Home : First-Generation African Kids Get Away for the Summer, Thanks to the Fresh Air Fund
First-Generation African Kids Get Away for the Summer, Thanks to the Fresh Air Fund
This
summer, a dozen African immigrant families are sending their children
for a vacation in the country thanks to a new partnership between
African Services and the Fresh Air Fund.
For one week, city kids
leave behind the concrete playgrounds of New York City to visit host
families in rural and suburban communities throughout the northeast.
They have a chance to play in a backyard, take trips to the beach and
make new friends they might not otherwise meet.
Mamgaye, a single-mom originally from Gambia, leapt at the chance for
her 7 year-old daughter, Fatou, to experience country life. "Its a good
chance for them to learn," she says. Fatou, who is growing up in the
Bronx, had never been away from home, but says she wasn't homesick at
all. She spent the week with a family in Massachusetts and says the
highlight of her visit was a Fourth of July parade where she got to
meet the Governor of Massachusetts. Fatou is already looking forward to
returning next summer and her host family has invited Mamgaye to join
as well.
The patnership between African Services and the Fresh Air Fund was
initiated by ASC staffer Wudenesh Molla. She spread the word among new
immigrant families, explaining how the program works and helping
parents to register. Thirteen children took part, and Wudenesh hopes to
double the number of participating families next summer.
Since 1877, the Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer vacations
to over 1.7 million children from New York City. To learn more, go to: www.freshair.org
