Meet The Team

 

Abdoulie Jallow MSN RN PMHNP-BC, board certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and a practicing Registered Nurse with over a decade of health care experience in various capacities. I have been a member of NAFFA since its inception in 2012, the same year I moved to the pacific North West. I served on various roles in the organization and I am the current president of NAFFA. I believe in the spirit of showing gratitude through giving back and being part of the solution to the issues affecting my community.

I live in Salem, OR with my wife. My hobbies include meditation, weight lifting, cooking and traveling.

Shawn K. Forde was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.
In addition to being the acting Vice President of NAFFA, …
He is the current Grant Coordinator and Advisor of an Academic Program at Portland Community College that aims to appropriately diversify the Addiction Recovery and Mental Health workforces with previously targeted, marginalized, and oppressed and melanated communities.
He is currently a Graduate Candidate, studying Marriage Counseling and Family Counseling, with his Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences (with a Minor in Black Studies).
He is a United States Marine Corps Combat Veteran of more than eighteen years, with a specialty in Network Communications and Cyber Security.
Finally, Shawn is a spiritually grounded and proud father, son, and brother, equity, justice, and humanity advocate and activist, who consistently seeks, speaks, and behaves truth, health, love, and legacy.

Isatou joined NAFFA in 2016. She’s originally from The Gambia, and recently graduated from Portland State University with a major in finance and minor in economics. Isatou has experience working in the nonprofit world serving as an advocate for immigrant and refugee youth in OR, and also serves on a couple city and state boards advocating for immigrant youth and families.
Outside of work, she enjoys trying different tea recipes, journaling and connecting with friends.

Amadou Jallow is the current fill in assistant secretary of the NAFFA organization. He joined the organization in 2014. Amadou currently holds an associates degree in Arts and Sciences. He intends and looks forward to studying either Nursing or get into a PA program once he resumes school.

Amadou enjoys reading, watching soccer and basketball and movies, as well as hanging out with friends and eating good, home cooked food, though he cannot cook himself. He also blogs on the side when he can get his creative juices flowing and keep procrastination at bay.

Fatoumata joined NAFFA in 2015 when she moved here from The Gambia. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Portland State University and is aspiring to study medicine. Jallow’s research experience spans from microbiome bioinformatics, urobiome studies, and quantitative microbiome profiling to better understand female bladder disorders. She currently works in a clinical laboratory as a lab technician.

Before transferring to PSU, Jallow worked at the Portland Community College Women’s Resource Center, advocating for women and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This experience inspired her commitment to community development and fighting for social justice causes. She strives to improve the quality of life of black people through healthcare and biomedical research.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, watching basketball, soccer, and spending time with friends and loved ones.

Isatou joined the NAFFA in 2014 and became part of the External Relations team in 2018. In addition to her role at NAFFA, she has prior experience in the Non-profit sector. In her previous role at IRCO, she advocated for self-empowerment through anti-poverty initiatives, leadership development, and economic self-sufficiency. She also has a wide range of accounting experience and is currently pursuing a Masters in Finance at Portland State University.
Outside of the classroom and work, she enjoys cooking and experimenting with new recipes.