Washington DC – Working to strengthen economic partnerships between the United States and Africa, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced today that 43 African women business leaders will travel to the United States September 19 through October 7 as part of the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program.  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with a group of African Women’s Entrepreneurs in June during the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Zambia.

These women entrepreneurs will meet and network with U.S. policy makers, companies and industry associations, civil society groups, non-profit organizations advocating for women’s economic opportunities, multi-lateral development organizations, and business alliances.  They will travel to Albany, NY; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Jacksonville, FL; Kansas City, MO; Louisville, KY; Miami, FL; New York, NY; Orlando, FL; Pensacola, FL; Portland, OR; Sacramento, CA; Santa Fe, NM; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Tulsa, OK, and Washington, DC.

The U.S. portion of this initiative kicks-off in Chicago on September 19 and will feature a keynote address by Desiree Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Publishing Company.   While in Chicago, the group will tour and meet with business owners from six local businesses to share best practices, hosted by Entrepreneurs Organization (EO).  In New York, the group will participate in an event sponsored by the RAND African First Ladies Initiative and the Corporate Council of Africa featuring Cherie Blair, the former First Lady of the United Kingdom.  After breaking off into smaller groups for travel to mid-sized cities, these women will come together in Washington, DC for meetings with senior U.S. officials, businesses, and civil society.

Already, the African Women Entrepreneurship Program has empowered small business owners and provided them the tools to export under the terms of AGOA.  Others are working to increase their export capacities and establish business relationships with U.S. partners.  Following the success of the inaugural class of African women entrepreneurs in 2010, ExxonMobil committed to funding two more follow-on trainings in Africa in partnership with Vital Voices.

This initiative, which first began in 2010, works to empower African women entrepreneurs to become part of their national and global business networks by:

• Increasing opportunities for women to use the AGOA program;
• Expanding opportunities for exports and U.S. investment in sub-Saharan Africa;
• Recognizing and expanding the roles women play as advocates for changes in laws, regulations, customs, and incentives that support women in businesses in their countries; and
• Instituting a follow-up program so that participants, in their role as community leaders, can pass on what they learn.

The women participating in this current program hail from Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

source: State Department

The tragedy surrounding the case of Nafissatou Diallo, embattled hotel worker, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, one-time head of the world’s major lending bank, deepened today with speculation by lawyers that the woman whose sex attack charges were tossed out by a NY judge, now faces deportation.

Prosecutors in the case claim that Diallo admitted to lying on her asylum application, commenting on the issue Jason Dzubow a lawyer said, “lying on sworn statements is almost a guarantee the case will be reopened adding that “she’s going to have a hard time.”
She is accused of making up a story about the hardships she faced under a dictatorship including  gang rape and using a fake visa to enter the United States in 2004. The Guinean President Alpha Conde and his wife denounced her claims to the media, further hurting her credibility when they insinuated that she came from a tribe of liars and dishonest people.

Immigration lawyer, Zachary Sanders chimed in and said, “with all the press attention, my educated guess is that they are going to look at her case again, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

However, West African immigrants from her community of the Bronx have come up to her defense with Emmanuel Donkor saying, “It doesn’t matter if she wasn’t honest about things, if she was raped that’s all that counts.” While Boubacar Barry criticized the Manhattan District Attorney, Cy Vance Jr cried, “he should have let a jury decide” wondering, “I thought this was America. I’m more than disappointed.”

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Michael Loua and his wife are from Guinea, West Africa--a predominantly Muslim nation.  Michael came to Jacksonville to go to seminary.  His friends say his heart was to preach Christianity in his homeland.

Elisabeth Loua, Michael's wife, has three kids and is eight months pregnant.  She says Michael planted 12 churches in Guinea.  The last time he was there training pastors, someone called to meet up with him.  Those who were with Michael say he went to prison for three weeks.

In those three weeks, Michael got a lawyer.  He was supposed to go to court on Monday, but on Sunday, Elisabeth says military came in and shot Michael.  She doesn't know why he was arrested or killed, but friends say they believe it was for his faith.

Elisabeth says, "I'm just trusting the Lord to help me. What i believe is that he said he would never forsake us."

Pastor Robert Corbell--with River of Life in Rusk where Michael taught missions classes--says, "I knew Michael's passion. When i found out he died, I was heartbroken."  Corbell says Michael was no stranger to suffering for Christ, and that Michael had actually been stoned once, leaving a scar on his forehead.  Corbell refers to him as a modern-day Paul.  "Compelled by love to reach them, he was willing to do whatever it took," he says.

Here is a video Michael made while in Guinea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM7CslYfNGk

Culled from KETK News

The United African Community Organization (UACO) recognizes and honors Pastor Abraham Adeniji with the 2009 UACO Desmond Tutu award in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the Detroit community.

The United African Community Organization (UACO) is a global umbrella for various Africans and Caribbean national groups whose primary purposes are: to promote, strengthen, empower, and unify African and African descendants in the Diaspora; to preserve and promote African culture as a tool of good citizenry, to provide humanitarian assistance to new African immigrants and serve the community in the areas of education, cultural diversity, housing, and youth development; to promote economic empowerment and to bridge the economic and cultural gaps between African and America.