The African Development Foundation is a United States Government Agency that supports African-led development that grows community enterprises by providing seed capital and technical support. This empowers those who are least served by existing markets or assistance programs to become a part of Africa’s growth story. The foundation works with those who are presently underserved but ready to do their part, such as smallholder farmers, Youth, Women and girls, as well as recovering communities. They work with hard to reach communities that are beyond Africa’s growth frontier. These areas include conflict-affected countries, post-conflict affected countries and the cities left behind. How does the African Development Foundation get this accomplished? This is done by connecting community enterprises with capital and technical support. To accomplish this, they built a network of African expert support providers, identify community enterprises with potential, provide an integrated package of support and manage the results that are accomplished. The Foundation works on these seven core principles: 1. Focus program activities in marginalized communities in Africa. 2. Invest in Africans and their ideas through participatory development. 3. Ensure projects produce long term social and economic results. 4. Promote African led and managed field project support. 5. Achieve the highest levels of openness and transparency. 6. Support and develop an equal opportunity, results-driven staff that rewards hard work, dedication to the mission, and personal success. 7. Model high effectiveness and low overhead operations. The African Development Foundation’s Current Projects Include: Increasing yield, nutrition and income for Burundi farmers. The foundation provides rural farmers in Burundi local technical advisors who introduce new skills in food production, animal husbandry and business operations. It is supporting employment for Somali youth. Unemployment among Somali youth is one of the highest in the world, posing a significant threat to the country. In 2012, the foundation began funding youth training and employment programs for more than 2,500 youth that helped create job placement or self-employment opportunities. Creating exports for coffee farmers. Coffee farmers in Bukonzo in western Uganda grew some of the finest coffee beans in the world. An African Development foundation grant helped a 3.500 member cooperative - 85 percent of whom are women - export organic, fair trade certified Arabica coffee overseas. The foundation also brings electricity to migrated communities. These projects, as well as many others, have helped improve the livelihood of Africans in many significant ways.

Alcohol in Question Over the years, the issue of alcohol has been highly debated in and outside of the Church. One of the critical questions been asked time and again is, should a Christian drink alcohol? Or is it sin to drink alcohol? What this essay intends to do is to look at liquor from the perspective of leadership, health and road safety. Solomon admonished us by saying, “It is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted” (Proverbs 31:4-5, English Standard Version). Men and women in leadership positions have a responsibility. Be it at home, school, church and society at large. They are being looked up to from many to make the right judgment at all times and, as such, should stay away from alcohol consumption. The leader’s responsibilities give him or her no leisure to be confused by alcohol beverage. According to Solomon, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1, English Standard Version). There is a spell that goes with alcohol consumption. In others, wine mocks the person who comes under its spell. An ideal leader wouldn’t want to be considered as one that is seen or perceives to be under the influence of alcohol. Apostle Paul encouraged the Church in Ephesus not to get drunk with wine but rather to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:3). He was admonishing them about Christian ethics and character. According to medical science, “It has … been shown that even small amounts of alcohol can damage the diseased heart’s ability to function. Treadmill exercise tests show that these patients have less capacity to exercise after alcohol” (Reynolds, 1989, p. 50). Furthermore, “drinking even small amounts of alcohol can be more harmful to the heart than was previously thought” (Reynolds, 1989, p. 51). Simply put, it even better not to start drinking alcohol in the first place … for it’s all starts from taking a glass of wine. And little by little, it leads to another glass. Before one recognizes, it has become a habit. And it becomes challenging to let go. It has also been proven that “Alcohol decreases the resistance to blood flow.” And there is nothing as valuable as living in good health. And most of the time, we take it for granted. We should stay away from drinking alcohol to stay strong and healthy. From the perspective of alcohol and road safety, it has shown over time that one of the causes of death in the United States is as a result of drunk driving. According to the department of public safety, “Alcohol is responsible for about one-fourth of all highway deaths. More young people are disabled maimed and killed by drinking and driving or by drunk drivers than by any other cause” (DPS, 2004. p. 13-2). As further observed, “alcohol puts good judgment on hold --- you don’t know when you’ve had too much to drink until it’s too late. By the time you feel it, your judgment and coordination are already impaired” (p. 13-1). The flow of alcohol in the body system circulates at an increasing rate and thereby hinders one’s judgment and decreases the driver's driving skills. What it does come down to is that driving under the influence of alcohol, the person in question endangers not only his or her life but also the lives of others on the road. So, let’s keep in mind, “All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so, do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12, American Standard Version). In sum, each one of us has in us the spirit of leadership. Even though we may not be in the position now to be operating in that capacity of a king, queen, president, executive, to name a few. Every day, human beings are faced with deciding one way or the other. And that calls to be in the right frame of mind. Health is of primary importance and as such deliberate action needs to be taken into consideration as to what we take into our bodies. Lastly, it not advisable to drink while driving because it endangers the person in question and also those on the road. Author: David References Department of Public Safety (2004). Oklahoma driver’s manual Reynolds, (1989).