by Curlan Campbell
- Shrine of the Seven Wonders of Africa is dedicated to charity and promotion of African traditions
- Feeding of the Village Initiative is main charitable work
- Hosts annual Ifa and Ancestral Festival in Corinth, St David
Members of the Shrine of the Seven Wonders of Africa Inc., a local organisation dedicated to charity and the promotion of African traditions, prepared and distributed 450 lunches to residents who are still in recovery mode. The organisation has been actively involved in charitable work through its Feeding of the Village Initiative and promoting African traditions for the past 8 years in Grenada, including hosting the annual Ifa and Ancestral Festival in Corinth, St David.
A fishing trawler delivered approximately 400 pounds of beef, 50 pounds of pork, and 80 pounds of fish to Carriacou and Petite Martinique, which were severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Daniel Roberts, owner of Buy Smart Supermarket in Grenada and a native of Carriacou, led the preparation and distribution of 70 food hampers on behalf of the foundation. “All the meat was prepared and seasoned in Grenada. It was transported to Carriacou via a small fishing trawler, which took 2 trips. Around 450 people benefitted from food boxes, plus we gave about 70 food hampers to people from the surrounding area. We did Hillsborough, Lauriston, L’Esterre Belmont, Brunswick, Caco, and we did Mont d’Or, so we covered a lot of villages in Carriacou.”
The Ifa Festival can be traced back to the West African spiritual tradition of the Yoruba people, which for hundreds of years honoured a pantheon of deities called Orishas, representing the elements of nature. Despite Hurricane Beryl passing 4 days before the official start of the July festival, the organisers successfully executed this year’s festival by paying particular attention to catering to communities devastated by the hurricane. Emphasis was placed on the spiritual aspect and also on a major charity initiative, providing hot meals to the affected communities.
Iya Yvonne Drake Ifatooki MTh., MDiv, has dedicated over 40 years to reviving the spiritual practice of Ifa. During her time in Toronto, Canada, she led a charity ministry that served meals to the homeless on the streets. Inspired by her grandmother in a vision, Ifatooki heeded the call to feed the nation, quoting John 21:15-17 where Jesus commanded Simon Peter to “feed my lambs.”
“40 years ago, I started feeding the nation. Wherever I go, I involve my children in feeding. For their birthdays, we go to a shelter to celebrate and cook food. Then, we take the food to the shelter in Toronto, Canada. We feed the people in the shelter, and they sing Happy Birthday to the children. These are important values that we need to instil in our children to continue this blessing in life. It’s a wonderful experience to minister food to the hungry,” Ifatooki explained.
Since returning to Grenada 8 years ago, her organisation has dedicated a significant portion of the Ifa festival to preparing, packaging, and distributing meals as a way to give back. Communities like Pearls, St Andrew, St Pauls, St David, and St George have experienced the positive impact of this initiative.
The Shrine of the Seven Wonders of Africa Inc. conducts monthly, smaller-scale feeding programmes for various impoverished villages around the island.
