Organization Profiles

African Initiative for Community Development, Inc.
2406 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
Tel: 617-822-4779, 617-989-2613,
Fax: 617-989-2624,
E-mail: aicd.boston@juno.com,
Contact: Mr. Juma Kayembe aicd5@cs.com

Background
African Initiative for Community Development, Inc. (AICD) was established in 1993 by a group of Africans in Boston concerned about the increase in the African immigrant population of individuals and families whose needs were going largely unmet.
There was a realization that a huge gap existed between African immigrant needs and the services available to them. This gap is even larger today with the increased number of newcomers in the community. Additionally, many in the African immigrant community tend to stay isolated and far from services and other resources needed for them to improve their lives. Legal, social and cultural reasons contribute to this phenomenon.
In the beginning, AICD primarily focused on immigration matters and has reached many in the African community with immigration-related direct services and referral services. AICD's services have expanded to include job skills and job-related referrals.
African Initiative for Community Development Inc. has an established office and a staff of volunteers. AICD emphasizes collaboration with other agencies and organizations in Boston. Services are provided on the basis of need without regard to nationality, creed, ethnicity and gender.

Mission/Goals
To develop programs, provide services and bridge the gap between the needs in the community and the services offered.

Services
AICD provides assistance ranging from immigration and naturalization issues to assisting individuals to obtain culturally and linguistically appropriate job-related training.

• Specific programs include:
  Immigration assistance
  Computer training
  ESL
  Nurse Assistant training