South African Orion Duet Ministries

MOTTO: 'Singing Songs Of Hope, Praise, And Liberty'

Serving Refugees And Immigrants In New Mexico, And Vulnerable People of the World.  We help immigrants and refugees adapt to a new culture and become self sufficient.  

Motto:  Multi-Cultures:  One Village.

MISSION STATEMENT:

1. To promote empowerment and provide support to refugees in Albuquerque, NM by cultivating leadership and philanthropy, providing avenues for sustainability through self-help initiatives, and fostering respect for cultural diversity. 
2. To raise awareness and provide support to HIV/AIDS affected/infected orphans and people of Eastern Cape, South Africa in order to improve their quality of life.

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After Nkazi's hunger strike April 2010, we continue to distribute clothing, furniture, kitchen ware, food, etc,(which are donations from people who never knew about the existance of refugees in Albuquerque before the hunger strike) to the New Americans(refugees and immigrants). Sometimes we have to rent a U-Hail.

Goals And objectives:

1. Strengthen And Support Resettled Families, immigrants and other vulnerable people  in New Mexico and South Africa;
2. Direct or referral Services to address unmet needs in the areas of English language training, employment, housing, health and mental health services or self help;
3. Organizing efforts and orientation designed to inform the refugee and other immigrant communities about issues essential to functioning well in their new home;
4. Focused orientation and assistance to parents in connecting with the school system;
5. Preservation of Refugee And Immigrant Traditional Art Forms;
6. Peace making and Conflict Resolution;
7. Identify and respond to the diverse needs of refugees and immigrants;
8. Deliver competent linguistically, culturally appropriate and intense aid that is targeted towards sensitive issues;
9. Leadership Development and empowerment of refugee and immigrant community leaders;
10.  Civic And Political Representation of Refugee and Immigrant Populations by advocating for their concerns, interests and priorities.

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 For over thirty years the South African Orion Duet has provided a variety of music in both English and other African Languages.  They perform in church sponsored/self sponsored  concerts, universities and colleges, high schools and elementary schools, showing off their spiritual and cultural make up. It is comforting to know that they are always welcomed back wherever they have performed.

While they preach and sing everywhere in the United States, they do not forget their roots. They have recorded several albums including : Ndithemba Wena (I Trust You), Advent, Goduka(Going Home), Second Chance, and many more.

OUTREACH:

Lungile and Nkazi Sinandile have been singing and raising the awareness about the presence and contribution of resettled  families from around the world. that have been resettled here in New Mexico, specifically Albuquerque. 

HistorHIV/AIDS ORPHANS 

THE South African Orion Duet raise the awareness about the HIV/AIDS pandemic and hold concerts to raise funds for orphan and vulnerable children of the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

RWANDA CIVILWAR SURVIVORS ( 1994 - 1997)

Motivated by love and concern for others welfare the duo started holding fund-raiser concerts to help local residents who needed kidney transplants in the early 90's, raised funds to help Rwandan civil war survivors in Rwanda, and also brought a Rwandan young Refugee teen to Albuquerque during the Rwandan Civil war.

REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT OUTREACH:

(2006- todate- 2011)

With the help of  La Mesa Presbyterian church and community friends, the South African Orion Duet's current activities  for the emotional well being of refugees and other immigrants, primarily from Africa, Bhutan, Mexico, and occasionally the Middle East are as follows:  

Since November, 2006, they have welcomed, nurtured and continue to provide intense, culturally relevant and sensitive aid to these families;  

Actively offer emotional, economic,  physical, and social support through weekly visitations and transporting to enriching activities;

 Advocate for families, to ensure healthy resettlement.

On-going food and clothing  distribution to supplement family budgets ( delivered as most of them have no transportation);  

Conduct awareness campaigns and educate the public about the various  unique needs of Refugees and immigrants;

Organized and established an uprising, dynamic African Refugee Youth Choir as means for recreation and development.

SAOD also organized and established a mobile English As A Second language school- Tutoring At Bambanani Village (TABV), a voluntary outreach school. Nkazi and other volunteers from the community tutor  adults on a weekly basis. 

Recruit volunteer tutors, who are trained by CNM to teach English;  Conducted bi-monthly Life Skills English As A Second Language for children and youth, with the help of community volunteers (ESL Sundays);

2011:  Volunteer Tutors are presently trained by New Mexico Coalition For Literacy to provide one on one tutoring;

Provided recreation for children and young adults twice a month;

Transport families and children and youth to enriching activities weekly,

Conduct quarterly African Village Feasts, to celebrate African culture, exchange culture with other ethinicities and locals;welcome and highlight all refugee's presence and contribution to our cities.

WOMENS GLOBAL PATHWAYS-NEW MEXICO

One of the refugee women faced a financial crisis and Nkazi conceived an idea, that she shared with 5 other refugee women and other immigrants This is a "self-help" empowerment program that seeks to help the women and girls to come out of poverty in a dignified manner. ( Find out more information about this project that was started in february 2009. and what they do in Womens Global Pathways page)

COMMENTS FROM  FANS  :         

"My husband just passed away last week. The song you sung about heaven filled me with hope that I will see him  again  someday" Farmington

"Your song made me cry when I thought about what I went through this week, giving a better hope for the future" Sacramento

"When you sing your music sounds like it comes from a radio" Dallas