The African Family Health Organization (AFaHO), a member of
the latest cohort of 40 Barra Foundation Awards winners, got its start in 2005 when founder Tiguida Kaba, a Senegal native, lost a friend -- she bled to death in her own apartment because she was uninsured and undocumented, and afraid to go to a hospital.
It was an extremely traumatic incident for Kaba.
"She felt the need to create something [so] that people would know that no matter your circumstance, you can get care, you can get help," explains AFaHO Executive Director Oni Richards-Waritay.
Richards-Waritay, who came to the U.S. from Liberia, has been on the nonprofit’s staff for about five years after starting as a volunteer. AFaHO’s multi-faceted mission of connecting African and Caribbean immigrants to a range of important healthcare services means a lot to her.
"Being an immigrant myself and knowing the experiences that people went through, I was called to help her in any way possible," she recalls.
Through partnerships with local community health centers that accept any patient who is a resident of Philadelphia, AFaHO case managers and community health advocates facilitate services -- everything from language interpretation at the doctor, to nutrition and wellness counseling, to medical care for children and pregnant women.
AFaHO incorporated in 2005, but didn’t gather the funding or traction to be fully operational until 2009. Originally, the organization operated out of offices at Broad and Spruce, but to better serve their clients, they decided to relocate to West Philadelphia (4415 Chestnut Street).
"I have a soft spot for children," says Richards-Waritay of the work that speaks to her the most. When it comes to persistent health issues, it can be hard for adults to make changes, but with children, "you’re able to mold them to think differently, to act differently, particularly about their health, and I see them as agents of change in their own homes."
AFaHO’s work with children can be particularly important in the emotional health realm.
"[We] help them navigate trying to maintain their African culture but also assimilate into American culture," she explains. "What [does] that mean as they’re trying to straddle these two different worlds and the impact that has on family dynamics?"
She’s thrilled about the opportunities the Barra dollars -- $25,000 per year for two years, with no stipulations about programming -- will offer AFaHO.
"I don’t even know how to explain the importance of this grant, because most of the funding that we get is tied directly to program work," she explains.
The Barra Awards offer general operating support, a rare boon in the nonprofit world. It could help pay for staff’s administrative time, cover a much-needed audit, support additional staff training, or enable an outside evaluation to identify best practices and areas where services could be improved.
"General operating money is really hard to come by," adds Richards-Waritay. Instead of zeroing in on a single program, the grant will let AFaHO grow as an organization. "On so many different levels, in terms of building our capacity, this grant is critical."
Writer: Alaina Mabaso
Source: Oni Richards-Waritay, the African Family Health Organization