Here is an excerpt of what
Dr. Aisha Fields and Omowale
Kefing had to say:
Aisha Fields about Aja: Comrade Aja is a member of AAPDEP-Houston and serves as the chapter’s local Membership
Coordinator. Under Aja’s leadership,
AAPDEP-Houston has completed
all requirements for becoming an
official branch of AAPDEP. Al
–
though the branch has done fan
–
tastic mass production for several
years through their AAPDEP 5th
Ward Community Garden, the
fact that the members of Hous
–
ton AAPDEP have now formed
a formal branch-which required
ensuring all members’ dues were
paid up and that branch leader
–
ship roles were clearly defined
and addressed along with other
processes outlined in the AAP
–
DEP-Houston branch building
manual-displays in my opinion, a
high level of organization, follow-
through and attention to protocols
that Comrade Aja brings to our
Movement..
In this period where AAPDEP
is working closely with the Office
of Economic Development & De
–
fense Fund (OEDF) to build AAP
–
DEP’s first economic institution,
Zenzele Consignment, Aja has
shown tremendous leadership!!
As AAPDEP leadership worked to
pull together a team to build Ze
–
nzele, Aja united with the Execu
–
tive Committee and took on the
responsibility of handling a key
role in our fundraising subcom
–
mitte: Auction Chair of our first
Zenzele Online Holiday Auction.
With only six weeks to build
a successful auction, there were
concerns that we may need to
postpone the auction and focus
on building it in 2015. However,
already having seen the serious
–
ness and commitment of com
–
rades like Aja and others who
make up the Zenzele Organizing
Committee, AAPDEP decided to
press on and make the auction
happen in December 2014. Let
me say unequivocally, that with
–
out the daily push from Comrade
Aja, consistently informing us of
the auction’s progress, including
donation monitoring with how
many were up on the site, daily
bid summaries, and providing
feedback on media promotions,
we would not have had the po
–
litically successful auction that we
ultimately had!
Aja became an expert at us
–
ing our online auction site. Com
–
rade Aja made calls, sent emails,
and managed FaceBook posts.
She encouraged other comrades
to follow her lead in her admin
–
istrative efforts. Her sense of
humor, kindness and hard work
were infectious, which makes
her a wonderful comrade for all
to work with. I have dubbed our
Zenzele Organizing Committee
as a Dream Team, and Aja is our
gem!!!
Omowale Kefing: Com
–
rade Aja is approaching nearly
one year of work with the Uhuru
Movement. Since that time she
has excelled at all the work she
has confronted. Initially Comrade
Aja came into the work as a mem
–
ber of AAPDEP-Houston and its
signature project, The Fifth Ward
Community Garden.
Although Aja lives some 30
miles away, she consistently
makes the meetings and the work
days in the garden. After a short
period of time, Aja was elected
Secretary/Treasuer of the lo
–
cal AAPDEP. This work included
handling and raising all the nec
–
essary funds it took to mobilize
a successful Junteenth AAPDEP
event, which featured Archie Bell
and other local artists and ven
–
dors. Several hundred people
attended this celebration which
allowed us to raise much needed
funds.
As Secretary/Treasurer, Aja
fought consistently for organiza
–
tion and a by-the-book relation
–
ship with the International AAP
–
DEP Committee, to which she
has been recently appointed as
International Membership
Director
.
In addition to the Juneteenth
program which put us on track
for the One Africa! One Na
–
tion! Marketplace, Aja was in
–
strumental in organizing the
3000-gallon Rainwater Irrigation
System which safeguards the
Garden from draught.
During the Black is Back
weekend in D.C. comrade Aja
was here in Houston with the
AAPDEP comrades, where
she led a successful hands-on
training, of youth from one of the
local YES Prep schools.
Comrade Aja Zola is also
Secretary of The
Burning Spear
Team
and Chief Proofreader. On
the Spear Team she also serves
as Chief Proof Reader. Comrade
Aja has been superb in her duties
with
The Spear
. We can depend
on Minutes to review our meet
–
ings and can now look forward
to meeting notices and agendas,
including text messages to all
Team members reminding them
of scheduled meetings.
As the winner Aja will receive
the following:
•
A $50 gift card
•
The Biko Lumumba Com
–
rade of the Quarter Plaque
•
An article in the
Burning
Spear
newspaper
Recognition on Uhuru
News/Radio
