Update/Possible Cancellation of Akan New Year Event: Mikyia mo (Greetings), We wanted to give everyone an update on our events. As you know our Aakhuamu Akan New Year observance is seven days. This year it will take place from September 16-22, with the 22nd being our New Year's Day, the first day of our year 13018. We have been having our communal gathering on the Memeneda (Saturday) of the seven-day observance here in DC for the past two years. This year that observance would fall on September 16th. However, we also are planning our 3rd annual HOODOO MAYN: Hoodoo Nation Festival a few weeks later. We will determine this week if we will have to cancel the public, communal gathering for the OBRADWIRA NANANOMSOM - New Year observance. The rates for the venue have increased since last year and we would be potentially hosting two events within weeks at the same venue which will cost nearly $900. All of our events are free so we always cover the costs of our events (conferences, lectures, presentations, workshops) through our book sales and donations to our institution: AKONGUASUA - Institution of Learning, Healing, Training, Employment and Entrepreneurship. We have actually spent over $3,600 on renting this venue on 16 different occasions over the past 1.5 years. Between October 13016 (2015) and October 13017 (2016) we did 13 events, 13 months in a row at this venue. We subsequently did events every three months (December (13017 (2016) KA-KAIT: Soul-Food, March 13017 AKYISAN Conference, June, 13017 - ODWIRAMAN Conference) We have also given away hundreds of free books at our various events at this venue over the past 1.5 years which pushes the total expense we have incurred to over $5,500. Covering the expenses for holding these free events and the free book giveaways to the community was possible solely because of book purchases and those who have contributed to our institution. If you would like to purchase books or contribute to our institutional effort so that we can avoid the cancellation of one of our events see our AKONGUASUA page to contribute: www.fundrazr.com/Akonguasua_Dan www.odwirafo.com/nhoma.html Once we complete our documentary film, which we aim to do very soon, we will no longer have the need to hold fundraisers, as the revenue from screenings around the country will allow us to cover the expenses for our upcoming annual conferences months in advance. For these immediate events however, which are scheduled initially to happen within the next few weeks, we still must raise funds through book sales and our fundraising campaign. We will know in the next couple of days if we are in the position to do both events and will update the community.. Yeda ase.. Odwirafo