AFRICARE COMMEMORATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH PLANNED SUNSET OF ALL U.S. OPERATIONS AND ASSISTING IN STANDING UP
A NEW “PANAFRICARE” ON THE CONTINENT
COMPLETES A STRATEGIC PIVOT TO AFRICA
(August 3, 2020 – Washington DC) Crowning an impressive fifty-year legacy of high-impact programming within Africa, the Africare Board of Directors and President & CEO Robert L. Mallett today announced both the planned cessation of Africare operations in the US and the endorsement of a newly created independent entity, “PanAfricare” based in Senegal, West Africa. The birth of PanAfricare will coincide with the planned sunset of Africare. The new PanAfricare has established its own board of directors and will operate autonomously from the existing organization. Africare will transition its entire portfolio of projects to PanAfricare. As the legacy Africare closes its operations, a new “Friends of PanAfricare” has also been established. Its sole, independent purpose will be to support the new PanAfricare and other organizations with similar missions in sub-Saharan Africa with fundraising from donors who support the mission of Africare.
Upon inception, PanAfricare can demonstrate extensive reach with a presence in each region of Sub- Saharan Africa — Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe and, of course, Senegal where the new PanAfricare headquarters will be based. Programs are within the core competencies of legacy Africare and the new PanAfricare, including Agriculture, Nutrition, Health, Women’s, and Youth Empowerment.
As Africare marked fifty years in existence (officially May 4, 2020) the organization also unveiled a special commemorative logo and hashtag campaign signifying that 2020 is #AfricareGoldenYear2020 to be celebrated alongside the programming transition to the African continent.
“It has been my great honor to serve as a steward of Africare’s enormous impact of transforming lives in Africa – from agricultural innovation, food security, and nutrition to empowering women and youth.
Now is simply the right time to pass this baton of stewardship not only to the capable Gorgui Diallo and the talented field staff – but to the entire continent of Africa via the new PanAfricare. I have great confidence that governments and donors committed to capacity building will take note and support this bold new venture.” said President & CEO Robert Mallett.
“It was indeed the appropriate moment to dually celebrate Africare’s wonderful legacy while also looking forward to ensure PanAfricare would be in a position to deliver services to the people of Africa,” said Board Chair Stephen D. Cashin. “We are greatly appreciative of all the global “Africare alumni” who have provided their energies and idea capital towards reaching this milestone. We are also grateful to our many government, international and corporate partners, foundations, sororities, churches and individual donors over this period who have underwritten the delivery of valuable services to the people of Africa. Africare has long enjoyed a widely diverse base of donor support,” he added.
The new PanAfricare will be headed by the experienced and respected former Africare country director Gorgui Diallo and many talented country-based project teams will join him in this new venture. “I am humbled, honored and energized to become the inaugural CEO of the new PanAfricare. We appreciate the confidence of existing donors such as Bayer, Exxon Mobil, and others who have reauthorized former Africare grants to PanAfricare. The new PanAfricare is excited about many projects such as nurturing a highly innovative initiative converting mining waste to fertilizer in Chad.”
In yet another significant outcome of the Africare-PanAfricare transition, it was formally announced that the sale of the venerable Washington DC “Africare House” headquarters was completed. The future structure at the site will also commemorate the illustrious legacy of Africare House. Assembled throughout the years by Africare co-founder the late C. Payne Lucas and other donors, the famed Africare art collection/artifacts will now be curated at both the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art and The University of Maryland Eastern Shore – the latter institution where Lucas was a celebrated alumnus.
Further announcements regarding exhibitions of these historic artifacts will be made throughout the remaining sunset year of the #AfricareGoldenYear2020 campaign.
Through its social media accounts and website, the #AfricareGoldenYear2020 effort is designed to both commemorate the superb legacy of the organization’s fifty-year tenure and raise awareness and funds for PanAfricare by means of the newly formed “Friends of PanAfricare”.
The organization’s Facebook and Twitter pages will commemorate key moments in Africare’s evolution in both the US and Africa from its inception in 1970.
Africare alumni, donors, and the public are invited to use the hashtag #AfricareGoldenYear2020 on social media to relive some of the memorable people, places, and programs during the organization’s fifty years and encourage personal submissions and reflections. #AfricareGoldenYear2020 will also highlight some of the famed African artwork enjoyed by the many visitors to Africare House over the years and to ensure continued scholarship regarding Africa and inspiration for future generations.
“#AfricareGoldenYear2020 is dually a recognition of our great fifty-year legacy in Africa while highlighting the promising planned programming on the continent,” said President & CEO Robert Mallett. “As we are on the ground every day, we increasingly see effective solutions towards uplifting people’s lives developed locally throughout our operating countries vs. imported from the US. A new autonomous PanAfricare is dedicated to delivering programming which directly benefits people, Mallett added. Africare is inviting existing staff, dedicated Africare Alumni, donors, and all our loyal supporters to adopt the hashtags “#AfricareGoldenYear2020” and “#MyAfricareMemory” on social media and share their sentiments, participation and even photos in support of the collective work in Africa since 1970.
During Fall 2020, as the new PanAfricare commences its inaugural year as a new Africa-based entity and the “Friends of PanAfricare” goes live, Africare will explore ending the year with a small golden anniversary commemoration (virtual or in-person depending upon the COVID19 climate) to thank donors, Africare partners, and alumni, the African Ambassadorial community and the organization’s many longtime friends.
Download the full pdf version of Africare’s press release here
