Kupanda Sisters Inc. celebrates first anniversary this week

Jun 25, 2020 News

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Kupanda Sisters Inc. will be celebrating its first anniversary on Saturday June 27, 2020 from 15:00 hrs. to 16:30 hrs. via Zoom under the theme “Literacy is a Human Right.” The anniversary event will be a reflective celebration of the challenges and opportunities, which the organization has encountered over the past year. It will also be a time to recognize those who have measurably contributed to the success of the organization and gather support for the work that needs to be done.

The anniversary event will be graced by the Ms. Noella Coursaris, a Congolese/Cypriot philanthropist and international model and the Founder and CEO of Malaika.
This is a grassroots nonprofit organization that educates and empowers girls and communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is also a voice for the power of girls’ education worldwide. Founded in 2007, Malaika’s education and health programmes are offered free of charge and today impacts thousands of lives. Musunka has shared her insight at a number of world-class forums spanning the Concordia Summit and the World Economic Forum in Davos to the university halls of Cambridge, Oxford, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In 2017, she was named one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential and Inspirational Women of the year, and in 2018, she received an award at the 100 Year of Mandela celebration.
Also present will be Andrew Kay Andrew, founder and CEO of the World Literacy Foundation, a global not-for-profit charitable group that strives to ensure that youths, regardless of geographic location, have the opportunity to acquire literacy and reading skills to reach their full potential.
Andrew worked in the NFP sector for 30 years with a passion for education for all. In 1998, he was awarded citizen of the year for his service to the community.

Also present will be:
*Ms. Audrey Sue, headmistress of Sophia Primary School.
*Neville A. Welch, who was born in Albouystown and grew up in Tiger Bay. He graduated from the Dolphin Primary School and subsequently Charlestown Secondary School. Mr. Welch later graduated from Kingsborough Community College after migrating to the United States. Neville has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Howard University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Walden University. He was later enlisted into the United States Marine Corps where he graduated from the School of Infantry.
More recently, Neville was a military advisor to a member of the United States congress. Over the past 18 years, he has served in the Marine Corps with courage and distinction. Neville is extensively involved in the local community, he has many personal decorations and he enjoys spending quality time with his family.
*Autum Rose is a twelve-year old Fashion Designer and CEO of her brand d’ObviousRose launched in 2016. Through her “Heart full of Dreams” project, at least once a year, she has been taking some time to remind young children of the importance of having DREAMS.
Anaya Lee Willabus is a thirteen-year old award winning author of four books. Her first book, “The Day Mohan Found His Confidence” was written after her inaugural trip to her parents’ homeland of Guyana in 2014. She went on to publish a book on May 30, 2015.
Anaya believes that children should always incorporate reading into their daily lives for their success.
Kupanda Sisters originated from the childhood experiences of its founder who grew up in illiteracy and poverty.
As a child, Ms. Charles spent many days memorizing passages rather than learning to read. Her lowest point came when she failed the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) exams, which caused her to feel the burden of disappointing her entire family. Ms. Charles then began to take private literacy lessons, which marked the beginning of her literacy renaissance.
The Kupanda Sisters was launched in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, South America, on May 25, 2019, and it was incorporated in New York in April of 2019.
In Swahili, “Kupanda” means “rise.” The mission of Kupanda Sisters is to uplift women and young people in underserved communities by providing them with quality literacy resources and skills that would equip and empower them to become meaningful contributors to their communities and world.
A release from the group stated that: “Similarly, Kupanda Sisters envisions a world in which people of underserved communities have free, timely, and reliable access to quality educational resources.
“Kupanda Sisters will deliver quality and effective literacy programming, resource allocation, mentorship, literacy and personal development, and community stewardship.
It stated that Kupanda Sisters partnered with Sophia Primary School in Georgetown, Guyana. The pilot programme began in 2019, as the inaugural class consisted of 10 academically at-risk students and 10 high achievers. Through a series of workshops and team-building projects, all participants will learn the value of teamwork, leadership, respect, and compassion.
“This curriculum is consistent with the Ministry of Education targeted Literacy Standards and Benchmarks for Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Written Expression, and is structured into six modules. The students meet every Saturday for two hours. A typical session is focused literacy: where the students spend time improving on their reading skills, comprehension, writing, vocabulary, phonics, storytelling, and interactive educational games. In addition, we invite motivational speakers to encourage participants to harness their passion for literacy and personal development.
Ms. Charles stated, “The leadership team at Kupanda Sisters is excited about the upcoming anniversary celebration. They are also grateful for all the support and resources donated to the organization as it strives to uplift women and young people in underserved communities through quality and reliable educational resources.”

 

 

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