SANKOFA  WELLNESS PROJECT

Passionate about youth education, Rufiena has been coordinating youth programmes since 2003 while she was studying for her Bachelor of Arts at Mills College. From 2005, as a classroom language teacher and administrator, Rufiena designed impactful educational programmes that successfully bridged the gap between international students, ages 16 to 60. Rufiena’s natural gift for cultural ambassadorship led to a Fulbright Fellowship in 2006 in Thailand where she taught a unique style of culturally relevant workshops that honored her African American heritage. 

​

In 2013, Rufiena began work in the financial sector, joining the City of Santa Monica’s four nationally-recognized Farmers Markets. In this multifaceted role, Rufiena managed a majority of the markets’ financial operations whose farmers and food producers earned $20 million in annual revenue. Also serving as the Youth Education Coordinator, Rufiena led her team of volunteers and interns to host 800 elementary school students on farmers' market field trips each year. In addition, Rufiena served as the farmers' markets’ liaison to nonprofits and state agencies, ensuring that low-income customers and families would have access to healthy, locally-grown produce. Rufiena sits on the Executive Board of the Inglewood Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc, where she combines her experiences in community involvement, her dedication to youth development and her leadership experience to help with the conceptualization and coordination of stimulating and exciting educational youth programs and projects.

​

Having visited Barbados four times in a 16-month period, she is looking forward to drawing on her multifaceted experience to facilitate a truly impactful cultural exchange program that helps to heal the African Diaspora.  

For the past 8 years, Leah has been working with charities and NGOs that have been promoting and working in sustainable agriculture, youth education and empowerment, economic development and our African culture and heritage. She worked with the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Empowerment, helping to manage The Sojourner Foundation’s “Youth Farming and Leadership Programme” for two years with young people from the Barbados Youth Advance Corps. She served in several capacities, including providing oversight of overall programming, designing curriculum and supervising classes in organic farming, culinary arts and sustainable living. Most days, Leah worked alongside the students, planting, maintaining and harvesting crops, cooking and building with natural materials. She also conducted sessions in entrepreneurship and holistic wellness.

​

In Summer 2018, Leah participated in a very similar, successfully run cultural exchange programme with 8 young people, 4 from North Carolina and St. Croix and 4 from Barbados. During the 2 weeks, the students and mentors visited similar sites, including Cole’s Cave and St. Nicholas Abbey and they explored food security and sovereignty, environmental stewardship, our shared culture and heritage and took part in 2 exciting service days on 2 farms, during which they rotavated the land, planted trees, painted doors and baked pizza.

​

Leah is a wellness coach and consultant and the Founder of Nzuri Holistic Foundation, a charity set up in Barbados to promote holistic wellness, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and financial wellbeing for individuals, organisations and communities. Included in its mandate is to provide education, resources and support to enhance overall wellbeing and advocate for the integration of holistic practices into our mainstream healthcare systems. Leah encourages wholesome, plant rich meals, daily movement and the pursuit of balance, peace and joy. She has a background in business, finance and credit risk management and brings strong skills in administration and coordination to the Sankofa Wellness Project.

​

​

Veronique, affectionately known as Mama Earf, is passionate about using foods as medicine. In 2012, she became a Master Gardener for Baltimore City schools. For many years, she managed several city school gardens where she helped to develop a curriculum for primary and secondary school-age children. As a Master Gardener, she stressed the importance of planting organic food and how to maintain and harvest food sustainably. She was instrumental in creating the garden design and taught the students the benefits of eating healthy food.

​

In 2017, Earf became a Farmer Apprentice with the Oxford College of Emory University in Georgia where she ran the Community Supported Agriculture program, which featured the cultivation of seasonal produce, herbs and mushrooms for the local community. During that time, she supervised college students in the daily facilitation of ground preparation and maintenance, using organic soil amendments and weed management systems on the farm, while operating the stall at the weekly farmers' market.

​

She is currently the Assistant Farmer at Golden Greens Farm in Southern California where she has been growing boutique organic produce, unique mushroom varieties and exploring the production of fruit trees. With Lead Farmer, Ooriyah, she is collaborating on bioremediation projects to help clean and provide nutrients to depleted soils from harsh agriculture practices. Every seed that is grown at Golden Green has been hand-selected for nutrient-dense qualities to prevent disease and improve quality of life. This expertise, along with Earf’s strong project management skills will contribute to the Sankofa Wellness Project activities as she shares her passion for attunement with nature and healing.