maafaglobalyouthleaders

A Rite of Passage Retreat · August 7–21, 2027 · Accra & Cape Coast, Ghana

He will come home knowing exactly who he is.

Thirteen days in Ghana — a structured Rite of Passage Retreat for young men of African descent, ages 13 to 18, guided by elders and a curriculum built to turn history into leadership. You are not sending your son on a tour. You are handing him to a circle of men who will bring him back stronger.

Maafa Global Youth Leaders — Remember Our Past, Build Our Future

13

days on the ground in Ghana

13–18

ages served, young men only

4

elders travelling with the cohort

4

stages of the rite of passage

Why this Retreat

A boy cannot know where he is going until he knows where he comes from.

The word Maafa names the catastrophe — the transatlantic slave trade, enslavement, colonialism, and everything that followed. We do not teach young men to stay defined by it. We teach them Sankofa: reach back, take what is useful, carry it forward.

Your son will study the Maafa as proof of resilience and achievement he inherited — and meet Africa not as the place his ancestors left, but as a living continent with markets, farms, universities, elders, and a future he can take part in.

The arc

America → Africa → Ancestry → Identity → Leadership → Purpose

The rite of passage — four stages, in order.

01 → 04

01

Separation

He steps away from the familiar — phones down, routines broken — and begins the work of self-discovery.

02

Education

History, culture, and legacy taught on the land where it happened — by the people who carry it.

03

Transformation

Discipline, confidence, responsibility, and purpose — built daily through circle work and service.

04

Return

He comes home with a renewed identity and a stated commitment to serve, lead, and build.

Fihankra · security of the household

Your son's safety is our responsibility.

You are not sending a fourteen-year-old to another country and hoping. Every adult travelling with the cohort is background-checked and known to us personally. The group never splits, never travels without an adult in the vehicle, and you hear from Ghana every single day.

Read the full parent guide

1 : 4

Adult-to-youth ratio, minimum, at all times

Daily

Update home — where they are, how he is doing

Door to door

Chaperoned flights — no solo connections

Private

Chartered transport and vetted lodging throughout

2027 program investment

$2,250

Per participant, all thirteen days. A $350 deposit holds his seat; payment plans available. Final payment due May 7, 2027.

● Included: lodging, all ground transport, site entries, the full curriculum, ceremonies, the naming ceremony, and the graduation dinner.
● Not included: international airfare, passport and visa fees, vaccinations, travel insurance, and spending money.

Who is leading your son

An elder and a facilitator, for all thirteen days.

Meet the Elders & Facilitators
Nana Kwame Nokwarfo, Elder Jegna

Elder Jegna

Nana Kwame Nokwarfo I

The primary elder and co-leader. He holds the circle, opens and closes each ceremony, and carries the cultural authority the rite of passage rests on.

Jegna Facilitator Richard Shabazz

Jegna Facilitator

Richard Shabazz

Founder of Maafa Global Youth Leaders and host of the 2027 Retreat, held in partnership with Shabazz Infinite Love LBG. He travels with the cohort every one of the thirteen days.

Supported and in partnership with

Shabazz Infinite Love LBG Kweku Andoh Sustainability Institute Eden Wellness Foundation The Adinkra Group The Beyond Investments African Ancestral Wall

“Know Your History. Reclaim Your Legacy. Lead the Future.”

Program motto · one group travels each year

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