Andre Junior Mekinda Mekinda

'Finding Your Way in USA'

A Guide From An Immigrant to Immigrants

Learning to integrate in a new country can be a concern to many who decide to emigrate. When Andre Junior Mekinda Mekinda landed in America from his native land Cameroon, he learned to adapt to a country which was foreign to him and then published a book which serves as a simple-guide in helping immigrants adapt to America. 

"Most people don't understand what I do until they see the actual product," said Mekinda, author of "Ready for America: The Practical Guide to Finding Your Way in USA."

The book helps new-comers understand health insurance, employment, rules and regulations, the education, finance, and transportation system  in America. 

One month after arriving in the United States with a scholarship granted to him by the U.S. Department of State (June 17, 2012) was when Mekinda decided to work on a book that was destined to facilitate the lives of many immigrants in America. Call it a coincidence, or just plain destiny, but on the exact day two years later (June 17, 2014), Mekinda received from his publisher a copy of "Ready for America." He had gone through countless of trials and errors, and at times even 'give up' flashed before his eyes, but he kept reminding himself of the task at hand, his 'million-dollar' project. His hard work paid off in a form of a book.

The author explained that, "so many people are disappointed when arriving in America because they don't know what to do. In any transition in life, you need someone to hold your hand...there are important things that you need to know in the beginning."

That someone is Mekinda. He published "Ready for America" to give immigrants a shortcut. His book is a result of all the issues that he had gone through when he first arrived in the United States. He wants to "fix issues he faced."

One of the issues Mekinda faced in the beginning was commuting. The transportation system was, overall, confusing. The map did not make life easy for him; getting lost was a routine. So what did he include in his book? A map that he took the time to draw himself. It is creative and simpler than the one presently available to the public. He said with a promising smile that, "if you are able to move around in New York, you will be able to move around in any other state."

"Creating is not easy. One of the things I admire about Mekinda is his creativity. He has fantastic ideas, and is devoted to push to the end," said Kevin Besseck --long-time friend of Mekinda-- in French.

Mekinda is involved in so many projects that sometimes one would wonder if he has more than 24 hours in a day. But just like everyone else, he has 24 hours in a day. Like a clown's ability to juggle different balls simultaneously, one of Mekinda's talents is being able to creatively and tactfully juggle different projects  at once with excellence. 

"Ready for America," a guide which was brought to life by an immigrant who chose to learn from his experiences and create a pathway to facilitate the lives of many who decide to make America their second home, will be translated to French, Spanish,  Arabic and Mandarin.  Mekinda's goal is to have his book catch the attention of the State Department and to seal a promising contract with them. With over "50 million" people coming into America yearly, when the deal goes through, Mekinda will have the ultimate taste of the American Dream. 

A Glimpse of Mekinda's World

"I am a problem solver. I specialize in providing solutions. If you have a problem and need a solution, I'm here."-Mekinda

 "I'm somebody who wants to help make changes."-Mekinda

In 2009, Mekinda created Dream Kamer Image (DKI) -- a creation that was intended to re-brand the image of Cameroon by capturing beautiful images of Cameroon and having them printed on T-shirts. Also in 2009, he founded his non-profit organization (Drépano Solidaires) to raise awareness on Sickle Cell disease. In December 2011, he launched "Look, Listen, Learn," a project that was designed to help facilitate communication between farmers and engineers in Cameroon. In the first  9  days, he sold 2,500 DVDs and in 4 months more than 10,000

"Nothing stops me from achieving my goals."-Mekinda

In 2013, Mekinda was the only African to compete against individuals of different American universities in career planning in Agribusiness Management and Marketing Systems.He won 1st place.

"People should believe that the American Dream is possible.This country [the USA] is the land of dreams, where everything can happen."-Mekinda

Mekinda studied Law in Cameroon for 10 years and when he came to the United States, he decided to study Agribusiness and Technology for one year at Muscatine Community College, Iowa to expand his knowledge of agriculture. 

A Proud Cameroonian

"I have a list of 25 different solutions to major problems that can improve people's lives in Cameroon without spending billions."-Mekinda

Ways to Reach Mekinda:

YouTube: Junior Mekinda

Facebook: Junior Mekinda Mekinda

Email: Juniormekinda@gmail.com