San-Ko-Who?

Our event logo is a modern interpretation of an ancient symbol from the Akan tribe of Ghana, West Africa: the Sankofa bird. The term san-ko-fa consists of the tree syllables san (to go back and get), ko (to return) and  fa (to seek and take). Put together the name translates to “retrieve” and describes what this mythological bird is up to:

With its feet firmly planted forward, the bird twists its beak backwards to bring forth a precious seed/egg from its back. This seed represents the next generation as well as the knowledge of history.

It symbolizes that a society must be guided by its past in order to build a better future for its people.

As such it is an important symbol for the African Diaspora as well as the programs implemented by our nonprofit, the Djimon Hounsou Foundation.