ISSUE 2
WHO are we?__________

Welcome to the second 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 we, as people of African 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 our young people who have the extra burden of low expectations set upon them. The best method to counteract these issues lies in providing much needed resources (financial, skill sets and exposure) to grassroot organisations that draw communities together to make 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 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 Bombing on 7th July 2005.
More

WHAT organisations will the Foundation work with? _____

New Initiatives is an example of the organisations we aim to support. ORIGIN, one of their main projects, is a 'rites of passage' iniative for young men of African heritage, which provides personal development programmes that tackle real issues faced by young Black men. More


WHAT can I Do?_________

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! More

  NjoyaNjoya's Memorial

By now, you should have received your invitation to Njoya's Memorial, which is taking place on 7th July 2006 at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road, E17. If you have not yet responded, please do so as soon as possible. For further queries relating to the memorial, please email info@njoyafoundation.org.uk

OrikiOriki Young Cultural Creators

In Spring 2006, the Black Cultural Archives partnered with the Njoya Foundation, Lambeth Libraries and Young Cultural Creators, to deliver a creative heritage programme for school children based within Lambeth.

Sixty school children have worked with Lambeth-based artist Beyonder over the past three months to interpret and represent stories of migration to the UK. More

Njoya Njoya's Writing

Those who attended the celebration of Njoya's life on 5th August 2005 will remember the comedy, fascination and general delight at the verbal pictures created from readings of Njoya's travel emails and extracts of his book, Wake up and Smell the Fufu.

Wake up and Smell the Fufu is due to be published later this Summer. Until then, you can read extracts here. More

NYAME NNWU NA MAWUPainting Pictures with Words
They say a picture paints a thousand words. From the days of ancient Egypt, Africans have used symbols to express concepts and philosophies that sometimes words alone cannot express.

The Akan people of Ghana expressed morals and proverbs through a unique hieroglyphics system of symbols, known as Adinkra symbols. In publishing the collection of poems, the poets have chosen a symbol that reflects the spirit of their piece and the great man we knew as Njoya Diawara Small.

The poet Tuggstar choose 'NYAME NNWU NA MAWU' as his symbol to represent his poem. This symbol means 'God never dies, therefore I can't die'. This signifies the immortality of man's soul, believed to be a part of God. Tuggstar said "We can see elements of him in those that were close to him. And as long as we are embraced by his spirit, we cannot forget him". The collection of poems will be called 'This Man of Strong Spirit' and will be available to buy at the memorial event on the 7th July at Walthamstow Assembly Hall.

Foundation T-Shirts

Njoya Foundation t-shirtsAfter our first newsletter in May 2006, we received a number of enquiries about how people can help the Foundation. We are really grateful for the support and would like to announce that Njoya Foundation T-shirts will be available to buy at the memorial event on 7th July at Walthamstow Assembly Hall.

They range from small to extra large and are priced at £10. All of the money from the sale of the t-shirts will go towards the work of the Foundation, and apart from looking good, they are also a good way for all of our supporters to raise awareness of the Foundation.

7/7 Book of Tributes: Memories of a Son and Brother


A book of tributes from the families of those killed in the July 7th London bombings has been created for the first anniversary of the atrocity.

Following the anniversary, copies of the book will be on display at the Museum of London and St Ethelburga's Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Bishopsgate, with visitors' books for people to sign.

For Njoya’s family’s contribution, click 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.