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Whitney Sossou had a vision for the African Student Union Foundation ever since last year, when she was ASU’s vice president of external affairs. This semester, she established the foundation as a parting gift to ASU before she graduates in May and ends her term as president.

“We’ve been doing some community service work within Syracuse but I thought it was time to go overseas,” Sossou, the president of ASU, said.

Syracuse University’s African Student Union launched the ASU Foundation on March 3 in hopes of giving back to underserved communities in Africa. Sossou said the foundation embodies ASU’s goal of helping those in need beyond providing a space for the African diaspora.

“We don’t want ASU to just stop at Syracuse,” Sossou said. “We really want to represent our countries here but also have an effect on the different African countries.”

This year, Sossou was awarded the Women of Distinction award at the Evening of Black Expressions by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. for starting the ASU Foundation.

Previously, ASU worked to ease the arrival of incoming refugees from Sudan to Syracuse by cleaning designated housing, building beds and doing other housework to make these spaces livable. As a result, ASU was awarded the On The Rise award in February at Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s 31st Annual Scholarship Soirée. The award was given for ASU’s distinction for supporting the African refugee population in Syracuse.

Currently, ASU is working with The Wanted Children Foundation, which will aid the foundation in funding, allocating resources and managing the distance between ASU in Syracuse and foundations in Africa.

Starting the foundation required research to understand what the scope of providing aid as a student organization could be, ASU secretary and SU sophomore Aminata Sylla said.

“The foundation has been in the works for a few months now,” Sylla said. “It wasn’t an easy process since it was a new initiative the organization took (on), and our communication from other foundations and charities inside and outside the US was a bit challenging but wasn’t impossible.”

The ASU has contacts in Nigeria and Ghana to ensure its work is impacting the community as the foundation intends, Sossou said. It also plans on working with Amnesty International as well as The Cuppy Foundation and Jesse’s Blessing, she added.

This month, ASU plans to hold its first ASU Foundation event this month, with the majority of proceeds going towards their first initiative, the H20 project. They are raising funds to build a water drill for villages in Nigeria.

“In rural areas where they don’t have close access to clean water, instead of us providing filters, it’s better to help them build a well. One good quality drill is about $4,000,” Sossou said.

Sossou called the event an “Iftar with ASU.” The all-inclusive buffet, which will include an entry fee, was proposed by those on ASU’s executive board who observe the Islamic month of Ramadan, said Sossou.

Down the line, ASU plans on working to help support children’s needs, such as fundraising for hearing aids or overburdened orphanages, Sossou said. She said she also hopes that once the foundation takes off and gets bigger, they will be able to work on several projects at once based in different African countries.

The start of the foundation holds personal significance for many ASU members. Sylla, who grew up in Senegal, said she admires that the ASU Foundation was created by college students.

“We left our home country not only to provide a better life for ourselves but to also use that opportunity we have to give back to the community we grew up in,” Sylla said.

Vice president Nicole Boadu, who was born and raised in Ghana, also has a unique understanding of mitigating stereotypes of Africa while also wanting to raise awareness. Boadu, an SU junior, said living in Ghana made her aware of the wealth disparity within her home country and that although poverty exists, it is not all that Africa is.

“Africa has a lot of resources. … There are certain big cities in Africa, but then there are also people who are struggling,” Boadu said. “Experiencing this and then coming to a college and finding a group that understands this and wants to give back to their community makes me feel fulfilled.”

Published on April 4, 2022 at 12:15 am