What is Sankofa?

Amani Pamba Clothing... Creative design and ingenuity in Amani’s products reflect the restoration and transformation process at work in every person in the Amani family. Amani’s new clothing line Amani Pamba (meaning “Peace Adorned”) reflects this essential element. The goal of Amani Pamba is to share the message of God’s peace in a fresh and innovative way through fashion and design. Amani designers are creating “wearable art” using colorful motifs and patterns of African cultures to create pieces that reflect God’s designs seen every day all around us. To launch the Amani Pamba line, Amani will host a fashion event on October 27, 2007. This event, called Sankofa, will be an opportunity for guests to catch a glimpse of these new designs presented with a combination of modeling and theatrics. Sankofa will tell the story of transformation in the lives of the women at Amani. “Sankofa” is an Akan word meaning “We must go back and accept our past so we can move forward. We do this so we can understand why and how we came to be who we are today.” The event... Plans are well underway for this exciting event. Six Amani women and four professionals will model approximately thirty designs. By exploring colorful motifs and patterns, this event will tell the story of separation, transformation, and celebration common to the lives of Amani women. These three thematic movements provide space to explore the painful yet redemptive journeys of Amani women through traditional dances and evolving motifs. Some elements will appear in a variety of ways such as the scarf strangling the neck, binding the head, or flowing loosely to represent the changing rolls of one’s suffering. Colors such as yellow for peace and red for the blood of Christ will appear in various forms. Throughout the event, music from all over Africa will add dimension and cohesiveness to the individual representations of each element. We are excited for this groundbreaking event and the opportunities it presents to share the story of Amani in fresh ways. For information on becoming involved with Amani Pamba or the Sankofa event, please contact programs@amaniafrica.org.