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Who We Are
Background: Africa Cultural Alliance of North America Inc (ACANA) a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania in 1999. For the past 10 years, ACANA has been the leading advocate for the welfare and rights of African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees in Philadelphia area. ACANA has been steadfast in delivering quality services to its clients and has won some praises. According to the Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Commissions on African American Affairs “ACANA is one of a kind organization in the State” its model of service is under consideration to be adopted for other cities in the State”.
A Chief Executive Officer appointed and supervised by the Board of Directors heads ACANA. ACANA has five departments, which include Finance, Operations, Social Services, Arts and Culture and Community Development. ACANA recognizes the vulnerability of women, children, youth and the elderly and employ the use of targeted and focused programming to address their challenges.
Our Mission:
ACANA‘s mission is to help refugee and immigrant families access health, education, shelter and other social benefits with a special focus on women, children, youth and the elderly in their resettlement process in Pennsylvania; mobilize African cultural artesian, performing and recording artists to create an awareness of the African Culture; promote the preservation of cultural values as well as support artists efforts to promote their own vocations in their new environment.
Our Vision:
To see happy, productive and fully integrated refugee families capable of supporting themselves, their community and their country.
What We Do
In an effort to fulfill its mission, ACANA undertakes a portfolio of programs designed with a special focus to address the needs and challenges faced by women, children, youth and the elderly in their resettlement process in the US. ACANA currently run 8 core programs. They include: Immigration/Refugee program, After School Program, Computer Skills Training Program, Adult Literacy Program, Art and Culture Program, Community Development Program and Advocacy Program. To ensure comprehensive delivery of quality services to its clients, ACANA relies on the services of qualified and committed employees and volunteers. Additionally, ACANA also collaborates with some likeminded organizations in managing some of its programs to ensure quality service delivery. In 2002, ACANA collaborated with the Lutheran Children’s Services to run a full flesh after school program. The goal of the program was to assist West African Immigrant Children with home work and other skills. ACANA’S WATREP program operates in partnership with the Philadelphia School District, The Public Private Venture, SEAMAAC, CCTC, and the Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services, the community advocate in the service environment and several Schools in Southwest Philadelphia.
Collaborating Organizations and agencies:
Over the years, ACANA has collaborated with the following in various capacity of service delivery. The following are organizations with whom ACANA has either partnered, collaborated or use as a referral source: PA Department of Public Welfare, City of Philadelphia, PHMC, Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association (SEAMAAC), The Big Picture Alliance, Inc., Department of Human Services, Children Crisis Treatment Center, Mitchell Elementary School and the Shaw Middle School in West Philadelphia, Career Link, Public Private Ventures, US Department of Labor, HIAS, Lutheran Family Services. Philadelphia Mural arts project, the Kimmel Center, Painted Bride, the Folklore Project and Chester Avenue Business Association, Temple University School of social Administration, University of Pennsylvania, and Penn State outreach program.
ACANA works very closely with Nationalities services Center, Lutheran Family Services and Hebrew Immigration Aid Society (HIAS) and Council collaboratively to provide services to help refugees and new immigrants meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter as well as immigration and citizenship issues.
ACANA also collaborates with the Welcoming Career Center for new Pennsylvanian, Med Net Health Career Center, Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services, and JEVS Human Services Center for New Americans and the Philadelphia Workforce Development Center for job placement services. ACANA has relationship with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging and the United States Department of Labor. The agency also receives other resources for arts and cultural programming from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Mid Atlantic Arts Fund to provide support to African refugees in the metro Philadelphia area. ACANA receives funding from several foundations, including the Samuel Fels Fund, the Philadelphia Foundation and the Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.
Where We Work
ACANA is based and operates in Southwest Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is not only a home to so many immigrants, but it is also one of the designated federal resettlement cities for refugees and asylees. As a result, Philadelphia has become home to so many vulnerable adults, disadvantaged children and youth and the elderly uprooted from war-torn countries of Africa and the Caribbean. These families face a host of unique challenges ranging from illiteracy, language, poverty, disease, unemployment, cultural adjustment among others. In response to these challenges, ACANA developed and runs a series of programs dealing with the myriad problems these populations faces. These programs are critical to Southwest Philadelphia which is heavily populated by impoverished and illiterate immigrants.
According to the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians (Immigration & PA), “there are an estimated 50,000 African immigrants living in the Greater Philadelphia Area, representing a variety of nations, cultures, languages and religions (http://www.welcomingcenter.org/immigrationPA/Africa.php)”. The State of Pennsylvania, particularly the five contiguous counties surrounding the City of Philadelphia, has the highest number of African refugees settled in the State since 1990 (Pennsylvania Office of Refugee Re- settlement, 2007).
Available statistics show that the neighborhood has twenty percent (20%) of the individuals in these tracts have less than a high school diploma, compared to 5% for the city as a whole. Eighteen percent (18%) of families in these areas receive Public Assistance compared to 9% for the City of Philadelphia. Despite the bleak picture that these statics paint, ACANA believes that with resources it will turn the tide and make these people viable and productive members of society.
While there are other organizations in the region dealing with these challenges, ACANA has the experience, expertise and cultural sensitivity needed to deal with traumatized populations. Additionally ACANA has within its staff people who understand different African dialects enabling them to communicate effectively with most of the clients who don’t speak English.
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Education and Technology
