Ngande Ambroise was recently honored by Councilman Rafael Salamanca Jr. for Black History Month. Ambroise was honored along with four other honorees at a Black History Month Luncheon on Thursday, February 23rd. Ambroise is known for taking charge and playing a vital role in New York’s African community.
Mohammed Mardah, the outgoing chairman of the African Advisory Council in the Bronx Borough President’s office, has known and worked closely with Ambroise.
“Ambroise has been doing amazing work in the South Bronx for many years, and a lot of people are finally recognizing his efforts,” Mardah said. “As the Chairman of the Community Advisory Board of Lincoln Hospital, he helped to encourage more culturally sensitive programs. For the first time last September, the Hospital held its first African Heritage Event, despite the fact that a lot of staff of the hospital are Africans. He also helped to encourage more language access and interpretation services to the Hospital.”
Ambroise is responsible for organizing one of the biggest multicultural soccer tournaments in New York City, a fact Mardah eagerly pointed out. “For the past 12 years, as the Chairman of the Social Committee of the African Advisory Council, Ambroise has been leading and coordinating the African Nations Soccer Tournament, the largest one in the State, and possibly the Country, with 24 African nations participating,” he said.
Late last year, at the height of the arrival of thousands of asylum-seeking migrants, Ambrosie helped organize one of the first resource fairs for the newly arrived Africans from the Southern border. The resources fair, which LittleAfrica News covered, was successful, with over 500 participants.
“For these reasons, as well as several others, that are too many to mention, he absolutely deserves the recognition,” said Mardah, who attended the event.
Ambroise had an opportunity to speak at the event. He stated that he was grateful for the honors but he placed emphasis on the community. “What we do is for the community. This goes for everyone in the community that we defend,” he said. The work to improve the community makes life better for all he said.
He called on everyone within their communities to play a role to make it better. Ambroise pointed out how Africans who had arrived and settled in the U.S. should make integration for those following easier. His advice for those arriving from Africa was to work hard for the integration of different cultures. He went on to applaud the U.S.’ democratic governance system, urging the audience not to take it for granted as it was more desirable compared to the political systems observed in his travels.
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