BNCA & THE AMERICAN DREAM

BUSINESS CENTER FOR NEW AMERICANS

120 Broadway, suite 230

New York, NY 10271

AN ENDLESS PURSUIT...

Ms Sonnie Selma

M

s Sonnie Selma stood up, and then walked to the front of a conference room packed with more than one hundred participants. That was at the 3nd annual conference of BCNA, aka Business center for New Americans. Ms Selma runs a nation wide imported items : the Sonnie Selma African Foods; an ongoing business specialized in selling imported African crops. According to what we heard  at this meeting, Ms Selma manages a booming enterprise. A post said about her in the web “When she first started the business, she had to travel to Africa to purchase all her products in person but over the years she's built such a good relationship with suppliers that they now ship directly to her, streamlining her operations and costs.  Her highest grossing item is African palm oil, and other popular products include frozen specialty fishes and cassava leaves.” Ms Selma lives on Staten island.

We knew few about Ms Selma and her business. But, as a West African native, fleeing probably  a torn-war Nigeria,  some years ago, Ms Selma didn’t have to put her feet on the Elis Island’s pier where so many used to take a deep breath across this huge ocean at the end of which lay countries and continents with their families. However, wherever from they arrived, America, a land of opportunities, still has the magic to help these immigrants achieve the faceless American dream.

BCNA, the Manhattan based office for such an adventure, under the leadership of MsYanki Tshering,a very efficient executive director, offers through an organization called IDA (Individual Development Account) that opportunity. This program for refugees and asylees helps any participant achieve their financial dreams, thanks to a kind of micro-capitalization joint ventures.

Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, U.S Department of Health and Human Services, BCNA is open to the wind of the high seas, so to speak. As so, it welcomes Russians, West Africans, Asians and so forth. On this Thursday April 24, it was a delight to watch youngsters from Nepal, India and Africa sharing with the audience their experiences in a search of a new life in America. Their eyes sparkling, these new Americans or refugees, some of them still at college or high school,   were telling their own stories, those that make you smile and fight back your tears. Really smart people are those who dream, and America wants to remind everybody that it is America because of those dreams.

Anytime you are on Manhattan by Broadway, take a few of your spare time to pay a visit at BNCA, 120 Broadway, suite 230, New York, NY 10271 or call 212-898-7850 and ask for Frances Smith. If you fall into this category of immigrants, you hold the key of your own future.

A Ζimbabwey glancing at the wildlife

HAITI:THE VATICAN WAY

Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam ».

F

rom the fall of the Roman Empire to the spread of the Christ's word in far away countries and continents, a lot of water had flew under the bridge. Wars, civilization clashes on behalf of God, had been ensuing. Nevertheless, as told in the bible, the way of God is unexpected. That's how we have to understand the rise of our humble priest from the Haitian countryside to the cardinal range.  Roma had stopped from being imperialist and euro centrist, long time ago. Our loving bishop, Chibly Langlois, is the eloquent sign of the renewal of the Christian faith.

Le couple presidentiel d'Haiti et le nouveau cardianl 

Sophia Loren dans la chute de l'empire romain

PAPA GEDE BEL GASON!

Lumane Casimir in the Jazz des Jeunes

·      " Panama mwen Tonbe,

·        Caroline Acau,

·        La Rivyè Mwen Te ye, 

·        Lumane Pa Bel Fanm,

·        Papa Gede Bèl Gason"

GENS DE TOUJOURS: HUGO S. DAMAS

Mr. HUGO DAMAS

Le jeune Hugo à 16 ans a bien le profil physique qu’il conserve encore jusqu'à l’âge adulte. Mince, élancé, le sourire avenant, il présente bien avec en plus cette élégance dans le style qu’on reconnait aux jeunes PDG des années 80, épris de marketing et d’économie. Mais, c’est un homme pragmatique qui, une fois les terminales bouclées sur le plan scolaire, fait les grandes  écoles administratives de Pt-au-P. Il revient de temps a autre au patelin natal juste pour se ressourcer a Labei ou a La grotte Marie Jeanne,haut lieu touristique que son directeur Saurel Descombes est le seul a bien connaitre.

Si la fin des années 90 le retrouve en train de se frayer une voie dans les milieux industriels haïtiens, c’est la décennie 2000 qui semble vraiment lui ouvrir la carrière diplomatique. Son passage à l’Académie diplomatique et consulaire de l’ambassadeur Myrtho Bonhomme est déterminant dans son évolution future. A cette académie, il rencontre ce que cette carrière conserve de meilleur. Des diplomates chevronnés assurent les cours. Le jeune Damas se prend de passion pour cette carrière. Il sort de l’ANDC avec sa License/Maitrise en Diplomatie  de très bonnes notes et autant de références. Les dés sont jetés, il ne lui reste qu’à franchir le Rubicon.

A l’Académie diplomatique de  feu Myrtho Bonhomme, le corps professoral avait raison : Damas, la tête remplie de projets et de rêves, semble incarner le renouveau en cours dans les représentations diplomatiques, savoir qu’un diplomate a beaucoup plus à faire qu’à offrir des cocktails et des sept à neuf.  M. Damas vient de loin et n’est pas prêt de s’arrêter au cours de cette longue marche des ambassades.

L’occasion se présente. L’Afrique de  la décennie  2000 reste encore un continent d’avenir, d’où l’intérêt qu’elle  présente pour les investisseurs en quête d’opportunités. Ici, la médiation est la règle, vu le large éventail des pays de l’Afrique de l’Ouest qui émerge à une sorte de diplomatie et d’offensive de charme à l’échelle planétaire, il faut savoir vendre cette image cachée mais galvaudée de l’Afrique post coloniale.

Apres s’être recyclé au Broward Center for Human Services de 2004 à 2008, M. Damas commence son expérience africaine. Il pense avoir trouvé sa voie. Il va servir non seulement de consultant au West African Group Advisory, il envisage également à créer une sorte de banque de Consuls Honoraires pour les pays Africains en quête de promotion et de marketing international. M. Damas attend  cette fois ci de présenter ses preuves et ses trophées, mais pour un départ, c’en est indubitablement un. Un israélien s’est étonné de trouver autant d’imagination et de talent à ce professionnel encore jeune.

LUPITA NYONG'O: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, THE MAGAΖINE PEOPLE SAID

THE TURNING POINT 

TENNIS THE AKF FOUNDATION & ERNST RACINE

The AKF Tennis Play Day tournament was held last Saturday in Overpeck Park at Andrew Kim Memorial Tennis Court, where 20 doubles teams entered to compete in the tournament.

Peter Lavalle and Will Perrson from Leonia defeated Ernst Joseph and Dunan Lamonte.

The event was directed by Coach Ernst Racine, assisted by Yves Joseph. The event was sponsored by The Andrew Kim Foundation, The Crown Hotel Plaza, The AIG Financial Institution and My Feet Travel.

The Andrew Kim 2nd Annual Doubles Tournament will take place on Saturday, September 13th, 2014. Contact coachernst@gmail.com for registration.

- See more at: http://www.bergen.com/other-news/double-the-fun-andrew-kim-foundation-hosts-2014-akf-tennis-play-day-tournament-1.1000231#sthash.tg2ZtHEZ.dpuf

REMEMBERING LADY DIANA

TRAGEDY AND HOPE

TANΖANIA -GLOBE TROTTING TIME BY FRANTΖ BATAILLE (.April 2014)

Camping on the Kilimanjaro

CELESTIN   BKONΖI   
 OUR MAN AT DAR-ES-SALAM

APRIL 20, 2014

Le PDG M. Celestin Bkonzi

A

frica, the Black continent, is considered now the wealthiest, however, could Africans barely think about such wealth. What had happened to this blessed and wrecked land, some people keep asking?

Celestin Bkonzi ‘s life has something to do with what seems at the same time a fairy tale and a kind of bible curse.

From very humble beginnings, M.Bkonzi  had gone through hard times. But, M.Bkonzi had never been a man to dwell into past. He also was a man of faith. Over the years, even though he had been far away to see a light at the end of the tunnel, he remained stuck to his main goal which still today consists of feeding his family and gives a fine education to his children. He had made it.

Today, this Congo born entrepreneur spends plenty of time thanking  God for so many blessings. He thanks also people who have been helping him as time pass by. He is so much grateful with happiness lighting up his face when talking to Mom Carmelle, a Haitian lady who was there for him,he says.  M. Bkonzi’s journey was one worth a magazine story.  As Midas in the Greek legend, everything M. Bkonzi has been through  was transformed into gold. “ I have a lot of people working for me through rivers and dug lakes …Mom Carmelle, God has blessed me so much”, M.Bkonzi concludes.

Now he dreams of travelling overseas while embodying the other side of the African life. A respected man who continues to have a good life, M. Bkonzi goes to the best hotels in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, his  adoption country where the sun shines for him. His visitors are welcome in the  best restaurants,  as well as in the top  snowed Kilimanjaro and his family home. Life for him was never so beautiful as it is today. A Muslim in this so peaceful Tanzania, M. Bkonzi believes that his god is  a quiet and loving one who wants people on earth to be happy and grateful.

This still young entrepreneur is about  to lunch Overseas Dream, a joint ventures business along with his  Haitian partners,a social worker, Ms Marie C. Obas and a medical  doctor, Gaston Valcin.

M.Bkoni's partners, Ms Obas & Dr Valcin

A LIFE WITHOUT DREAMS IS A WASTE....( frantz Bataille-NY,USA APRIL 12, 2014)

 

A

s a girl who  had wished to be a dresser, my mother never made it, but in her late thirties,  the sun never sets upon her enterprises, as a result her smile lighted up and became touching. Therefore, I conclude  that  her heart was full of happiness. It was a time of peace, love and serenity at home. It  was magic!

.Anyway, I like the moment when dreamers try to sell their dreams to cool CEOs or boring managers. Look at  their sparkling eyes lighting up everything around. What a power !.

So, even though you do not achieve some set up goals, keep dreaming if you want  your landscape to be sunny, if you want your dreams to permeate around. A life without dream is a waste. Dreams help you chase the darkness around; dreams help you fight the time; they make you the children of God, and  even under a cloudy sky, you will be lucky enough to become the children of  light.

PEOPLE: ERNST RACINE & THE ANDREW KIM FOUNDATION

" APRIL 12-BERGEN COUNTY,NEW JERSEY"

TENNIS PLAY DAY FREE FOR ALL"

The Andrew Kim Foundation is sponsoring a “Tennis Play Day Free for All” on April 12th at the Bergen County tennis courts at the Hoebel Area of Overpeck Park in Leonia, NJ.

This free event is open to all ages and tennis skill levels.  It will be held between 11 AM – 4 PM.  Tennis clinics will be between 11 AM – 2 PM.

The goal is to encourage both youth and adult tennis participation while displaying the traits the Andrew Kim Foundation promotes: Sportsmanship, Teamwork, Friendship and Family Relationships.

The event will be coordinated by Coach Ernst Racine, a professional instructor and clinician of the United States Tennis Association.  A doubles tournament will be held and may extend to Sunday the 13th. 

Youngsters need not have tennis racquets as racquets and balls will be supplied. 

Fun for all is expected.

Coach Ernst can be contacted at coachernst@gmail.com.

Paul Kim

President

Directions:  Overpeck Park Hoebel Area is off I-95 Exit 70 Leonia [East] Fort Lee Road.  The tennis courts are at the second parking area in the park.

Coach  Ernst Racine