KUJENGA
Kujenga is a peer-lead retreat which encourages high school youth to discover
their own identity and their relationship with God by providing Christ
centered family oriented leadership training through the Kwanza
principles and a celebration of culture, customs and traditions of the
African American and Catholic ancestors. Kujenga retreats are held
annually.
“Say not, ‘I am too young.’ To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.” (Jer. 1:7)
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Kwaanza's values are
derived from Kawaida, the African philosophical framework in
which it was created. It was created to reinforce the basic
values of African culture which contribute to building and
reinforcing family, community and culture among African
American people as well as Africans throughout the African
community. The values are called Nguzo Saba, which means the
seven principles in Swahili. It was developed by Dr.
Maulana
Karenga. These values are the building blocks for the
community. |
 Nguzo Saba-Symbol for the seven principles. |
SEVEN PRINCIPLES of the Nguzo Saba
- Umoja - Unity
to strive for and maintain unity in the family,
community, nation and race
- Kujichagulia - Self-Determination
to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves
and speak for
ourselves
- Ujima - Collective Work and Responsibility
to build and maintain our community together and make our
brother's and sister's problems our problems and to
solve them together
- Ujamaa - Cooperative Economics
to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other
businesses and to profit from them together
- Nia - Purpose
to make our collective vocation the building and
developing of our community in order to restore our
people to their traditional greatness
- Kuumba - Creativity
to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in
order to leave our community more beautiful and
beneficial than we inherited it
- Imani - Faith
to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents,
out teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and
victory of our struggle
