Tuesday, March 21, 2017

23andMe FREE African Genetics Project

23andMe blog screenshot 
Dear African Brothers & Sisters,

You're in a pivotal and unique position to help your African-American relatives (including myself) learn about their Motherland roots, and to help understand more about where the descendants of your ancestors branched out in the Americas; a net-net gain. So if you're of recent African descent and currently reside in the United States, I humbly request you consider participating in the 23andMe African Genetics Project. If you qualify (see full eligibility requirements below), then you will receive a FREE 23andMe ancestry & health kit, and much more (value: $199). 

The 23andMe African Genetics Project kicked off October 16, 2016, and is the direct-to-consumer DNA company's continuing efforts to understand genetics of the Africa diaspora. Past efforts have included the African Ancestry Project and Roots Into the Future, which tested 10,000 African-Americans for free. I've actually received most of my genetic African matches(Fula-Guinea, Douala-Cameroon, Igbo-Nigeria, Merina-Madagascar) at 23andMe, but I had to pay ... it was totally worth it. (Read my 23andMe review here.) 

Once you sign up for 23andMe African Genetics Project and meet eligibility requirements  all four grandparents must be born in the same African region or from same ethnic/tribal group within certain countries  and submit your saliva sample, then you will receive ancestry (ie ethnicity composition breakdown, haplogroup assignments) and health reports, as well as a list of real genetic relatives from Africa and abroad. You may also be asked to be included in 23andMe's African reference population panel, which sorely needs more people like you who KNOW their roots. Of course the 23andMe test can help you build your own personal genealogical pedigree, too.

I highly recommend joining 23andMe African Genetics Project. Remember it's FREE of charge. JOIN NOW HERE

In order to be eligible, you:
  • must reside in the U.S., 
  • be 18 years or older,
  • have internet access,
  • speak and write English fluently,  
  • have all four of your grandparents were born in the same African country or come from the same ethnic or tribal group within one of the following countries: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Cote d'Ivore, Liberia, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sudan and Togo.(NOTE: West African countries such as Nigeria were covered in the first phase of this project.)
23andMe blog screenshot 
Please note that you control your data and all of your information is secure. No blood tests or trips to the testing lab is required; it's a saliva (aka spit) test. Of course you should read the fine print (ie terms of service) and ask questions if you must by contacting 23andMe. I, and many of 23andMe's 1.5 million testers, can vouch that this company is notorious for protecting the privacy of its customers. 

The whole process takes about 20 minutes in total. You will be asked to send in your saliva sample and complete a 15 minute service about your family's origins: 

23andMe blog screenshot 
This is what the start of the survey looks like: 
23andMe blog screenshot 

As you can see below, 23andMe had a number of initiatives geared toward Africans and African-Americans:

23andMe blog screenshot

Don't delay, participate in the
 23andMe African Genetics Project TODAY HERE
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