Asafa : [ah-SAH-fah], noun : a remedy, medicine
Origin: Tamazight -a language spoken by the Amazigh people, the indigenous people of North Africa
Origin: Tamazight -a language spoken by the Amazigh people, the indigenous people of North Africa
A Note From our Founder
Hello and welcome to Asafa.
My name is Louiza Doran, more commonly and affectionately known as Weeze. I have worked with youth and young adults for well over a decade in educational, mentorship, and healing roles. In all of my experiences, both as a professional and as a one of the youth we now seek to support, the one truth across age and obstacle is that without a holistic approach to “success,” we are failing the next generation. Marginalized youth need more than just academic scholarships; they need guidance, community, living assistance, mental health support, safety, “adulting" & life skills coaching, education, and lastly, advocacy. They need the opportunity to spend their formative years exploring who they are and who they want to be, focusing on how to achieve those things and thrive. From this belief, the idea for the Asafa Collective was born and 5 years later we have come to fruition.
The Asafa Collective aims to become a remedy - a cure for the myriad of obstacles that are placed at the feet of our marginalized youth; we will guide and support them, not only on their liberatory journey, but also as they bring their most far stretching dreams into focus. I take on the name “Asafa" from my ancestral language in order to honor those that have come before me and who continue to guide me today.
To learn more about the Collective, read on. To learn more about me and the work I do outside of the foundation, click here.
My name is Louiza Doran, more commonly and affectionately known as Weeze. I have worked with youth and young adults for well over a decade in educational, mentorship, and healing roles. In all of my experiences, both as a professional and as a one of the youth we now seek to support, the one truth across age and obstacle is that without a holistic approach to “success,” we are failing the next generation. Marginalized youth need more than just academic scholarships; they need guidance, community, living assistance, mental health support, safety, “adulting" & life skills coaching, education, and lastly, advocacy. They need the opportunity to spend their formative years exploring who they are and who they want to be, focusing on how to achieve those things and thrive. From this belief, the idea for the Asafa Collective was born and 5 years later we have come to fruition.
The Asafa Collective aims to become a remedy - a cure for the myriad of obstacles that are placed at the feet of our marginalized youth; we will guide and support them, not only on their liberatory journey, but also as they bring their most far stretching dreams into focus. I take on the name “Asafa" from my ancestral language in order to honor those that have come before me and who continue to guide me today.
To learn more about the Collective, read on. To learn more about me and the work I do outside of the foundation, click here.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a remedy via systems of support for young adults to liberate themselves and by extension, their communities. We seek to create a more just and equitable society for those who are historically marginalized. This will be achieved through academics, life skills education, and healing work. Our goal is to provide a centralized ecosystem of resources to help young people navigate their own paths from high school to career.
Our Vision
The Asafa Collective envisions a powerful community of liberated people, from program alumni to donors and providers, who will, in turn, liberate their own communities. In this world, generational curses are broken and communities thrive. We envision a network of like-minded and values-aligned people connected in community and committed to social justice and freedom from oppression for all.
Our Values
Collective Liberation & Healing
“If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." - Lilla Watson, Aboriginal activist, academic and artist
Our liberation is truly bound together. Collective liberation means that we work collectively to center and uplift those closest to the pain and those who are the most marginalized amongst us to eradicate the various and intersecting* systems of oppression. In order to accomplish this, we must work together, sharing power and resources to create space and safety for our marginalized community members. We cannot have liberation without healing; healing our individual and collective trauma will help us heal our own relationships and communities. Our goal is a world rooted in honoring all people's humanity.
*For more on intersectionality, please begin your research with Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined and originated the concept.
“If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together." - Lilla Watson, Aboriginal activist, academic and artist
Our liberation is truly bound together. Collective liberation means that we work collectively to center and uplift those closest to the pain and those who are the most marginalized amongst us to eradicate the various and intersecting* systems of oppression. In order to accomplish this, we must work together, sharing power and resources to create space and safety for our marginalized community members. We cannot have liberation without healing; healing our individual and collective trauma will help us heal our own relationships and communities. Our goal is a world rooted in honoring all people's humanity.
*For more on intersectionality, please begin your research with Kimberlé Crenshaw, who coined and originated the concept.
Community
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
We are only as free as our most marginalized community members. Systems of dominance would have you believe that rugged individualism is the answer to success and social advancement, yet time and history have continuously shown us that community is the key. The work of liberation is an active and ongoing process that requires an “all hands on deck - doing what they are best at" methodology. This work can only be done in allied partnership that is rooted in accountability, humanity, equity, restorative practices, and relationships. Together, we are powerful!
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
We are only as free as our most marginalized community members. Systems of dominance would have you believe that rugged individualism is the answer to success and social advancement, yet time and history have continuously shown us that community is the key. The work of liberation is an active and ongoing process that requires an “all hands on deck - doing what they are best at" methodology. This work can only be done in allied partnership that is rooted in accountability, humanity, equity, restorative practices, and relationships. Together, we are powerful!
Personal Sovereignty
We believe that personal sovereignty is a birthright. We strive to create a world where individuals have autonomy and agency over themselves, their decisions, and their life paths. In a healthy community structure, the collective respects and values the individual's needs and choices so long as they do not infringe upon the liberation or sovereignty of others. We are a richer and fuller society when each of us is able to show up fully and express ourselves uniquely, within the framework of the collective. Like a beautiful mosaic, up close it may look disjointed but as you step away, the small pieces come together as one. We want to begin by empowering the youth in our community to stand in their truth, to practice sovereignty and safety, and to model that behavior to those around them.
We believe that personal sovereignty is a birthright. We strive to create a world where individuals have autonomy and agency over themselves, their decisions, and their life paths. In a healthy community structure, the collective respects and values the individual's needs and choices so long as they do not infringe upon the liberation or sovereignty of others. We are a richer and fuller society when each of us is able to show up fully and express ourselves uniquely, within the framework of the collective. Like a beautiful mosaic, up close it may look disjointed but as you step away, the small pieces come together as one. We want to begin by empowering the youth in our community to stand in their truth, to practice sovereignty and safety, and to model that behavior to those around them.
Integrity
We believe that integrity is more than just honesty, it is accountability, vulnerability, and most importantly, the right reciprocal relationship. We each have a responsibility to make decisions that keep the well-being, liberation and humanity of others in mind. It is from the seeds of integrity that our collective liberation, communities, and personal sovereignty grow. We are inextricably linked and if we navigate the world as such, we have done our parts to move the needle of equity forward as we re-imagine what the future will look like for the next generations.
We believe that integrity is more than just honesty, it is accountability, vulnerability, and most importantly, the right reciprocal relationship. We each have a responsibility to make decisions that keep the well-being, liberation and humanity of others in mind. It is from the seeds of integrity that our collective liberation, communities, and personal sovereignty grow. We are inextricably linked and if we navigate the world as such, we have done our parts to move the needle of equity forward as we re-imagine what the future will look like for the next generations.