Plymouth man leads efforts to send 16,000 books to students in Ghana
Students in Ghana received more than 16,000 books last week as part of a collaboration between the African Diaspora Development Institute and 快猫视频, a St. Paul-based nonprofit.
The effort was led by Plymouth resident Jote Taddese, a former 快猫视频 board president and a board member of the African Diaspora Development Institute. Taddese is also director of diaspora engagement for 快猫视频 and a vice president of engineering at Optum Digital, a United Health Group Company.
The African Diaspora group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, raised the funds for the shipment and 快猫视频 provided the books, which are for high school and university students.
鈥淎s a person who was raised in Africa and educated in the diaspora, I am a living example of when we put a book in the hands of a child, we not only help fulfill the potential of the child, but also change the impact on the lives of individuals and the global communities that child will touch,鈥� Taddese said. 鈥淭his is my life experience that always inspires me to support kids in Africa with books.鈥�
Taddese was born and raised in Oromia, Ethiopia, and immigrated to the U.S.
The books were delivered this week to Cape Coast in Ghana, just as the ADDI is launching a historic trade and investment expo called 鈥淲akanda-One, City of Return.鈥� The expo will kickoff the development of a modern 鈥渟mart鈥� city in the location from which millions of Africans were shipped as slaves to the U.S. and elsewhere.
The expo鈥檚 objective is 鈥渢o highlight viable, ready-to-go, opportunities for local businesses and share investment opportunities that will assist in wealth creation.鈥�
The ADDI was created 鈥渙ut of the desire to bring Africa to the world and the world to Africa.鈥�
It seeks to enlist the support of descendants of Africa living in the U.S. and across the globe to help develop Africa鈥檚 economy and infrastructure.