The mission of the International Trends and Services facet is to expand the global platform for programs designed and developed to service the educational, health and cultural needs of people of African descent throughout the world. All programmatic components of the facet are delivered through measurable and sustainable service delivery methods that reach women and their families.
The foremost goal of the International Trends and Services facet is to provide opportunities for tangible service in other countries. Our “boots on the ground” approach provides for more personalized methods for assisting and improving the lives of women, children and men worldwide through long-term programs committed to empowerment and public policy leadership in advocating for social justice.
THE LINKS DELEGATION TO LIBERIA, GHANA, AND JAMAICA
The Links, Incorporated is committed to expanding its global presence and have embarked on a journeys to Liberia, Ghana, and Jamaica. We look to broaden our International Trends and Services platform for programs designed to service the educational, health and cultural needs of people of African descent.
During our visits to Liberia, Ghana and Jamaica, The Links, Incorporated demonstrated our commitment to enriching and sustaining the cultural and economic survival of people of African ancestry, through friendship and service.
- Visited Liberian schools adopted by The Links, Incorporated: School for the Blind, Ann Sandell School, and AME University.
- Witnessed the dedication ceremony of The Links Maternal Waiting Home.
- Explored the history and culture of African villages in Liberia and Ghana.
- Walked through Kakum National Park in Accra, Ghana.
- Toured historic landmarks.
- Partnered with Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures and performed several thousand dental exams over three years at three primary schools in Jamaica.
- Helped train 4th-6th grade students in CPR .
- Planted a Links Friendship Garden for healthy living.
- Donated nearly 1K books over several years to Links Friendship Library and for students to take home.
- Donated nearly 200 Amazon Kindles.
- Donated a Links Computer Lab.
- Donated an Ultra Sound Machine to Falmouth Public Hospital from the Milwaukee (WI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
SIGNATURE PROGRAM: Education Across the Miles
Since 1996, The Links, Incorporated has built, refurbished and furnished educational materials to over 60 schools in South Africa, successfully making a direct and significant impact on the lives of thousands of African students and families. Contact with these schools continues today as The Links, Incorporated positions itself to adopt four schools in Liberia, West Africa – the Todee School, AME University, the School for the Blind, and the Ann Sandell School. And three primary schools in Jamaica; St. Mary’s Preparatory, Mt. Zion Primary, and Watford Hill Primary. Through in-kind donations, monetary support, and the lending of professional expertise in curriculum and lesson plan development, we will aid in the reestablishment of the Liberian and Jamaican educational system.
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION (NGO) PROGRAM INITIATIVES
Model UN
The Links, Incorporated and its NGO representative to the United Nations, have worked diligently to produce a strong and cohesive plan to strengthen its work with the United Nations. The Model UN program engages grade school and college students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as other institutions of higher learning, to become informed and active citizens of this changing world.
Students are invited to special events sponsored by The Links, Incorporated and are encouraged to become involved in international affairs by working with the United Nations. This program’s goal is to provide as many international experiences for our students as possible. Through the Model UN program, students are given the opportunity to research and discuss complex global issues such as the role of women in developing countries, apartheid, child labor and human development.
Links International Foreign Affairs and Business Empowerment for Youth (LIFE) Program
The LIFE program is designed to expose minority high school students, grades 9-10, to career possibilities in foreign affairs and international business in an effort to close the race and gender divide in corporate and state department jobs, and Foreign Service appointments. Chapters of The Links, Incorporated partner with local high school, college and university faculty and administrators to implement a two-week program curriculum which includes site visits, guest speakers, webcasts and case studies on business and foreign service. The LIFE program curriculum is patterned after the successful Howard University Summer Enrichment program at the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center. LIFE program alumnae are able to apply to the Howard University Summer Enrichment program if they choose to continue their studies in international affairs. Each year, nearly 400 students participate in the program.
Linking with Haiti – Women’s Survival Kits
The Links Incorporated provides outreach to women and girls in Haiti who were affected by the devastating 2010 earthquake through the distribution of Women’s Survival Kits. This initiative provides a direct and deliverable service to the Haitian community. With the supplies needed for personal hygiene and daily living still difficult to secure, this initiative aims to provide basic survival kits to women and girls in Haiti so they can preserve their dignity. Each kit assembled by members of The Links, Incorporated contains fundamental items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, and washcloths, that are too often taken for granted.