WACC History

West African Community Council (WACC) was founded in 2013 by Issa Ndiaye, a dedicated public servant, advocate and leader, for the purpose of advocating, organizing, assisting, educating, and supporting West African community members while preserving our tradition, culture, social, religious, and moral beliefs. As an immigrant having grown up in Senegal, West Africa and later immigrating to the United States, Issa believes that success is not solely measured financially, but also through relentlessly giving a helping hand to others — family members, friends, neighbors and community members — so they, too, can achieve similar educational and/or professional momentum. Since that day he has loyally and competently fulfilled his duties by engaging various stakeholders to secure the necessary resources to develop and implement programs to address the community’s need.

Issa had left his paying government job to dedicate his time to grow WACC. His Mamadou Ndiaye financially supported him during that time. While everybody took care of themselves, their families, careers, etc., Issa worked 80+ hour weeks to build the WACC. Today, it’s some of those very people he trusted to help him who are trying to steal his vision, legacy, and hard labor.

In 2018, Issa apply for a grant with the City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (EDI) imitative to pay the remaining balance (about $200,000) on the only home he owned in Rainier Valley and transfer the title to the organization. The house was appraised at $700,000.

Issa, through his vision, created all WACC’s programs from scratch since 2013. We started by renting a small office in the Central District. A few community members helped with the rent for the first few months, then stopped. Issa then assumed the rent from 2013 to about 2015 when that office was moved to Issa’s house located on 6322 44 th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. There, Issa paid for the mortgage (about $2,000/month) until about 2018 when EDI funded WACC to pay the balance on the house off and transfer the title. Issa had also paid for initial renovation costs of over $100,000 which he never charged the WACC for.