AFRICAN SWAHILI COMMUNITY PROJECT IN THE UKUNDUGU |
ABOUT US:
African Swahili Community Project (ASCOP) is a voluntary organisation set up in October 1992 in London, to highlight the needs of African Swahili speaking refugees and asylum seekers who are resident or who are intending to reside in the United Kingdom and work towards their integration into the British society.
The work is centred on raising awareness of the rights and services among its members living in Greater London and elsewhere in the UK; and highlighting the needs of its clients to providers and purchasers of services within the voluntary and statutory sectors.
ASCOP is a charitable organisation, registered under n° 1064874/0 of the Charity Commission.
TARGET POPULATION
ASCOP caters mostly for people from the Eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire), Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The majority of members are from the Great Lakes Region.
The main characteristics of the target community are most of them are refugees or newly arrived asylum seekers, they are Swahili speakers but the Swahili spoken in this Great Lakes region is different from the one spoken in other East-African countries, because of the French and local vernaculars influence).
To meet the needs of its clients ASCOP has undertaken the following activities:
Management Structure and Accountability
The Management Committee of the ASCOP comprises asylum seekers, refugees and UK nationals from a wide range of organisational backgrounds (Voluntary and Statutory organisations) throughout the areas of its remit.
Management Committee
The members of the new Management Committee who were elected on Saturday 26 August 00 by the General Assembly of ASCOP/UNDUGU are:
The management group delegates responsibilities for day to day decision making to key hold officers namely, the Chairman, the Vice/Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer, who in turn welcome regular advice from its Trustees.
The ASCOP produces Annual Audited Accounts with the help of Islington Voluntary Action Council (IVAC).
ASCOP holds an account at Barclay’s Bank. It has, at least three signature specimens the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.
At the moment, a team made up of Volunteers carries out the operational activities at ASCOP.
Members of staff include the followings:
- the refugee crisis Intervention worker.
- the Editor of the newsletter-"GAZETI": Mr Jean-Pierre Faziry MAFUTALA.
Islington Council: Education Service
London Borough Islington
Camden & Islington Health Authority (Health Promotion)
National Lottery Charities Board (Small Grant)
Islington Age Concern
Refugee Council (Refugee Week)
The Housing Association Charitable Trust
Islington Social Services – HIV Prevention
Elthorne Neighborhood Office
Lloyds/TSB foundation
BBC Children In Needs
Brent & Harrow Health Authority
Camelot Foundation
ASCOP is grateful to all donors named above who invest in our work.
Contact us for information and requirements , if you want to know more about us and what we do.