Meet the April Member of the Month, Bintou Kamara! Bintou has been an active member of African Communities Together since November 2015.
Where are you from?
I am from Ivory Coast.
What is the name of a local African restaurant you enjoy eating at?
I enjoy eating at Savanne, an Ivorian restaurant on 116th and Frederick Douglass in Harlem. They serve all types of food from my country, like acheke and fish--which I always order!
What is one of your biggest accomplishments within the African community
I am proud to be a member of ACT. I love using my interpreting skills to help my fellow compatriots understand the information that is shared at ACT's monthly membership meetings. If I had not met Akinde, the Community Organizer at ACT, I would not have been able to make these contributions.
How have you been involved with ACT's language access and community interpreter programs?
I take part in ACT's monthly membership meetings by volunteering as a French interpreter. Since November of last year, I have seen firsthand how the membership meetings have grown and the increasing demand from our members to access this important information in French. In addition, I am actively involved with ACT's African language and interpreter cooperative planning meetings. It is my hope to become a certified interpreter in the near future.
Do you have a favorite African song?
Panya by Bracket is one of my favorite songs!
What is one goal you have for the African community?
One goal I have is to continue helping my community with issues like immigration reform, citizenship, and information and resource access. I also hope to eliminate the stigmas that are preventing African immigrants--like many other immigrant groups--from moving forward both in NYC and in the rest of the country.