As I listened to twin sisters Hassanatu and Hussainatu Blake talk confidently about Focal Point Global, a non-profit organization they created to “educate the world’s youth on global issues using the best technology innovations,” I could not help but notice that I almost could not tell their voices apart. Thanks to modern technology, our interview was made possible without physical presence, and as I tried to find perceptible differences in their voices, I realized that I had failed; not just because their voices sounded similar to the untrained, unfamiliar ear, but also because they share an identical passion for their organization. This fervor obviously binds them together just as much as their sibling relationship does.
“We decided to work together to create Focal Point Global because we both have [a] passion for educating the world’s youth, and we also realize the strength in youth educating one another. Based on our own observations of youth education, domestic and abroad, we felt that an organization like Focal Point Global filled a gap which is pertinent to [a] well-rounded educational experience.”
Their own personal backgrounds contributed to their dedication to well-rounded educational experiences. The Blakes were born in Limbe, Cameroon to a Cameroonian mother and an African-American father. Although they grew up in and around Baltimore, both girls have spent large amounts of time in other countries including Germany, where they lived for a period of time, Namibia and South Africa. Their father traveled frequently, and both of their parents instilled in them an awareness of the world around them and of the various kinds of information that could be gleaned from various cultures.
“Coming from this multicultural background, we were always aware of the world beyond our backyard. Our background shaped our interest in international education and motivated us to study in Germany and work and live in Europe, Southern Africa, and the Caribbean. Through our travels, we realized how important a global education is to youth worldwide in influencing their country and how a lack thereof can be detrimental to the sustainable future of any country. We determined that the best way for youth to learn about issues that plague them is through peer education.”
It was by paying special attention to issues around the world, as well as to those most pertinent to their local community in Baltimore that led to the U.S.-Namibia HIV/AIDS Education Initiative, one of the first major projects of Focal Point Global. The three-day event, designed to educate youth about HIV in Namibia as well as in the United States, took place at the end of February through early March of 2010. Through the use of interactive technology such as Skype, Focal Point Global, in partnership with Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust and Mondesa Youth Opportunities, connected youth in Baltimore, MD to youth in Swakopmund, Namibia as they learned more about HIV/AIDS and how to deal with it in their respective communities.
During the last day of events the focus for both sets of youth was to create projects and activities they could take back to their respective schools and communities to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS. In the U.S., that meant forming clubs that focused on awareness and education as well as service clubs that could reach out to HIV patients. Because awareness is much more prevalent in Namibia (as in much of the African continent where HIV/AIDS education is built into the curriculum), the youth of Namibia were given projects that were more focused on getting people tested. They also tried to find a different approach to talking about HIV/AIDS as well as how to get people better engaged.
Though they both share many experiences, it is their differences too that enable the Blakes to do what they do with Focal Point Global.
“The experience of being identical twins plays a part in that. Understanding that we are different but exploring our similarities,” says Hassa, who attended Tufts University with her sister and then went on to graduate from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health with a Master in Public Health. Hussa, on the other hand, graduated from Monterey Institute of International Studies with a Master in International Policy and is currently in the international policy and legal fields. In fact it was Hussa’s time working for the International Organization for Migration in Pretoria, South Africa, with young girls who had been involved with trafficking, that led to Focal Point Global’s dedication to educating youth and their families about human trafficking.
“The lack of education put them in that type of situation,” says Hussa, and she realized then the importance of how basic education about one’s own country and other countries could prevent these circumstances. Similarly, it was Hassa’s experience working for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Windhoek, Namibia, as a part of their Global AIDS Program from 2006 through 2008 which helped them gather the information they needed to initiate the U.S.-Namibia HIV/AIDS Education Initiative.
What’s next for Focal Point Global? The Blakes hope to turn the U.S.-Namibia HIV/AIDS Education Initiative into a long term project, and they also hope to establish and develop their anti-human trafficking project. Ultimately, they aim to increase the presence of Focal Point Global both locally and, of course, globally.
For more information on Focal Point Global visit: www.focalpointgobal.org