INSIDE the June 2007 Newletter
The African Renaissance needs you! 1
The African Anthem: Tribute to the African Mother 1
Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu hails the African Renaissance
Ambassador Initiative 2
Who is an African? 2
Helping Africans planning to travel abroad 3
The Worst moments of Africans abroad 5
Up coming Events and African Renaissance day 6
and more... including your feedback and reviews
The African Renaissance needs you! 1
The African Anthem: Tribute to the African Mother 1
Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu hails the African Renaissance
Ambassador Initiative 2
Who is an African? 2
Helping Africans planning to travel abroad 3
The Worst moments of Africans abroad 5
Up coming Events and African Renaissance day 6
and more... including your feedback and reviews
Other News and
highlights
The worst moments of
Africans in Diaspora
The ARA debates begin
in Cameroon
June 2007 newsletter
More ARA news
highlights
The worst moments of
Africans in Diaspora
The ARA debates begin
in Cameroon
June 2007 newsletter
More ARA news
Feb 01, 2008: ARA launches high impact Micro-finance project online
The board of governors of ARA Corp have agreed to launch the high-impact
'one-person-at -a-time' 'Help Africans Help Africa' Micro-finance project online.
Youtube has agreed to partner with ARA in the effort. ARA will actively involve
the African Diaspora in the project as well as goodwill non-Africans. People
(lenders) will have the chance to power Africans out of poverty by loaning 25-
100 dollars to a poor female entrepreneur in Africa (who has no collateral) to
start a business. ARA will provide guarantee to the lender that his/her money
will be paid back. After the money is paid back, the Lender can choose to
pocket the money, or the lender could re-loan it to another entrepreneur.
Periodic reports will be provided on how the loan has helped the entrepreneur
out of poverty.
ARA will combine the power of video to connect lenders to entrepreneurs.
Youtube is providing a special channel for ARA for this purpose and will also
support ARA to reach ARA's target audience with public service messages
using the YouTube Nonprofit Program. The Micro-finance project designed
after the Nobel Prize winning model has received wide acclaim both in Africa
and abroad. 'It was about time we went online', says Lydia Asana, ARA's board
chair. ARA is taking the Nobel Prize winning model to the next level by
combining the power of Video (with Youtube support) and the goodwill of
people to transfrom a life and indirectly a family and an economy thousands of
miles away in Africa. In the first phase the project will focus on Cameroon and
will support only women. ARA would then build on the success of the project to
expand it to other African countries. ARA has a local office in Cameroon with
dedicated staff for support, coordination and training. Our initial objective is to
provide the poor women in the rural areas of the North West province of
Cameroon a means of improving their standards of living and bring them out
of the cycle of poverty.' Says ARA Corp Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Peter Neba.
Here is the Microfinance page.
Jan 2, 2008: ARA seeks to promote the participation of
Cameroon Youths and Women in democratic processes
ARA Corp is working to launch a project aimed at Empowering the
Cameroonian Youths and Women to actively participate in shaping their
Country's future by taking part in elections. The project is planned for take-off
in the second part of 2008. ARA is looking to garner some support from the
United Nations Democracy Fund, UNDEF to enhance the impact. While ARA is
a 501 (c) 3 status apolotical organization, it recognizes that Democracy and
freedom are rights that would facilitate the realization of the African
Renaissance.
This project will prepare at least 7 million youths and women in Cameroon to
take part in elections within the next 5 years and the trickle down effect will
enable the entire Cameroonian society to develop a democratic culture which
shall not be restricted by age, sex or wealth. This will go along way in coercing
policy makers and holders of electoral mandates to always
take the plight of these systematically marginalized social categories into
consideration when taking decisions. When they shall be made to understand
they owe their mandate to them, for they constitute the majority of our
electorates.
It should be recalled that only 30% of a population of about 6 million
registered voters actually cast their votes during the last municipal and
legislative elections in Cameroon. When we consider that the actual
population of the country is about 17.000.000 inhabitants, we realize that the
number of electorates is too small and something needs to be done so that it
actually takes its rightful place in the democratic dispensation of our country so
that elections results should be representative of the will of the majority. We
must collectively ensure that the majority should not be disenfranchised on the
pretext of poverty, age or gender mainstreaming. The power to vote is also the
power to fight poverty and check illegal migration from Africa.
Jan 1, 2008: Youtube to support ARA in a program that will
significantly expand ARA's reach to the public
Youtube has expressed excitement on supporting ARA as one of the 501 (c) 3
non-profit organizations in a partnership that would significantly help ARA
reach its target audience better. This would in turn strengthen YouTube's reach
to Africa and the African Diaspora. The partnership is particularly expected to
bolster ARA's yearly trademark African Renaissance Ambassador debates
aimed at empowering African youths to debate on and find solutions to African
problems. The ARA debates have generated a lot of panegyric in Africa and the
African Diaspora in 2007. They also provide an opportunity for Africans abroad
to connect with Africa and their alma mata and be actively engaged in
supporting sustainable development in their sending countries. The debates,
dubbed the African school event of the year, should also help to engage and
inspire young people to be innovators and leaders in the African renaissance
era. Here is the Debates page
December 26, 2007: ARA and Cameroonian outreach
subsidiary SPF are partnering with the Cameroon
government to fight cancer in Cameroon.
In a christmas 2007 agreement, The Cameroon government will provide over
2.5 million FCFA for the first phase of the project with the support expected to
be revised upward in the second phase. The Cancer control program is
expected to benefit people in the Ndonga Mantung Division of the NW province
of Cameroon. Liver cancer is the most common cancer in the general
population while cervical cancer is the most common in Cameroonian women.
In Cameroon, only 1/300 women can perform her pap smear and only 10% of
registered cancers are microscopically verified. The cancer control program is
also expected to create life saving awareness and education. This will educate
people on potential symptoms and procedures for early diagnosis and
treatment.
October 2007: ARA launches an Information Technology
Program aimed at providing low cost Information Technology
Internet Services to some African villages
More than 75 % of Africans live in villages and less than 15 % of these villages
have access to electricity. This is a clear indication that many Africans go to
bed every day in darkness and wake up in darkness.
Even though some 10 % of Africa’s city dwellers are effectively informed every
24 hours of world happenings, only 1.12% of them are capable of responding
to such information because of access to the internet. To bridge this gap
between the Africa and the international community, and to meet up with its
objectives of information for transformation, ARA Corp has embarked on an
Information Technology program aimed at providing low cost Information
Technology Internet Services to some African villages. ARA Corp is beginning
with Bafut in the Mezam Division of Cameroon.
The Digital Divide is presently at the center of international development
concerns. A series of factors, including literacy and education, language, time,
cost, geographical location, social and cultural norms constrain access to
information technology around the world. Africa is an area of greatest concern,
as Africans have the world’s lowest participation rates in science and
technology education at all levels. ICTs have the potential to assist people by
providing information and training on methodologies to improve their
productivity and their quality of life. Moreover, ICTs today can offer new
opportunities for Africans to be employed in innovative and non-traditional
sectors.
For the first time in history, people of the village of Bafut now have community
internet service integrated in the ARA/SPF community library. ARA plans to
build the capacity of Africans in the use of ICT in the context of economic
empowerment. The Programme will provide training to the management and
staff of local partner organizations in the use of ICTs. Plans are underway to
extend this to other villages. More information coming up! You can be a part
of this initiative
The board of governors of ARA Corp have agreed to launch the high-impact
'one-person-at -a-time' 'Help Africans Help Africa' Micro-finance project online.
Youtube has agreed to partner with ARA in the effort. ARA will actively involve
the African Diaspora in the project as well as goodwill non-Africans. People
(lenders) will have the chance to power Africans out of poverty by loaning 25-
100 dollars to a poor female entrepreneur in Africa (who has no collateral) to
start a business. ARA will provide guarantee to the lender that his/her money
will be paid back. After the money is paid back, the Lender can choose to
pocket the money, or the lender could re-loan it to another entrepreneur.
Periodic reports will be provided on how the loan has helped the entrepreneur
out of poverty.
ARA will combine the power of video to connect lenders to entrepreneurs.
Youtube is providing a special channel for ARA for this purpose and will also
support ARA to reach ARA's target audience with public service messages
using the YouTube Nonprofit Program. The Micro-finance project designed
after the Nobel Prize winning model has received wide acclaim both in Africa
and abroad. 'It was about time we went online', says Lydia Asana, ARA's board
chair. ARA is taking the Nobel Prize winning model to the next level by
combining the power of Video (with Youtube support) and the goodwill of
people to transfrom a life and indirectly a family and an economy thousands of
miles away in Africa. In the first phase the project will focus on Cameroon and
will support only women. ARA would then build on the success of the project to
expand it to other African countries. ARA has a local office in Cameroon with
dedicated staff for support, coordination and training. Our initial objective is to
provide the poor women in the rural areas of the North West province of
Cameroon a means of improving their standards of living and bring them out
of the cycle of poverty.' Says ARA Corp Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Peter Neba.
Here is the Microfinance page.
Jan 2, 2008: ARA seeks to promote the participation of
Cameroon Youths and Women in democratic processes
ARA Corp is working to launch a project aimed at Empowering the
Cameroonian Youths and Women to actively participate in shaping their
Country's future by taking part in elections. The project is planned for take-off
in the second part of 2008. ARA is looking to garner some support from the
United Nations Democracy Fund, UNDEF to enhance the impact. While ARA is
a 501 (c) 3 status apolotical organization, it recognizes that Democracy and
freedom are rights that would facilitate the realization of the African
Renaissance.
This project will prepare at least 7 million youths and women in Cameroon to
take part in elections within the next 5 years and the trickle down effect will
enable the entire Cameroonian society to develop a democratic culture which
shall not be restricted by age, sex or wealth. This will go along way in coercing
policy makers and holders of electoral mandates to always
take the plight of these systematically marginalized social categories into
consideration when taking decisions. When they shall be made to understand
they owe their mandate to them, for they constitute the majority of our
electorates.
It should be recalled that only 30% of a population of about 6 million
registered voters actually cast their votes during the last municipal and
legislative elections in Cameroon. When we consider that the actual
population of the country is about 17.000.000 inhabitants, we realize that the
number of electorates is too small and something needs to be done so that it
actually takes its rightful place in the democratic dispensation of our country so
that elections results should be representative of the will of the majority. We
must collectively ensure that the majority should not be disenfranchised on the
pretext of poverty, age or gender mainstreaming. The power to vote is also the
power to fight poverty and check illegal migration from Africa.
Jan 1, 2008: Youtube to support ARA in a program that will
significantly expand ARA's reach to the public
Youtube has expressed excitement on supporting ARA as one of the 501 (c) 3
non-profit organizations in a partnership that would significantly help ARA
reach its target audience better. This would in turn strengthen YouTube's reach
to Africa and the African Diaspora. The partnership is particularly expected to
bolster ARA's yearly trademark African Renaissance Ambassador debates
aimed at empowering African youths to debate on and find solutions to African
problems. The ARA debates have generated a lot of panegyric in Africa and the
African Diaspora in 2007. They also provide an opportunity for Africans abroad
to connect with Africa and their alma mata and be actively engaged in
supporting sustainable development in their sending countries. The debates,
dubbed the African school event of the year, should also help to engage and
inspire young people to be innovators and leaders in the African renaissance
era. Here is the Debates page
December 26, 2007: ARA and Cameroonian outreach
subsidiary SPF are partnering with the Cameroon
government to fight cancer in Cameroon.
In a christmas 2007 agreement, The Cameroon government will provide over
2.5 million FCFA for the first phase of the project with the support expected to
be revised upward in the second phase. The Cancer control program is
expected to benefit people in the Ndonga Mantung Division of the NW province
of Cameroon. Liver cancer is the most common cancer in the general
population while cervical cancer is the most common in Cameroonian women.
In Cameroon, only 1/300 women can perform her pap smear and only 10% of
registered cancers are microscopically verified. The cancer control program is
also expected to create life saving awareness and education. This will educate
people on potential symptoms and procedures for early diagnosis and
treatment.
October 2007: ARA launches an Information Technology
Program aimed at providing low cost Information Technology
Internet Services to some African villages
More than 75 % of Africans live in villages and less than 15 % of these villages
have access to electricity. This is a clear indication that many Africans go to
bed every day in darkness and wake up in darkness.
Even though some 10 % of Africa’s city dwellers are effectively informed every
24 hours of world happenings, only 1.12% of them are capable of responding
to such information because of access to the internet. To bridge this gap
between the Africa and the international community, and to meet up with its
objectives of information for transformation, ARA Corp has embarked on an
Information Technology program aimed at providing low cost Information
Technology Internet Services to some African villages. ARA Corp is beginning
with Bafut in the Mezam Division of Cameroon.
The Digital Divide is presently at the center of international development
concerns. A series of factors, including literacy and education, language, time,
cost, geographical location, social and cultural norms constrain access to
information technology around the world. Africa is an area of greatest concern,
as Africans have the world’s lowest participation rates in science and
technology education at all levels. ICTs have the potential to assist people by
providing information and training on methodologies to improve their
productivity and their quality of life. Moreover, ICTs today can offer new
opportunities for Africans to be employed in innovative and non-traditional
sectors.
For the first time in history, people of the village of Bafut now have community
internet service integrated in the ARA/SPF community library. ARA plans to
build the capacity of Africans in the use of ICT in the context of economic
empowerment. The Programme will provide training to the management and
staff of local partner organizations in the use of ICTs. Plans are underway to
extend this to other villages. More information coming up! You can be a part
of this initiative
" The African Renaissance means
lighting up Africa, so Africans do
not have to go to bed in darkness.
Africa has the the potential and
resources for this. We need to help
Africans transform this potential
into wealth and better standards of
living comparable to western
Europe and more." Nformi
Ngenge, ARA regional manager
Cameroon
lighting up Africa, so Africans do
not have to go to bed in darkness.
Africa has the the potential and
resources for this. We need to help
Africans transform this potential
into wealth and better standards of
living comparable to western
Europe and more." Nformi
Ngenge, ARA regional manager
Cameroon
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"Help Africans Help Africa"
African Renaissance
Ambassador
Ambassador
