Native American After-School Program

Happy New Year from all of us at NAAF!

The I:mig Project

Many Indigenous languages throughout the world are endangered or in peril of going extinct. The O'odham language, though still spoken by many elders and some young people, is one of those languages. NAAF was created to meet the needs of the GuVo and Tohno O'odham communities. One of the needs consistently voiced by the community is for the preservation and documentation of the O'odham language, with a focus on the dialects of the western districts. To that end, NAAF has begun work on the I:mig Project, which will not only preserve and document the language but will also provide lessons to the community, including in NAAF's After-School and Summer Adventure Programs. 

The GuVo Food Sovereignty Project

The smiling kids in the picture below are the NAAF Young Gardners, and they are super excited about NAAF's new GuVo Food Sovereignty Project! The GuVo Food Sovereignty project will address food sovereignty and environmental management based on Tohono O’odham agricultural heritage and contemporary approaches. This policy will expand choices for community members to access and cultivate healthy food. The policy focuses on four main areas: youth education and sustenance, irrigation, family gardens, and development of a district farm. Food sovereignty, community health, and environmental sustainability are the main policy issues. As O’odham people, our range for policy is not 10 or 20 years, but 50, 100 years and beyond. We are developing a comprehensive policy based on the himdag (culture).

Virtual Learning Center VLC

The GuVo District is a rural area in southwestern Arizona, and its remote location combined with pervasive poverty in the area makes it difficult for many in the community to access the internet. Many adults in GuVo and nearby districts have expressed a desire to earn their high school diploma or GED, but that can be a big challenge without internet access. Through NAAF's Virtual Learning Center (VLC), those adults can now access the internet, earn their GED through NAAF's GED program, or earn their diploma through Grad Solutions, who partners with NAAF to help students complete their high school education and graduate. 

GuVo Academic After-School Program (ASP)

2019 marks the 8th year of NAAF's ASP, and the program now serves more students than ever. NAAF now operates 2 ASP programs, one at the Al Jek Recreation Center in Ali Chuk Village on the southern end of the District, and one in GuVo Village on the northern end. This allows students from villages on either side of the District to receive the help they need to do well in school, the food they need to stay healthy and focused, and the cultural lessons that are so important in preserving the O'odham language and culture, or himdag. The community, especially students and their parents, rely on NAAF's afterschool programs, and NAAF is proud of the positive difference their programs make for GuVo.

All of the wonderful projects and programs that NAAF brings to GuVo are only possible because of you and your donations. Together we are making a big difference in the lives of many. Thank you!