Washington, DC

The Office of African Affairs (OAA) is delighted to announce the awarding of $100,000 in funding to eight community-based organizations (CBOs) who provide critical services to the District’s African community.

Grants supported by Fiscal Year 2015 funding have been awarded to CBOs who serve the city’s most vulnerable community members and offer support and programs in priority areas of  workforce and economic development, linkages to health and human services, youth engagement and education, and the promotion of African arts, culture, and the humanities.

“We congratulate the recipients of this year’s African Community Grant,” said OAA Director, Ngozi Nmezi. “We are confident that the funding will enhance the capacity of these institutions – strengthening their culturally and linguistically targeted services, so that they continue to be bastions of support for the District’s African community.”

This year’s awardees are: African Women’s Cancer Awareness Association ($15,000); CitiWide Computer Training Center ($20,000); Ethiopian Community Center ($18,000); The Person Center /DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence ($15,000); KanKouran West African Dance Group ($12,000); Many Languages One Voice ($5,000); Oromo Community Organization ($10,000); Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington DC ($5,000).

“We look forward to working with African-serving community-based organizations in their year-long programs designed to respond to the particular needs of our diverse constituents,” said Deputy Director and grant manager Heran Sereke-Brhan.

Grantee programs will expand health linkage and health education resources, offer workforce training, provide positive youth development and leadership programming, extend access to resources, raise awareness about domestic violence, and showcase the rich variety of African cultures. FY 2015 marks the second fiscal year that OAA is awarding the African Community Grant. 

Grantees were selected following a rigorous competitive process conducted by an external review panel who evaluated each proposal based on quality of services, organizational capacity, and the reach of proposed programs into the District’s culturally and linguistically diverse African community.