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Muslims in Minnesota celebrate Eid El Hajj

By
Swallehe Msuya
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Minnesotan Muslims joined their brothers in faith, estimated at 1.5 billion globally, in an annual ritual of sacrifice on Saturday December 30 as they celebrated Eid el Hajj, or Eid el Ad’ha. The former name is associated with the end of the annual pilgrimage to the Muslim holy shrines in Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia, while the second name simply means “celebration of sacrifice.”
The sacrifice ritual dates back to the days of Prophet Abraham who was ordered by God to slaughter his son (Ismail) for sacrifice; and when he obeyed this command; God sent him a lamb in place of his son. Since then, Muslims who go for pilgrimage (hajj) and those who celebrate hajj at home have to slaughter a cow, camel, goat or ship in observance of the Abraham ritual. Those who do not make it to Hajj are to slaughter an animal and divide it into three parts: one third of it to be given to neighbors, the second part is to be given to the poor while the third portion is for consumption by family members.
Pilgrims to the holy cities range, in different years, between1.6 million to over 3.0 million people. One can only imagine the amount of protein food available during hajj in Saudi Arabia! The Saudi Arabia government which oversees the holy shrines of Islam sends plenty of refrigerated meat to famine-stricken areas of the world as the meat is superfluous for Saudis during this season and has to be shared globally.
One Muslim scholar asserts that: “Eid el Ad’ha is a great and unique occasion of joy and celebration. Ironically, this joy and celebration revolves around sacrifice. For believing Muslims, the joy of giving that touches others’ lives is far greater and deeper than the joy of receiving.” 
According to Islamic teachings, mother Hajar, Ibrahim’s second wife after Sarah, was left in a desolate barren valley of Mecca. Hajar was left there with her infant son Ismail. As Ismail cried for water, his mother walked between the hills of Safaa and Marwah in search of water when Arch-Angel Gabriel, emerging through divine intervention, brought a spring of water called zamzam to quench Ismail’s thirst. It is at this spring that pilgrims drink to this day! Ibrahim returned later and laid the foundation of Ka’aba (the Muslim niche of prayer). With water in the area, people started settling there and thus the town of Mecca took root and so did the Arab nation being off-springs of Abraham through his son Ismail. Abraham’s second son Isaac, son of Sarah, gave rise to the Jewish people. Jews and Arabs are cousin brothers linking up with Abraham, the father of prophets. Ismail is the great-great grandfather of Prophet Muhammad, (pbuH) may the peace of Allah be upon Him. There is a black stone at the Ka’aba known as hajaril’aswad and is known to contain the remains of sand that Gabriel collected from which God created Adam. Thus Islam, the universal religion and a religion of peace, connects to God through all the prophets from Adam to Muhammad (pbuH). Islam means total submission to the will of Allah. 
Some hajj rituals are performed in Mecca while others are performed in Medina where the prophet’s tomb lies. Other rituals take place at Mina, Muzdelfa and Arafa. It is at Arafa where Adam and Eve met after they had lost paradise and were looking for each other and reunited after 40 years of separation. Arafa is the climax site of pilgrimage and all Muslims on hajj have to spend part of the afternoon and evening there for the hajj climax day to complete the pilgrimage. 
Another Muslim scholar asserts that the coming together of so many Muslims from around the world is not merely an occasion for socialization, but it goes beyond that, as all pilgrims have the same simple two-piece white cloth (for men) drowning class distinction and displaying man’s equality and common destiny before God. It is an occasion for Muslims around the world to share information and build strong ties as brothers in faith. The prophet of Islam Muhammad (pbuH) is quoted to have said that all Muslims are one brethren in terms of sharing joys and pain. They have a common duty to take action to promote justice and remove corruption, using their hands, speaking against it or simply condemning it in their heart. 
By far the largest congregation of Muslim hajj prayers in Minnesota took place in the morning hours of Saturday at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Imam who read the two Eid sermons called on a packed assembly of believers to be generous to the poor, visit the sick and be good husbands, wives and children on this occasion of Eid el hajj. He said believing Muslims must follow the guidance of the Quran which spells out good deeds which please God and avoid bad deeds which annoy Allah like drugs, alcohol and hypocrisy which will end us in hell fire. He called on Muslims to follow the path of Prophet Muhammad (pbuH) and maintain daily prayers (salat), pay zakkat (2.5 % of one’s annual income as tax), fast during Ramadhan and make a pilgrimage to the holy Muslim shrines at least once in their lifetimes. Pilgrimage is for those blessed with the financial means and good health. 
Muslim scholars have argued that the social dimension of hajj is to help Muslims refocus their energies so that they do not forget what is happening the world over and take time to examine their situations as one community (Umma).

African Women in the Diaspora revisit Pan-Africanism

By
Julia N. Opoti
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Last month, women of African descent gathered at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center, in St. Paul, for the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Summit (PAWPS) to reignite a Pan-African women’s movement paying close attention to their role as philanthropists. The women represented different segments of the African Diaspora (which include recent immigrants, and African Americans), with Naomi Tutu, co-founder of the Tutu Foundation and daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the guest speaker.

According to a study done by the McKnight Foundation, the population growth of the African American community (the census grouped African Americans and Africans as one) is as a result of a higher birth rate than death rate, migration from other states and Africa.


"Minnesota has a well-deserved national reputation for philanthropic giving and innovation," said Jacqueline Copeland-Carson, PAWPS organizer and a senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute. "Minnesota’s new immigrants and U.S.-born people of African-descent have unique giving practices, and the field of philanthropy understands very little about their traditions. Women in these communities are at the forefront of community giving and caring. This summit aims to offer resources to new immigrants and to local nonprofit leaders serving this population."

Carson was eager to mobilize women of African descent in building the African Diaspora since she was confident that this would have a lasting impact on the community. She encouraged participants to continue the ongoing conversation in re-energizing the Pan-African dream. "What binds is not just our problems, such as high levels of HIV/AIDS individuals and violence. However, we need to use our collective energy in overcome these.”

Karen Kelley-Ariwoola, the interim President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation acknowledged the need of women of African descent to work together. "There are very few funds in the state that reflect the need of the Pan-African woman. However, the mission of the [Minneapolis] foundation compels us to encompass the community as a whole.”

In a compassionate plea to women of African descent, Naomi Tutu called out to women to take charge as the world had began coming to terms with the power of women as leaders. Tutu argued that for several reasons, including forced migration, African women have been separated for centuries and that it was time that they took the challenge to look for a connectedness and work together on their dream of passing on a better world. Speaking on the perceived division between Africans and African Americans in the Diaspora, Tutu asked participants to examine the history of this division allowing an opportunity to educate and challenge each other. She challenged the Diaspora to, as is in African tradition, to tell each other’s story so that they could continue upholding their inter-connectedness. On philanthropy, Tutu was quick to remind philanthropists to maintain a connection to the individuals in need. She also recognized that the world would not be able to heal until it listened to the voice of women.

Tutu, speaking on Ubuntu, an age-old African term for humaneness; caring, sharing and being in harmony with all of creation, asked participants not to give up the sense of community since, "it takes a whole village to raise a child."

One of the participants, an African American mother of two, gave a heartbreaking story on how her son came home crying because he felt a desperate need to understand the African language being spoken by a group of African children on the bus. Her son questioned his identity, and for the first time in her life, she declared, "I am African."

Another participant, of Somali descent, spoke of the challenges of allowing her children to come into their own, and accepting their two cultures. She had to reinforce that being African was beautiful as they had a rich culture. She asserted the need for Africans and African Americans to unite on a contextual relationship based on culture.

Tsehai Wedajo, co-founder of REAL which is an organization based in Minneapolis that sponsors the education of teenage Ethiopian girls, in a panel discussing the role of women philanthropists, urged participants on the importance of education from the grassroots level in empowering them. "Educating the girl child through cultural navigation and empowerment allows effective development of women as leaders in their community," she said.

The summit, included whole-day sessions in which women discussed varied issues including: Enrichment of African self, Philanthropy in the African concept, and the history of the African Diaspora in the US. The summit was sponsored by the Humphrey Institute, the Minnesota African Women’s Association, the Powderhorn-Phillips Cultural Wellness Center, the International Leadership Institute, the Minneapolis Foundation, the Otto Bremer Foundation, the Wells Fargo Foundation and the Family Housing Fund.

Recognizing & Controlling Seasonal Affected Disorder

By
GIgbo
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Throughout time, poets have often described a sense of lethargy which can accompany the shortening days of fall and winter seasons as an affective or mood disorder. Most individuals who are affected by this condition experience normal mental health throughout most of the year, but experience depressive symptoms during the winter seasons when the day light times get shorter. This condition is know as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Although the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder mimic those of clinical depression, most affected persons are not depressed in the usual emotional sense. They however feel fatigued and have a general lack of enthusiasm for their usual interests. In extreme cases, SAD can become a serious disorder requiring medical attention and even hospitalization. Norman Rosenthal, MD, a pioneer in SAD research and author of Winter Blues: Everything you need to know to beat Seasonal Affective disorder, has described SAD as “an energy crisis”. The typical symptoms of SAD include feelings of depression, lack of feeling rested after sleep periods, and a craving for sweets and carbohydrates.
Various etiologies have postulated as to the causative factors of SAD. One possibility, though disputed, is that SAD is related to a lack of serotonin and that exposure to full spectrum artificial light may improve the condition by stimulating Serotonin production. Dr. Rosenthal first described the disorder as “Winter Blues”, although this term is more often used to describe something commonly felt by a greater number of individuals during the winter season.
If you recognize the mentioned symptoms, the following can often bring relief:
1)      Engage and increase time spent doing outdoor activities especially when it is sunny.
2)      Exercise regularly, either at home or at a health fitness club.  A short period of twenty minutes is often recommended to work up a sweat.
3)      Choose meals wisely to prevent excessive weight gain. Avoid foods with high sugar or carbohydrate content.
4)      Avoid spending time alone, but seek out and get together with friends and a social circle that is supportive.  
5)      Engage in constructive activities that you enjoy.
6)      Those who work long hours should plan for breaks in between. A short, brisk walk outside the building is a good activity while on break.
 Practicing some or most of these suggestions should help bring some relief. If the symptoms persist, it would be wise to seek medical intervention to possibly prevent succumbing to a full blown depression.
The writer is an advanced Nurse Practitioner with Allina Health Systems in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

110th Congress set to take on comprehensive immigration reform

By
Igbanugo Partners International Law Firm
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When the House and Senate (110th Congress) convene on January 4, 2007, comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) will be a priority on their legislative agenda. So far, CIR has involved mostly enforcing immigration laws and controlling the Southern border. On October 26, 2006, for example, President George Bush signed The Secure Fence Act, authorizing the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along the Southern border; more vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting to help prevent people from entering the U.S. illegally; and the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce the border.
 
But the presence of millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. demands comprehensive and humane immigration reform, not just law enforcement and border patrol. The Democrat-controlled 110th Congress will include new legislators who may offer the best opportunity for changes in U.S. immigration laws. The focus on immigration reform during the midterm elections and the recent Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid at Swift & Company production plants, which targeted undocumented workers, should further add to the pro-CIR momentum. 
 
Swift & Company Raids – One More Sign of a Broken Immigration System
 
On December 12, 2006, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE agents raided six Swift & Company meat-processing plants, located in Worthington, Minnesota; Cactus, Texas; Grand Island, Nebraska; Greeley, Colorado; Hyrum, Utah; and Marshalltown, Iowa, to determine the immigrant status of workers and arrest those without employment authorization.
 
Since 1997, Swift has participated in the federal Basic Pilot program – a voluntary, online verification system that allows employers to check federal databases to confirm whether new hires are authorized to work. Using this program, Swift compares a job applicant’s social security number to the federal database to determine if it is real. The DHS used information gathered by Swift in the pilot program to build a case for the December raid. One goal was to arrest workers who used real, but stolen social security numbers.
 
Swift lawyers argued that federal law bars the government from imposing penalties on the company for data gathered in the program. On December 7th, however, U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson ruled against Swift. Five days later, ICE agents arrived at the Swift plants. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff touted the raids, stating, "This is not only a case of illegal immigration, which is bad enough. It is a case of identity theft and the violation of the privacy rights and the economic rights of innocent Americans.”
 
The raids resulted in the arrest of 1,282 allegedly undocumented immigrant workers. But only 65 were actually charged with identify theft, felony reentry after deportation, or other crimes. The remaining 1,217 are being held on immigration charges alone.
 
Immigrant advocacy groups argue that such raids uproot communities, disrupt local economies, and hurt workers who are simply trying to feed their families. Hundreds of apprehended immigrants were still separated from their families more than one week after the raids.
 
Meanwhile, those who want tougher enforcement call for similar raids in other industries. In the wake of the raids, Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Littleton, stated, “I have already publicly commended DHS and ICE for conducting this work site enforcement at Swift.” The Chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus added, “This kind of enforcement action by ICE has been sorely missing over the past decade and I urge you to expand such operations to other industries.”
 
The Swift raid is just one more sign that U.S. immigration policy is broken and needs reform. At a press conference on December 20, President Bush called on Congress for a comprehensive immigration bill on his desk by 2007, “and a plan that says if you’re coming into America to do a job, you can come legally for a temporary basis to do so.” 
 
“The system we have in place has caused people to rely upon smugglers and forgers in order to do work Americans aren’t doing,” President Bush said. “It is a system that, frankly, leads to inhumane treatment of people.” He continued: “The best way to deal with an issue that Americans agree on — that we ought to enforce our borders in a humane way — is we’ve got to have a comprehensive bill.”
 
Window of Opportunity for Immigration Reform
 
In December 2005, the GOP-controlled House passed an enforcement-only bill – House Bill 4437 (The Border Protection, Anti-terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005) – by a vote of 239 to 182 (92% of Republicans supporting, 82% of Democrats opposing). The Senate is considering this bill, after amendment by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
 
In May 2006, the Senate passed a less Draconian, more balanced bill – Senate Bill 2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act/CIRA) – by a vote of 62 to 36 (90% of Democrats supporting, 59% of Republicans opposing). The Senate Bill proposes a guest-worker program through a new “blue card” visa program, allows long-time illegal immigrants to gain citizenship with some restrictions, and permits young people to gain lawful status by succeeding in college. If enacted, the Senate Bill would be the most dramatic change in immigration law in 80 years, permitting approximately 103 million persons to immigrate legally to the U.S. over the next 20 years.
 
Because of its prior experience with CIR, the Senate is more likely to draft a comprehensive bill for consideration in committee within the first couple months of 2007. The House, which debated enforcement-only legislation during 2006, lacks experience with comprehensive immigration reform. So the House may take more time or pursue a different path than the Senate in its effort to fix the broken immigration system.   With Democrats gaining seats in the House, comprehensive immigration reform is a strong possibility when the 110th Congress convenes.

2007 Inflation Adjustments Widen Tax Brackets, Expand Tax Benefits

By
Chuck Chuckuemeka
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Personal exemptions and standard deductions will rise, tax brackets will widen and income limits for IRAs will increase in 2007, thanks to inflation adjustments announced today by the Internal Revenue Service.
By law, the dollar amounts for a variety of tax provisions must be revised each year to keep pace with inflation. As a result, more than three dozen tax benefits, affecting virtually every taxpayer, are being adjusted for 2007. Key changes affecting 2007 returns, filed by most taxpayers in early 2008, include the following:
·       The value of each personal and dependency exemption, available to most taxpayers, will be $3,400, up $100 from 2006.
·       The new standard deduction will be $10,700 for married couples filing a joint return (up $400), $5,350 for singles and married individuals filing separately (up $200) and $7,850 for heads of household (up $300). Nearly two out of three taxpayers take the standard deduction, rather than itemizing deductions, such as mortgage interest, charitable contributions and state and local taxes.
·       Tax-bracket thresholds will increase for each filing status. For a married couple filing a joint return, for example, the taxable-income threshold separating the 15-percent bracket from the 25-percent bracket will be $63,700, up from $61,300 in 2006.
In 2007, for the first time, inflation adjustments will raise the income limits that apply to the retirement savings contributions credit, contributions to a Roth IRA and deductible contributions to a traditional IRA where the taxpayer or the taxpayer’s spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work.
Choose Your Correct Filing Status
Your federal tax filing status is based on your marital and family situation. It is an important factor in determining whether you must file a return, your standard deduction and your correct amount of tax.
Your marital status on the last day of the year determines your status for the entire year. If more than one filing status applies to you, you may choose the one that gives you the lowest tax obligation.
There are five filing status options:
1.   Single. Generally, if you are unmarried, divorced or legally separated according to your state law, your filing status is Single.
2.   Married Filing Jointly. If you are married, you and your spouse may file a joint return. If your spouse died during the year and you did not remarry, you may still file a joint return with that spouse for the year of death.
3.   Married Filing Separately. Married taxpayers may elect to file separate returns.
4.   Head of Household. You must be unmarried and paid more than half the cost of maintaining a home for you and a qualifying person.
5.   Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child. If your spouse died during 2004 or 2005, you have a qualifying child and meet certain other conditions; you may be able to choose this filing status.

The Watchdog Needs a Watchdog

By
Edwin Okong'o - Mshale Contributing Editor
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NAIROBI, Kenya— There is a dark side of the Kenyan press that most journalists would rather not talk about. It’s not a secret, but it’s shameful and embarrassing. Everyone knows it goes on everyday. Editors and scholars acknowledge that it’s a big problem. But they don’t know what to do about it. You won’t see it published anywhere in the Kenyan media because it makes Kenyan journalists look more like hypocrites than heroes who have been at the forefront in the fight against corruption in the country.

“It makes it harder for [journalists] to say to us: ‘You are corrupt,’” says a Nairobi City Council police officer who wants to remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

Kenya has a history of animosity against the press. Since1963 when the East African country got independent, journalists have been arrested, tortured and threatened while in pursuit of the news. The most recent aggression by the government was on March 3 last year when dozens of police officers—under the orders of National Security Minister John Michuki—raided The Standard, Kenya’s number two daily, and its television station, burned newspapers and confiscated equipment. The hostility followed the newspaper’s reports charging that President Mwai Kibaki had secretly met with Kalonzo Musyoka, one of his fiercest critics. Both Musyoka and Kibaki denied having taken part in the alleged meeting.

Michuki, when responding to press inquiries on the raid, is reported to have said: “If you rattle a snake, you have to be prepared to be bitten.”

Such acts by the government only strengthen the resolve of the media to continue fighting for greater press freedom, according to Wambui Kiai, the director of the School of Journalism at University. of Nairobi

“The attack on The Standard was a setback in the fight to enhance press freedom but it has made the media industry pay close attention. Journalists now realize that they have to lobby in Parliament for their interests,” Kiai says.

Kiai says that in the past Kenyan media did not seem to follow what was going on in Parliament. This, she says, is the reason they were surprised when in May 2002 Parliament passed a Media Bill that threatened to curtail press freedom. The bill requires publishers to buy a one million-shilling bond (approximately $15,000) before getting a license to publish. This is a huge amount of money especially for magazines and small publishers.
Preferring self-regulation to government-imposed control, the media industry responded by creating the Media Council of Kenya to address complaints and improve journalistic ethical standards. But maintaining ethics in Kenyan journalism has become one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. Journalists still take bribes to kill or alter stories that are damaging to politicians and wealthy business people.

 “The Kenyan media belong to a class of elites,” says Samson Ajiayo, a Nairobi-based youth organizer “Journalists speak about human rights but do very little for the poor without whom the fight for freedom of the press could never have been won.”

Ajiayo, who was expelled from Egerton in 1991 at the peak of the fight to legalize multiparty politics, says the media have let the Kenyan people down. The Standard’s Alternate City Editor Maina Muiruri doesn’t agree that the press has let Kenyans down. Neither does he deny that corruption exists in the press. University

“It’s openly known in the industry that journalists take bribes from politicians,” Muiruri says.

Muiruri, however, blames the problem on the industry’s system of hiring journalists on a temporary basis. Kenyan media rely heavily on freelancers who get paid by the story, he says.

“Although few media companies make loses, competition makes it harder to persuade owners to pay journalists more,” Muiruri says.

Adams G.R. Oloo, a professor of political science at the University says while it’s true that corruption in the press has economic roots, he thinks it is unfair to lay the blame on freelance journalists. Looking at the Kenyan media it’s obvious that politicians make the news every day, he says. of Nairobi

Oloo says freelancers and journalists who work on short-term contracts are usually new college graduates who have no contact with senior politicians. He says editors and senior journalists are most likely to take bribes.

“The bribing of journalist continues because we are in a culture that tolerates corruption,” Oloo says.

Tanzanians celebrate 45th independence anniversary

By
Swallehe Msuya
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On December 9th, 2006 Tanzanians celebrated their 45th anniversary of independence from colonial rule by the British. Tanzania consists of former sovereign states, namely Tanganyika (who gained independence on December 9, 1961) and two offshore islands, Zanzibar and Pemba which forged a political unity with Tanganyika in 1964 to give birth to the United Republic of Tanzania.
Tanzanian nationals living in Minnesota gathered at a recreational center in Anoka County to dance the night away in celebrations to mark the great milestone. With the national flag displayed prominently at the meeting venue, Tanzanians under the auspices of Umoja Society, sang out their national anthem with intense patriotic feelings to remember their Uhuru (Freedom) Day. They joyfully danced to nostalgic patriotic tunes of the sixties that brought back sweet memories and triggered participants to put on their dancing shoes in a flamboyant display of the gracious Tanzanian dance-steps. 
 
Umoja Society, the association of Tanzanians living in Minnesota, had gone to great lengths to assemble delicious Tanzanian dishes much to the delight of its guests who kept serving themselves a bite of that extra-special andazi or samosa. The Tanzanian total package cuisine consisted of a mix of food that that was beautifully crowned by the universal finale of a wittingly prepared cake so delicious that it simply brought appetites to an epic climax! It was a boogie night to remember for most attendees.
 
The same event was the occasion for Umoja Society to elect a new Board of Directors in which a professional finance expert Ms Jackie Abebe was elected chairperson to replace out-going Tanzanian physician, Dr Crispin Semakula. The Umoja Society is a 501© (3) non-profit organization registered with the Secretary of State in Minnesota whose mission is to enrich the quality of life and strengthen unity among its members and the Swahili-speaking community at large.
 
The Umoja Society provides a forum for information-sharing, enrichment of language and other Tanzanian cultural values and provides a forum for networking and social interaction that includes a joint effort to handle costs of laying to rest a member or their immediate family in the event of death.The name of the organization Umoja Society has borrowed the Swahili word umoja which translated into English means “unity”. The society’s motto is the East African Swahili proverb “Umoja Ni Nguvu” whose literal translation is “Unity Is Strength”, or as the Americans say it, “United We Stand”.   
Other members elected to the new Board of Directors include: Bona Seu (Vice Chair); Lynn Owino (Secretary), Jeff Ndossa (Treasurer), Philip Kibira, Soga Mbilima, Dr Ghasper Kitange, Blandina Donald, Honest Tesha, Anna Sirikwa, Nguzo Kida, Riwa Obel, Felix Mayo, Aika Kihunwa and Linder Ringo. 
The Umoja Society Board of Directors is the highest policy making organ that oversees the management of Umoja resources and ensures that society by-laws are implemented to the letter as well as conforming to Minnesota state laws and those of the Federal Government.
Membership of Umoja Society is open to all Tanzanians, friends of Tanzania and Swahili-speaking persons as well as people of those categories residing in the neighboring states of Wisconsin, and Iowa. Members of Umoja Society who may move to other states outside the afore mentioned will also retain their membership as stipulated in its constitution. 
Contact information for Umoja Society is as follows: P.O. Box 14631, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414. Tel: 651-207-7753, Fax: 866-598-0348. Website: www.umojasociety.org.

Free HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C testing for African Immigrants

By
Swallehe Msuya
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African-born immigrants from Togo, Congo, Liberia and Cameroon who live in Minnesota brought their families to the ZYOMBI International Project (ZIP) for Christmas gifts a week from Christmas. The Executive Director of the non-profit organization, Alvine Siaka proudly distributed gifts to 105 children who called at the offices of ZIP in Minneapolis to observe the Christmas Tree unveiling ceremony.

ZIP is a non-profit agency that is committed to serving the African immigrant population in Minnesota by helping to fight the scourges of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.  They provide free testing, counseling and preventive education through community outreach programs in schools, churches, and community centers. They involve church and community leaders in alerting the African-born immigrant populations to the dangers of the pandemics that have ravaging many people.

“If you go to a private clinic for Hepatitis C testing, it will cost you some $ 80, but we give free testing at ZYOMBI,” said Siaka whose agency has enjoyed funding support from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and a pharmaceutical company named ROCHE.

“In the last three months, we were able to conduct about 100 tests, and huge audiences have attended our educational presentations where we attempt to break some African taboos through culturally appropriate methods and languages to drive our points home”, continued Siaka.

The main target populations for ZYOMBI are Liberian, Cameroon and Togo with whom they communicate in English, French and local dialects through the services of volunteer translators. ZYOMBI intends to expand its services to add food distribution that will include popular African cuisine beginning in the 2007 new year.   African immigrants who wish to access the services of ZIP may do so by logging on to  www.zip-project.org, or they can send their inquiries via e-mail to [email protected].

The ZYOMBI offices keep their doors open for members of the African immigrant population who wish to take advantage of the wellness services that are offered. Their welcoming office is located at 1931 1st Avenue/Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis. They can also be reached by phone on (612)-229-2679. 

Bill of Rights for Wellness declared on Africa World AIDS Day

By
Swallehe Msuya
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The third Africa World Aids Day (AWAD) turned thunderous as attendees stood up to join key note speaker Dr Bra Vada Garrett Akinsanya in calling for a Bill of Rights for Wellness for all people. Since all of us are “children of a living God” it is our right to do whatever it takes to achieve physical and spiritual wellness as a fundamental right protected by a bill of rights.
 
Dr Akinsanya urged the crowd to demand from the powers that be to enjoy a life of respect, cultural wellness, live a life of hope and prosperity where basic human needs of food, housing, healthcare are readily available to all. She said the black race has a prophetic mission to live a full life and attain their full potential in which they can share power, enjoy financial wellness free from debt and live a life of cultural wellness in which our languages, culture and spirit are honored.
 
The atmosphere turned electric as Dr Akinsanya read a poem dedicated to all those with HIV/AIDS and everybody in attendance urging all to ARISE to their prophetic mission to live a life of abundance as they were the hope for positive change in life styles in their communities.
 
This year’s Minnesota Africa World AIDS Day (AWAD) was held at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building on 179 Robie Street East, St. Paul. The occasion was graced by traditional African drum beats, prayers and solemn words of wisdom from elders (religious and community leaders), music, drama, poetry, dance and cultural exhibitions.
 
Powerful messages to contain the spread of AIDS were given through poems, drama, dance, and exhibitions of various agencies engaged in the fight against AIDS and bringing to public attention the kind of resources available to the public. Dr Bosola Akinsete, a physician in Minnesota who handles HIV cases spoke about challenges facing African immigrants in the war on AIDS as including stigma, fear of the unknown, lack of insurance cover, shame associated with AIDS, immigration bottlenecks and language barriers.
 
Exhibitors of cultural material with an African touch colored the occasion while the aroma of exotic African food brought mouth-watering impulses among the crowds that showed up. Pharmaceutical companies were there with brochures of their merchandise and drugs that help elongate lives of HIV/AIDS patients, and healthcare providers were all over the place to educate the public on what kind of resources are available to the people.
 
Key exhibitors included:
·      Pan African Community Organization (PACO)
·      American Red Cross
·      Open Arms Minnesota
·      Minnesota Department of Health (Refugee Health Program)
·      Minnesota Care
·      African & American Friendship Association for Cooperation and Development, abbreviated (AAFACD Inc)
·      Sub-Sahara African Youth and Family Services (SAYFSM)
·      ACO – Emergency and Community Health Organization
·      Population Connection
·      Blue House (Plight of Ugandan orphans)
·      ZYOMBI International
The audience was treated to a candid testimony on the experiences of Ms Siona Nchotu and Joyce Nalwoga as they battle with the pandemic giving useful tips how to stop the spread of this disease. They spoke about the need to break the silence, fight stigma and going for free testing so that we all know our status as the way forward to stop the spread of this malady getting out of control.
 
“Don’t be deceived by good looks and a big buddy like mine,” urged Joyce while wriggling her assets that sent the crowd roaring with excitement, “outside appearances do not tell you who has AIDS or who has not. Go get tested and protect yourself and others”; she advised the audience.
 
The vocal Siona Nchota was surprised why people “put horns on HIV/AIDS when it was a disease like any other,” she advised women going out to night clubs to wear their “rainy boots as if it is a rainy day”. She was talking about the need for women to be strict on using condoms to avoid going into unprotected sex.
 
She said men and women should attend Red Cross educational classes on AIDS so that we can become heroes in stopping the spread of AIDS. She warned, “light has come, let us not go back into darkness.”
 
On the World AIDS Day that was celebrated on December 1, 2006 the organizers of the global event declared that from now till 2010, the slogan should be “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.”
 
Since the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, infection with HIV has grown to pandemic proportions resulting in an estimated 65 million infections and 25 million deaths. HIV continues to disproportionately affect certain geographic regions such as sub-Sahara Africa so it is incumbent among healthcare providers to develop intensive programs for such areas so that all people requiring treatment are reached and help prevent transmission of new infections.
 
Figures obtained from the 2005 UNAIDS/WHO report suggest that 25.8 million people with AIDS (64%) live in sub-Sahara Africa. The region reported 3.2 million new infections in 2005 alone. In Minnesota, the African born population accounts for only 1 percent of the total population, but the Department of Health in Minnesota estimates that African-born persons accounted for 16 percent of all new HIV/AIDS cases in 2005.
 
African countries that have contributed to this huge figure in their immigrant population in Minnesota include Ethiopia (26%), Liberia (14%), Kenya (13%), Cameroon (9%), Somalia (8%), Sudan (5%), others, countries not named (25%).
 
This year’s AWAD event was poorly attended compared to the previous two years, possibly due to an awkward location for hosting this event relative to areas of high concentration of African immigrants.

AIDS: Youth Voices for Right Choices

By
dave
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0
A quarter a century after the discovery of HIV, the number of people living with the virus has risen to about 40 million. according to the latest statistics from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, over 4 million people were newly infected in 2006.
There have been more new HIV infections each year than AIDS-related deaths, but as more people become infected with HIV, more people will die of AIDS-related illnesses. It is against this backdrop that Mwanyagetinge decided to organize the Calling All Youth Tune-Up For Life event on December 2nd to educate Kenyan youth in Minneapolis on the dangers of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Mwanyagetinge was founded seventeen years ago as a welfare organization with the aim of helping Kenyan immigrants in Minnesota. In the beginning, Mwanyagetinge primarily dealt with immigration issues and emergencies, such as illness or death. It transformed into a non-profit social service agency in 2004, moving from their practice of fund raising to create a benevolent fund which can be accessed upon immediate need. It recently received a $250,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health to assist with its health and HIV awareness programs.
Calling All Youth Tune-Up For Life was sponsored by Moneygram and organized by a committee led by Marcellus Mayaka, the Health Programs Coordinator for Mwanyagetinge. They applied the novel approach of having the young people’s peers as the main presenters for the event, which kept the audience engaged and attentive. They also had various literature available, including answers to the most frequently asked questions on HIV/AIDS and magazines featuring testimonies of people living with HIV.
The event was kicked off by Nancy King’ori, a high school student, who chose people at random to come up to introduce themselves and say why they had attended the function. This helped break the ice and loosen up the audience, establishing the informal tone of the evening.
Loice Oburu, a coordinator with Mwanyagetinge, then had everyone disband into focus groups, each with a topic to be discussed and later presented to the entire gathering. This offered the opportunity for each member of the group to be actively involved in the discussions and to have their concerns or views aired. The issues discussed included the difference between HIV and AIDS, the effect of poverty on AIDS and the relationship between the abuse of drugs/alcohol and AIDS.
Dinner was followed by a fashion show where models displayed various types of traditional African dress to a loudly cheering and jubilant room. Several models posed for their pictures to be taken as the crowd roared and clapped its approval. The mood turned decisively lighter as two comedians played out a skit where they took turns taking anecdotal potshots at each other.
The intermission was followed by a twenty minute Hip Hop styled documentary from Health Beats encouraging abstinence as a deterrent and HIV testing for those who are sexually active. Jacob Basweti, a Red Cross certified HIV instructor specialized in African Americans, then took a moment to address any lingering questions that had not been answered or any that had arisen from the documentary.
There was then an interlude where Elijah Ichwara sang his Swahili sonnet, Je nini Ukimwi? (What is AIDS?) after which Susan Nkoge performed her Swahili poem Jiepusheni Kabisa (Avoid completely). This was followed by Denis Okingo who performed his English poem, Once upon a time. The last presentation was an African traditional dance by several young ladies complete with African attire. The audience got so entertained that several members could not resist joining the dancers on stage.
The event was brought to a close by the Mwanyagetinge chairman, Paul Morande, who thanked the attendees and spoke on the importance of the youth as the future of society. He also stressed the need for AIDS awareness programs to education youth on the present dangers and thanked the sponsors for committing to that noble cause.
Further information on Mwanyagetinge activities can be found on their website www.mwanyagetinge.org or from their offices at 750 2nd street, suite 386 Hopkins, MN.

Lura: Songstress of Cape Verde

By
Susan Budig
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0
Kissed by the lips of fate, Lura has evolved over the past fifteen years from her initial splash into the waters of world music.  Her alluring Cape Verdean sound, produced with the help of musical director, Toy Vieira, enchanted the nearly full house at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on December 14th.
Backed by a four-piece band, Lura sang a total of 15 songs with her Creole-gifted voice.  Her music reflected the influences of her parents’ homeland of Cape Verde, tinged with passionate Spanish flamenco along with traces of the melancholic Portuguese fado that surrounded her during her formative years growing up in Lisbon, Portugal.
Cape Verde, colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century, celebrates Independence Day on July 5th, having achieved sovereignty in 1975.  The ten small volcanic islands dotting the Atlantic Ocean 400 miles west of Senegal, in West Africa, are less populous than Minneapolis and St. Paul combined. Despite a population of less than half a million, the cultural mark that Cape Verdeans have made on the rest of the world is significant.
Cape Verde’s music, reflecting a mix of Portuguese and West African roots, can now boast of their newest light on the horizon. As beautiful to watch as she is to listen to, Lura seduced her audience with a deceptive innocence. Gyrating, she radiates her Congolese dance moves from her hips sending ripples out through her long slender arms. Wearing a two-piece, orange and ginger outfit, Lura warmed the audience with a stunning smile, despite the bright spotlights, her doe-like eyes connected with the onlookers, seated only a few feet away.  Her English, though fluent, was not expressed comfortably.  She sang in Creole-Portuguese.
Lura, not only danced and sang to her audience, but she also played several indigenous instruments to their delight.  As she performed one of her songs "M Bem De Fora", Lura flashed a ferrinho, a piece of metal, resting it on her shoulder and scraping it with a butter knife.  The sound was subtle, but the visual effect of watching Lura playfully flit an eating utensil added to her appeal.
After a moving mazurka number, Lura sat down on the steps of the stage.  She placed a navy cushion between her bent knees.  I almost expected her to transform into a mid-wife and explain the importance of Kegel exercises.  Instead, more appropriately, as the band began playing "Ponciana," Lura patted a rhythm on her batuku.
"The women in Cape Verde spend a lot of time together, working and talking and that is how batuku started; from the women of Santiago," said Lura.  "Now I and others are making a kind of batuku, but singing alone, not in a group.  I’m a little representation of batuku from Cape Verde."
Originally, a dozen or more women would beat the batuku rhythm on folded stacks of clothes held by their knees, while a lead singer improvised poetry lampooning community happenings. Ponciana segued nicely into "Camim Di Bo Sorriso" (Wedding of Corrineas).
"It’s a song about a woman who was to marry a wealthy immigrant from Holland, but fell in-love with a poor boy from Cape Verde," said Lura. “She got pregnant ending her mother’s dreams." 
This song was a mesmerizing lament, most reminiscent of the fados for which Portugal is known. My own lament: that I did not take the time to pick up her latest CD, Di Korpu Ku Alma, tempered by the fact that many of her songs are available on the web.  If I don’t mind sticking to my computer, I can listen to her inviting music as often as I want.
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