Pan-African Community Development Initiative empowers the African Community in the diaspora to contribute to the economic development of their communities. To help our members build resources and a safety net, we provide confidential access to financial counselors to assist members in developing budgets and managing accounts, consolidating debt, avoiding bankruptcy and building credit. We conduct seminars on how to buy a home, and provide access to a counselor to assist potential buyers through the complete process of owning a home, including access to financing.
Moreover, we provide direct assistance to members to start and develop their own businesses and create employment that are culturally sensitive and community driven, such as our Childcare Business Development Program. We offer job training, skill development, business support and certifications, and fiscal edification.
Through our Pan-African Language Justice initiative, we advocate for language access and ensure that our programs are linguistically and culturally accessible. We are a multilingual, multiethnic organization representing our members’ wide range of identities and experiences.
Wallan Mi Wanlle
"Wanllan Mi Wanlle," meaning "Help Me, I Help You" in Fulani, is a vital mutual aid community collective predominantly comprised of recent asylum seekers and migrants originating from Guinea, West Africa. Wanllan Mi Wanlle is an initiative fostered by Pan-African CDI, organized primarily through a WhatsApp group bearing the same name. Within this digital ecosystem, members collaboratively exchange invaluable insights, resources, and guidance pertaining to the intricate journey of navigating the asylum system, securing shelter, attaining employment, accessing healthcare, and cultivating a sense of belonging within a nurturing community.
Wanllan Mi Wanlle was conceived as an empathetic response to the influx of African migrants converging in New York, including those arriving from the U.S.-Mexico border and various other states. Recognizing the pressing need for comprehensive support, the group's founding members, who are esteemed resident community representatives, provided information to address pertinent matters, elucidating the avenues to vital public benefits, encompassing Medicaid, food stamps, the NYC ID card, English language programs, and the intricate asylum process.
Employment Disruption Program
In April, the Pan-African CDI launched our Employment Disruption Program in response to the Covid-19 public health and economic crisis in our communities. We were able to rapidly and effectively respond to the pandemic because we had already built an infrastructure to bring critical services to our constituents. The Employment Disruption Program assists community members whose livelihoods have been hurt by the corona virus to apply for unemployment insurance and pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits. We guide people through the entire process from creating emails, their pins, to completing the application, and the weekly recertifications. We meet them where they are, with volunteers who speak English, French, Arabic, Fulani (Puular), Krio, Moore, Dioula and Bambara. Moreover, we advocate for those who are unaware of or afraid to apply for City, State and Federal relief.
Financial Literacy & Counseling
This program helps develop our members' capacity and build a safety net, we provide financial counseling and seminars to assist individuals with money management skills on how to create a budget, build good credit, and access to banking services and secured credit cards. It helps members become fiscally solvent and on the road to creating wealth.
Homeownership Seminars & Counseling
This program provides confidential access to financial counselors to assist members in developing budgets and managing accounts, consolidating debt, avoiding bankruptcy and building credit. We conduct seminars on how to buy a home, and provide access to a counselor to assist potential buyers through the complete process of owning a home: and access to financing. This program is designed to help the community become financially stable and own their homes – for many, homeownership is their only equity
Entrepreneurship & Business Development
This program assists African immigrant and low-income communities, in New York, access the services and tools available to achieve gainful employment, start businesses and most importantly grow businesses. We provide direct assistance to members to start and develop their own businesses and create employment that are culturally sensitive and community driven. We offer job training, skill development, business counseling/support and certifications, and fiscal edification. Recognizing that each participating individual and business will be at a different stage of development, the Pan-African CDI business development program is designed to accommodate the unique circumstances, goals and resources of each participant.
Childcare Business Development & Parenting Program
In partnership with the WHEDco, our Childcare Business Development Program trains immigrant women to become childcare providers, equipped with the tools they need to run a business, including licensure, co-op development, consumer protection training, personal and business financial education, child development and parenting classes. The program permits the development of businesses and generate employment catering to the childcare needs in the community, while providing a rich cultural experience for the children.
Our Childcare Program offers our participants a chance to become owner-employers and business owners. It offers them a viable alternative for dignified work and a decent income to make a better living and integrate into American life and society. This homebased childcare program is rooted in community economics and women entrepreneurship that does not require higher degrees or formal training as most of our members already have the experience caring for children or are employed as baby-sitters.
The Parent Class provides guidance to our members on how to care for children and become better parents in their new geo-social economic environment.
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
This program provides free-income tax preparation in the community. We were certified through VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). In the past 2 years, our VITA program has served nearly 500 low-income people, saving them tens of thousands of dollars in fees, netting over $700,000 in refunds, including $235,000 in Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN)
This program assists our undocumented immigrant members apply for individual tax identification number (ITIN) that allows them to pay taxes.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
This program assist community membership to apply for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly known as Food Stamps, and advocate for benefits in a culturally sensitive and community driven context.
Voter Registration & Civic Engagement
In partnership with local organizations and elected representatives, we conduct voter registration drives. this program is designed to organize and mobilize our members to build the capacity of our voices, and increase our potential membership.
