The mission of A3D is to build and maintain the capacity to, and to, effectively address the economic, educational, environmental, and public health needs of African and other underserved culturally diverse populations and organizations in the Greater Boston and North Shore area and abroad, through targeted programs and micro-financed enterprises. The organization will achieve this through a variety of initiatives both domestically and abroad.
In January of 2004, a group of twelve friends, acquaintances, and strangers traveled to Senegal on the journey of a lifetime. While there, they dreamed that they could make a difference in this world, if they put their minds, energy, and resources together. From that dream, A3D became a reality.
While in Senegal, West Africa, they discovered how spiritual the African way-of-life is. By visiting the Holy city of Touba and speaking with the people, they learned how important faith is in the lives of the Senegalese people. Continuing on, they visited the historic Goree Island, symbolic of The Shame of Humanity (slavery). They experienced Senegalese hospitality (teranga), walking into any home and being greeted with tea, tasty food, and good conversation in broken language.
As a group, they were very touched by the social values (trust, hospitality) of the Senegalese people. They were equally as impressed by how the local people keep their lives going without help, but also without many resources.
Upon returning to the United States in late January, they started meeting as a group on February 12, 2004. On May 6, 2004, they incorporated a non-profit organization. It is called A3D, which means literally "African Development through Drum and Dance". The mission of A3D is to raise money, acquire assets, and start microenterprises to help specially targeted West African Non-Profit Organizations.
By visiting and experiencing Senegal, meeting with the people, and witnessing their needs, they agreed to put themselves, their strengths, their minds together to help these, and other disadvantaged, people. They all agreed that this is a good cause.
