African immigrants, who, in June 2007, completed two years training through the Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota's Parity for Priority Populations (LAAMPP Institute for tobacco prevention and awareness), have formed a Coalition to help mobilize their communities. MAITFCO is intended to reach over 15 pro-active and passive African immigrant organizations and communities for a positive engagement for tobacco control.
 
Members of MAITFCO, who received grants as LAAMPP Fellows recently completed  successful education programs on secondhand smoke in their various communities. Jane Korn, MD of the Minnesota Department of Health, Doctor Okenyemi of the University of Minnesota and the Director of the Minnesota African American Tobacco Eduction Network-MAATEN spoke at the LAAMPP Fellow organized program in Northwest Hennepin. Other activities were organized in the Somali and Oromo communities. The African immigrant communities are among priority population communities targeted by the tobacco industry.
 
The founding members of MAITFCO represent Minnesota largest African immigrant communities: Ethiopia, Liberia, Somali and  Oromo. Mr. Saheed Fahahr of the Somali Confederation lauded the founding members of MAITFCO and promised his full support to the agencies. Liberian community leader, Mr. Kerper Dwenyen, who participated in the September 9, 2007 Secondhand Smoke Awareness Program, said the Liberian community will fully participated in all activities for tobacco and cancer  awareness and prevention. 
 
MAITFCO interim Board Chair, Gizaw Tsehai, MD  of the Ethiopian community has called on African immigrants to unite. He said, African unity has been the pivot of our liberation struggle from colonialism. Doctor Tsehai, who over the  years worked with African immigrants on HIV/AIDS issues,  vows to reach out to smaller African communities for their proactive participation in the activities of MAITFCO. Members of MAITFCO have earlier met with Blue Cross Blue Shield. There are plans to meet with ClearWay Board of Directors and other tobacco advocacy and control institutions.
 
The interim leadership and founding  members of MAITFCO are:
 
Board Members:
 
Gizaw Tsehai, MD
Coach, LAAMPP Fellows
Chair, Board of Directors, MAITFCO
Ethiopian Community
 
Delegate:
1.  13th World Conferences on Cancer & Tobacco, Washington DC, 2006;
2.  National Conference on Tobacco or Health,  Minnesota 2007
3.  MPAAT/ClearWay & Blue Cross Blue Shield Tobacco Conferences, Minnesota
4.  Founding member: Tobacco Free Africa Movement, Washington DC, 2006
5.  Trainer for Tobacco Prevention and Outreach, LAAMPP Institute
                                   ____________
 
Sirad Abdirahman, Executive Director HEAD
LAAMMP Fellow, Somali community
Co-chair Board of Directors, MAITFCO
 
Delegate
1. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, New Orleans, 2001
2. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Chicago 2005
3. 13th World Conferences on Cancer & Tobacco, Washington DC 2006
4. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, MN 2007
5  Blue Cross Blue Shield and MPAAT/ClearWay Local Conferences on Tobacco
6. Founding member: Tobacco Free Africa Movement, Washington, DC 2006
 Graduate: LAAMPP Institute (2005-2007) for tobacco control
                                 _____________
 
Al Jerome Chede, Interim Executive Director
Liberian Cancer & Tobacco Prevention Initiative
Tobacco Prevention: African Rendezvous Television Program Channel 6, 20 & 19
 
Delegate
1. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Chicago 2005
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield and MPAAT/ClearWay Local Conferences on Tobacco
                             ___________
 
Kirkpatrick Weah,   Executive Director, African Consortium
LAAMPP Fellow /Liberian community
Project Coordinator, Northwest Hennepin African Immigrant Youth Against Drugs & Tobacco
Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator: MAITFCO
 
Delegate
1. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Chicago 2005
2. 13th World Conferences on Cancer & Tobacco, Washington DC 2006
3. CDC Summit ( Cancer & tobacco), Washington DC 2006
4. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Minnesota 2007
5. Legislative Group Leader, State Capitol for Freedom to Breathe Act
6. Blue Cross Blue Shield and MPAAT/ClearWay Local Conferences on Tobacco
Founding member: Tobacco Free Africa Movement, Washington DC, 2006
Founding member: National African Immigrant Tobacco Free Coalition-NAITFCO
 
 
Mohamed Mohamud, LAAMPP Fellow
Somali community
 
Delegate
1. 13th World Conference on Cancer & Tobacco, Washington DC 2006
2. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Minnesota, 2007
3. Blue Cross Blue Shield and MPAAT/ClearWay Local Conferences on Tobacco
4. ClearWay Grantee staff for tobacco prevention, Somali community
5. Founding member: Tobacco Free Africa Movement, Washington DC, 2006
 
Advisory Committee
Mustapha Omar, LAAMPP Fellow
Executive Director, Minnesota Oromo Music and Arts Organization
 
Delegate:
1. 13th World Conferences on Cancer & Tobacco, Washington DC, 2006
2. National Conference on Tobacco or Health, Minnesota, 2007
3. Founding member: Tobacco Free Africa Movement, Washington DC, 2006
4. Blue Cross Blue Shield and MPAAT/ClearWay Local Conferences on Tobacco
 
LAAMPP Institutte: Leadership and Advocacy Institute to Advance Minnesota's Parity for Priority Populations. The Institute was founded and sponsored by Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco-MPAAT now called ClearWay Minnesota. According to Jaime Martinez of ClearWay, the second phase of two years training begins in June 2009. MPAAT/ClearWay Minnesota spent "one million dollars" to train 40 community leaders during the past two years.
 
LAAMPP Fellows are taken on positions in various agencies and state institutes for tobacco control.