A West Africa Outreach Initiative: Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Invests in the Diaspora

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Black Lives Matter Board Members and nationally renowned leaders Cicley Gay and D’Zhane Parker and traveled to West Africa between May 24-June 2, 2025 to host a Borehole Commissioning in Ashaiman, and other humanitarian outreach and community engagement events with the people of Ghana and Niger. The trip's overall focus centered around advancing impoverished communities, collaboration with the people, and inspired unity for all of West Africa.

With an emphasis on social activism, Parker and Gay’s travel was in deep partnership with West-African led organizations, in AfriKicks and the Afro-Arab Group. AfriKicks, founded by Oumarou Idrissa, focuses on collecting and donating shoes to the people of Africa. The Afro-Arab Group is a multifaceted company that operates the Afro-Arab Arena, a sports complex dedicated to the Spartans Football Club in Ghana. The Afro-Arab Group hosted the charity soccer tournaments for this partnership at the Afro-Arab Arena.

Black Lives Matter is delivering over 5,000 pairs of shoes, 40,000 toys, and $150,000 worth of clothes—while building three clean water wells in communities across Niger and Ghana, including one in Ashaiman.

The trip also included high-level meetings with government officials, conferences and cultural outings. Activities ranged from the commissioning for the Borehole Project, hosting charity soccer tournaments, visiting orphanages, social engagement activities with village schools children, and more.

D’Zhane Parker and Cicley Gay are the two forces behind this partnership, and both bring upon extensive backgrounds in philanthropy, activism and direct service with them.

About D’Zhane Parker
D’Zhane Parker is a Senior Director for Black Lives Matter and social activist. Her strong stances for social change is sparked by her childhood, dealing with mass incarceration of various family members and loved ones in her youth.

Parker’s passion drove up into her collegiate years, attending California State University and studying Pan-African American Studies and Organizational Communications. In 2013, Parker would end up joining Black Lives Matter, equipping herself with an even greater outlet to voice her truth regarding racial discrepancies that affect Black people, and she continues to use that voice today.

About Cicley Gay
Cicley Gay is a Board Chairman for Black Lives Matter as well as a philanthropic strategist. Through her efforts, Gay has accumulated over twenty years worth of nonprofit experience. In addition to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Gay serves as the strategist behind various social justice initiatives and organizations. A mother of three sons, she is the founder of The Amplifiers, an organization at the intersection of cause and communications; fueling clients such as the African American Policy Forum, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National CARES Mentoring Movement and US Dream Academy.

About AfriKicks
Ever since its founding in 2014, AfriKicks has made profound efforts in charity through its donations to Niger. AfriKicks specializes in gathering footwear and making donations to people without shoes in West Africa. The charity is founded by Oumarou Idrissa, who is an award winning humanitarian.

About Afro-Arab Group
The Afro-Arab group is a corporation found in Ghana in 2007, that specializes in various different sectors ranging from real estate, construction, and financial services. Through the usage its subsidiaries, the Afro-Arab group is able to provide various services tailored to specific needs for diverse clienteles.

About Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter is a social movement organization based in the United States that focuses on highlighting the racial prejudice that impacts Black people within society. Found in 2013, Black Lives Matter had developed into a powerful figure in the space of social activism, representing itself as a voice for people of color, as well as a force against the racism that targets these communities.

Ebony L Porter Ike
The epiMediaGroup, LLC
770-635-8170
email us here