Emmanuel Anim-Sackey, better known as Baba, is a man in his 50’s from West Orange, NJ who is making a difference. Starting in 2006, Baba began his effort to aid his village in Abetifi-Kwahu, Ghana. As he went along his mail route, Baba collected donations of toiletries, clothing, sports equipment, and other goods to bring home to the children and elders of his village. When the mayor of West Orange heard about his efforts, he announced that Baba’s village in Ghana would be officially adopted by the town and become the village of all the citizens of West Orange. With the help of his neighbors, Baba, the mail carrier, has started a charity that has engulfed his whole city and more. Baba had been sifting through endless yard sales and thrift stores searching for clothes, books, toys, and anything else that he could send back to his relatives and friends in Ghana. Now he has a multi-thousand foot warehouse where goods are dropped off and sorted before being sent over in seaworthy containers. The warehouse, too is donated. (As a part of New Jersey Merged Branch 38) Baba has a whole community motivated to help the cause with medical and school supplies drives, local television shows discussing poverty in Ghana, and newspaper articles advertising the cause. In 2008, Mayor John McKeon honored Baba as West Orange’s Citizen of the Year and the township’s hard work generated big results when, in May 2009, Baba embarked on his third trip to Ghana with two forty foot containers filled with goods donated by neighbors. In 2009, Baba was also honored by the National Association of Letter Carriers as the National Humanitarian of the Year.
At this time, Baba is still working for the US Postal Service and organizes a minimum of two trips per year with the help of many dedicated volunteers.
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