ASAP (African Social Activation Platform) organised a well attended network meeting last December at the Planetarium at Amsterdam Southeast. The four speakers gave excellent presentations on subjects as Ghanaians in Dutch local politics, health of migrants in Holland, youth and education and retirement for Ghanaians. The small group of participants, mostly Ghanaians drawn from the Amsterdam Southeast community, responded enthusiastically in lively debates following presentations.
What is ASAP anyway?
ASAP is a new initiative of a unified front, for existing organizations within the African community in Amsterdam that serves as a platform for harnessing the diverse expertise of the member organizations for purposes of organizing activities developing and implementing social based projects for the long term benefit of the community. The founding member organizations are mainly Ghanaian organizations though, the platform is open to initial collaboration with other African organizations and eventual affiliation by these organizations.
When did it start and what are its main aims?
ASAP started informally as early as 2008, but was registered at the Chamber of Commerce as a foundation on 4th November 2009. Its main aims are:
(1) Work collaboratively to, as a matter of urgency, project primarily a good image of the Ghanaian community and by extension help protect the well being of the larger African community.
(2) Recognize the benefits and respect the legitimacy of aspirations of partner organizations.
(3) Identify significant issues of mutual concern and resolve differences in approach to dealing with these where possible or reach a compromise decision where resolution is not possible (see further sub-sections in the addendum to this covenant).
(4) Ensure that sufficient and accurate information on any pressing issue is made available to all partner organizations for consideration and eventual deliberations on the appropriate method of approach in dealing with the issue.
(5) Harness and build on the strengths of the partner organizations for purposes of extending the frontiers of the professional capabilities and as much as possible overshadow identifiable weaknesses of the individual partner organization.
(6) Ensure that programmes and activities of the partner organizations are, to the extent possible, complementary to those of existing government organs.
Who are behind ASAP?
ASAP is a platform of organizations. The present member organizations of ASAP are:
(a) Sikaman Foundation, represented by Ekow Lamptey and Joe Lamptey.
(b) The Council of Churches, represented by Pastor Fred Nyarko and Rev. Emmanuel Koney.
(c) The Moslem Group, represented by Youssif Ouro and Joe Ibrahim.
(d) Vice Versa, represented by Doris Vidda and Janny van der Staaij.
(e) IMTRAD, a professional body, represented by Barimah Asamoah Kofi IV.
(f) Phyllisofie, a professional body, represented by Phyllis Döll.
The present board is made up of Baafi Owusu Sekyere, Chairman, Fred Nyarko, Treasurer and Doris Vidda, Secretary.
What does SAP plan to do?
ASAP considers its coming into existence as timely and expects to remain steadfast in its determination to explore all avenues of fruition in finding lasting solutions to as much of the problems that has confronted the community as possible. In specific terms, ASAP looks forward, in the immediate future, to follow-up sessions and concrete measures on the issues and challenges brought to the fore at the Network meeting.
So how did this ASAP network meeting go?
The network meeting supported financially by the Amsterdam Municipality as well as the Amsterdam Southeast District Council was also attended by representatives of these institutions. Harry Verzijl, Alderman for Amsterdam Southeast referred to a recent report about the Ghanaian youth which showed that their participation in education was yet to be up to scratch, with the youth falling behind in arithmetic and grammar. Elvira Sweet, Chairperson of the Southeast District Council also confirmed the need for attention for education, but also the importance to continue the discussion with specific groups in the community. Freek Ossel, Alderman for Works of the Amsterdam Municipality appreciated this good start for community networking and commended the initiative.
Amma Asante aptly led the participants in the debates, while Dr. Kwame Nimako, a well known scholar and lecturer at the University of Amsterdam moderated the event. He also kicked of the presentations by giving a very interesting insight in the back ground of the participation of Ghanaians in Dutch politics since their arrival in 1974/1975.
The Ghanaian Embassy through the Ambassador’s Deputy, Eric Odoi Anim, commended the initiative of this meeting and further said that the Ghana Embassy was committed to the integration of their citizens into Dutch society and prepared to intermediate where necessary.
What about the other topical keynote speakers?
Dr. Charles Agyemang working at the Amsterdam Medical Centre, on ‘Health Needs of the Ghanaian’, started with stating that heart disease and stroke were the biggest challenge to the health of migrants and even a more frequent cause of death than their European counterparts. Through graphs and figures of his research and that of a Cameroonian colleague he demonstrated how high blood pressure and obesity increased when the Ghanaians or Cameroonians in the study moved from rural to urban residence in their countries and on to Europe. He stressed the urgent need for further research among the Ghanaian community in Holland. In the subsequent debate several points were made. The call for holistic and alternative treatment to be more appreciated, that reporting research results to the community would encourage them to participate, and that advice on reduction of fast and fatty food should be disseminated, while it was concluded that the social and medical advisory sector was not used sufficiently.
Dr. Marjolein Distelbrink of the Verweij-Jonker Institute on the topic of ‘Youth and Education’ presented the results of research among migrants, though not particular among Ghanaians. She mentioned that the high value migrants attached to their children’s performance in education often did not match results. Many parents did not understand the Dutch education system and many children started school with arrears in the Dutch language. The debates featured stressing the importance of informing parents and gain their trust, e.g. through self help organisations like Vice Versa, as well as the necessity of a culturally specific approach, using radio programmes and youth organisations.
Dr. Kwabena Adanse-Pipim on ‘The Case of the Ghanaian Elderly’ presented the imaginary Kofi and Abena, who had settled in Holland and worked for 24 years for a cleaning company and wanted to retire in Ghana. Their efforts to build a small house in Ghana end have a relative maintain a small business there were frustrated and partly failed as it happens. Their pension was not enough to sustain them at home and their teenage children in Holland were not old enough or not able to support them. The presentation ended with some significant statements on this matter.
This topic spurred a very lively debate as most of the participants were all too aware of this dilemma for elderly migrants and particularly Ghanaians. The issues of dual nationality and restrictions in the Dutch pension system, as well as the social need for elderly to have their cultural food regularly and avoid social loneliness when ending up in a Dutch home for the elderly. Would it be possible to set up a home for Ghanaian elderly as the Surinam and Chinese had done?
What were the conclusions of this network meeting?
Throughout the three debates, Amma Asante had hammered on action based conclusions, which led to various recommendations for the three topics. There was a clear need for further research on health needs for migrants, but also more co-ordination between researchers and a broad spectrum of health care workers and the community. As for education, parents needed to be stimulated to be more assertive and use the opportunities to know more about the Dutch education system, to be able to support their wards. On the case of the elderly, the personal choice of where to retire is paramount and the current dilemma may not be there for the second or third generation of migrants in Holland. Nevertheless, the needs of the current 50+ age group of (Ghanaian) migrants are a very real issue determining their future in life.
As an overall conclusion the topics and issues presented and discussed in this event were extremely current and contemporary and therefore appealing to the participants. It must be said however that for a greater effect dissemination to the entire community ASAP needs to device a strategy a.s.a.p.
Media Blackberry
