Winneba2018 Travel Scholarship Fund

From Apr. 30-May 10, 2018, a delegation of Charlottesville-area residents will visit Ghana, in West Africa, to explore the origins of slavery and the history of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.  Charlottesville's Sister City of Winneba, Ghana, will host the group.

The Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is now working to raise $10,000 in order to provide full or partial travel scholarships for members of our community who wish to participate in this momentous journey, but can't afford the significant cost.  Can you help us to achieve this goal, and help them to achieve their dreams?  

Any and all contributions are welcome (and fully tax-deductible)!

We asked the potential recipients of travel scholarships why they wished to join the delegation to Winneba.  Here are some excerpts from their responses:

“For as long as I can remember, I have DREAMED of wanting to visit Africa (the Motherland).  I have desperately longed to see the sun rise from the place which my ancestors originated.  I’ve always been proud to be African American, but I would love to have the chance to learn more about my roots and my people. ”

“Everyone in the U.S., regardless of race or when their ancestors immigrated to the U.S., is affected by the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow.  It’s one thing to read about slavery and the conditions that people were brought over, but another to actually see the place where it started. I see this trip as a learning experience and I hope that as a result of it, I can learn more and be part of the solution, especially as Charlottesville tries to grapple with its past and present.”

“I am interested in creative ways to bring racial healing and connection to our city.  I think that having us see ourselves as connected to others will help us to value our connection to each other.”

“I’ve read the stories and seen the images of Africa, but to experience it for myself would be a blessing.  People doing the work to fight for equality & freedom deserve to know the truth so they can continue on the fight.”

“I have always felt the pull and beauty of African society in my soul. I hope to gain a more realistic view of the world my ancestors were forced to give up, the one only a few African Americans will ever have the opportunity to see again.”

“I have been on a lifetime journey learning about the paths of my Ancestors. Literature and film are wonderful, however they cannot compare to real life experiences. I get goosebumps just thinking about standing on the shores of West Africa. I can’t imagine the flood of emotions I may feel being in a castle that possibly once enslaved someone related to me. I want to be able to stand in that space, and say, ‘Despite all, we are still standing!’  The spirit of Sankofa is to return to the root, reclaim the essence of who we are, and with clarity prepare for the future. I welcome this call.”

Thanks to the generosity of Unity C'ville, WorldStrides and several individual donors, we have already raised almost half the funds we need to cover the cost of full or partial travel scholarships for ten lower-wealth members of our community to join the delegation to Winneba.  We dearly wish for all ten to have the opportunity to welcome the call and connect with their - OUR - history.  The remaining amount we need to now raise is $10,000.  We welcome any amount you can contribute toward this goal!