Join us for the African Event of the year in New York City featuring entertainment produced by OKAYAFRICA and including Questlove of the Roots, Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, celebrity guests including-Sahr Ngaujah with cast members of the hit Broadway musical FELA!, Jeff Johnson, Jeffrey Wright, Marcus Samuelsson, Angelique Kidjo, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Phillip Bloch & more, business decision makers, African food, beverages, dancing and celebration!

The initial Host Committee meeting  for the “POP” festival on Oct. 4th  was held at Slate last Tuesday and the event was filled with definite indications of things to come and BIG, BIG enthusiasm for the  All For Africa International Palm Out Poverty week’s final event. Attending the meeting were members of the Associate Board chaired by Camilla Colgrave and members of the “POP” festival Host Committee. Host committee members were treated to a sneak preview of the brand new All For Africa theme song created and recorded by Sean Koh, Mark Mangold, Anthony Adams, Daniella Landelius, Charmaine Elliston, Danielle Brooks and Chris Payton just hours before. This amazing group of artists also created the “Write A Check” rap and we are looking forward to hearing  both of these songs performed live at the “POP” festival on October 4th at Slate.

Diane MacDonald, director of operations at All For Africa, gave a brief overview of the “POP” festival and then yielded the floor to Associate Board Member and Chairman of the “POP” festival, Ashley Bendell. Ashley detailed responsibilities of host committee members and encouraged everyone to get the word out and promote this event. Vanessa Wruble and Ginny Suss from FELA! and  OKAY AFRICA also spoke about the production of the “POP” festival and the incredible artists who will be preforming. ?uestlove of the Roots will be DJ for the event, Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew and Sahr Ngaujah (star of the hit Broadway musical FELA!) along with cast members of FELA! will also perform. Anne-Marie Principe and Bari Zahn of Affinity Partners, who are assisting us with outreach for the event, spoke about how to reach out to friends and colleagues and offered their expertise to all Host Committee members.

Many celebrities will be on hand for the “POP” festival and one showed up at the host committee event. Gbenga Akinnagbe, who’s film “Lottery Ticket” just opened, attended despite the cast on his foot from a recent foot surgery. He, along with Jeffery Wright, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Sahr Ngaujah,  Jeff Johnson, Angelique Kidjo and many others will be supporting the “POP” festival at Slate.

Slate is an enormous venue with layered atmosphere and an exciting vibe. There are billiard, foosball and ping pong tables in one of the four large rooms at Slate. Other rooms had the feel of a club scene and downstairs was a spacious area with a large seating capacity. All of these spaces combined for an eclectic ambiance that will serve the “POP” Festival well on Oct. 4th.  The service and food at Slate were great and the staff was friendly and helpful.

The remainder of the evening was spent by Associate Board and Host Committee members getting to know each other and strategizing for the upcoming push to sell out this event. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails were enjoyed by everyone and although it was a Tuesday evening, some stayed well past the end of the meeting and socialized.

The meeting was a great success and we are well on our way to making the “POP” festival an incredible event.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the “POP” festival, click here!

This past week I had the privilege to speak with the well-renowned actor and active All for Africa supporter Gbenga Akinnagbe. Many know him as the assassin on HBO’s series The Wire or the Nigerian barber in Showtime’s series Barbershop. Gbenga has played roles in the films The Savages, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Edge of Darkness to name a few and most recently has been working on the upcoming comedy Lottery Ticket starring Bow Wow and Ice Cube. As the Honorary Chair of the Associate Board at All for Africa, Gbenga is as an important and very much respected member of the All for Africa family.

At the onset of our informal interview, Gbenga informed me that he had spent his Fourth of July weekend resting after undergoing a painful foot surgery carried out to correct his seriously flat feet. Despite the unfortunate situation re: his not-so-fun foot injury he was surprisingly upbeat and ready to share information about his upbringing, acting career, and his involvement with All for Africa.

Born in Washington DC, Gbenga was the first American-born child of Nigerian parents. Gbenga moved to Maryland at an early age where he grew up alongside his five other siblings. In the fall of 1996, Gbenga was recruited to wrestle at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. Gbenga noted that he was thankful to be recruited by the Division I wrestling team as it gave him the opportunity to “go to a great school and get a great education”. He went on to explain that wrestling, “helped me to achieve many other things in life… I was able to redirect the stamina I developed from years of wrestling into other outlets of my life”. 

Gbenga has always held a strong interest in the politics of the world.  After graduating from Bucknell in 2000, he went on to work in the congressional affairs department for the federal agency known as “The Corporation for National Service”.  He spoke fondly of his years with the agency (which serves as the headquarters of americorp) as he went on to explain that “fighting for funding for americorp members was a lot of fun for me”.

When asked what had inspired him to begin acting, Gbenga told me that a friend of his introduced him to the idea of taking on acting as a career. Unlike most of today’s actors, Gbenga did not grow up taking numerous theater classes, attending countless auditions and/or performing in various plays, on television shows or in films. He explained that it was not until after he had graduated college, had worked for the National Service and had what turned out to be a life changing conversation with his friend about the prospect of making a career out of acting that he “became curious” about the field. Gbenga quickly took action to learn more about his newfound interest, “I looked up information about acting online, bought some books and went to auditions”.

Recently Gbenga has taken his talents beyond the acting realm as he has begun pursuing a career in writing. Over the past two years he has written a few articles that have been published in The New York Times; one regarding his hiking experience in the Himalayas and another about his severely flat feet. Gbenga explained that although he “thought it might be a one time thing”, referring to his first article published in The New York Times, he has recently been given the title as a free-lance writer for the well-established newspaper!

I went on to ask Gbenga why he has chosen to support All for Africa over all of the other non-profit organizations that exist. He explained that “Aside from the fact that the organization is supporting the continent of Africa… I have chosen to work with All for Africa because the organization is procreating self sustaining programs”. According to Gbenga, “the only things that can help Africa are self-sustaining micro economies”… he believes that the “answers and solutions to Africa’s economic problems come from the continent”.

Gbenga explained that there are “few non profit organizations that promote self-sustaining programs (in Africa) on such a large scale”. He concluded that he is “excited about what All for Africa is doing here in the United States and in Africa to bring awareness to the importance of sustainable development”.

As we began to wrap up our conversation I took the opportunity to ask Gbenga a few questions about his latest work in the comedy Lottery Ticket, which hits theaters on August 20th. Gbenga filled me in on what life was like on the set of the movie. He said that he was very happy to work again with Ice Cube and that it was exciting to work with Bow Wow for the first time. He described Ice Cube and Bow Wow as “cool cats” who are “hilarious” and “fun to work with” both when the cameras were rolling and when the actors were simply hanging out around the set. Gbenga said that he has been “excited to be hearing good things” about the movie and is “excited to see how the public reacts” once it has been released.

Gbenga is looking forward to taking part in All for Africa’s Palm Out Poverty week festivities, which will take place during the week of September 28th- October 4th. These events include a Golf Outing on Tuesday, September 28th at the Glen Arbor Golf Club, an Art Festival featuring a showcase of African Art and an educational discussion on Wednesday, September 29th as well as the Palm Out Poverty Festival on Monday, October 4th which will take place at The Marquee and will include world-renown African entertainment, food and beverage, celebrities and dancing! Be sure to save these dates so that you too can join in on the festivities and help support sustainable development projects across Africa!

All of us here at All for Africa are looking forward to supporting Gbenga in his latest endeavor by checking out Lottery Ticket this summer, as he has been actively supporting our cause since he joined the organization in May 2008. Best of luck to you Gbenga with a quick foot recovery and with the release of your latest movie!

 By, Meredith FitzPatrick

Resources:

http://www.jamati.com/online/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/gbenga-akinnagbe-hbos-the-wire-new-york-premiere-arrivals-dxacqr.jpg

http://www.bet.com/Assets/BET/Published/image/jpeg/d2ecd1d9-fd34-2a78-5f8d-1d800bc3fc11-fb_tms138_Gbenga.jpg

Here is an update from our partner Batonga Foundation. All For Africa is working to support Batonga’s girls’ educational/vocational programs in Sierra Leone.

 Batonga, in partnership with Children Affected by War (CAW) is supporting 25 girls and women in Sierra Leone. Women enrolled in this program receive vocational training in hair dressing and tailoring as well as a basic education. Since the program began, Batonga girls have made strides in their education and their overall health and well-being has improved as a result. They’ve been able to express their views and opinions with each other as well as educate others on important topics such as HIV prevention through song and dance. Attendance, academic performance, and enthusiasm are all prevalent as the girls continue in the program with an expected graduation date of July 2011. Though Batonga and CAW have faced difficulties as a result of the financial crisis, we are determined to continue to support these girls and women to realize their full potential. With their enthusiasm and willingness to learn, it should not be too difficult! For more information, email Batonga at info@batonga.org or visit their website at http://www.batongafoundation.org

International Palm Out Poverty Week  is a couple of weeks away!   International  Palm Out Poverty Week will be a  fun and festive week.  The Goal of International Palm Out Poverty Week is to raise  awareness about All For Africa’s Palm Out Poverty Campaign.

The week’s events include:  

Championship Fundraising  Dinners – an exciting international viral campaign that will run from September 28th – October 31st.  More information to follow!!!!

A Golf Touramnent  at Glen Harbor Golf Course  on September  28th

An educational Art Festival that will showcase African Art and a speaking program on September 29th

The POP Festival to close  the week  on October 4th.   The POP Festival is going to be New York’s African event of the year.   The POP festival will feature QuestLove, Bajah & the Dry Eye Crew, celebrities, business decision makers, African food, beverages, dancing and celebration.

We are also very excited to announce our partnership with  Africa.Com and OkayAfrica  for International Palm Out Poverty Week !  Look out for more information about  this exciting  partnership in the next couple of days.

SAVE THE DATES FOR INTERNATIONAL PALM OUT POVERTY WEEK !!!

In 2008 AFA member and enthusiastic supporter Saran Kaba Jones launched FACE Africa, a non profit organization that works toward transforming impoverished communities in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The young organization has already raised an estimated $75,000 to support these communities by helping to provide access to clean water and sanitation, education and training, as well as health and nutritional programs.

Saran is currently in Liberia where she is beginning to work on FACE Africa’s second clean water and sanitation project in partnership with Concern Worldwide. She is also there to prepare the kick off a women’s empowerment project.

 We at All for Africa have been following Saran on her twitter page http://twitter.com/sarankjones to keep up with her latest endeavors. We are amazed at how connected she is in Liberia which has limited connectivity. In case you have not been kept up to date… we thought that we would fill you in on her trip thus far: Saran landed in Monrovia on Wednesday, July 28th eager to take advantage of her limited time in Liberia. With only one major international airline flying into Monrovia (SN Brussels), the trip from Boston took exactly 26 hours with stops in New York, Brussels, and Ghana. “after 24 hours of traveling, finally made it into monrovia safe & sound. With only a week here, gotta hit the ground running tomorrow!”

 Saran noted that she was happy to be home despite the difficult socio-economic situation, “it’s always so good 2 eb home despite the lack basic necessities like running water, electricity, good roads, access to job opportunities.” She went on to optimistically point out, “but the people here, despite the 15+ years of war & hardship have simple needs and huge hearts. And lots of hope for a better future for liberia.”

 On Thursday, July 29th Saran met with Liberian-American entrepreneur Chid Liberty who founded the Liberian Women Sewing Project to empower and employ women. The factory located in Monrovia currently manufactures tshirts for clients in the U.S. She remarked on her day “yesterday was such a productive day! Had an amazing time touring the sewing factory and meeting the man behind it all Chid Liberty.” The plan is to create a partnership with LWSP for a tshirt line that will be marketed and sold in the U.S. with proceeds going to fund FACE Africa’s clean water, health, education and other social programs.

 Saran continued her busy week on Friday, July 30th and met with the Deputy Minister of Lands, Mines & Energy with Marc Frankel, a Fletcher/ Tufts University graduate student who’s interning with her father at the Land Commission. The Land Commission is a newly created government agency established to deal with land management and to help tackle some of the many conflicts or issues from land and land sale in Liberia. In the evening, she attended a reception at the U.S. Embassy with her friend Arthur, who’s here in Liberia from U.S. Airforce to develop, train and mentor the Arm Forces of Liberia (AFL) legal program. She concluded her day having Sushi with some friends at the Mamba Point Hotel and raved about the food and atmosphere. 

 Saturday, July 31st was field trip day. Saran explored both rural and urban areas with her father, brother and the Broadcove team, “today was another humbling day, visited an urban village with no access 2 clean water, clinic or school.”  She visited a site for her upcoming clean water project and hung out with some of the children from the area (see the adorable picture!) FACE Africa will be partnering with Concern Worldwide to install a handpump, construct a latrine and handwashing facilities and also conduct education sessions on proper hygiene and sanitation. The project is expected to begin on September 1^st.

 Saran finally got the opportunity to relax a bit on Sunday, August 1^st when she took a drive to Robertsport, located in Grand Cape Mount Country, about 2.5 hours from Monrovia. The town is featured in the independent documentary film, “Sliding Liberia”, which follows four young surfers to war-torn Liberia in search of perfect waves and is home to Nana’s Lodge. Saran writes, “had a relaxing day today at the beach in robertsport with friends. this place will make an amazing tourist destination when rebuilt.”

 After a rough night’s sleep, (“it’s 4am here and I was woken up by something crawling around my suitcase…. Ps: there’s no electricity so I can’t just get up & turn the light on to figure out what it is. Just have to stay up for 3hrs until daylight”), Saran carried on with her visit speaking at a youth workshop organized by NuVision Pac, an organization founded by fellow Liberian Benjamin Sanvee to empower and train young Liberian men and women to become agents of change in their communities. She attended the workshop with Emmett, the young man who is the inspiration behind her efforts and FACE Africa. Prior to that, she visited Kakata, the 3^rd largest city in Liberia and later on a 10-acre plot of land that she recently purchased in the Marshall area.

Today (August 3rd) Saran was in Joezohn village Liberia “laying ground work for FACE Africa’s clean water site.” She then went on to attend a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Gender to discuss the needs and challenges facing Liberian girls and women and how FACE Africa can help address some of those needs.

 It is safe to say that Saran is most definitely taking advantage of her (very brief) time in Liberia as she prepares to launch FACE Africa’s second clean water and sanitation project as well as a women’s empowerment project. We are proud of you Saran for the work that you have done, the work you continue to do and the awareness you have raised! We look forward to hearing from you when you return to Liberia in October.

 By, Meredith FitzPatrick

Are you fun, energetic and passionate about helping Africa toward self-sustainability? If so, you should join AFA as a Host Committee Member for All for Africa’s “POP” Festival on October 5th, 2010! We are looking to put together a group of enthusiastic professionals to join us in creating a fabulous evening at Marquee nightclub which will include world-renown African entertainment, food and beverage, celebrities and dancing!

This event will be the conclusion of our week long “International Palm Out Poverty Week” which will take place September 28th – October 4th. The week will consist of our annual golf tournament, ambassador events happening in a variety of cities and countries around the globe, an educational evening in an Art gallery and the concluding “POP” Festival event on October 4th.

As part of your participation on the Host committee you would be asked to commit to the sale of 10 tickets ranging from $125 to $400 for VIP tickets. There may also be the additional opportunity, if you are interested, for you to contribute towards our silent auction development, entertainment and/or a possible volunteer opportunity on the day of the event.

You may be wondering… what are the perks of becoming a Host committee member (other than coming away from the event with the satisfaction of having helped those across Africa toward a sustainable future)???

… All Host committee members will be recognized on all event collateral including invitations, bio and photo on web pages and listings on the evening program. We would love for you as well to take on a role in some regard during the event and all Host committee members will have access to the VIP opportunities at the party!

Your participation in Palm Out Poverty Week and the “POP” Festival would mean so much to us here at AFA. We are hoping to create a host committee team of about 20 to 30 people and hope to create a couple of fun gatherings with this group. If you are interested in becoming a member of the AFA Host committee, please contact Diane at Diane@allforafrica.org.

By, Meredith FitzPatrick

This week I met with Pablo B. Escobar the Founder and Chair of the Africa After Work Committee. In 2008, Pablo joined the All for Africa team as a volunteer to help organize and raise awareness around AFA’s Knock Out Poverty Event. After the inaugural event he stayed on with the team, gradually taking on more tasks and in August of 2009 he founded Africa After Work, a committee within All for Africa.

Pablo described the committee as “a group of entrepreneurs and professionals who put together business/social networking events and hold educational roundtables for All for Africa.” He went on to explain that the goal of these events is “to bring together like minded individuals who are interested in the development of Africa and to introduce or update people on the initiatives that All for Africa and its partners have taken to promote sustainability in the African continent.”

When I asked Pablo what inspired him to launch the project he replied, “I felt that there was a need to create an outlet for those young professionals out there who want to have a discussion about Africa and/or want to help the cause but who might be intimidated by some of the more extravagant events that various non profit Africa associated organizations hold.” Pablo wanted to create a space where individuals of a younger age and of a wide variety of economic or social backgrounds could come together around a good cause and have each individual “feel that his/her presence is equally valued.”

The AAW committee organizes events that range from social mixers to educational roundtables. Pablo described AAW’s last roundtable event, which took place at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in April 2010. The topic of discussion at the roundtable was “Building Sustainable Non Profits and Community Initiatives in Africa.” Pablo was pleased to inform me that “many Directors and Founders of well-established non profits that are operating in Africa (such as Indego Africa, Shine on Sierra Leone and  MacDella Cooper Foundation) served as panelists at the discussion.”

When asked to describe the environment of the last educational roundtable Pablo explained, “the roundtables are meant to provide a comfortable atmosphere for discussion. Specifically in our last roundtable, the moderator asked questions directed toward the panelists that brought about a discussion as well as highlighted challenges the panelist might have faced while launching their nonprofit. The guests were allowed to ask the panelists questions which often prompted the moderator to focus on a topic to be discussed by all those in attendance.”

On the other hand, the social mixers present a different sort of ambience. According to Pablo the mixers serve as “great opportunities for people to relax after work, maybe grab a drink and talk with like minded individuals about anything from current events to specific problems engaging Africa of late or ongoing problems the continent has been facing.” The mixers also provide “people the chance to talk with AFA team members and volunteers to get a better understanding of what we do at All for Africa.”

In January of this year, AAW and All For Africa teamed up with the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, FELA to host an event appropriately entitled, “An Evening at FELA”. After the performance, the FELA cast members attended the AAW Afterparty at Braai alongside other All for Africa supporters. “The show was amazing! We were very honored to be able to collaborate with such a great show and such talented performers!” Pablo continued by saying, “hanging out with the cast after the show was a really cool experience… they were very approachable to talk to and we all had lots of fun!” The next AAW social mixer will take place on Tuesday, September 14th and will kick off All for Africa’s International Palm Out Poverty week so be sure to save the date! Details of the event will be posted on our website as we get closer to the event so be sure to stay tuned!

For more information about Africa After Work contact pablo@allforafrica.org   or visit  http://www.allforafrica.org/joinin/africa-after-work/

By Meredith FitzPatrick

Here is an update from Shine On Sierra Leone. Shine on  Sierra Leone is one of All For Africa’s collaborative partners.

Shine On Sierra Leone is excited to announce a unique partnership with Tribewanted: Sierra Leone (TWSL).  TWSL is a one of a kind experience that deeply connects tourists and natives of Sierra Leone. Profits are reinvested into the community through Shine On Sierra Leone.

In October 2010, a new group of visitors will arrive on Sierra Leone’s John Obey Beach, 20 miles south of the capital, Freetown, and begin to build a new life alongside the local fishing community.
Tribewanted Sierra Leone has formed a partnership with the government, landowners and the local John Obey community in Sierra Leone to create an eco village community over the coming years to support sustainable development in the area.
 
For the visiting tribe members it will be a unique opportunity to experience a peaceful, beautiful and vibrant country seeking a new beginning a decade after being ravaged by civil war.
 
Tribewanted Sierra Leone is a local organisation and its non profit partner, Shine On Sierra Leone, has been working in the region successfully for five years, sponsoring 6 schools and computer centres around the country as well as providing microfinance to over 5.700 women across the country.
 
Tribe members will have the opportunity of joining in with the development of the new village alongside the local team and community. The project will be pioneering a new building technique called ‘Superadobe” developed at Cal Earth , a technique that uses only local earth and material.
All profits generated from Tribewanted Sierra Leone will be re-invested in the local John Obey community, in education and microfinance through Shine On Sierra Leone.
 
Tribe members will be able to book their visit to John Obey online at a cost of $450 / £295 a week. This will cover their stay, all meals and a contribution to the community development. Members will need to cover flight costs and local transport, from airport by boat, to the beach.
A maximum of 30 tribe members will spend a minimum of 1 week at a time living alongside a local team and the community immersed in the day to day running and development of the village. The project will run from October to June annually, closing for the rainy season.
 
Founder of Tribewanted, Ben Keene:
“When you take part in the project you’re not sacrificing your hard earnt time-out for an intense volunteer programme nor are you replacing a much-needed beach holiday. You can sunbath, build, swim, cook, canoe up river, trek, fish, play beach football, share skills, teach, drum round bonfires, and eat great seafood. You’re living alongside a local community whilst connecting with a global network of like-minded people.”
 
“We want people from all walks of life with all kinds of skills and interests to join the tribe; from gap year students, career breakers and adventurous travellers to those with specific building, design and environmental skills to help develop the community. Tribewanted Sierra Leone is your chance to play a part in kick-starting the right kind of tourism in a country that needs it. It will be an amazing adventure, so don’t miss this opportunity to be one of the pioneering visitors.”
Filippo Bozotti, Tribewanted Sierra Leone’s founding partner said,
“I’ve been visiting and working in Sierra Leone for five years. It’s not only one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to, it is also one of the most relaxed. The negative perception of the country is very different to the reality. It’s an addictive place – tourists don’t often come to Salone, as the locals call it, but we are looking to change that.”
 
Basic development will begin in September with a small team and the local community. In October the tribes ‘first footers’ will arrive and the project will officially begin.
This evolving cross-cultural community will tell the story of a new beginning on a beach in a beautiful and peaceful country, aiming to challenge the perspective of Sierra Leone as dangerous destination.

Tribewanted Sierra Leone Overview
Six hour flight from London or Brussels approx £550 / $850 rtn
Local transfer from airport direct to the beach £65 / $100 rtn
7 nights / all meals / donation to village development £295 / $450
Project open October-June annually during the dry season
Partners: Shine on Sierra Leone, Cal Earth, Sea Bright Solar

We launched our flagship agricultural program PALM OUT POVERTY (POP) in September 2008.   Thanks to the generous support of many we have planted 27,000 oil palm trees in Ghana.  The POP campaign has, and will continue to bring, many sustainable benefits to the local communities in which the palm oil trees are planted.  These benefits include:
• Hiring local labor – in the aggregate 700 agricultural jobs;
• Development of self-sustaining infrastructure including power generation, processing mills, and repair facilities;
• Development of large scale infrastructure including roads and bridges.
• Development of  social Infrastructure including schools, medical centers employee housing, and clean water;
• Development of  small and medium enterprises (SME) in local and regional economies;
• Lowering the  local cost of processed crude palm oil and palm kernel oil  – currently there are no large scale producers to meet local/regional demand;
• Teaching best practices for environmental impact and resource efficiency to neighboring smallholder farmers ;
• Establishing a model to support local farmers, assisting in building scale and assuring the community buyer that we will be a fair trade purchaser

In addition the POP campaign will provide long term support for program development and capacity building across the African continent in the areas of health, education and skills training/livelihood creation, clean water and micro-finance.  Thanks to your continuing support, in late 2010, we plan to expand cultivation of oil palm trees to Cameroon.

This fall we have are celebrating our second annual International Palm Out Poverty Week from September 28th through October 4th.   Please save the dates for this exciting weeklong festival to celebrate and raise funds for our POP campaign.

Bruce Wrobel 
Executive Director & Founder