MOAA, MOLA and MOAPIA "Know Your Rights" Town Hall
On Thursday, May 17, 2018,
The Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (MOAA) in partnership with the Mayors of
Latino Affairs (MOLA) and the Mayor's Office on Asian and Pacific Islander
Affairs (MOAPIA) hosted a “Know Your Rights Town Hall”. The town hall featured
speakers such as Hiwot Berihun, Legal Director at the African Communities Together
(ACT); Abel Nunez, Executive Director of the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN);
June Lee, Staff Attorney at the Asian pacific American Legal Resource Center
(APALRC) who have reiterated constituent’s right as District of Columbia residents
in the area of immigration as well as Betsy Cavendish, General Counsel of the
Executive Office of the Mayor who provided information about the enhancement of the Mayor
Bowers’ Immigrant Justice Legal Services grant program for the African, Latino
and Asian Pacific Islander communities.
Learn more
MOAA Grant : Success Story
Asylum Seekers
Asylum Seeker Assistant Project (ASAP) was
founded in 2016. It is the first and only nonprofit dedicated to serving the
estimated 25,000 asylum seekers living in the Washington D.C. Metro
region with a mission is to support the safety, stability, and economic
security of asylum seekers and their families. In 2018, ASAP was awarded fifteen
thousand dollars ($15,000) by the Mayor’s office on African Affairs under the
mayor’s African community grant program. Below is one success stories from an asylum
seeker showcasing ASAP’s interventions and impact.
Mr. K is a 50-year-old Ethiopian male who worked as a child
psychologist in his home country. He arrived in the United States in Dec 2016
after multiple arrests and detainments due to his political views. Mr. K heard
about ASAP through his immigration attorney. While he was work authorized, Mr.
K was working odd jobs including working in a 7/11. He was saving money to go
back to school to earn a substance abuse counseling certificate. Mr. K had
never worked with substance uses in any capacity but had heard these jobs were
easy to get. Mr. K was originally skeptical as to how ASAP could help him, but
he decided to enroll as a client. After receiving job
coaching through ASAP, Mr. K realized he did not really want to work in a substance
abuse. Instead, he wanted to work for a nonprofit or an agency serving
children. ASAP recommended Mr. K for an internship at the AnBryce Foundation, a
local organization that provides services to bridge the education gap among
young children. Mr. K was hired as a paid intern for $12/hour for 30 hours a
week. Mr. K has been working at the nonprofit organization for about one month
and reports he is pleased with his position and learning a lot about U.S.
workplace culture.
Learn more
Mayor Bowser Announces Opening of Two New Child Care Spaces at UDC and Deanwood Recreation Center
On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, Mayor Muriel Bowser awarded two available child care spaces to CommuniKids and Kiddie University, one space at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and the other at the Deanwood Recreation Center. CommuniKids is an award-winning, multi-language immersion school that will provide additional, free pre-K3 and pre-K4 seats to District residents at the University of the District of Columbia, and Kiddie University will provide a Spanish-immersion program that incorporates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at the Deanwood Recreation Center.
“As Washington, DC continues to grow, we’re going to continue making the investments necessary to set more young people up for success and give more families the resources they need to thrive,” said Mayor Bowser. “We picked these two providers because their programs take a well-rounded, holistic approach to educating young children.”
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Pledge to #SaveDCTAGSaveDCTAG
 MOAA calls on its
community members to support the Mayor's fight to save the DC Tuition
Assistance Grant program (DCTAG), a program that has helped 26,000 students
attend and get through college. Today, President Trump released a budget
proposal for 2019 that completely eliminates DCTAG. This is grave news for DC.
It means that a college education for thousands of DC students is at risk.
Congress can and should reject this proposal and fully fund DCTAG for 2019 and
beyond.
Please help us save DCTAG by signing the #SaveDCTAG petition Here.
DC Based Non Profit Supports Young Female Ethiopian Runners
The Girls Gotta Run
Foundation started out with an effort to get running shoes to girls in
Ethiopia.Now, more than a
decade later, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit is working with 100 girls
and 40 mothers in the African country.And the Girls Gotta
Run Foundation provides more than just shoes. Three-year scholarship programs
in Sodo and Bekoji, Ethiopia, allow girls to stay in school while also running,
receiving coaching and running gear, and learning life skills, according to the
nonprofit’s website.
Learn more
Access Bank Internship and Executive Trainee Program: Going Home and Exploring
Get on board the Access Bank internship and Executive Trainee Program for an opportunity to make an impact on your homeland. Access Bank offers eligible graduates and postgraduates an opportunity to work in a challenging, fast-paced yet value-adding environment.
Learn more
CBE Clinic: Accessing Different Sources of Capital
Obtaining financing for a small business can be a challenge, particularly if you are start-up or may not have the credit history or collateral. What sources of capital are available to you as a small business? How do you prepare to be considered? These are a few questions Carl Hairston, City First Bank's Chief Lending Officer, will answer.
When: Wednesday June, 20th, 2018 | 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Where: 441 4th Street, NW | Suite 805S | Washington DC | 20001 Point of Contact: Patricia Harrison | (202) 741-0806
Learn more
Washington English Center's Spring Community Services and Health Fairs
On Thursday, May 24, 2018, the Washington English Center will; be host the Community Services and Health Fairs to connect adult immigrant students with organizations in the community that provide
services of interest to our student body.
Washington English Center hosts Community Services and Health Fairs every term during regular
class hours so that it is easy for students to attend and learn about these
services. WEC typically have about 150 students in attendance at each event.
About 60% are from Spanish-speaking countries, and the other 40% are from all
over the world.
When: Thursday, May 24, 2018 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: 2200 California St NW | Washington, DC | 20008
RSVP here
Want Your Event Featured in the African Beat?
'The African Beat' is distributed to over 8,000 subscribers every other Friday. If you would like your event to be featured in our newsletter, please submit the following details: what, when & where, and provide a link to where readers can go for more information. Submission deadline for the next edition is Wednesday, May 30, 2018 by 5:00 pm. Send all materials, along with any questions, to oaa@dc.gov.
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