About Buds & Umoja
About Buds & Umoja
We started in Paterson, New Jersey in 1997 when there were African-American men meeting and discussing the Rites of Passage programs. Our founder went to a meeting and eventually joined the group. There, he learned the process for the Rites of Passage programs. He became the program secretary, and he traveled throughout the country and Africa. After that, he came back home and founded our organization
Youth Leadership Academy
Youth Leadership Academy
At Buds & Umoja in Paterson, New Jersey, our mission is to promote the seven values of Kwanzaa: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith.
Our organization believes in the importance of community where young people have the cultural, economic, and social resources to generate reform in their personal life, family, and community.
Biography
Biography
Raheem Smallwood, Owner
Raheem Smallwood, Owner
William Raheem Smallwood can be described as a life coach and advocate of change. He is known for serving our youth through numerous platforms with passion and commitment for more than 30 years. He is a lifelong resident of Paterson, New Jersey and a graduate of Paterson public schools and Ramapo College where he began his advocacy against political and social injustice.
Through the years, Raheem has held multiple positions working to improve the opportunities and lives for children and families. He is currently employed as a program manager for the City of Paterson Department of Health and Human Services.
In 1997, he established B.U.D.S./UMOJA (Brothers United Developing Spiritually-Unity), a mentoring program for our youth. The group emphasizes brother/sisterhood, service, and self-empowerment. In 2017, he founded the Family Empowerment Program (FEP) which provides life coaching, clinical support, behavioral modification, and family emergency support and resources to Paterson youth and families.
Additionally, Raheem has served in several community endeavors and is an author and publisher, social worker, entrepreneur, consultant, and public speaker. He has more than 125 awards and honors and is extremely grateful to the Creator for his loving Family.
“Children Are the Reward of Life”
African Proverb