How will Sungyata work?
Sungyata is a nonprofit organization.
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This means the Center is designed to operate for social benefit, instead of operating as a business that earns profit for its owners.
The profit goes to bills and maintenance, payment of employees, buying materials for events, running
the center, and eventually to the Youth Program for the community!
How will income be generated?
- Sungyata will host events, workshops, and experiences in the multifunctional room and outside spaces in nature, aimed at providing holistic growth, healing and learning experiences. These events may
include meditation sessions, yoga, rituals, educational workshops, learning groups sharing circles, creative experiences, silence days, retreats and more.
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These events will be created for adults (locals, people from the bigger cities in Ghana and/or tourists). The people responsible for coordinating these workshops and experiences will be locals and experts from other places in Ghana, Africa, and the world. As mentioned above these events will be neutral, without a religious or political color. The focus will be on us as human beings, learning and healing together.
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- The coffee/juice bar/snackbar will open on specific hours or days so that people can socialize while enjoying healthy, delicious foods and drinks. There is also a tourist attraction nearby, so people visiting the Kwahu area as tourists will have the opportunity to come to Sungyata to relax.
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- A little shop where local products are sold to support local enterprises, will be integrated
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- The office for private consultations is available for coaching, individual healing sessions or massages.
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- Rent of the master bedroom. In case the master bedroom won’t be used by a manager, employee, other volunteer or guest speaker, the room can be rented. This will also generate income for Sungyata.
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- Sungyata can be rented for workshops, events or retreats if people are interested and if their event aligns with the intention, vision and core values of the place.
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- The second phase of this project is to organize retreats. For this, we will need to create sleeping places for guests. At this point, we are focusing on the first phase. We might explore the possibility of
collaborating with guesthouses in the area.
What will the youthprogram look like?
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The Youth Program is for children aged 10 years or above (or younger children who show great commitment and motivation). These children are in the final stages of primary school and in junior high school. For senior high school, many of them will go to different towns and cities in Ghana.
The decision to focus on children in this age group is because they are able to communicate properly in English (as English is their second, sometimes third language). They are able to work together in groups. Also, at this age, they can be more insecure, vulnerable to peer pressure and easily succumb to ideas about what they should do or how their life should look like. They haven’t made any choices yet for their own future and are very ‘flexible’ in their mind to think critically and learn new things.
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The focus of the Youth Program is to create a safe and welcoming environment where the youth can grow, learn, develop their talents, nurture their self-esteem and self-confidence as well as develop a support network.
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The Youth Program will include different workshops or gatherings, including but not limited to: musical events, talent days, learning groups, theater, storytelling, drumming, dancing, research groups, environmental education, natureschool, etc. We aim to invite guest speakers/teachers, both locals as well as people from the city or abroad, to broaden the view of the youth and help them make the best of the different possibilities available to them — now and in the future.
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As part of the Youth Program, children can come to Sungyata to read, do homework, research, have a talk, seek mentorship or feel at home. It is important that the youth feel at home at Sungyata and that they can co-create.
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The Youth Program will be developed based on needs assessmentsand by trial and error. The voice of the youth will be heard too. It is important that the youth program is aligned with the needs and wants of the youth and the community at large.
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The children are usually available on weekday afternoons and Saturday afternoons. They are also available during school holidays. The workshops and gatherings may happen in the form of ‘summer’ camps, and weekly or monthly meetings. This will depend on the availability of funds, materials, and employees or guest speakers.
Sungyata in the Future
At this point, we cannot define the full scope and purpose of Sungyata because the whole idea is for it to be a space that is flexible and flowing. Sungyata will flow and change, based on what is needed in the community, and based on which ideas the community and the youth bring forth. The vision and values will stay.
As Sungyata grows, we want to expand the team, and this will contribute to the creation of jobs in the area.
Ideally, the Center becomes:
★ a movement
★ and a self sustainable place
★ with different employees and volunteers
★ carried and supported by the local community
★ and known internationally
★ for its impact on people’s growth and healing