Washington, DC- Today, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Fellows departed to join volunteers from Ireland and South Africa to build homes in South African townships. This is the first time CBCF Fellows will travel abroad to complete their community service project.
Rep. Donald M. Payne of New Jersey and Foundation Chairman partnered with the Niall Mellon Township Initiative, and with the support of a small select group of corporations and individuals, to create this unique opportunity for the CBCF Congressional and Louis Stokes Health Policy Fellows to volunteer in Cape Town. CBCF Fellows will participate as a cohort alongside international volunteers from November 10-20 to help build homes to replace shacks in the townships of South Africa. Since its founding in 2002, the Niall Mellon Township Initiative with the help of 10,000 volunteers has constructed more than 15,000 houses benefiting approximately 80,000 people.
Over the years, Chairman Payne has personally visited townships in South Africa and witnessed the strong impact that volunteers from around the world make in the lives of the South African people. “In the spirit of civic engagement and public service, this new international community service project enriches the CBCF Fellows Program and fosters the Foundation’s mission of developing the next generation of leaders who are committed to serving the global black community,” said Rep. Payne.
In 1983, the Foundation created the Fellowship Program to increase the number of African-Americans serving on professional staffs in the U.S. Congress. “I am extremely proud of our Fellows and the significant educational accomplishments they have obtained. Moreover, I am especially pleased with their commitment to serve the global community,” said Rep. Payne.
“CBCF has increased its international presence across the Black Diaspora through previous AIDS awareness and cultural enhancement trips in Africa, our work in the Caribbean, and building a relationship with French black officials, ” said Elsie L. Scott, CBCF president and chief executive officer. “The Fellows project is an extension of the work that we do.”
For more information about CBCF’s fellows program, application criteria and deadlines, go to www.cbcfinc.org.
