The Sankofa Center

Fair Trade is compassionate shopping which has ripple effects on helping people and making impact. Please share this video to educate others on the work of Sankofa & shop their line. Since 2004, they have educated 50,000 community members in Ghana about HIV with testing for 8,000+ people, while providing sustainable employment for their women's Co-op in Africa. The spirit, heart, and deep impact of their movement is powered by their grassroots product line, proudly made in Africa! Shop: www.thesankofacenter.org

COVID-19 In Ghana: After months of lockdown Ghana’s borders have reopened in the face of the new reality of Covid-19. Multiple rapid Covid testing conducted before arrival and upon arrival helps slow the spread. Yet, on the ground social distancing is very impractical and mask wearing is officially mandated in some public spaces but not in practice so unnecessary travel is strongly discouraged at this time. However, like other parts of sub-Saharan Africa more serious presenta...tion of Covid-19 and deaths have not risen to that of global scale. Social life is the fabric of African culture so weddings, funerals and religious functions continue. However, we will be donating masks made by our co-op to local community to match requests for pre-ordered masks in California through our Masks 4 All promotion. In the meantime, contact us to learn about traditional ways local people use common kitchen herbs and steam to curb respiratory symptoms. See more

What's A Water Sachet? I think current stay at home mandates make people take more showers ? Lately, our top fundraising item for our org is the African Patch Shower Curtain w/ recycled water sachet lining. It's a beautiful one of a kind work of hand-patched fabric art that is lined with up to 1,000 drinking water sachets sewn together.

WHEN SOCIAL-DISTANCING IS A PRIVILEGE While many are sheltering in place during this time please pay attention to the vast number of people who do not have that privilege. In the US, within our personal networks in Ghana/Africa , & worldwide, people are putting their health second to the need to survive. Many must go out in search of any income for basic needs, literally food to eat tonight. We are all experiencing hardships in the face of coronavirus, lost wages, debt, & in...security. But ask yourself did you go to bed hungry last night? I encourage everyone here to dig deeper within your sense of compassion. Simply do what you can to help those who need it. Private message me If you are looking for anonymous ways to give back.

Community members line up for free rapid HIV testing after dance-dramas depict common transmission scenarios within relationships in the village of Trebakope, in Ghana. Both women and men had many questions about exactly how HIV spreads and ways to prevent infection. In rural parts of the world, life saving drugs such as PrEP are not available to the masses. The healthcare systems in Ghana can treat a limited number of HIV infections so prevention in Africa is extremely important because of gaps in health services.

WE STAND FOR LOVE In a world of so many different people it’s only natural that there will be many identities. Sexuality is a very fluid mix of likes, desires and preferences as diverse as individuals’ favorite food. Hate & discrimination breeds fear, mistrust, and more hate. ... As sexual health educators we must foster understanding of difference so that people know they are safe to communicate issues regarding their health and well-being; and in return , receive non-judgmental information on their sexual health given who they are, who they love, and how they have sex. We stand with love and respect for all in the LGBTQ community and you are safe with us. #loveislove #PRIDE #LGBTQ

When our women's sewing Co-op wears the new Pant-Skirt they just created it's giving all types of confident feeling in each step, va va va voom! Pant-Skirt: Coming Spring 2019 Message us to pre-order in your size and select available patterns.

Global HIV Prevention in the Trump Era Sankofa visited Gachikope, Ghana for an October outreach world's away from local politics that are now shaping global HIV prevention. Current policies that undermine sexual health at home have doubly devastating impacts on reproductive health in developing nations. Namely, international agencies rely on funding of programs that promote platforms to educate the public about HIV/AIDS. These radio, community-based, governmental NGO & publ...ic health platforms reiterate how HIV is transmitted which heavily involves sex education, stigma & discrimination,learning how to live healthy with HIV, prevention methods, testing, and link to treatment. When our policies shift from addressing sexual health, foreign international governments loose funds to curb HIV rates by offering less services (reproductive health education, condom distribution, STI screenings, and HIV testing). Our national opinion shapes international outcomes. Thanks to your support community members watch and learn about common realities that can expose them to body fluids containing HIV & strategies for safer sex- while addressing myths and misinformation. This is followed by an informative HIV education session, counsellling and free testing.

Should Sexually Active Teens Have Access To Online Reprodutive Health Tips? In an era of decreasing reproductive health education in school systems and goverment funding for programs despite increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases among young people, should online tools such as safer-sex educational tools, information, and resources be accessible to all who need it? Certain resources on platforms such as YouTube limits educational videos to those 18 years and older yet sexually activity is occurring before this in many instances leaving gaps in empowering reproductive health for these individuals. This infographic poses this very important question in light of the reality of STI’s currently.

Grass Roots Is Where It’s At! Deleted the old post on mistake. Wanted to acknowledge our in-house student graphic designers @sankofa in Ghana printing our signature volunteer T-shirts! And thank this summer’s cohort of marketing volunteers who are raising awareness while promoting Sankofa’s fundraising line in California in support of our HIV services. Grass roots in effect!

Last Week in Ghana, we visited Kotoku on the fringe of our older service area. The dance dramas illustrated how HIV transfers from person to person and dispells myths, discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV. Translated fully in the local language of the town our team used poster cards to show the few body fluids that carry HIV and how these specific fluids can get into another person's body ( Blood, Semen, Vagina fluid, Pre-cum, and Breastmilk). Many of our teen and young adult audience made the decision to get their rapid HIV test to know their status, most for the very first time.

Multinational Companies Steal Billions From Africa's Healthcare & Education Budgets Every Year. In Africa, we all have heard that corruption by its greedy leaders causes poverty. However, according to the London School of Economics, a mere 3% of funds are misappropriated by leaders. Shockingly, hidden deep corruption of $900 Billion Dollars annually is actually stolen by the very companies we all rely on to keep our standard of living here! Through a complex system of tax ev...asion, mispricing of exports, and other methods by multinational companies vast sums of money rob African states of their ability to use these funds to treat & prevent HIV, other diseases , and to completely feed, educate, and employ its people. African poverty is a myth we all need to perpetuate because our world relies on a system of exploitation that has engulfed global economics for so long. We must all take a closer look at this most important factor in global health inequality and stop using the scapegoat of African corruption to avoid facing the deepest forms of financial manipulation. Global health is a human right. Especially on a continent that would have all the financial resources it needs if the robbery stops. Learn : Source:http://blogs.lse.ac.uk//02/11/flipping-the-corruption-myth/

Poverty & HIV: It's not as simple as lack of funds. Worldwide, life struggles put focus on obtaining daily needs instead of worrying about becoming sick years later from preventable diseases. Our drama below depicts how women who are dependent economically on men may be at greater risk for HIV by foregoing safer-sex to get necessities for the day. Empowering women,and equally important -men, to keep a long-term view of health is an ongoing challenge when poverty creates focus on immediate needs.

AT HOME w/ SANKOFA As the summer ends we'd like to share a few moments of home life with Sankofa. The past few months were filled with great students volunteering for the first time in our state's capital, Sacramento. Weeks of local engagement, marketing, and public relations campaigns resulted in surprising community support in this new Mecca for the arts! Job well done in good old Sac Town!! Just arriving back in Ghana, we gear up for fall health promotions with our team. Here, candid shapshots of a typical siesta-style lunch break at our women's sewing Co-op ...at home with Sankofa.