"However long the night, the dawn will break."
- Ethiopian Proverb
Dear Supporters,
With the year coming to a close, we have a lot to be thankful for. One is that we recently turned six months old. Note, Footprints in Africa was established on 6/2/2020, and over the past six months, we have grown exponentially and seen unwavering support. For this, we say thank you! Rightfully so, this has given us the courage and determination to press ahead and execute our mission and vision. While our project has been a significant undertaking, we are proud of what we have achieved, and hope that 2021 will usher in an array of new and exciting opportunities to boost our outreach and promote the work that we do.
Besides the on-site work that we are doing in various African countries, our online store and presence have also been abuzz with new activity. We encourage you to support this cause by going to our website to shop our online store for genuine African-made items.
Current Events in Africa
Ethiopia
While the pandemic has been brewing worldwide, certain African countries continue to face other difficult challenges. In Ethiopia, for example, a long war broke out on 11/4, killing roughly 1,000. The war which unexpectedly broke out was a culmination of long-simmering tensions between Ethiopia's federal government and defiant authorities in the Northern area of Ethiopia called Tigray. The war has caused a lot of civilian deaths. It has also forced others to seek refuge in the nearby country Sudan threatening to destabilize Africa's strategic Horn of Africa region. The war has displaced thousands and caused a lot of ambivalence in the Region.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit created in 1992 to curb armed robbery and corruption in the West African country, faced a lot of backlash between October and November for their notoriously corrupt execution of specific policies as well as their show of police brutality to Nigerian civilians. The protests, which started as mild opposition on the streets of major cities in Nigeria, soon escalated into an online phenomenon spearheaded by youth activists and a social media campaign using the hashtag #EndSARS. On the night of 10/20/2020, during an active protest, and at approximately 6:50 p.m, Nigerian Army officers opened fire on peaceful End SARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos State, Nigeria. In their report, Amnesty International stated that at least 12 protesters got killed during the shooting. Although, the protests have mellowed down since there is still tension brewing in the country.
Affiliate Partnerships
As we continue to grow and expand, we realize the importance of strategy, collaboration, and partnerships. With that action in the works, we decided to collaborate with Mahogany Books and Urban Intellectuals.
Mahogany books is a local independent bookstore that believes in social entrepreneurship. Since 2007, they have taken a leadership role in the African American community by promoting reading, writing, and cultural awareness as tools to improve self-esteem, self-love, and ultimately Black communities to enrich the lives of motivated individuals. We are proud to be an affiliate partner of theirs, and you can find our affiliate link here. Use this link to purchase a book from the website for an added advantage.
Another organization that we partner with is Urban Intellectuals. This organization empowers and spreads awareness about the power and history of the Black community through artifacts, books, and card games, to name a few. We have partnered with their organization as an affiliate because their brand aligns with our mission and vision. To support us and learn more about Urban Intellectuals, click this link to purchase, learn, and engage.
Remember, every purchase made via our affiliate links benefit the mission and vision of Footprints in Africa.
Corporate Partnerships
We are fortunate to have a beautiful team of Corporate Partners that bring forth positive, social impact, such as Carey Bradshaw of Carey Bradshaw Photography out of New York City, New York, and Mary Evans out of Detroit, Michigan.
Carey Bradshaw, affectionately known as ThatMan, is a self-educated photographer and black business owner who is consistently pushing the boundaries of traditional photography by infusing digital photos with vivacious life and imagination. His extraordinary talent and love for the people and continent of Africa solidify our partnership.
Mary Evans of The S.O.S. Show with MARY EVANS is a renowned T.V. Talk show host and business owner whose work has inspired many black entrepreneurs across the globe. In addition to this, she owns a live talk show that emphasizes the strength of Black entrepreneurship and also shines a light on the African Diaspora. We are honored to have her partner with us.
Sponsor a Mingi Child
"Mingi is the ritualistic killing of infants and children believed to be cursed by tribes living in the remote Omo Valley region of Southwest Ethiopia. OMO CHILD's mission is to provide a safe, nurturing home and quality education for our rescued Mingi children."
Finally, we want to introduce you to our very first collaborative project in Africa called Sponsor a Mingi Child. We are collaborating with Lale Labuko of Omo Child Home in South Omo, Jinka, Ethiopia to make this a reality, ultimately, we cannot do it without your support. To effectively impact the lives of these children it is important that we walk hand-in-hand with those who know about their culture and community best, and that is why we are collaborating with Lale. We invite you to lend your monetary support to this cause by sponsoring a Mingi Child today.
Let's Get Social
A big thanks to many of you who have connected with us via social media. We appreciate you engaging and sharing our content. If you are yet to do so, we invite you to connect today:
As we close out the year, we want to sincerely thank each one of you for your consistent support of our work. Stay tuned for more updates. We look forward to doing more in the New Year and are excited about our future.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
© 2020 Footprints in Africa | PO Box 5435 Greenville, SC 29606 | 864-881-9000
Footprints in Africa is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS.
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