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Historic African Diaspora Placement Program (HADIP)

Harare
Zimbabwe
28 Sep, 2023

Overview

The Historic African Diaspora Placement Program (HADIP) is a collaborative initiative for fostering cultural understanding and promoting sustainable development between Africans and African Americans. HADIP provides African American professionals with the opportunity to engage in professional and cultural immersion experiences in African countries. The program is implemented by a partnership comprising the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), the African Union Mission to the United States, the International Partnership for Inclusive Education and Development (IPIED), the Directorate of Citizens and Diaspora Organizations of the African Union Commission (CIDO), and the Africa-America Institute (AAI), with ACBF serving as the Secretariat.

Mission

HADIP's mission is twofold: to enhance cultural understanding between Africans and African Americans and to enable African American professionals to actively contribute to Africa's development in alignment with the African Union's Agenda 2063. By facilitating cultural exchange, technology transfer, and the establishment of transnational networks, HADIP aims to heal any lingering historical alienation and estrangement, promote sustainable development, and provide African Americans with an opportunity to reconnect with their ancestral homeland.

Pilot Phase

HADIP will be implemented in a phased approach, starting with a 3-year pilot phase involving 10 selected African countries. The pilot will consist of two tracks: a 6-month to 1-year or a year and longer occupational and cultural immersion. The participating countries in the pilot phase include Algeria, Cameroon, Burundi, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. African Americans placed in each of the countries will be provided a return flight ticket, monthly stipend, and life and health insurance coverage. Lessons learned from the pilot phase will guide the program's expansion to additional countries in subsequent phases.

Objectives

  • Identify and engage African American professionals interested in participating in the program.
  • Match the skills, talents, and experiences of African American professionals to the development needs of the host countries.
  • Strengthen the human and institutional capacity of the pilot countries.
  • Facilitate cultural integration and immersion experiences for the participants.
  • Foster the professional development of the participants through coaching and mentorship.

Benefits for African Countries

  • Knowledge and skills transfer contributing to capacity building, enhancing local industries, and promoting economic development.
  • Stimulation of economic development through entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growth of local industries.
  • Cultural immersion by connecting African American professionals with African countries.
  • Opportunity for collaboration with local professionals, businesses, and organizations, leading to partnerships, joint ventures, and knowledge sharing, fostering innovation and professional development.
  • Potential for sustainable development initiatives, investments, international trade, and philanthropic efforts that benefit African citizens.

Benefits for African American Professionals

  • Cultural immersion and the opportunity to reconnect with ancestral heritage.
  • Opportunity for an enriching and authentic lived experience in Africa
  • Meaningful participation in Africa's development and contribution to targeted African countries.
  • Professional and personal development through exposure to African environments and experiences.
  •  Visit to historical and tourist sites.
  • Access to coaching and mentorship to deepen knowledge and understanding of African/African American history and culture.

Budget and Funding

In addition to direct financial contributions, some partners may release African Diasporas to work under the program through secondment agreements for specific periods.

Projected Impact

By the end of the 3-year pilot phase, HADIP aims to have facilitated the immersion experiences of 3,000 African American professionals. This will contribute to sustainable economic growth and development in the targeted African countries while fostering cultural understanding, healing of any lingering historical estrangement, and building transnational networks.

More Information

 

 

Thomas Kwesi Quartey

ACBF has been granted the status of a specialized agency because of the potential to transform Africa through capacity development.
H.E. Thomas Kwesi Quartey, Deputy Chairperson, AU Commission
Erastus Mwencha

The recognition of ACBF as the African Union’s Specialized Agency for Capacity Development launches the beginning of a new era for capacity building by ACBF, which will require an appropriate level of political commitment and financial support from all stakeholders.
H.E. Erastus Mwencha, Chair, ACBF Executive Board
Lamin Momodou

The remarkable achievements ACBF has registered over the past 26 years is not by accident in our opinion. They have come through hard work, dedication, commitment, purposeful leadership, support from the member countries as well as productive partnership building.
Mr. Lamin Momodou MANNEH, Director, UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa
Goodall Gondwe

Africa needs ACBF as much, probably more now, than at the time it was created in 1991.
Hon. Goodall Gondwe, former Chair of the ACBF Board of Governors and Minister of Finance – Malawi
Ken Ofori Atta

Ghana’s partnership with ACBF is a tremendous blessing for us and therefore the opportunity for Ghana to host the 26th ACBF Board of Governors Meeting is something that we treasure.
Hon Ken Ofori Atta, Chair of the ACBF Board of Governors and Minister of Finance - Ghana
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