Serving our communities and preserving our culture is the key to ensuring a sound future. ACANA was founded in Southwest Philadelphia in 1999 in order to bridge the gap between African immigrants and the existing African American communities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an area of the city where most of the agency’s targeted clients, (African refugees, asylum seekers, and other immigrant populat
ions) have been resettled. ACANA was originally started by Voffee Jabateh, MSW, as a cultural organization to support African artists/ musicians in their efforts to establish themselves within the United States. The goal was to help African immigrant artists ensure continuity within their new location, as well as to assist in cultural preservation within this new environment. However, due to overwhelming requests for additional help by the ever-expanding population of African refugee, asylee and immigrant community members in dealing with the stressors associated with adjusting to their new community; ACANA was incorporated in 1999 as a non-profit social service agency.
