ABOUT US

AwAction Network was created for one main purpose, to empower youths and women improve their behavioral, economic, and social outcomes. For AwAction Network, this means, putting a mechanism in place that will enable our target participants to make informed decisions related to their educational and career path, which will logically have a positive impact on parents/guardians, the community, and participants' behavioral, economic, and social outcomes.

My desire to contribute to my community’s growth and my childhood triggered the birth of AwAction Network Inc. as a mean to improve behavioral, social, and economic outcomes for youths and their families. As far as I can remember, I have been attracted to empowering children, youth, and women. I think this is traceable to my upbringing in Senegal (West Africa). I grew up in a culture in which  women  and children's voice is very feeble.

As a child, I questioned this system but who was I to drive changes?  I was a voiceless child whose attempts to communicate my viewpoints were considered acts of rebellion. Years later, I continue to be this awkward person who is always second guessing herself, even when she is right. However, I do not let this fear paralyze me or keep me away from my goals. I have worked at overcoming obstacles, such as bridging the cultural gap that stem from my upbringing and residing in USA, where I transitioned to adulthood. I completed my education in 2019 and earned a Doctoral Degree in Public Administration with a specialization in Program Administration. It took me a while to meet my goals due to cultural adaptation challenges,  having to figure things out by myself, lack of financial assistance that led me to engage in two or three jobs at times to support myself and my educational goals. I felt that my sacrifices, challenges, and hardship should not be vain, rather they are to serve the future generations.

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In 2018, I met a young adult girl from our community who shared that she was in a career path that was not promising; her current environment was unhealthy and not conducive to growth but she did not know how to change her career path. Short after meeting her, I met another young lady who was in the same situation. I asked myself who else needs help? I surveyed the community to identify youths’ and parents’ pain points. The answers were overwhelming as many parents said they struggle with guiding their children for lack of understanding the educational and career development system. Moreover, cultural adaption and a gap between children and parents cripple their relationships and lead to conflicts when parents attempt to inculcate their culture to a generation that does not understand its oppressive nature toward children. The needs, cultural dynamic, and environment for these youngsters who were born and raise in the United States are completely different  from their parents’. I realized that these youths need an exposure to a different environment with people who successfully bridged the cultural gap and understand what they and their parents are going through.

Our organization ensures that community youths are guided during their high school years to promote retention and post-high school tenure to guide their career path.

“1 in 3 young people will grow up without a mentor. Young adults who were at-risk for falling off track but had a mentor are 55 % more likely to enroll in college; 78% more likely to volunteer regularly; 90% are interested in becoming a mentor; 130% more likely to hold leadership positions. Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class. (Public/Private Ventures Study of Big Brothers Big Sisters).