Chiku Awali African Dance, Arts & Culture, Inc., promotes, encourages, and projects civic and cultural programs and activities around African dance and culture. Chiku Awali also provides outreach programs to local libraries, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities.
It is based out of Spring Valley, New York, which is one of the poorest areas in Rockland County. Over the course of a year, the organization enrolls around 100 participants in its programs, performs for the community more than 30 times, and reaches over 3,000 individuals in audiences that include Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital, The Women's World Bank, The Arts Council of Rockland, and many more. Programs and projects focus on African dance and art, West African drumming, storytelling, leadership training, and healthy lifestyles. By engaging at-risk youths in active and time-consuming endeavors, Chiku Awali helps reduce the likelihood of them becoming delinquents.
As it grew, Chiku Awali wanted to start sending out an organizational newsletter. It obtained a government grant for hardware, but without any software, the hardware was useless for the organization. When Chiku Awali received the much-needed Microsoft software donation through TechSoup, it was finally able to begin creating its organizational newsletter. Using Microsoft Office, Chiku Awali was able to craft the newsletter and upload it to its website for all of its patrons. Using it as an opportunity to explore these applications, the organization continues to learn about the Microsoft Office suite as a communication tool.