ISSUE 3
WHO are we?__________

Welcome to the third newsletter from the Njoya Foundation.
The Njoya Foundation was created by Njoya's family and friends with the intention of continuing the work and visions of Christian Njoya Diawara Small. More



WHY do we exist?_______

All too often, people of African and African-Caribbean descent are marginalised, fed imbalanced images of who we are, what we are about and what we can potentially become. This is even more an issue for young people who have the extra burden of low expectations set upon them. The best methods to counteract these issues lie in providing much needed resources (financial, skill sets and exposure) to the good work of grassroot organisations that draw our community together and are making positive changes. More



WHO was Njoya?_________

Njoya was extremely focused, self motivated and had high expectation of himself and always encouraged others to do their best.

Throughout his busy schedule of athletics, full-time work, writing his book, enjoying himself, even learning Salsa, he never forgot the importance of children. To this end, he began to get more involved with mentoring, especially with children of African decent.

Njoya’s brilliant and promising life came to a sudden and shocking halt when he was murdered in the London Bombings on 7th July 2005.
More

WHAT organisations will the Foundation work with? _____

New Initiatives is an example of the type of organisation we will be aiming to get involved with and fund. ORIGIN is one of their main programmes. It is a 'rites of passage' for young men of African heritage which has been providing personal development programmes that tackle real issues faced by our young men. More

 

Njoya Foundation

Greetings and welcome to the long awaited 3rd edition of the Njoya Foundation newsletter. So where have we been? The Foundation has been taking timeout to reflect on Njoya's Memorial Service which took place on the 7th July 2006 . We've also been working developing the right infrastructure and administrative framework to successfully meet our objectives and continue for many years to come. From the full launch of the Foundation ( 7th February 2007 ) to Njoya's book, the New Year guarantees to be one in which many new fruitful seeds are sown.

The Foundation would once again like to thank all those who have contributed, past and present to making our existence possible.

Love
Njoya Foundation

OrikiNjoya's Memorial

Taking place at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, the Memorial of Christian Njoya Diawara Small was an opportunity for friends and family to come together and celebrate the life of Njoya.
The drums of George Fiawo and friends called on everyone's attention with Charles Small, Njoya's Father, welcoming those gathered and starting the Memorial proceedings.
More

Photo Gallery

As the old adage goes, a picture paints a thousand words. This rings true with the Foundation, which in its short existence has more than enough to say. To commence this story, please find a selection of the pictures taken from Njoya's Memorial in our new photo gallery.
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Man of Strong Spirit and Foundation T-shirt
Both the poetry book – 'Strong Man of Spirit' and the Foundation T-shirts were well received by those present at the memorial, with large numbers of each being sold. Both these items are available for purchase here

Launch of the Foundation

The official launch of the Foundation is scheduled for 7th February 2007. This will be an opportunity to let the general public know about the Foundation and our plans for the future with members of the media, partner organisations and dignitaries invited. The launch will be taking place at a Central London location from 10:00am - 12:00pm. If you would like to attend the launch, please contact us

This date will also commence the Spring Season of our grants/awards programme. More


Run, Nana, Run!

Nana Buckman

Last October saw the Foundation's own Nana Buckman take on the physical challenge of the Nike 10K Run and win! Raising just over £500, Nana in his own words "took only slightly longer than a pregnant Paula Radcliffe to complete" (in other people's world, one hour more is just a bit greater than slightly!). On a serious note Nana had to shake off illness to even take part in the race, which makes his dedication even more impressive. Well done Nana!

WHAT Can I Do to Help?__________

Firstly, we would appreciate your help by acting as ambassadors of the Foundation. You can do this by forwarding this newsletter to as many friends, family and colleagues as possible.

By doing this small act, you are helping us reach people who may be in a position to provide and receive assistance from the Foundation. Although they may not have known Njoya, they will certainly feel the presence and influence he had on those who intend to continue his work!. Details on other ways you can assist can be found here

If you have an interest in donating your time or resources to the Foundation, please email us at help@njoyafoundation.org.uk
All help is gratefully received.

If you would like to receive this newsletter in plain text, please email us at e-newsletter@njoyafoundation.org.uk

If you wish to remove your name from our mailing list, please email us at e-newsletter@njoyafoundation.org.uk
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The Njoya family would like to express their thanks and gratitude for the overwhelming support and love from all. The family would like to give special thanks to Carat, Haringey Athletic, Canon John Meteivier, Vincent Thompson, Dipo Ajani and our new extended family who have worked so hard to make the Foundation possible.