Thursday, June 5, 2008

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS WELCOMES THE BENIN DIASPORA, USA ORGANIZATION TO JUNETEENTH


BENIN DIASPORA USA

Mission Statement
Created in December 9th of 2007 the Benin Diaspora USA is a social organization seeking to organize all Beninese in the United States of America for the common good of our people and of those in Benin.
Our Goals
The goals of the organization include the following but are not limited to:
1-Assisting individuals achieve real economic independence.
2-Helping and/or assisting individuals sustain their social and economic independence through encouragement of learning trades, and formal education for all people and especially for the youth born here, or who migrated to the USA.
3- Seeking funding for fixed and mobile humanitarian programs in the Third World countries in general, and particularly in Benin.
4- Acknowledging, respecting and supporting individual rights and diversity within each person in our organization and in the communities we serve.
5- Seeking, collectively and individually, to identify, obtain and maintain competencies and the awareness needed to help each other socially and economically here in the USA and in Benin.
Integrity
We act with honesty and accountability towards each other, and seek to promote cooperation among all countries whose citizens, in the USA, share a common goal of sustainable development for our countries.
Our Programs
Here are some of the Areas of Intervention of the Diaspora Benin:

I-Investment for the future: Free Elementary school for all
Short Term Goal
1- Financial participation: The creation of a small bank in each village or group of villages.
2- Aides to deprived schools with school furniture, desks, school buildings, etc
3- Scholarships (from the USA Institutions/Universities) for our best students for undergraduate and graduates studies in the USA.

Long term Goals
Benin Diaspora USA would like to:
1- Have a positive impact on our brothers’ education by opening up and financing pilot schools. Each school will be provided with a library, computers, play grounds and others….
2- Encourage education for the disable children and young girls
3- Introduce the teaching/learning of the English language in every elementary school in the country in collaboration/partnership with Nigeria and/or other Anglophone countries.
4- Introduce the learning of the Chinese language in each secondary school as the 3rd language starting from 9th grade.

II-Investment in the Health Sector: Health Care in Benin

Short Term Goals
1- Treated mosquito nets projects
2-The acquisition (collection) of health care materials such as: Clinical gloves, thermometers, gowns, etc
3-Being able to provide health education and preventive measures
4-The treatment of the wastes products, which pollute our hospitals and our environments
5- Collect used medical equipments that can be used in our hospitals or local clinics
6- Provide workshops/seminars for hospital personnel in Benin

Long Term Goals
1- Implement two different pilot projects: one in rural area and the other in urban environment (The pilot projects will help to provide better quality of health care to the patients as well as to maintain an adequate staffing)
2-Identification of the resources and elaboration of projects with the international communities
3-Encourage intervention by members of the Benin Diaspora USA in different sectors in Benin (identified by the Benin government and other organizations)
5-Contacting institutions/companies in each state of the USA that can provide help of any kind in the field of health care in Benin.

III- The Beninese in Diaspora: From the Exodus of Competences to the Gain of Intellectuals/Knowledge
1- Encourage a legal massive arrival of the Beninese in the USA by using American companies’ sponsorship and the lottery visa system. (There should be the sensitization and orientation of the Beninese public)
2- Once arrived, put in place a structure for receiving and training them.
3- Benin Diaspora USA will establish structures for employment similar to that of the Chinese and the Spanish in the USA to help the new arrivals.

IV- Give Benin an ideal name and perspective
1) The fight against corruption
 Make auditing structure independent and/or private
 Computerize with perfection the activities of the customs, polices, and gendarmeries
 Sensitize both the private and the public sector about tourist profession by enhancing the “MAY I HELP YOU AMERICAN” in Benin
2- Re-dynamiting the Tourism sector
 Organize school vacation trips for the young Beninese leaving in America to Benin
 Encourage the practice of festivals, gospels and other cultural event manifestations
3-Reinforce sport activities
 Look for sponsors to help our national team and other sport activities such as baseball etc in Benin
 Introduce new sport such as baseball to our youth.

V- Leader and Entrepreneurship
1- Sensitizing and organizing of entrepreneurs in Benin
2-The creation of the Beninese chamber of commerce in the USA
3-The fight against corruption
4-Incitation of the Beninese business in the USA
VI- Real estate in Benin: The construction of a viable base
1-The reinforcement of the real estate law in Benin
2-The speeding up of the procedure of locating and giving land certificate to land owners to avoid double-dealing
3-During construction consider different public works (such as electrification, water supply, road infrastructure) and environmental norms

VII- Telecommunication and Technology in Benin: Connectivity for productivity
Benin Diaspora USA would like USA companies to invest in the enhancement of telecommunication technologies in Benin.

VIII- The Energy Resources in Benin: The Electricity Problem in Benin
Research has shown that the costs of petroleum continue to rise constantly and this has a heavy impact on the national budget. Benin Diaspora USA recommends that:
1-We will continue exploiting new and renewable sources of energy such as the solar energy and even the transformation of waste products into electricity.
2-The Government should encourage any company that is interested in exploiting the different sources of energy to do so by providing funding.
3- Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cote-d’Ivoire and Ghana develop a partnership with Niger (which possesses Uranium) for the implementation of a single nuclear energy production plan.
4- Benin government encourages gas production in Benin.

We are delightful about the work of Alabama Benin Forum created as an entity in 2003 under the leadership of the late John H. Smith, the former Mayor of Prichard, Alabama who passed away in 2006 to celebrate the cultural ties, source economic relationships and foster camaraderie between the Diaspora in the State of Alabama and the Republic of Benin. We are also very pleased about the resolution HJR25 Sign by the Governor the 5th of May 2004. We will be please to meet with Alabama City Mayors, Alabama House of Representatives Officials, the religious, business, cultural, education and local legislative politicians etc to discuss our partnership we the people of the state of Alabama. This forum is lieu for us to introduce ourselves to you as the Fundamental Benin entity in the USA.

We are inviting everybody to joint use in our journey for the fundamental goal of restoring BENIN here and image around the world. With pride and dignity all of the people listed below have accept your invitation and will attend the event of the Juneenth in Alabama. This is our 1st years in Alabama and we hope to meet all of you. Until then let us celebrate this historical year in the USA history.

Sincerely,

Secretary of Diaspora Benin USA
Martine Megnigbeto

Delegation and Contacts
1-Dr. Antoine Atinkpahoun
President of Benin Diaspora USA,
307 west 120th street, Mailbox 7,
New York, NY, 10027.
Tel (212) 932-8859 or (917) 288-4017
Email: sdegbelo@aol.com.

2-Dr. Pierre Atchade
Vice-President of Benin Diaspora USA
2706 W. Wellington Dr.
Muncie, Indiana 47304-1273
Tel: 765-289-3955 or 765-730-5026
Email: bwpatchade@hotmail.com

3-Mlle. Martine Megnigbeto
Secretary of Benin Diaspora USA
63 Bonair Street #: 3
Somerville MA 02145
Tel: 617-629-7650 or 617-319-0792
Megnigbeto77@yahoo.fr

4-Mr. Kayeromi Gomez
Assistant Secretary of Benin Diaspora USA
9918 S Wallace Street
Chicago IL 60628
Tel: 773-349-7937
kayeromig@gmail.com

5- Mr. Elie Koukoui
Responsible of Cultural affairs for Benin Diaspora USA
1530 Fory Jhonson Rd.
Charleston SC 29412
Tel/fax: 843-577-5551 or 843-475-7568
eliekoukoui@hotmail.com

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