Mayor Bowser Announces FY2021 African Community Grant Awards

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (MOAA) awarded a combined $73,000 in grant funding to 10 community-based organizations that serve Washington, DC’s African residents.

The following organizations and programs will receive renewed funding for Fiscal Year 2021:

• African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association will use Community Health Cultural Ambassadors to provide cancer outreach and screenings.
• AsylumWorks (formerly The Asylum Seekers Assistance Project) will connect African asylum seekers to the knowledge, skills, and professional connections necessary to secure and retain safe, legal, and meaningful work.
• Ethiopian Community Center, Inc. will provide cultural and linguistically enriched summer programs to Ethiopian children and youth.
• KanKouran West African Dance Company will produce the 38th Annual African Dance conference featuring over 20 virtual dance and drum classes by Master Teachers from West Africa.
• Life Asset will provide microloans and training to aspiring African entrepreneurs.
• Mary’s Center will provide teens with the skills they need to pursue post-secondary education.
• Multicultural Community Services will train community interpreters to provide African-language translation services.
• Renaissance Center for Culture and Education will engage children and their families through a culturally tailored after-school STEM, homework assistance, and nutrition program as well as a summer camp program.
• Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International will provide career services and assist African born residents in securing meaningful employment.
• Your Ethiopian Professionals Network will provide STEM training for newly arrived young African immigrants.

The grant funding is aligned with the Bowser Administration’s priorities and is intended to enhance existing community programs focused on workforce and economic development, health and human services, youth engagement and education, and the promotion of African arts, culture, and the humanities.