The Role of Nguzo Saba in Community Transformation

Umoja "Unity

SFA promotes family and community unity by fostering collaboration through peer support groups, mentorship, and cooperative economic initiatives. Families will work together toward shared goals, strengthening bonds and building a foundation for collective success.

Kujichagulia

Swanson Family Academy's program includes goal-setting workshops to help individuals develop and achieve personal and professional objectives, leadership training to foster self-advocacy and community empowerment, and mentorship opportunities to provide guidance, support, and independence through one-on-one connections.

Ujima

Civic engagement and community rebuilding initiatives will instill the importance of working collectively to address challenges, including poverty, trauma, and unemployment. By fostering a shared commitment to improvement, communities will work together to create lasting change.

Ujamaa

SFA’s emphasis on cooperative economics will teach families how to pool resources, support local businesses, and create income-generating opportunities. Programs like “Building Your Family Finances” and “Business Building 101–301” will empower households to increase income and establish financial stability.

Nia

Swanson Family Academy lives out Nia by creating spaces where youth and families connect their personal dreams to the community’s future. We host cultural learning experiences that build pride and identity, lead visioning sessions that help neighbors plan a shared path forward, and provide service opportunities that show how individual actions strengthen the whole village. Through every program, we help our community walk in purpose and work toward lasting change together.

Kuumba

Swanson Family Academy embodies Kuumba by using creativity as both a celebration of our culture and a tool for community problem-solving. We host art, music, dance, and theater workshops that build self-expression and cultural pride, create innovation spaces where neighbors design solutions to local challenges, and empower youth to lead through storytelling, entrepreneurship, and creative leadership projects. Through Kuumba, we turn imagination into action that uplifts the entire village.

Imani

Swanson Family Academy lives out Imani by fostering confidence in oneself, trust in one another, and belief in the collective strength of the village. We create spaces for spiritual connection and personal reflection, offer resilience-building programs that help individuals overcome adversity, and share powerful community success stories that inspire hope. Through Imani, we remind our community that together, we can rise above challenges and build the future we believe in.