schools in the department of Bambey. Mr. Babacar Diouf staff member of the office of primary school inspection led the group to the villages of Mbattall, Ndimb. Ngueye-Ngueye, Sob-Sessene and Keur Meissa.
o Altogether 762 students received supplies in the region of Diourbel.
• AHC group left Bambey and headed West to Foundioungne . We booked a 2-night stay at the beautiful " campement le petit bateau," a campsite, run by Mr Yague Fall which has a veranda-like restaurant by the Ocean water.
• One of AHC’s objectives for 2015 was to expand our support to add children in schools in the very remote Delta of Saloum. We worked with education officials in Senegal to identify 24 schools of villages from Betenty and Diam Niadio to Dionewar and Niodior, where there is greatest need of educational supplies.
• Getting the materials to many of the individual villages, which are on remote islands, would require much more time and resources than AHC had available Bringing the Headmasters to the primary school inspection of Foundioungne was more feasible than the difficult task of trying ourselves to put the supplies on the desks of students of these localities, isolated from each other by water and great distances.
o On Nov 4, we met Mr. Nogaye Diop primary school inspector of Foundiougne. He introduced us to his colleague Mr Guedel Mbodj, manager of logistics and equipments.
o The distribution of supplies was held in the courtyard of the inspection building of Foundiougne. With the help of Mr Guedel Mbodj, we were able to allocate supplies to headmasters of 24 schools, which are spread out in the various islands in the country's Southwestern part, called the Delta of Saloum ,
• Within three hours, the school Headmasters received each: Textbooks, slates, notebooks, crayons, erasers and pens for a total of 1260 students.
• The next day , on Nov 6, AHC was scheduled to meet Inspector Habib Wade in the City of Diofior. After a Brief introduction to inspector Ba, who is the head of this educational district of the region region, Mr. Wade led our way to the departure platform in the village of Ndangane Sambou, located several miles west of Diofior.
o A 35-minute-boat ride took us to Mar Lodj, the first of three Mars( island villages) we were supposed to visit. Mar Lodji seems to enjoy the comfort of nestling in a dense vegetation. White sands of the streets contrasted with green bushes along the pathways.
o Upon arrival we loaded the supplies on horse-drawn a carriage and started for the schools.
o After visiting students in Mar Lodj and Mar Soulou, we were heading to the next village, when our carriage experienced a flat tire. We got off and walked the rest of the way to Mar Fafako, while the horse pulled the load to the last schools.
o We provided supplies to 165 first graders, in this part of Diofior educational district. One must state the beautiful environment surrounding the islands in Delta of Saloum, especially Foundiougne and the Mars.
• On Nov 09, Mr. Sileye Djiby Niang, a representative from a sister NGO, Denver Senegal Humanitarian Foundation and AHC delegation took a 12-hour journey to the Northeastern village of Diorbivol to deliver gifts of Colorado organizations to 210 students, from elementary to high school and college.
• Diorbivol is the village of African immigrant Oumar Dia who was murdered in a hate crime in Denver.
• Oumar Dia who worked at the Hyatt Regency Denver as housekeeper was gunned down on November 18, 1997.
• Colorado organizations have been working with the village on various development projects, ranging from health to classrooms construction, since 1998.
• The southeastern locality of Keur Samba was another village AHC travelled to on its 2015 campaign. 177 students from 1st to 6 grade were given supplies.
• On Nov 15, AHC provided supplies to 198 students of "Franco-Arabe" in Bargny.
• On Nov 16, 442 first and graders received textbooks and supplies when we visited both Mixte A and Mixte B, and Secka Gueye elementary schools, in Bargny.
• In the city of Rufisque, we visited several institutions: We presented 930 notebooks, 400 chalk slates, pens and erasers to Mrs Anna Gaye, founder of "Le Petit Prince d'handiscole", a special education institution. Lastly, at Mamour Diop I and Mamour Diop II elementary schools, we provided textbooks and supplies to 197 elementary students there.
• African Heritage Celebration received appreciation awards from academic authorities and parents in Rufisque.
The distinctions were given in recognition of AHC's continuous efforts to support education.
In summary for 2015, African Heritage Celebration (AHC) distributed 6,140 notebooks, 3, 050 chalk slates, 2,600 crayons, 2,600 pens, 2,700 erasers and 2,878 textbooks to more than 3,000 students across Senegal. It has been a highly successful year, thanks to the support and efforts of many individuals, as well as organizations such as the Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center, the Mizel Global Cultural and Baal Dan Charities. Your ongoing participation and support has enabled us to make a difference in the lives of over 34000 young children since 2007.
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