It is generally believed in Africa that to the Republican Party (GOP) in the United Stated of America, Africa exists only in the remote reaches of the human mind despite its vast natural resources, an enterprising and skilled population that is currently attracting huge interest from Europe, China and Japan.
By contrast, the Democratic Party is embedded in the minds of Africans as a friendlier and more humane political formation in the USA. The perceptions are shaped by what is generally seen as the foreign policy of either party in which Africa features as a blip in its relations with the other countries in the world.
It against this backdrop that Alycia M. Barnard has caught the attention and interest of Africans on social media with a simple post on Facebook that seemed to suggest that Republicans may finally be starting to appreciate Africa as an ally that can play an important role in America’s social and economic development.
“Big moves for Africa today. Alycia Worldwide Inc is a non-profit organisation based in the United States with a global mission,” Alycia wrote on her Facebook page. In a separate post, she listed some her organisations’ activities in Uganda where Alycia Worldwide Inc is involved in economic empowerment of women through small loans, education and health. This is in addition to refugee welfare.
Uganda hosts more than 500,000 South Sudanese refugees. This is besides Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundian refugees.
Even more interesting is a page – still under development – on the Federal Electoral Commission of the USA, which seems to suggest Alycia M. Barnard is planning to run for the USA presidency in the 2024 election.
However, the philanthropist promised to make clear her position in September. It is likely that she will be running the Florida gubernatorial seat, not the presidency, which has attracted nearly 10 candidates so far, with opinion polls placing former President Donald Trump at the top of the pile.
In Africa, Republicans are regarded as racist and anti-Africa – only occasionally warming up to the continent of slightly over 1.28 billion people in wartime or fight against terrorism. Africa was further relegated to the remote recesses of humanity during the reign of President Donald Trump between 2016 and 2020, when he dismissed the continent offhand as “shithole countries”.
American TV channel, the ABC News reported, “According to the aide, when the group came to discussing immigration from Africa, Trump asked why America would want immigrants from ‘all these shithole countries’ and that the US should have more people coming in from places like Norway.” The vulgarity of the comments further dented Republicans’ standing in Africa.
However, in conversation with Tell Media on Friday August 11, 2023, Alycia M. Bernard, described herself as a businesswoman and philanthropist keen on lifting women and children out of poverty through education, small businesses and health initiatives.
In a follow up WhatsApp message, she shed more light on her activities thus: “I’m the owner of Alycia Worldwide Inc in Saint Cloud, Florida. Our mission is to help women and children globally. (We have) setup small businesses in the United States through my consulting firm Alycia’s Consulting Firm. I am a CEO of 3 companies. I am an external CEO for other construction companies.”
She told Tell Media that she plans to vie for Florida governorship in the 2024 elections. She won the 2020 GOP primaries, but pulled out of the race. She did not explain why she quit the race.
“I’m undecided currently but we’ll make an announcement on September 1st on a run for Florida governor…to be announced on social media,” he says said.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Alycia seemed to be gearing up to slug it out with Trump, sitting Florida Governor Ronald DeSantis and the others.
She posted, “Alycia 4 America picked up support from the African American community in Tampa, Florida when she launched a campaign for President of the United States…. She intends to reform the ghettos across America. She plans to offer equal child support to men. Create areas of economic opportunity and development with Jarred Kushner enterprises a well-established respected business.
“Alycia M Barnard has been on the campaign trail for 72 hours and picked up 72 social media followers to fund her campaign with small dollar donations. Max donations to her campaign of $100 to show American’s campaign finance reform at its finest.”
On her and her husband’s mission in Africa, she told Tell Media, “My goal in Africa is to support small businesses and women, children and refugees. Support small business growth through small equitable business loans. We don’t have that setup yet. We are re-designing our website which will be completed by next Friday. “
The Alycia family is one of the richest in Florida and aspire to use part of their philanthropist initiatives to hoist the poor out of abject poverty.
“I would like to be seen as America’s leading CEO in business and up and coming. My construction firm received an award for Florida. I have four children and I’m a grandmother. I stand up for mental health care across the globe. I ran for Congress for Florida’s 9th congressional district,” she told Tell Media.
- A Tell report
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