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 “It
is in our hands to join our strength,
taking sustenance from our diversity,
honoring our rich and varied traditions
and culture but acting together for the
protection and benefit of us all”
—Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
If these words mean anything to you, join
us after you read our story below
I know a friend who has a 45” SANYO wooden
television set he had bought in 1978 right
after college. He promised to return to
Nigeria to start a restaurant business and
use the television as a form of
entertainment. Well, time flew fast and he
never got to it. My friend now lives in
Chicago still nursing the dream of
returning home for good one day. He would
probably need a plasma television now but
he has refused to throw away the wooden
television set because he said it would be
like throwing his dream away.
Most of us, African immigrants, left
Africa with the intention to return. While
the first five to ten years in our lives
as immigrants are usually full of
excitement, developing careers, building a
financial safety net and building the
“American dream”, our African dream
dwindles. After a decade of chasing the
same old dream comes the rude awakening
and compelling reality that while our long
absence from Africa has created a vacuum
and apprehension —two jobs and double
shift have not paved the way for our
economic freedom. Meanwhile, expectation
of us from families and friends in Africa
continue to build up.
Pan African Economic Development Project
(PANED) was created after a survey of
African immigrants living in North
America. The survey revealed that more
than 98% of the African immigrants
surveyed are willing to return to Africa
if there is infrastructure and some level
of security in place. They are willing to
return regardless of economic condition in
Africa. While the survey also revealed
that most African immigrants feel
unfulfilled and underutilized, they also
harbor some types of good projects that
are either half finished or never started.
This is due to lack of access to
information or resources. These projects
range from water purification, bio fuel,
packaging, agriculture, religious and
nonprofit organizations, etc. Think about
the millions of immigrants with projects
that if leveraged could increase
break-through innovation and accelerate
development within the African Diaspora
community and the continent of Africa plus
increase direct trade between US and
Africa. Innovation enhances
competitiveness. By increasing the flow of
ideas, systematically capturing and
sharing ideas through organized medium
could expand our economic base to that
point where we can renew and nourish our
nurtured dreams of reconnecting with
Africa.
As a result of the above, Pan African
Economic Development Project (PANED) was
founded in 2006 with a mission to
expand and enhance African Diaspora
community's economic base by developing,
managing and supervising programs,
projects and activities that promote,
assist, and enhance economic development
within the Diaspora community. In 2007 we
created PANED LLC; the for-profit arm of
PANED project, with sole purpose of making
money, of course, but in the process
creating a culture of courage and trust
through education. At PANED, we
consolidate information with influence to
achieve power as in economic empowerment
while building tomorrow today for peaceful
coexistence of African people.
Although, the renewed scramble for Africa
has created global economic opportunities,
African Diaspora is being bypassed because
we have failed to position ourselves
strategically as the link we ought to be
between Africa and the rest of the world.
Until we master the art of union, we will
continue to be invisible regardless of our
population and economic contribution to
our host countries.
So my dear wonderful friend, our hope
today is to have many active organizations
and professionals like you come on board
and be willing to make that initial
selfless contributions of expertise and
take away self enrichment and financial
gain that we so deserved.
We sincerely hope we can count on you to
come on board with your organization or
your project (s) and your expertise. If
you need further information, please feel
free to contact us at 240-565-8686
Warmest regard,
Miriam Ikunaiye-Campbell,
President
PANED
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