The holiday season is over and most of us, if not all, are back to normal schedules again. It has been a
while since you last heard from your leadership. This is not normal, and we apologize. However, we
thought we should give everyone time to cool off after the end-of-year holidays and the January
hardships. So please, welcome back to the reality again!
On December 9th, 2018, among other things, we talked about getting the website back up, and giving
you info on membership fee for 2019. We are now pleased to inform you of the following:
1. The Website is now back up and running. In fact, you may read this message on the website.
2. Membership fee for 2019:
2.1. Fees are the same as last year: $60 for single and $100 for family. Payment period is normally
January to March. Kindly, we advise you to pay your membership fee before end of March
2019.
2.2. You can pay your membership fee in on of the five ways outlined below.
2.2.1.Cash. Hand it to any Tawichita Leader and get a receipt.
2.2.2.Check. Hand it to any Tawichita Leader and get a receipt, or mail it to Tawichita, P.O. Box
782142, Wichita, KS Zip 67278. You will get a receipt too.
2.2.3.CashApp to our Treasurer.
2.2.4.PayPal: Go to www.tawichita.org. Click on “RESOURCES”, choose “Membership
Join/Renew”. Choose the amount and click on “Pay Now” It will open up a PayPal page.
Login with your credentials and finalize the payment. If you do not have a PayPal account,
click on “Pay with Debit or Credit Card” link at the bottom, and proceed to make your
payment.
2.2.5.Direct deposite to Tawichita Bank Account. Meritrust Credit Union, Account Number
account name: Tanzania Association of Wichita
3. Bank balance. We inherited some amount from the old leadership. We want to make this open to all
members, but since this message is going to be on the website, we will post this on WhatsApp group
later on.
4. Our mega plan: We are planning to work on two things next month. We will need your help on both.
If we reach out to you, please, try to help where and when you can. We believe that if everyone of
you take a small responsibility, we will achieve big results as an organization. So very much rely on
your contribution. The two things that we will focus on in February are:
4.1. Recruiting new members: We need to reach out the old and prospective members and work
with them towards becoming full and active members. Volunteers will be much appreciated.
4.2. Building a list of Tawichita events and an annual timetable: We need to populate a list of events
and schedule them for the whole year. This may need a permanent committee, so we ask you
to volunteer to work on this committee.
5. General meeting: We are planning to hold a general meeting as soon as the cold weather dies out.
Please, start giving out ideas on the agenda, style of the meeting, etc. We are open to ideas. It is
your meeting, so feel free to shape it in any way.
Membership Fee for a single person is $60 per year and $100 for a family per year.
All fees are due on March 1st.
To avoid penalties please make your payment before March 1st.
You can pay your membership fee by:
1. Cash or Check directly to any TaWichita leader
2. PayPal
3. Bank deposit. (any branch of Meritrust Bank)
Yours,
TaWichita.
Effective October 5, 2016, USCIS has increased the validity period for initial or renewal Employment Authorization Documents for asylum applicants from one year to two years. Applicants with pending asylum claims file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization under category (c)(8). This change applies to all (c)(8)-based applications that are pending as of October 5, 2016 and all such applications filed on or after October 5, 2016.
More information Go to USCIS
African-inspired patterns took the Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear runways by storm. Collections by designers like Dries Van Noten, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg were full of vibrant color and zingy prints in off-the-moment silhouettes.
Months later, it’s now commonplace for magazine spreads and blogs to feature the eclectic patterns across their glossy pages and web browsers. It’s suddenly “trendy.”
Undoubtedly the bold textiles and designs deserve the spotlight. In fact, it’s been long overdue. Lines like Boxing Kitten and Nkwo are finally getting the shine they deserve.
But why did we have to wait for White pioneers in fashion to give us the ‘ok’?
These prints have long been a part of our history, so what gives? Years ago if you walked the streets cloaked in Kente cloth, you’d be dismissively labeled ‘afro-centric’ or ‘outdated.’
No matter what the next season’s trends, we hope folks will continue to embrace the radiant fabrics and the even more colorful culture that comes with them.
The steps to becoming a Green Card holder (permanent resident) vary by category and depend on whether you currently live inside or outside the United States. The main categories are:
If you are already a Green Card holder, see our After the Green Card Is Granted webpage for information on:
The "Green Card Processes & Procedures" section provides additional information on:
Who is a Green Card Holder (Permanent Resident)?
A Green Card holder (permanent resident) is someone who has been granted authorization to live and work in the United States on a permanent basis. As proof of that status, a person is granted a permanent resident card, commonly called a "Green Card." You can become a permanent resident several different ways. Most individuals are sponsored by a family member or employer in the United States. Other individuals may become permanent residents through refugee or asylee status or other humanitarian programs. In some cases, you may be eligible to file for yourself.
This page can be found at: http://www.uscis.gov/greencard
If personnel is policy then House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is serious about immigration reform. In an otherwise ordinary list of new staffers, his office announced, “Rebecca Tallent will join the office as Assistant to the Speaker for Policy handling immigration issues. Rebecca comes to us from the Bipartisan Policy Center, where she is the director of immigration policy.”
The position is not a new one, but putting a high profile person in the job signals the speaker is giving more than lip service to immigration reform. His press secretary Michael Steel tells me, “The Speaker remains hopeful that we can enact step-by-step, common-sense immigration reforms – the kind of reforms the American people understand and support.” He adds, “Becky Tallent, a well-known expert in this field of public policy, is a great addition to our team and that effort.”
With scant time left on the congressional calendar and host of must-do items including the so-called doc fix and a budget yet to be done, immigration reform is unlikely to get through the House by the end of the month. However, Tallent’s hiring is another sign, in addition to multiple statements by the speaker, that immigration reform is alive and kicking.
Although it is an election year, 2014 may afford a better opportunity than previously imagined for accomplishing something on the immigration front. The Dems and White House are more desperate than ever for some achievement, and their fear the Senate may flip in Nov. 2014 should encourage some flexibility. Meanwhile, the House right wing is not the force it was before the shutdown, while the speaker’s popularity has grown among his troops.
A final factor may play a role in pushing immigration reform to the fore. Center-right business leaders and groups, who mostly favor comprehensive immigration reform as an economic boost, are plainly alarmed about the 2014 election and have entered the fray both to unseat hard-line gadflies like Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) and bolster mainstream Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). That gives reform-minded lawmakers some confidence they will get cover in 2014 if they take some political heat for backing immigration reform. It also may persuade GOP skeptics to take another look at the polls, which generally show immigration reform including an earned path to citizenship to be popular, even among Republicans.
The precise form that immigration legislation will take is still not clear. The president has already signaled that a series of bills as opposed to one large bill would be acceptable. The critical issues will boil down to the requirements for legalization and the nature of the legal status (citizenship, citizenship with no “special path,” green card status, etc.) will take. Regardless of whether the Senate and House can reach a meeting of the minds, the seriousness with which the speaker is taking the issue and the encouraging words from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), who is charged with crafting actual legislation, suggests there has been some reconsideration in GOP ranks as to the desirability of at least passing a House version of immigration reform. That is a remarkable turnaround from a few months ago when the conventional wisdom proclaimed immigration reform dead.
Kwa Viongozi wote wa Jumuiya ya Watanzania - Marekani,
Salaam!!!
Natumaini wote hamjambo na mnaendelea vema na shughuli zenu za kila siku, sisi huku Washington, DC pia hatujambo, tunamshukuru Mungu.
Naomba kuwafahamisha wote kwamba Mhe. Balozi Liberata Mulamula ametoa siku maalum JUMANNE ya kwanza ya kila mwezi ya wale watakaopenda kuonana naye/kuzungumza kwa njia ya simu, iwe kwa salaam/kujitambulisha au kwa mazungumzo ya kuendeleza Taifa letu, utaratibu huu utaanza rasmi mwezi wa Februari, 2014.
Unaweza kupiga simu 202-884-1081 au 202-939-6125 Ext. 181/184 ili kuweza kuweka miadi hiyo kwa siku hiyo. Pia unaweza kuja Ubalozini kwa nafasi yako na kama Mhe. Balozi atakuwepo na akiwa na nafasi muafaka basi ataweza kukuona. Tunaomba pia muwafahamishe na wengine kuhusu jambo hili.
Taarifa maalum itawekwa kwenye website yetu ya Ubalozi, pamoja na blogs zote ambazo zinasomwa kwa wingi na Watanzania wote waishio hapa Marekani.
Ahsanteni na kazi njema!
Wenu katika ujenzi wa Taifa,
Rosemary
Ofisi ya Balozi
202-884-1081
You are invited to TaWichita year end meeting on December 14th at 5pm which will be held at a club house of 6602 East Harry (Brentwood appartment). Agenda will be posted soon, snacks and soft drinks will be provided. You are all welcome and please let other people know.
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As per our TaWichita Constitution and Bylaws, the Executive Committee is reminding TaWichita members that we do not have active leadership i.e. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer. The leadership we had, completed their term on November, 2011.
As per our constitution, a President and Running Mate will contest on one ticket and when elected together they will appoint their cabinet (i.e. Secretary and Treasurer) and shall serve a period of 24 months. They are allowed a total of two executive terms.
The Executive Committee will be accepting nominations from Sunday September 22nd, 2013 till Sunday October 20th, 2013. Qualified Candidates as per Article Two Section One, Two and Five of the constitution will be announced by October 31st, 2013, and the Elections is planned to be held by November, 2013(date to be announced).
For interesting parties, kindly review our constitution copy online at www.tawichita.org then fill in the President Application form on our TaWichita website, or simply follow this link http://www.tawichita.net/application-form
Please review NEW benefits for leaders which was added and approved by general meeting on February 2013, at http://www.tawichita.org/ under latest news “General meeting Feb 2013"
Good Luck!
UONGOZI
Lunda Asmani has traveled a long way to get to his job as assistant city manager and chief financial officer for the city of Newton.
Asmani, who earned a master’s in public administration from Wichita State University in 2002, is originally from Tanzania, East Africa. He grew up in a diplomatic family and was able to travel all over the world as a child.
Despite those advantages, Asmani credits his on-the-job training as a WSU student with his ability to land a successful job.
While at WSU’s Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, Asmani connected with the university’s Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program. That connection helped him score two valuable internships: first for the city of Maize and then for the Sedgwick County manager’s office.
He was employed full-time as soon as he graduated.
“I truly believe that my WSU co-op experience bolstered my resume and gave me a leg up on the competition,” Asmani said.
Workplace study
Asmani took the long route to Kansas. From Tanzania, he came to New York City for first grade. Then he moved to Brussels, Belgium, for most of middle school and high school. He went back to Tanzania, where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Dar Es Salaam.
Hoping for a career in environmental studies, Asmani moved to Wichita in the summer of 1998 and began his Master of Public Administration at WSU in spring 1999.
When he first arrived at Wichita State, Asmani contacted Daisy Kabagarama in the School of Community Affairs. She referred him to Sam Yeager at the Hugo Wall School, and, after a brief discussion, Asmani decided public administration was his future.
“As I went through the Master of Public Administration program, my passion for local government grew,” he said. “Although I had lived in the United States for a number of years, I continued to be intrigued about the democratic process and the role of local governments in everyday lives. I realized that to gain a better understanding of the profession and process I needed some sort of workplace study.”
That desire led to his internships for the city of Maize, where Asmani worked on the city’s comprehensive plan for 30 hours a week for six months.
“This was my first real exposure to local government, and the best part is I was also getting paid,” Asmani said.
In the summer of 2001, he began a management internship in the Sedgwick County manager’s office. Asmani said the county internship is one of the most respected public management internships in the region, and it set him up for his first real job after he graduated, working there for nine years in finance and enterprise planning.
In 2010, Asmani took his current job in Newton, where his responsibilities include investments, budgeting, risk management, accounting and oversight of the human resource functions.
Along with his work in Newton, Asmani has served on several area boards, is involved with the Kansas City/County Managers Association and serves as vice president of the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association.
He has been recognized with the De Vore Foundation’s 2010 Excellence in Public Service Award and was named a 2011 Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree.
