The Sankofa Foundation supports the village of Iture in Ghana by providing access to education, health care, community development and sustainability.
The Sankofa Foundation
The Sankofa Foundation (TSF) is a branch of I.B Sawubona that partners with local Ghana organizations in helping villages in Ghana get access to education, health care, community development, environmental justice, and sustainability.
Our Standard of Support: The Sankofa Foundation (TSF) believes in Scholarship not Sponsorship. We believe scholarships empower students to continue to have an active role in their education. We have found sponsorship can lead to dependency on charitable giving, where scholarship can lead to empowerment, confidence and self-sufficiency. Likewise, the Sankofa Foundation believes in “Get to Give Back”. The spirit of Sankofa is to give back. We encourage all recipients who receive support from the Sankofa Foundation to find ways to pay it forward and help others.
The Sankofa Foundation is 100% Community Driven. It is important TSF takes the time to learn the culture, customs, and history of the community in order to be a better partner, collaborator, and supporter to that community. We also believe that the community knows what is best for their community, so TSF assistance comes with “no strings” attached, only supports.
The Sankofa Foundation believes in sustainability. Currently, The Sankofa Foundation is supporting the village of Iture in Ghana. In the village there are over 200 school aged children. There is no school in the village and the village youth have to trek back and forth from school each day, some as far as 10 kilometers, or just over 6 miles. The Sankofa Foundation helps to make transportation available to these students as well as procure them school supplies for the academic year: bags, books, shoes, pens, pencils, school uniforms, etc.
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In addition to the transportation project, the Sankofa Foundation is helping to complete the village Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Center, the construction of which was stalled due to lack of funds. Over 98% of the youth in this village have never had the feel of a computer mouse in their hand.
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Lastly The Sankofa Foundation is helping to create opportunities for members of the community to learn a vocation. Following the African proverb: Give a man a fish and you can feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish you can feed him and his family for a lifetime.
Our Story
The Inspiration to Give Back
Like many people, I went to Ghana to visit and learn more about my roots, to hear the stories of the transatlantic trade slave from the perspective of the hunted rather than the hunter, and to give back to Ghana. The more I learned, the more I realized what I did not know. The more I heard, the more I was humbled. The more I gave, the more I realized I was falling short compared to what I gained.
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Ghana gave me the experience of walking down the street free of racism for the first time in my life. Something I had NEVER felt before. Ghana gave me the stories of the struggle and tragedies of our ancestors that gave me the determination to never to give up nor complain. Ghana reminded me that we are Kings and Queens and we deserve to be treated as such. And most importantly, Ghana embraced me as family and welcomed me home.
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Upon returning to America, I reached out to our tour guide and expressed my desire to give back and asked for help in identifying a school, village, or organization needing assistance. I was overjoyed when I heard the village of Iture, which is the same village that welcomed me home and granted me a new name (Papa Kweku Ababio. “The Good Man Who Came Back Home”), needed support.
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Soon after The Sankofa Foundation was established. In just a few months The Sankofa Foundation has been able to help over 50 kids go to school for the very first time. In addition, a Social Support Program for the aged and physically challenged has been established. However, there is much more to be done. There are still kids unschooled, elders who need support, and a need for vocational training and community development.
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I truly believe that the world owes Africa and The Sankofa Foundation helps repay a debt we all owe by providing access to education, health care, community development, environmental justice, and sustainability.
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100% OF ALL DONATIONS GO TO THE VILLAGE OF ITURE
Dion C. Jordan AKA Papa Kweku Ababio. “The Good Man Who Came Back Home”.
AREA OF OPERATIONS: ITURE- ELMINA
Iture is a village on the Atlantic Coast Ocean of Ghana of Elmina, a village west of Cape Coast. The Iture village is entwined with Elmina due to its proximity. Elmina is an ancient town in modern-day Ghana with its history dating back to the arrival of the first European-Portuguese.
Founded by Kweku Etruom, a hunter and later farmer who arrived there in search of food in the late 14th century, Iture has become home to many Diasporan Africans. Shortly, upon the arrival of Kweku Etruom and his followers they began tilling the land, hence the name Etruom, now corrupted as Iture, meaning ‘a garden’.
Currently, the village is made up of four adjoining communities: Abakam, Iture, CP, and Nyeaye. Iture has approximately 5,300 inhabitants, forming part of Elmina’s population of 53,576 as of 2022. The economy of this enclave is based on tourism, fishing, and salt production.
The village celebrate the Bakatue festival an annual festival, a celebration of the Benya lagoon, and the local fishing culture, held on the first Tuesday of July each year. ‘Bakatue’ means "the opening of the lagoon" or the "draining of the Lagoon". It is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the town, Elmina by the Europeans. It is also celebrated to invoke the deity, Nana Benya's continuous protection of the state and its people.
A few of the beautiful children of the Villiage of Iture and the King
The Vision
To make education, healthcare, and well-being accessible to some of Ghana’s most vulnerable villages, by partnering with communities to develop sustainable supports to improve community conditions.
The Mission
The Sankofa Foundation partners with local leaders in helping villages in Ghana get access to education, health care, community development, environmental justice, and sustainability. By creating better access to education, nutrition, and healthcare for some of Ghana’s most vulnerable children and their communities, in hopes improve their lives and build a better future
The Opportunity
The Sankofa Foundation gives an opportunity to pay back a debt to Africa the world owes. We could never replace or restore all that has been taken from Africa, however we can all give back so Africa has an opportunity to move forward.
The Problem
In many areas in Africa, there is a lack of resources and access to human services including education, healthcare, and community development. Access to these resources and services are even more scarce in smaller villages. Currently, in the village of Iture in Ghana, there are over 200 school age children. There is no school in the village and kids have to trek back and forth from school each day long distances, Many are too young to make this trip, and therefore, are unable to attend school. Although public school is free, students must find a way to get there, and additionally pay for their uniforms, fees and supplies. In addition, 98% of the youth in this village have never used a computer or modern forms of technology. Moreover, the current life span in Ghana is 65 years old. Access to health care continues to be a struggle for the aged and the disabled.
The Solution
Offering a hand up, not handouts: We believe scholarships empower students to continue to have an active role in their education. We have found sponsorship can lead to dependency on charitable giving, whereas scholarship can lead to empowerment, confidence, and self-sufficiency. Likewise, the Sankofa believes in “Get to Give Back”. The spirit of Sankofa is to give back. We encourage all recipients who receive support from the Sankofa Foundation to find ways to pay it forward and help others.
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"Nothing for us, without us". TSF must take the time to learn the culture, customs, and history of the community to be a better partner, collaborator, and supporter of that community. We also believe that the community knows what is best for their community, so TSF assistance comes with “no strings” attached, only support.
The Sankofa Foundation believes in community development and sustainability. The Sankofa Foundation is helping to complete their village Information and Communication Technology (ICT) center which was stalled due to lack of funds. In addition, The Sankofa Foundation will help create opportunities for members of the community to learn a vocation. Following the African Proverb: Give a man to fish and you can feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish you can feed him and his family for a lifetime
How We Measure Success
Education
By 2025, 100% of all students in the village of Iture have access and opportunity to education. This includes students having an increased graduation rate
Health Care
Over time increase life expectancy and health support for all in the village of Iture. Currently, the life expectancy in Ghana is 64.8 years of age.
Community
Development
Open a new Information and Communication Technology center by 2026.
Sustainablity
By 2026, Vocational & Educational programs created to provide job opportunities and community development for community members of the village of Iture.
PROJECTS/OUTCOMES/ SUCCESSES 2024
PROJECTS:
In line with the policy of the Sankofa Foundation, we couched our operations into but not limited to:
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Education
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Health
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Social Support
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Sanitation and
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Community Development/Sustainability
OUTCOMES:
Education: the number one priority of the Local Sankofa Foundation is education. And with the inception of this program, the foundation has been caring for over one hundred children of school-going ages. These are kids drawn from all four (4) traditional communities forming the Iture village. This is made up of children who are orphans and from less privileged homes, with the following breakdown:
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Iture - 162,
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Nyeaye - 51,
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CP - 106
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Abakam- 92
Total: 411
Success: before 2023 there were over 70 -90 Kids who were living in the Iture community but were not in school. Partly because: They are orphans; their parents can’t afford to pay their school fees; their parents were not able to provide meals and “chop money” daily, before setting off for school in the morning, etc., are now attending school. Currently, under the Sankofa Foundation Education Program, this number of kids are taken care of are:
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Full scholarship -28
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Kids on partial scholarship - 80
HEALTH: Under this module children, aged, and several under-privilege people who require urgent medical assistance were covered under this scheme. Care ranging from medications, hospital reviews, and surgeries were taken care of.
Successes here were that 2 successful surgeries were done and people with varying illnesses were attended to.
SOCIAL SUPPORT: The Sankofa Foundation Social Support Program (SFSSP) was an initiative aimed at caring for the poor, needy, widows, disabled and orphans in the community. From 70-150 elders and young adults who fall within this category, were provided with monthly stipends and food items, medication and secondhand clothing.
SANITATION: Under this module, the Foundation provides tools such as cutlasses, and wheelbarrows for disposing of waste and clearing weeds. During the year under review, the foundation embarked on desilting the community public washroom/toilet.
SUSTAINABILITY: The apprenticeship program was initiated during the year under review to provide sustainable employment for 3 young ladies who were interested in fashion design. In the coming year, 15 more people will be engaged to undertake various apprenticeship programs of their choice.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: As part of the Sankofa Foundation program a community resource center has been initiated a building which will serve as an Information Technology Centre, Library, And Multi-Purpose Hall (Ababio Hall).
What We Still Need To Do
There is still a great need in the village of Iture. The Information Technology Center was started but was left incomplete because of a lack of funding. There are still students waiting to earn funding for school, and the vocational training is lacking resources and funding. The students would benefit from having their own transportation to get the students to school and the elderly and disabled to local hospitals.
