Road to the APSP 6th Congress Blog Series

The African People’s Socialist 6^th Party Congress is almost here and we at AAPDEP couldn’t be more excited.  It will be held in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA  December 6-11th. The Congress is a time when we come together as the Uhuru Movement to discuss the way forward for African revolution and how that should look in the different areas of the movement.   As the work of AAPDEP becomes more focused, it is beneficial for AAPDEP members and supporters to participate in this revolutionary event.

 

The “Party” Created AAPDEP

Chairman Omali Yeshitela

AAPDEP would not exist today if it were not for the forethought of the Chairman of the Uhuru Movement, Omali Yeshitela, who saw parasitism manifest itself in the modern day NGO and Charity machines.  This parasitism is born from the overall capitalist system, which benefits from the exploitation of African and other oppressed people for profit. While we are subject to some of the worst levels of poverty; parasitic charity organizations grow rich from their encounters with us. Essentially they need the poor in order for their organizations to exist.

 

AAPDEP Does Not Want to Exist!

We want to be obsolete and we are hard at work creating the conditions for our organization to be unnecessary.  How?? By not just focusing on the poverty but through the injection of revolutionary theory into everyone we come across; because we understand that it’s not projects that will change our world, it is a complete dismantling of the capitalist system which was born and is maintained of our oppression.

Our work has not only been an attempt to alleviate the poor conditions we face, but to expose and overturn them  by empowering our people;  creating solutions that directly contend with capitalist influence, while showing African people how  we can solve our own problems.

This congress will be a chance for us to connect with other movement forces so that we can bolster our common goal of realizing a free and prosperous Africa and African people.

The 5^th APSP USA Congress 2010

AAPDEP Director, Dr. Aisha Fields center – APSP National Coordinating Committee 2010

At the 5^th Congress, which was held in Washington DC in 2010, AAPDEP joined Africans from around the world in recognizing the significance African Internationalism and the impact it has had on revolutionary thought and action.  It was at this Congress that AAPDEP’s Director, Dr. Aisha Fields was reappointed to her position and has since led the struggle for AAPDEP work to be carried out. Since that Congress we saw the work of AAPDEP explode in Sierra Leone and expand in the United States in places like Washington DC and Houston. We also received renewed interest from Africans on the Continent from the countries of Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Sudan.

Moving Forward

The Road to the Congress Series has a three-fold goal; it’s about making people aware of our place within the Uhuru Movement, a revolutionary organization; encouraging our members and supporters to register, attend and participate in this event; and a way for us to establish regular updates for our work.

As we have just announced our AAPDEP Uhuru Spring Project 2014 and are set to announce other initiatives we encourage people to find ways they can get involved. Attending the Congress is a step in the right direction.

Read the Political Report to the 6th Congress

Register for the Congress Now

 

AAPDEP Mixers – October & November

For REAL African Develop Would You Pledge?

Presents are great! Birthdays are fun! However, now you can use your birthday to help celebrate life and champion the cause of African empowerment. Pledge your birthday to help support AAPDEP’s mission to redefine what it means to develop African communities.

 

 

 

 

 

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS.

1. PLEDGE – Fill out the form on our site to let us know that you want to Pledge Your Birthday. Make sure to tell your family and friends too.
2. CAMPAIGN – When your birthday is near, we’ll send you a reminder to start a campaign. This can take the form of you creating a pledge page, having a birthday party or any other genius ways that you can think of to ask your friends and family for money, instead of gifts.
3. SUPPORT OUR PROJECTS – 100% of what you raise will be spread across all of our projects or a specific project of your choosing. You’ll let us know.

 

AAPDEP is the Way Forward for the Development of Africa

 “CHANCE  has never yet satisfied the hope of a suffering people. Action, self-reliance, the vision of self and the future have been the only means by which the oppressed have seen and realized the light of their own freedom.“ -Marcus Garvey

In the spirit of Marcus Garvey’s work and vision for a free and self-determined Africa, AAPDEP International Director Dr. Aisha Fields traveled to Sierra Leone from June 8th to June 17th as part of a three-person Uhuru Movement leadership contingent.While in Sierra Leone, Dr. Fields met with AAPDEP-SL national leadership and membership, traveled throughout the country to assess the effectiveness of our programs, and participated in developing plans to increase our membership and economic development capacity inthe country.By all standards, the trip was a complete success! AAPDEP leaders and members spread throughout the country are working diligently, and with great competency and commitment to build and expand AAPDEP’s self-reliance projects in Sierra Leone.

Some highlights of the recent trip included:

AAPDEP SL Executive Committee

• Site visits to the AAPDEP Maternity Clinic in Yams Farm. The clinic, which was recently awarded government accreditation, is the only medical facility in the entire Yams farm community. AAPDEP nurses and midwives have delivered hundreds of babies without one infant or maternal death!
• Community program in Mokanji, SL, organized by AAPDEP Vocational School and AAPDEP Nursery and Pre-School staff and students.
• Visits to AAPDEP-SL Adult Literacy and Computer Skills Training Classes, which are offered at no cost.
• Participation in Uhuru Movement organizing conference in Allentown, SL. Conference attracted over one hundred participants and won dozens of new members to AADPEP-SL!

AAPDEP salutes our members and donors for your constant and selfless support of this work! Without you, none of this would be possible!

Together, we are doing the work necessary to usher in a new day for Africa and African people.

There is much more to be done, though, so we ask for your continued support!

Please help us continue our life-saving and life-changing self-reliance programs in Sierra Leone!

Make a Donation Today!

Or, send a check or money order made out to  “AAPDEP”
PO Box 17014
Huntsville, AL 35810

Back from Sierra Leone

We have exciting report to give to you but until we can get that finished please enjoy the pictures and video. Also we strongly encourage donations to the One Africa Tour Fund which made it possible for Dr. Aisha Fields to travel to Sierra Leone. The tour is an important part of the Uhuru Movement’s organizing campaign traveling throughout Africa.

 

HEALTHY MOMMAS AND BABIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY AAPDEP MATERNITY HEALTH CLINIC, ALLENTOWN SIERRA LEONE! DESPITE 1 IN 8 MOTHERS AT RISK OF DYING IN CHILDBIRTH IN SIERRA LEONE, AAPDEP HAS NOT LOST ONE MOTHER OR CHILD!! #UHURU MOVEMENT

AAPDEP NURSERY SCHOOL STUDENTS JUST BEFORE A SCHOOL PROGRAM ON JUNE14, 2013. THE YOUNG SISTER OUT FRONT GAVE A BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION AND STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF HER CLASSMATES. INCREDIBLE BRILLIANCE!

AAPDEP ADULT LITERACY CLASS, YAMS FARM, SL. CLASSES ARE FREE TO THE COMMUNITY.

AAPDEP NURSES, MIDWIVES AND TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANTS OUTSIDE AAPDEP MATERNITY CLINIC, YAMS FARM SL

AAPDEP VOCATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENTS LEARNING TO BECOME MASTER WEAVERS. CHECK THE BACK OF THE T-SHIRT

 

 

 

 

Communique from the “One Africa Tour – Sierra Leone”

Directors, Dr. Fields (US) and Nurse Koroma (Sierra Leone) in Sierra Leone

Last month the Uhuru Movement began the One Africa Tour Fund Campaign  calling for urgent resources to help fund travel and the work happening in Sierra Leone.  We called on folks to contribute toward the campaign as a way to raise $10,000 by the end of May.  Even though we did not reach our goal, we were able to send Dr. Aisha Fields along with other members of the Uhuru Movement to Sierra Leone. While on the ground they have been sharing updates with us about the importance of the work .

Oftentimes, in the field of international development, it becomes clear that you can’t orchestrate this work sitting apart from the people on the ground and what this trip has revealed is that there is a lot that must be done to support and help build the work in Sierra Leone.

We wanted to share with you some Sierra Leone updates from Dr. Fields.

Communique from June 11th:

I have arrived safely in Sierra Leone. We are just now able to make it to the internet cafe today.

Being here on the ground [I  am] aware in a more concrete way of the challenges that we are confronted with here, to say that we must push like crazy to make sure that [we reach our goal].

Just so you know, the new clinic is excellent. The new staff seem very committed. There is a computer lab with computer classes being taught and adult literacy classes being taught for free.

Nurse Mary and the other comrades have really tried hard. I am going to Mokanji tomorrow to meet with the forces there. I will be there for two days.

Communique from June 14th:

Greetings from Sierra Leone. Things are going well here so far. The AAPDEP work is going well and the comrades here are so impressive! Their commitment even without salary and sometimes food (yes food)!!!

We MUST triple, quadruple our efforts on the US side!!! Please, I want to urge that all of our supporters and membership contribute the maximum in terms of time, resources, strategies, etc. to raising resources for the tour fund and for the work in Sierra Leone in general.

There is much that can be said, and even more that must be done. I look forward to sharing [with everyone] when I return.

Please Donate Today  

Press Release: AFRICAN-LED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ON U.S. TOUR, MAY THROUGH JULY 2013

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Nate Gilliam

Tel: (414) 405-9835

Email:  aapdeptour@developmentforafrica.org

AFRICAN-LED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ON U.S. TOUR, MAY THROUGH JULY 2013

Forwarding the African Agenda: Sustainable Development through Self-Determination

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama (April 26, 2013) -The All African People’s Development and Empowerment Project (AAPDEP) is excited to announce the US tour of its International Director, Dr. Aisha Fields, PhD.  AAPDEP invites all people with a passion for self-determination and community-led development to bring the Forwarding the African Agenda (FTAA) tour to their city.  

The FTAA tour will focus on building branches of AAPDEP in the US while gaining support for the overall organization.

Dr. Aisha Fields in Sierra Leone

As the development arm of the Uhuru Movement, AAPDEP’s goal is to bring together Africa’s people, resources and skills for implementation into dual and contending development programs that will help to resolve a historical dependence on oppressive institutions.  All across the world Africans experience some of the highest levels of poverty as a result of not having access to their resources.  While they are struggling to make a decent life of whatever opportunities present themselves, their knowledge and skills  are not being utilized to enhance their collective development.   Their labor and material resources go toward a system that was born out of the exploitation of African people; an exploitation that continues until this day. AAPDEP is the organization that has been working to overturn that contradiction.

In the US and in Europe, Africans are faced with chronic unemployment and underemployment, wage discrimination, gentrification, immigration issues; which isolate their communities from any meaningful community development.  On the continent of Africa, discussion about development always leads to more foreign investment from former or emerging colonizing powers and/or a charitable approach which relegates Africa and African people to being perpetual wards and inhibits genuine sustainable development.

Under Dr. Fields’ leadership, AAPDEP has engaged in projects in Africa and throughout the US.  AAPDEP is actively engaged in creating a new paradigm for African people worldwide, from agricultural work in Houston, TX, St. Petersburg, FL, and Huntsville, AL; to the Marcus Garvey Saturday School in Washington DC.  During this tour, Dr. Fields will be sharing her experiences, as well as her wealth of knowledge regarding the struggles of African people and tangible solutions for their future.

There are a number of ways that people can contribute their skills, time and resources to this work:

1. Become an AAPDEP member and utilize acquired skills for the benefit of all African people.
2. Host an event and bring the Forwarding the African Agenda Tour to a local area.
3. Work with AAPDEP to organize a fundraising drive within a school, work place or community.
4. Support AAPDEP by making a donation here: http://developmentforafrica.org/donate.shtml

Learn more about AAPDEP’s work by visiting developmentforafrica.org.

If you would  like more information about this tour, or to schedule an interview, please contact  the tour coordinator Nate Gilliam at (414) 405-9835 or email aapdeptour@developmentforafrica.org

###

2013 AAPDEP Tour Banner

Thank You!

AAPDEP wants to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who supported the AFIAH tour. From the on-the-ground coordinators, to the attendees, to our online donors. We appreciate it all.

We were able to raise $12,542.45 toward our goal of $25,000, which went immediately toward the work in Sierra Leone. Details will be coming out soon.

Since 2009 we’ve tripled our capacity and all of our projects are still in the initial stages and need seed money. So we want to encourage everyone to continue to donate so that we can achieve our goal by July 15th.  There are still some urgent matters that need resources.

You can do this by going to http://developmentforafrica.org/donate.shtml.

Thank you and make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletters, like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on Youtube and add us to your circles on Google +.

Interview with Nurse Mary “Maternally Yours” @ 6:30 PM EST.

TUNE   IN  TO —WSLR.org  from 6-7pm for “Maternally Yours” Radio Show to hear Nurse Mary. She will be interview around 6:30 pm in brief.

Please don’t forget that if you are unable to attend any tour event in your area, you can still support AAPDEP and the Infant & Maternal Health Clinic by donating at http://www.developmentforafrica.org

*Highlights from the phenomenal D.C Tour Event will be posted soon.