asofiadmin | African Society Foundation Inc. https://africansociety.org It takes a Village! Thu, 24 Dec 2020 01:14:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://africansociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-ASOFI-Icon-32x32.png asofiadmin | African Society Foundation Inc. https://africansociety.org 32 32 2020 End-of-Year Appeal https://africansociety.org/2020-end-of-year-appeal/ Wed, 23 Dec 2020 17:34:33 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=5870
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Dear Friends,

This year started with a single objective; to establish our presence as a newly founded human services organization providing essential human services to the elderly in our communities. We never imagined the magnitude of the need for our services that ensued at this phase of our existence. It was an immediate challenge for our young organization and a test of our commitment to our mission. Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic broke, our leadership responded with courage and agility, pivoting from a planning phase to coordinate a swift humanitarian response to the growing pandemic. Given the limited understanding of the spread of COVID-19 at the time, many governments worldwide resulted in implementing drastic shutdown measures to curb the virus’s spread. It quickly became evident that many African countries with inadequate social safety nets would be adversely affected by these measures.

Despite our infancy, we did not shy away from the enormous challenge facing all of humanity. Besides the disruption of global air travel, our biggest obstacle was limited financial and human resources. But thanks to your generosity, we innovated and joined other seasoned humanitarian agencies in doing our part to alleviate the pain and suffering we witnessed at the time. We were able to mobilize volunteers and utilize technology to provide nutritional aid to the elderly population in rural villages in Kenya.

In May 2020, ASOFI launched the Village Pantry Program to give hope to the communities we serve that we would be there for them long after the politicians’ empty promises had faded away. ASOFI has provided over 18000 meals to the elderly at our pantries in Kenya.

In June 2020, we partnered with local, national, and international organizations to organize the 1st ASOFI Virtual Health Fair. The event brought together medical professionals working in the frontlines, including doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, and nurses who provided timely and authentic information about the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September 2020, we partnered with other nonprofit organizations to distribute over 100 dental care packs, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, dental floss, to elderly folks in Frederick, MD, and Lansdale, PA. We are grateful for the donations we received from the National Dental Association to support our Community Health Programs and provide much needed dental care supplies when dental service providers could not deliver routine dental care.

In October 2020, we held our 1st Anniversary Fundraiser to provide farmers with seedlings and other agricultural supplies to prepare for the next harvest season.

In December 2020, our Rafiki Cubs Youth Program engaged children in mask making and baking activities and fundraised for the Village Pantry Program to feed the elderly during the holiday season. So far we have raised $400 from our first bake sale ever and we hope to do more before the end of the year. Youths from diverse backgrounds ages 8-13 are welcome to join the program, which provides unique opportunities for them to acquire vital life skills while engaging in community service. Visit https://africansociety.org/rafiki-cubs/ to learn more.

Providing health and nutrition services to the elderly during this pandemic remains our single most important cause. With no one to care for them in their sunset years, fighting poor health and unable to engage in any gainful economic activity, there is no lower ground for these folks to descent to. This sadly is rock bottom. We are not naïve about the magnitude of the nutrition problem among the elderly; neither have we sought to or been able to meet every single case we encounter. Instead, we have refused to watch poverty exacerbated by this pandemic take our elders from us in misery. We hope that more people and organizations will embrace our cause and implement it widely, so please share our story and follow us on social media. Together, we will ensure that grandparents and great grandparents can experience some compassion in this lifetime.

As we settle into the festive holiday season of joy and giving, we wish you and your family a Happy Holiday and a New Year. We also invite you to make a donation to support a program of your choice. Donations received before the end of the year are tax-deductible in the year they are made to the extent permitted by law. Your continued support will help ASOFI continue our mission; to improve lives through education, health promotion, and capacity building and make a lasting impact on the elderly in our communities.

Remember to download your annual donation statement online.

Sincerely,

Abel Kingoo
Executive Director
African Society Foundation

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Rafiki-Cubs-Logo https://africansociety.org/rafiki-cubs-logo/ Tue, 22 Dec 2020 20:52:52 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=5863

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Rafiki-Cubs-Mowing https://africansociety.org/rafiki-cubs-mowing/ Tue, 22 Dec 2020 20:46:09 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=5858

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Planting Season for Community Gardens https://africansociety.org/planting-season-for-community-gardens/ Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:23:42 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=5605
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“Planting a seed in our Community Gardens will not only yield food. It will spread kindness, improve mental and physical wellness, and bring joy to the elderly in the communities we serve.

G. Kitabu
ASOFI Volunteer, Kenya

As we enjoy the fall colors marking another successful harvest season in our continent, we are getting ready for the next harvest on another continent! Our Village Pantry Community Gardens are gearing up for the coming planting season. You would be amazed by the outpour of support from the locals who have embraced our mission to help the elderly. They volunteered to get the plant beds prepared. Some elderly folks have even joined to help where they can. We are so grateful and proud of them.

As COVID-19 lockdown measures are lifted, our elderly community is joining the effort to plant for the next season. Some will work on vegetable gardens where they plan to plant kale, lettuce, carrots, onions, and tomatoes, while others will work on planting fruits and other local delicacies. The older men also have started bee keeping which will be great for pollination. We have been encouraging our seniors to avoid using processed sugar and artificial sweeteners and instead switch to honey whenever possible. Working on these projects has boosted their mental wellness, and they are excited to pass their agricultural wisdom to our young volunteers.

It costs us approximately $1 to feed an elderly person for a single day. Incorporating a community garden into our Village Pantry Program will be very beneficial due to the frequent fluctuation of local food prices. They will ensure our limited resources are maximized for the greatest good, and that they have a lasting impact in the lives we touch. When you donate a dollar for seedlings, you ensure we can feed more elderly people during the next harvest season.

Beyond buying and planting seedlings, your donation will purchase compost and manure from local farmers to enhance the soil quality. We’ll also be able mobilize volunteers to fetch water when the rains slow down, and the wells dry up. Supporting our community gardens ensures that our crops have a great chance of success.

Please consider donating to our Village Pantry Community Gardens to ensure adequate nutritional supplies for our seniors when they need it the most.

Seeds Fundraiser

$71 of $200 raised
$
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Donation Total: $5.00

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Kids Dental Event https://africansociety.org/kids-dental-event/ Sat, 23 May 2020 02:36:33 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=4450 Yoga https://africansociety.org/yoga/ Sat, 23 May 2020 02:12:24 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=4443

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US Local Health Departments https://africansociety.org/us-local-health-departments/ Thu, 07 May 2020 02:24:07 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=4225 For the latest Covid19 information visit the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) website. If you are looking for information about your local State Health Departments and local Coronavirus information, visit the state links provided below.
ALABAMA Alabama Department of Public Health
ALASKA Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
ARIZONA Arizona Department of Health Services
ARKANSAS Arkansas Department of Health
CALIFORNIA California Department of Public Health
COLORADO Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
CONNECTICUT Connecticut State Department of Public Health
DELAWARE Delaware Division of Public Health
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA District of Columbia Department of Health
FLORIDA Florida Department of Health
GEORGIA Georgia Department of Public Health
HAWAII Hawaii State Department of Health
IDAHO Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
ILLINOIS Illinois Department of Public Health
INDIANA Indiana State Department of Health
IOWA Iowa Department of Public Health
KANSAS Kansas Department of Health and Environment
KENTUCKY Kentucky Department for Public Health
LOUISIANA Louisiana Department of Health
MAINE Maine Department of Health and Human Services
MARYLAND Maryland Department of Health
MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts Department of Public Health
MICHIGAN Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
MINNESOTA Minnesota Department of Health
MISSISSIPPI Mississippi State Department of Health
MISSOURI Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
MONTANA Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
NEBRASKA Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
NEVADA Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health
NEW HAMPSHIRE New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
NEW JERSEY New Jersey Department of Health
NEW MEXICO New Mexico Department of Health
NEW YORK New York State Department of Health
NORTH CAROLINA North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
NORTH DAKOTA North Dakota Department of Health
OHIO Ohio Department of Health
OKLAHOMA Oklahoma State Department of Health
OREGON Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division
PENNSYLVANIA Pennsylvania Department of Health
RHODES ISLAND Rhode Island Department of Health
SOUTH CAROLINA South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
SOUTH DAKOTA South Dakota Department of Health
TENNESSEE Tennessee Department of Health
TEXAS Texas Department of State Health Services
UTAH Utah Department of Health
VERMONT Vermont Department of Health
VIRGINIA Virginia Department of Health
WASHINGTON STATE Washington State Department of Health
WEST VIRGINIA West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health
WISCONSIN Wisconsin Department of Health Services
WYOMING Wyoming Department of Health

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References

CDC – State and territorial health departments – STLT gateway. (2020, May 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/healthdepartments.html

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COVID-19 Mask Pattern https://africansociety.org/covid-19-mask-pattern/ Thu, 30 Apr 2020 08:27:36 +0000 https://africansociety.org/?p=4038 COVID-19 Mask Pattern

Modified from pattern by the Turban Project

What you will need:

  1. Cotton fabric – 9 inches X 6.5 inches (2 pieces). If you are using fabric with a design make sure to cut and sew it so the design lies horizontally (going across the face).
  2. Elastic – 7.5 inches. Either round or flat elastic is fine. If round kind tie a knot at both ends before sewing.

Directions:

  1. Cut the 2 pieces of fabric and the 2 pieces of elastic using the pattern measurements.    
  2. Place the fabric right sides together and pin the elastic in place.
  3. Sew around all four sides. Double sew over the elastic for strength. Leave a small opening along one length to turn the mask right side out.
  4. Create 3 folds on each side of the mask and pin in place. Sew all the way around the mask to secure folds and close the opening. ALL DONE.

Special Notes:

  1. For this mask cotton fabric was used for the outside and a soft thin flannel for the inside. The flannel is softer on the face especially if worn for extended periods of time. If flannel is not available cotton fabric can be used for both pieces to add an additional layer of protection.
  2. The mask can also be made using one piece of cotton fabric if supplies are limited.

Modifications:

  1. To make a child version of the mask change the pattern length measurement to 7.5 inches.
  2. If you do not have elastic you can use fabric ties attached to the sides of the mask instead.
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