Press Release

Following Tremendous Public Response, African Services Committee Presents Donations to Bronx Fire Family

Malian Immigrants Receive Outpouring of Support; Over $80,000 Contributed from Across the U.S.

(New York) Monday, May 7, 2007 - In the wake of the devastating March 7 fire that ripped through the Bronx home of two immigrant families from Mali, Harlem-based nonprofit African Services Committee will present $40,500 in donations to Moussa Magassa, who lost five of his children in the blaze. The tragedy claimed ten lives from the Magassa and Soumare families and was the deadliest fire the city has seen since 1990.

The remaining half of donated funds will be presented to Mamadou Soumare, who lost his wife and four children, in the coming months. Friends of the family say he plans to return soon to New York City from Mali.

The tragedy deeply affected New Yorkers and triggered an outpouring of support for the families. African Services accepted $81,000 in public donations for the families, and contributions continued to come in more than a month after the fire. The organization also received expressions of grief and support from across the country: “These folks came here for a better life and so many precious lives were lost. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. I only wish I could contribute more,” one read.

“We were deeply touched by the generosity and compassion of New Yorkers from across cultures, communities and sectors,” says Kim Nichols, Co-Executive Director of African Services Committee. “Residents and public officials alike rallied around the entire Malian community as they mourned their loss and sought to alleviate the burden of the Magassa and Soumare families.”

The gathering on Monday afternoon with Moussa Magassa, takes place at African Services’ offices in West Harlem, a place where newly arrived immigrants from Africa can come for social support and a sense of community. Leaders from the Malian community in New York City will take part, and H.E. Mr. Cheick Sidi Diarra, Malian Ambassador to the United Nations, will also attend. Together, they will remember the lives of Mr. Magassa’s children: sons Bandiougou, 11; Mahamadou, 8; Abudubary, 5; Bilaly 1, and daughter Diama, 3.

About African Services:
African Services Committee is a nonprofit organization based in New York City and dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the African community. Established in 1981, African Services provides health, housing, legal, and social services to over 10,000 newcomers from across the African Diaspora each year with programs that emphasize HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and support. They are the oldest peer provider of health services to the African community in the United States. www.africanservices.org

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