Gambian Talents Promotion

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS - MAINTAIN COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AND COHESION IN THE FORM OF REGULAR GRANDMA CONNECTIONS AND EVENTS. ADULT LITERACY PROGRAMS - PROVIDE ADULT LEARNING CLASSES IN ENGLISH, MATH AND ARABIC AS WELL SKILL TRAINING FOR THE YOUTH. BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM - SUPPORT K1-K12 PUPILS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN PREPARING FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR. GROCERY, CASH, BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE - ASSIST ELIGIBLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH FREE GROCERIES, CASH ASSISTANCE FOR COLLEGE GOING YOUTHS, BILL PAYMENT ASSISTANCE RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UTILITIES, AND MANY MORE. COMMUNITY AWARENESS PROGRAMS - ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS PROGRAMS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CANCER, CENSUS, SOUNDS OF AFRICA FESTIVAL, IMMIGRATION, JOBS AND SOCIAL WELFARE, INTERPRETATION, AND TRANSLATION SERVICES AND MANY MORE.

COVID 19 ADVOCACY & CAMPAIGN: THE MISSION OF THE WASHINGTON WEST AFRICAN CENTER (WAWAC) IS TO CONNECT THE WEST AFRICANS IN WASHINGTON WITH LOCAL RESOURCES,THE GAP BETWEEN US AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY AND CULTURALLY SOCIALIZE WEST AFRICAN CHILDREN IN A VALUE DRIVEN WAY. OUR MISSION AIMS TO ESTABLISH A PEDESTAL THAT ENABLES WEST AFRICANS DISCOVER THEIR FULL POTENTIAL AND FACILITATE COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE USE OF MODERN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND WORKS OF ART FOR THE DISCOVERY AND REALIZATION OF THEIR TALENTS.WE HAVE CARRIED OUT MAJOR ADVOCACY EFFORTS ABOUT DIFFERENT SUBJECT MATTERS SUCH AS THE 2021 CHILD TAX CREDIT, PEBT AND COVID-19. WE USE MUSIC, DRAMA, POETRY, ARTS, AND TESTIMONIES TO INFORM OUR PEOPLE. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, OVER 1000 BENEFITED FROM THE PEBT AND CHILD TAX CREDIT. WAWAC LED EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT FAMILIES IN THE WEST AFRICAN COMMUNITY ARE ALSO AVAILED WITH OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS BILL PAYMENT, RENT ASSISTANCE AND GROCERY ASSISTANCE PACKAGES. THESE PROGRAMS WERE RUN WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO MITIGATE THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF COVID ON OUR COMMUNITY, MANY OF WHOM WORK WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SUCH AS ADULT FAMILY HOMES. WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF VACCINES, WE ORGANIZED VACCINE CLINICS IN PLACES LIKE MONROE STATE FAIR GROUND, ISLAMIC CENTER OF PUGET SOUNDS, SNOHOMISH COUNTY AND AT OUR OFFICE IN LYNNWOOD. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT BETWEEN JANUARY AND DECEMBER 2021, WE HAVE ASSISTED OVER 5000 CHILDREN, GRANDMOTHERS, AND YOUTHS TO ACCESS THEIR FIRST AND SECOND DOSES AND NOW THE BOOSTER SHOTS AND WE DISTRIBUTED OVER 25,000 FACE MASKS AND OVER 5000 BOTTLES OF HAND SANITIZER, WIPES, GLOVES AND OTHER COVID19 PROTECTION GEAR. THESE EFFORTS CONTINUE AS WE WORK TO DISPEL CONSPIRACY AND REDUCE VACCINE HESITANCY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE: THROUGH THE YEAR 2021, THE WASHINGTON WEST AFRICAN CENTER (WAWAC) ACQUIRED A HOST OF EQUIPMENT SUCH AS TENTS, A SOUND SYSTEM, A GIANT PROJECTOR SCREEN, CHAIRS, TABLES ETC. WHILE THESE ARE MEANT FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO USE IN CONDUCTING ITS OWN EVENTS, WE HAVE ALSO MADE IT AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY FREE OF CHARGE. AS SUCH, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS GESTURE AS THEY CONTINUE TO REQUEST THE USE OF THESE EQUIPMENT WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR OWN EVENTS SUCH AS NAMING CEREMONIES, WEDDINGS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, COMMUNITY EVENTS ETC. WE HAVE ALSO SUPPORTED ISLAMIC CENTER OF PUGET SOUNDS? FUNDRAISERS BY HELPING THEM REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE THROUGH OUR POPULAR MEDIA LINKS. SIMILAR SUPPORTS WERE ALSO EXTENDED TO MINDSIGHT MENTORS FOR THEIR GRAND OPENING, NUBIAN JAM FESTIVAL AND THE TOBASKI FESTIVAL AT BILAL ISLAMIC CENTER. THIS IS ALL GEARED TOWARDS ENSURING THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE AVAILED WITH THE CRITICAL RESOURCES THEY NEED WITHOUT ANY HASSLE. WE ALSO PROVIDE ADULT LEARNING CLASSES FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW TO READ AND WRITE ENGLISH, ARABIC AND MATHEMATICS. WE ALSO FACILITATE QURANIC MEMORIZATION CLASSES FOR ADULTS INTERESTED IN LEARNING THE QURAN. THESE CLASSES ARE HYBRID WHICH MEANS PEOPLE CAN COME TO THE CENTER OR JOIN FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES.

SPECIAL EVENTS: 1) VOLUNTEERS APPRECIATION DAY: ON SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2021, WE SUMMONED OUR VOLUNTEERS TO THANK, HONOUR, APPRECIATE AND CELEBRATE THE REMARKABLE SUPPORT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TO US. THEY HAVE IN ESSENCE SERVED AS OUR BACKBONE PROVIDING THE ORGANIZATION THE MUCH-NEEDED HUMAN RESOURCE AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO ENSURE THAT OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS RUN SMOOTH AND HITCH FREE. 2) 5TH ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL & KIDS MOVIE NIGHT: ON SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2021, WE HELD OUR 5TH BACK TO SCHOOL EVENT WITH THE AIM OF CREATING THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR KIDS OF WEST AFRICAN DECENT IN WASHINGTON TO INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND LEARN THE UPLIFTING CULTURES FROM THEIR PARENTS' BIRTH COUNTRIES. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WE HELD A DRIVE THROUGH ?GRAB AND GO? EVENT AT THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF PUGET SOUNDS IN LYNNWOOD. WE DISTRIBUTED 350 BACKPACKS AND TOYS TO ALL KIDS FROM 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS. WE ALSO LAUNCHED ONCE IN A MONTH MOVIE NIGHT FOR KIDS. THIS ACTIVITY BRINGS ABOUT 20 KIDS TOGETHER TO WATCH AN AGE-APPROPRIATE MOVIE OF THEIR CHOICE, THEY LISTEN TO FOLKLORE NARRATED BY AN ELDER AND PLAY GAMES TOGETHER. THESE EVENTS HAVE SO FAR PROVED USEFUL IN TERMS OF EMPOWERING OUR KIDS TO ESTABLISH HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, IMPROVE THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS AND FORM A TRUE VALUE-BASED COMMUNITY. 3) YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: UNLIKE THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM ASSISTS YOUNG ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES 13 TO 19 WITH MENTORING, COACHING AND ACQUISITION OF CRITICAL LIFE SKILLS IN BASIC CAMERA OPERATIONS, DESIGN, AND OTHER MULTIMEDIA COMPONENTS THIS WOULD MAKE THEM BETTER PREPARED FOR THE JOB MARKET AND OR INDEPENDENT ENTREPRENEURS. THIS PROGRAM SHALL EQUALLY SUPPORT OUR AIM TO KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF DEVIANCE, INDULGENCE IN DRUGS AND CRIME. 4) GRANDMA HANGOUT: THE ELDERLY ARE THE PILLARS OF OUR COMMUNITY FOR THEY ARE STEADFAST IN ENSURING THAT THE VALUES THAT KEEP US TOGETHER ARE SERVED AND MAINTAINED. HOWEVER, OUR ELDERS ARE OFTEN AT RISK OF BEING LONELY DUE TO THEIR CHILDREN?S BUSY SCHEDULES. AS A RESULT, WE THEM TOGETHER ONCE EVERY MONTH IN A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN INTERACT, ESTABLISH A SENSE OF BELONGING AND ENJOY COMMUNITY. THEY DO SOME PROJECTS LIKE SING ALONG, KNITTING AND HAND WEAVING ETC. WE ALSO PROVIDE THEM WITH TRANSPORTATION BACK AND FORTH TO MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS, THE MASJID AND TO VISIT EACH OTHER. 5) IFTAR/SUKURI NDOGU-EVENTS: RAMADAN IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE BROUGHT ALONG SOME TRADITIONS THAT HELP US TO STAY CONNECTED WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING BACK HOME THEREBY DRIVING AWAY NOSTALGIA AND STRENGTHENING OUR GENERAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS. ONE SUCH TRADITION IS OUR IFTAR/NDOGU (FAST BREAKING HOT MEALS) TO THE COMMUNITY DURING RAMADAN. DURING THE RAMADAN OF 2021, WAWAC ORGANIZED 2 IFTARS FOR THE MUSLIMS IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY. ONE WAS HELD AT BANTABA RESTAURANT IN LYNNWOOD AND THE OTHER ONE WAS HELD AT THE BILAL ISLAMIC CENTRE IN EVERETT. THE PURPOSE OF THE EVENT IS TO PROMOTE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, PRESERVE AND STRENGTHEN A LONG-TIME TRADITION OF SHARING FOOD DURING RAMADAN WHILE SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES LIKE DIJAH'S KITCHEN AND BANTABA RESTAURANT. AS WE ARE RAISING OUR KIDS AMID DIFFERENT CULTURES, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH THEM OUR POSITIVE VALUES SUCH AS SHARING AND COMING TOGETHER. COMMUNITY MEMBERS SHOWED UP NOT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE FOOD TO EAT BUT TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY. WE DISTRIBUTED SUKURI NDOGU TO ABOUT 100 SENIORS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.