Many African Americans take living in a developed country for granted. They don’t realize a decent education, school books and new clothes are seen as luxuries in some of the more deprived parts of the world, including Africa. Cedric Idudu and Sam Desalu, two Nigerian natives currently living in Southern California, are both aware of some of the problems facing Africa. They launched Afrika Fifty6, a nonprofit with a goal of organizing benefit projects in all 56 African countries.
“Sam and I are both big on service and we wanted to give back,” Idudu said. “And we realize how bad some kids (in Africa) have it.”
“I am a native of Africa and I know what poverty is from first-hand experience,” Desalu said. “We just want to put a smile on their faces…a lot of these kids have not had a reason to smile because of the situation they are in.”
One of the first projects they launched was a benefit concert called “For Our Girls,” which raised funds and awareness about the Chibok school girls who were kidnapped by Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram last year. The project also raised funds with a raffle and by selling paintings.
According to Idudu, Desalu, who works as a stylist, used his connections in the entertainment industry to draw big names to the benefit concert such as Tyrese, singer Mario, Taraji P. Henson, Matt Barnes of the LA Clippers and Stevie Wonder.
Afrika Fifty6 has raised funds to help children in the Ijango Zaidia Orphanage Centre in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The orphanage houses about 60 children. According to information from an Afrika Fifty6 press release, sub Saharan Africa has about 53 million children living in orphanages. Tanzania, which has a population of 43 million, has several million orphans. According to Desalu, the orphanage relies on private donations to keep it running.
“The orphanage does not get funding from the government. They receive in-kind donations from individuals in the community, but not enough to really make a difference because there are so many kids,” he said.
Desalu returned recently from Tanzania where he oversaw the project. Afrika Fifty6 was able to purchase goats, clothing, book bags and water for the children. Although Desalu said it took him almost 24 hours of traveling to get to Tanzania, it was all worth it and an awe-inspiring experience.
He added life in Tanzania, which according to the CIA Factbook is one of the world’s poorest economies, is quite different from life here. About 36 percent of the population live below the poverty line. Located in East Africa, Tanzania is a former British colony, which gained its independence in the early 1960s. The country was formed when Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form a new nation.
“Tanzania is considered a Third World country so there is a huge difference (from America.) The country is still developing,” Desalu said. Although the supplies provided by Afrika Fifty6 and its donors might seem like everyday items to the average American, they will go a long way to help improve the lives of the children at the orphanage.
“The supplies I brought for them will help them in many ways. The school supplies will help them perform better in school, because most of them don’t have the proper tools to do the work given,” Desalu said.“The daily essentials like toothbrushes, germicidal wipes, etc., will help them maintain a healthier lifestyle and receiving the clothes donated will help boost confidence, because the kids only receive new clothes once or twice a year.”
Desalu said the trip changed his outlook on life.
“This mission trip changed my life for the better,” he said. “I realized that what I take/took for granted living in the States, these kids wish they had. These kids have definitely blessed me.”
Desalu said he didn’t miss home too much when he was in Tanzania and was grateful for the experience.
“I didn’t really miss anything about the States. I was more excited about being in a different country and doing God’s work,” he said.
Idudu said Afrika Fifty6 received a lot of attention from its benefits project from Los Angeles area television stations and they have also partnered with UNICEF. Idudu is excited to have Desalu report back from Tanzania and show what they have achieved.
“People want to see what we are doing,” he said.
For more information about Afrika Fifty6 go to www.afrikafifty6.com.
