About us
The African Outreach Center
A community-driven, independent non-profit established in 2026 in San Jose, California, a vital hub for empowerment, education, and cultural connection for African immigrants and refugees.
Our story
Africa is home to 1.5 billion people. There are an estimated 300–400 million people of African descent living outside the African continent, roughly 350 million in the global African diaspora. The United States is now home to an estimated 2.8 million African-born immigrants, with over 70,000 residents in the San Francisco Bay Area, reflecting rapid growth in African migration and making African-origin communities a significant part of the country's Black diaspora.
Founded to address the pressing challenges faced by African immigrants and refugees, AOC serves its community through three main pillars: Cultural Heritage, Civic Engagement, and Community Integration & Immigration Support, bolstered by crosscutting programs in Media Hub, Faith & Family, and Leadership Development.
Vision
A society where immigrants live with dignity, experience full inclusion, and celebrate their cultural heritage as integral members of the community in the United States.
Mission
To enhance the well-being, dignity, and integration of African immigrants by connecting them with essential resources and ensuring their voices are heard in the broader community.
Problem statement
African immigrants in the Bay Area and across the United States face a complex mix of economic, social, and legal barriers that can make full participation in American life more difficult, even for those who arrive with strong education, skills, and professional experience. In high-cost regions such as the Bay Area, many struggle to find work that matches their qualifications while also encountering bias in workplaces, housing, and public spaces, including discrimination tied to accents, names, or cultural identity. These challenges are compounded by complicated immigration processes, limited access to culturally responsive legal and social services, and the pressure of adapting to unfamiliar racial and cultural dynamics.
In response, AOC serves as a collaborative platform that brings together immigrants, community leaders, service providers, and allies to provide culturally responsive support, expand access to immigration guidance, employment and entrepreneurship pathways, housing and health resources, and create safe, mental-health-aware spaces that help families build stable, dignified lives while preserving their cultural identity.
Our objectives
AOC pursues three core objectives aligned with its main pillars to empower African immigrants in the Bay Area.
Culturally Responsive Support
Provide culturally responsive support that helps community members overcome barriers such as isolation, language challenges, and limited access to services.
Civic Empowerment
Strengthen civic engagement, leadership, and advocacy so African immigrants can participate more fully in local decision-making and community life.
Storytelling & Connection
Use media, storytelling, and digital platforms to connect the diaspora with home, preserve culture, amplify authentic voices, and build identity, belonging, and opportunity across generations.
Our Three Program Pillars
Targeted intervention strategies, enhanced by Media Hub, Faith & Family, and Leadership Development programs, empower Bay Area African immigrants across every pillar.
Cultural Heritage
Preserve and promote African identity through storytelling, festivals, arts, and faith-based fellowships to foster pride, intergenerational bonds, and cross-continental connections.
Hosts festivals, arts workshops, storytelling sessions, and faith-informed fellowships, amplified by Media Hub broadcasts and Faith & Family intergenerational events, to preserve identity and combat cultural erosion.
Civic Engagement
Equip communities with governance knowledge, leadership skills, advocacy training, and media platforms to enhance participation in local decision-making and policy influence.
Delivers voter education drives, policy advocacy workshops, interfaith dialogues, and leadership pipelines via Leadership Development training, with Media Hub amplifying community voices for greater local influence.
Community Integration
Provide job training, legal aid, language support, and service access to overcome immigration barriers, discrimination, and isolation for socio-economic stability and inclusion.
Runs legal clinics, job-readiness workshops, ESL classes, and mentorship programs through Faith & Family support, using Media Hub outreach and Leadership Development to bridge service gaps and foster economic inclusion.
Areas of Intervention
AOC employs targeted intervention strategies across its three pillars, Cultural Heritage, Civic Engagement, and Community Integration & Immigration Support, to empower Bay Area African immigrants by preserving identity, strengthening civic participation, and providing practical resources for stable, dignified settlement. Under Cultural Heritage it preserves African identity through podcasts, online radio, blogs, and social media; the Civic Engagement pillar builds leadership and advocacy via workshops, policy forums, and community organizing; and Community Integration & Immigration Support provides referrals for housing, employment, legal aid, health services, and culturally responsive case management.
Cultural Heritage
Hosts festivals, arts workshops, storytelling sessions, and faith-informed fellowships, amplified by Media Hub broadcasts and Faith & Family intergenerational events, to preserve identity and combat cultural erosion.
Civic Engagement
Delivers voter education drives, policy advocacy workshops, interfaith dialogues, and leadership pipelines via Leadership Development training, with Media Hub amplifying community voices for greater local influence.
Community Integration
Runs legal clinics, job-readiness workshops, ESL classes, and mentorship programs through Faith & Family support, using Media Hub outreach and Leadership Development to bridge service gaps and foster economic inclusion.
Cross-Cutting Initiatives
Three cross-cutting programs weave together media storytelling, leadership training, and collaborative partnerships to amplify impact across every pillar, creating a holistic ecosystem that addresses immediate needs while empowering long-term resilience and cross-generational connection.
Media Hub
Leverages radio, podcasts, online TV, and blogs to share immigrant stories, promote cultural events, and advocate for policy changes, building awareness and cross-continental connections while addressing isolation.
Faith & Family
Serves children, youth, women, and the elderly through faith-informed fellowships, family workshops, mentorship, and health support via partnerships like Healing Grove. Focus areas include spiritual nurturing and intergenerational bonding.
Leadership Development
Trains emerging leaders through pipelines featuring governance education, civic workshops, and advocacy skills equipping participants for roles in local decision-making and community representation.
Our Core Values
Cultural Pride
Celebrates African heritage through traditions, storytelling, and faith-based connections to instill identity and intergenerational unity.
Participatory Empowerment
Promotes active involvement in governance, leadership, and advocacy to amplify voices and drive community influence.
Inclusive Solidarity
Fosters equity and support via job training, legal aid, and integration efforts to overcome barriers and ensure belonging.
Our Ecosystem
AOC Connect is more than a nonprofit, it's the hub of a four-platform ecosystem working together to connect, empower, and amplify Africans worldwide.
African Outreach Center
Radio Kush
Savanna Radio
Projexiq
Apul AI
Our leadership
The people guiding AOC's mission across culture, civic life, and community integration. Click a card to read their story.
Executive Leadership
Hon. David Nyang K.
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Officers
Dr. Hanan Rezk
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Ken Odhiambo
Chief Program Officer
Yalem Lakew
Chief Finance Officer