West African Wisdom: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

The Adinkra Symbols site receives many requests for files from non-profit organizations. The mission of the site is to provide non-profits with files at no charge. We also want to promote their good work. Here is a partial listing of organizations that have used adinkra symbols in their projects, with links and a short description from their site.

Kuntu Village Nkosohene Committee-USA

Kuntu is a small village of about 800 residents in the Central Region of Ghana, West Africa, near Cape Coast. The mission of the Kuntu Village Nkosohen Committee-USA and the Kuntu Village Nkosohen Association (Ghana) NGO is to help the citizens of Kuntu village improve their lives through education.

This organization has a really interesting history. It grew out of a trip made to Ghana by Betty and Perry Kirklin in 2000. Perry was made a sub-chief of Kuntu in charge of development. The organization has accomplished a lot, including shipping a 20 foot container of books, computers and school supplies, and providing scholarships for students and teachers

Aidme-Ghana: Assisting Children in the Upper West region

Aidme-Ghana is a Non- governmental organization (NGO), non-political, non-profit volunteer organization, founded by Ghanaians, British and Dutch volunteers. "People of ALL NATIONALITIES are warmly invited to join us!" as they say on their website.

The main aim of Aidme-Ghana is to assist poor and rural people, particularly children, in deprived communities to better their lives in terms of education and health. The program is based in Wa, in the upper northwest corner of Ghana.

Volunteers serve for a minimum of two months, and live with a local host family. Aidme-Ghana also welcomes donations to support their work.

MIT IDEAS Competition

IDEAS is an invention and entrepreneurship competition with community service at its core. The Competition encourages teams to develop and implement projects that make a positive change in the world. Entries are judged on their innovation, feasibility, and potential community impact.

"The symbol Boa Me NA Me Mmoa Wo means in English 'help me and let me help you'. This is a great match for IDEAS because teams all collaborate with under-served communities to co-develop solutions to their pressing problems. The teams gain invaluable educational and cultural experience while helping the communities solve their problems."

Anti-Slavery International

"Your website is so useful, what a great initiative. We have found using your symbols a brilliant way of communicating some difficult ideas and a great visual resource - the Sankofa for example is particularly relevant to our current campaign. And people are interested in them, so it gets them thinking and asking questions."

Anti-Slavery's current campaign is to mark the bicentennial of the abolition of the slave trade (in the UK), aiming to encourage understanding about the legacies of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (racism etc) and to address those legacies honestly, reflecting on those who were enslaved and celebrate the resistance of those who fought slavery. The organization is also active in the fight against slavery that exists today. Go to www.antislavery.org/2007 to find out more.

Women in Progress

"Women in Progress works to achieve economic independence of women and alleviate poverty at a grassroots level in developing nations through the sustainable growth of small women-owned businesses and at the same time establishes mutual understanding among people of diverse cultures."

Visit their Global Mamas online store.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
"Using the Underground Railroad as a lens through which to explore a range of freedom issues, the Freedom Center offers lessons and reflections on the struggle for freedom in the past, in the present, and for the future."

American Immigration Law Foundation
"The Foundation is dedicated to increasing public understanding of immigration law and policy and the value of immigration to American society; to promoting public service and excellence in the practice of immigration law; and to advancing fundamental fairness and due process under the law for immigrants."

Parents for Inclusion

"Parents helping parents so their disabled children can learn, make friends and have a voice in ordinary schools and throughout life."

Left: Cover of their publication "All our children belong", with Sesa Woruban on the cover.

The Civic Engagement Project for Children & Families
"The Civic Engagement Project for Children & Families (CEP) supports innovative, community-driven strategies of 'community engagement' in public-policy making on behalf of young children and families."

Freedom Theatre
Rooted in the African American tradition, Freedom Theatre is an institution dedicated to achieving artistic excellence in professional theatre and performing arts training for the enrichment of our community."

Sankofa Foundation
"The mission of the foundation is to support children and youth in the Dallas Area by delivering top quality mentoring programs and sponsoring children and youth outreach initiatives throughout the community."

Conscious Humanity
"Our Vision is to create a world of conscious people who are happy, creative, confident, and responsible, with a drive for excellence. It is a world of peace based on the identification and free expression of each person's inner potential."

Please send an e-mail if you would like to suggest other non-profit sites of interest. Thanks!