ABOUT US

Commitment to Interdependence and Equity

A classroom full of students, mostly boys, sitting at desks with laptops and notebooks, attentively listening to a girl in a yellow shirt who is reading from a notebook.

A more thriving economic ecosystem for West Africans starts with us. Heres how Askiya is striving to live up to our mission and values both inside and outside our organization.

Interdependence and collaboration inform every aspect of our work. We understand from experience that the best solutions are crafted from diverse perspectives and stakeholders. Our leadership, staff, and partners come from many walks of life and reflect the many faces that make up the West African communities and its diaspora. Interdependence is essential to what we do because it fosters economic growth and mutual success within the community. To be an interdependent and collaborative system is fundamental to empowering West African communities. We actively seek input and fully engage a broad range of partners to help us develop solutions that will result in long-lasting change. Moving forward, we will continue to leverage and build upon the talent, strength, and opportunity available across West Africa and its diaspora.

How We Practice Our Commitment to Interdependence

Two men high-fiving during a workout on a city street, one in a black t-shirt and a visor, the other in a sleeveless hoodie and headphones, both smiling.

Creating a Collaborative and Empowering Workplace We're

committed to building and maintaining an environment that embraces and values collaboration and network effects. Our employees and partners should feel valued and respected, with an emphasis on mutual success and shared growth.

Serving the Needs of Diverse Communities

We will continue to be a leader in funding and supporting sustainable development initiatives like Land Trusts and Makervillages that target diverse populations and communities in need of economic ecosystems.

Respect and Inclusion of Diverse Partners

To be a relevant and viable community partner, our staff and collaborators model an awareness of—and understanding and respect for—the many forms of difference reflected in the people and communities we serve. We aim to be a role model in attracting and building a diverse network that champions our mission of interdependence..

Accountability and Making a Difference

We strive to fulfill the letter and spirit of our values and to illustrate that through our commitment to excellence. To realize the potential of every member of our organization, we work to create a culture that promotes individual and organizational accountability, investing profits from our activities into a Community Development Account to build assets and improve financial stability for community members