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Stories from the global community
Come along on the journey!
Day 11: Story-telling through Dance
supported by African Textiles
Destination: Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by the Ivory Coast to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean to the south. The elevation is 410 feet. Thanks to its equatorial location, Ghana has a tropical climate with hot weather year round with daily averages around 85. English is the official language, but over 80 tribal dialects are spoken.
In addition to being known for its lush forests, diverse animal life, parks and game reserves and miles of sandy
beaches along a picturesque coast, Ghana is known for its rich history, its habitation possibly dating from 10,000 BCE and for its tragic role in the slave trade.
The name Ghana means warrior king and harkens back to the days of the Ghana Empire between the ninth and 13th centuries.
Ghana was the first black African country south of the Sahara to achieve independence from colonial rule on March 6th, 1957.
Also: The currency unit in Ghana is called the cedi. The word "cedi" comes from a local word meaning a cowry shell. Cowry shells (from sea snails) were once used as money in Ghana.
Art Form: Story-telling
through Dance supported by African Print Textiles
//San-ko'-fa:// is an ancient proverb evoking people to return to their past to correct mistakes. Traditionally, this is symbolized by a bird looking back on its past carrying the egg of its birth. Therefore, The Sankofa Center uses the
communication tool of Africa's past,
dance dramas, to capture and foster health, compassion, and open-mindedness in the face of HIV today.
Founded in 2004, Sankofa is an international network of public health workers, doctors, artists, volunteers, interns, and supporters coming together to provide solutions for communities impacted by HIV/AIDS.
They do this primarily through the art form of traditional African dance & drama fused with health information to educate people of all ages in Ghana and empower them to take immediate action. Performances
held in schools and villages throughout Ghana are presented by their network of local Ghanaian cultural troupes and international interns.
(Note: the following video frankly discusses HIV through words and dance and may not be appropriate for younger children)
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The Sankofa Center - changing the world through art |
Outreach includes free counseling with rapid HIV testing in
villages with referrals to partnering hospitals.
Poverty poses immense challenges, especially for women.
In 2007, executive director Ronnie Shaw was introduced to the world of fashion and decided to create a sustainable product line adapting beautiful West African textiles and clothing into stylish Western products to help provide income for women in their outreach programs so they could live healthy, and productive lives.
Sankofa's Fair Trade Co-op now provides over 200 women with a sustainable income through the making of clothing/textile designs and "Bling of Hope" bracelets. These Fair Trade crafted products continue the legacy of free HIV/AIDS education, prevention testing and links to treatment programs for 10,000 women, men and youth yearly in Ghana.
Executive Director -
Ronnie Shaw,
As an undergraduate student, Ronnie Shaw saw a performance called "Kasum Africa". As a performer and social science scholar, he was captivated and intrigued by the use of performance as an entertaining way to educate and shape perceptions.
On a visit to Ghana Ronnie learned traditional African dance and realized that was a way that rural communities could express concerns about issues and suggest solutions. Moreover, sex and sexuality were taboo conversations, yet unprotected sex was very common, and topics surrounding HIV were not discussed.
Ronnie and Ghanaian colleagues created a dance-drama that depicted a common scenario in Ghana about HIV and how to prevent it. The performance sparked the inception of The Sankofa Center 501(c)(3), based in Oakland California.
Images courtesy of Sankofa Center
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Shopping . . .
Are you ready to explore
what we have in our store?
Dresses, skirts, aprons, table runners, oven mitts, pot holders, "Bling of Hope" bracelets and amazing shower curtains are just some of the products created by the artisans to support their own well-being and the continued vision of
The Sankofa Center.
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Remember to get your Passport Stamped!
Click on the
"stamp" to add to your "passport."
"Collect" at least 12 different "country" stamps during the first 20 days of our around-the-world trip to
be entered
into the drawing for a $25 gift card.
At the end of our 80-day
Around the World
excursion, all eligible travelers (minimum of 48 country stamps)
will be
entered into a drawing for
a Grand Prize
$100 shopping spree gift card!
Thanks for traveling with us today.
Where to next? Stay tuned!
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Today's "art form" is actually two -
the performance dance dramas used to educate and treat illness AND Ronnie Shaw's textile designs and the resultant products from the women sewing and creating bracelets. World's Window has been a supporter of The Sankofa Center's products and programs for over 10 years. Jan always looks forward to hearing more about the dance dramas and programs and choosing new products for our store.
Our online store continues to grow each day during our travels. There are wonderful possibilities for Mother's Day gifts for all those mothers and mothering persons in your life. Also, if any mothers or other friends might enjoy these stories, invite them to join in.
There's still room on this journey!
We THANK YOU for your continued online shopping support.
YOU are an important part of what makes World's Window so special!
World's Window
"Nobody can define you like you."
CLOSED right now as we "Shelter In Place"
As always we are "sharing the world" through clothing, jewelry, folk art, textiles and hand-selected gifts -
and
buying locally-owned is a gift to your community!
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One way to support us
right now
is to purchase
World's Window gift cards.
In-store gift cards can also be purchased by calling
us at 816-361-2500.
And, with all gift card purchases
we'll ADD 10% more
to the value of your gift card as a "Thank You" for shopping small and local.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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