African Student Association

When a group of African students came up with the idea of forming the Pan African Student Association in 1996, little did they know that their idea would gradually, with time and determination from its members, emerge as a mosaic reflection of the African continent.

The cardinal objective of PASA is to clearly express essential and the much-needed information about the human presence on the African continent. Its major concern is Africa -- the continent and its people.

The group's activities, numerous and positively significant in effect, aim first and foremost to bring together a gallery of African people's faces and facets of their culturally rich lives, out of which emerges a glamorous and authentic face of the African continent. But this face of Africa is more often than not negatively portrayed. The media, unfortunately, take home the lion's share of this blame.

Africa is portrayed as a far-flung jungle with an overwhelming vastness and emptiness, where only rivers roar, wildlife roam, naked men wander in forests hunting, bare-breasted women strike stones to make fire, and children, emaciated and sick, listen to their echoes in gaping valleys.

That era, premised as it was on ignorance, consequently fizzled away when it was confronted by credible and logical thoughts. Aware of such a distorted past, PASA is focused to mold an ethic of recognition, respect and appreciation for Africa, its land and people.

It is the beauty and vitality of Africa that PASA is concerned with. Its vision is to tell the untold story of Africa, the story of triumph, of an inexhaustibly diverse and spiritually rich continent, of its prominent presence in worldly affairs and of a continent endowed with what it takes to converse with other parts of the world on equal terms.

Yet PASA is not blind to a myriad of problems facing the African continent. There are worrying civil wars, hunger, tyrannical political leaders and poverty, among other challenges facing this continent at the moment.

But PASA members have come up with brilliant strategies to rid their continent of some of these miseries. Last semester, for instance, they raised $2,000 to help orphans in Africa. They are now actively involved in a safe-sex campaign as a response to the monstrous AIDS scourge that is devouring people by the thousands in Africa, and of course, the rest of the world.

Since NT is diverse and the American lifestyle is different from Africa's, PASA serves as an acclimatizing chamber for new students. It offers guidance and assists new students during their formative days at NT. It creates the much-sought sense of belonging and serves as a source of identity to most students. Continuing students are also attached to this association, more so as a social gathering where they get a chance to discuss in their mother tongue and talk about Africa.

What is more encouraging is the fact that students from other parts of the world have joined the association, and they find value in activities PASA is involved in. Of great interest are African-Americans who have joined the association and continuously show concern about their ancestors' continent. PASA holds seminars, workshops and exhibitions that center on Africa, and that serves as a resourceful avenue for other students and staff members to learn more and appreciate Africa.

But PASA does not entirely confine itself to African issues. It realizes that other people, their descent notwithstanding, form an integral and meaningful part of humanity. Indeed, the picture of the world would crumble down if the presence of other people were ignored. PASA therefore participates in community service here in campus and extends its services to other communities outside NT.

The response the association gets from NT community is one of encouragement. PASA has always invitingly flung its arms open to other students to join and make this world a better place. This invitation, symbolic of African hospitality, can only be perceived as a bold step toward making PASA stronger.

PASA president Hawa Cherif sees the future of the association as "bigger and better." It is in this bigger future that she hopes that a true reflection of "great people, one continent, and one people" will emerge.

So, if all that dazzles you about Africa is its wildlife, it is only because you have not been attending PASA meetings.