Two Ghanaians Honored in the US

The National African Immigrant Resource Center (NAIRC), a Non-Profit Organization in the US has been recognized for its focus on community education. The President of the company, Samuel Agyei Boateng, a Ghanaian social worker and Fredric Nnoma-Addison CEO were also honored by the District 7 and the Washington Field Office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at an immigration information forum held in the Fairfax County –Virginia. A certificate of appreciation was presented to them for organizing “the first ever community immigration information forum in the Fairfax County” which saw in attendance stakeholders. The citation on the certificates presented to them read in part; ‘……..in grateful appreciation for conceiving and coordinating the first ever Community Immigration Information Forum”. The certificates were endorsed by two officials of USCIS and it bore the seal of US Department of Homeland Security.

It would be recalled that in early December 2007, NAIRC organized an immigration forum which attracted immigrants from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Reacting to the outcome of the forum and whether it realized the desired goal of his organization, Samuel Boateng remarked that it was a successful program as attested by participants. The most exciting thing is that participants saw the faces of the officials behind the immigration doors which most immigrants dread. Boateng emphasized that everything was executed according to the goals and objectives of NAIRC- among them partnering with organizations to inform and educate immigrants. He added, “The Center will continue to function as a leading resource repository and clearing house for African immigrants in the US in 2008 and beyond”.

Talking at the forum, Samuel Boateng assured the gathering that future programs by his organization will focus on networking and enhancing the cultural competence of those rendering services to the African community in fields like, career guidance, capacity building and skills development, family and youth development, financial planning, education financing, violence prevention and cultural adjustment. He emphasized that research will form a major component of the operations of the center in identifying the major predicaments confronting the African community and the advancement and implementation of any programs will be based on these findings.

In achieving the above, Samuel Agyei Boateng stressed, “A significant portion of my time will be devoted to meeting with clients and staying in constant contact with Board Members, community leaders and volunteers in and around the US through e-mail, phone calls and personal contacts”.

Boateng hinted that as a fall out of the Forum, the NAIRC has been invited by the Mayor of Herndon, a fast growing town in Fairfax County of the State of Virginia to work with the Mayor and his Officials on a model information and education program that will alert immigrants living in the township about their rights and civic responsibilities and which can be replicated elsewhere in the US.

On the background of Samuel Agyei Boateng, he was born to Nana Kwabena Nkrumah Boateng I and Madam Abena Mansah and grew up among his forty-two siblings in his father’s cocoa farm near Goaso in the Brong Ahafo region. He had his basic education at Asuadae local authority primary and Goaso L/A middle “B’ continuation schools in Brong Ahafo and proceeded to Okuapemman School in the Eastern Region. He is an alumnus of University of Ghana, for his Bachelor’s degree. Between 2003/07, Boateng worked for two Master’s degree programs at George Mason and Ohio Universities in Social Work and International Affairs respectively. While at George Mason University, he interned with the Department of Human Services, where he taught citizenship classes for new immigrants and engaged in community outreached programs and handled various needs of new immigrants. He became involved in stakeholder consultations for redesigning the US citizenship test and community outreach strategies for the USCIS Washington field office. It was these services that made Samuel Boateng to develop interest in helping African immigrants who had little or no voice.