Sacred Grove Traditions

06/21/2025

It’s. Beautiful Day at Oakland Lakefest. Stop by Birthland’s Booth!

05/30/2025

05/28/2025

IT IS WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT WE ANNOUNCE OAKLAND'S 5TH 🌺 GRANDMA’S HAND TRIBUTE AWARDS AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATION 2025 🌺
✨ Honoring the Black Matriarchs of Our Community ✨
🗓️ Saturday, June 29th | 11AM–2PM
📍 Wo’se Community Church | 8924 Holly St, Oakland, CA

Join us for a powerful, youth-led celebration of legacy, love, and community!
Grandma’s Hand Tribute is a heartfelt event honoring the grandmothers, elders, teachers, and leaders who have impacted our lives with grace, strength, and wisdom.

🎓 Planned and hosted by the youth participants of our programs
YEWAS (Young Empowered Women Achieving Self) and SOT (Sisters of Tomorrow) — African-based rites of passage programs for girls ages 7–18.
🌸 Honorees will be celebrated with:
🏆 Community Awards
🌹 Flowers
🍽️ Brunch
🎤 Youth-led artistic tributes (spoken word, music, dance, and more)

* There’s still time to nominate your grandmother or a beloved elder in your life!
* Scan the QR code on our flyer to submit your nomination today!
*Let’s give our flowers to our elders while they are still with us. 🌻
* Event cost: Free & open to the community – donations welcome. You must register to be admitted.


For more information: 510-672-7926

03/25/2025

Happy Solar Return to our Youngest Sun Ahmadciafa Kabakai Saffat Allah who turned 16th years old. You are a young man of great character and creativity. I love seeing grow your confidence, style and into an incredible human being. Please help me in wishing Ahmadciafa a Happy 16th Born Day. I am asking all the Men/ brothers in our lives who have seen Ahmadciafa grow up to personally shout him out today via text or phone call with your advice, messages and encouragement 510-588-0851.

03/21/2025

Grandma's Hand Tribute Awards an annual celebration which honors those women in our community who have inspired us with their love, personal experiences, and actions. It is a community tradition created by Sister Rolanda Allaha Wilkins director of Earth Mama Healing, Inc. based in Sacramento who is a phenomenal leader, organizer, youth advocate and educator. YEWAS hosted our first Grandma's Hands in Oakland in 2018. One of our goals is to teach youth to acknowledge and honor our positive community elders while they are still in our midst as opposed to waiting until our beloved grandmothers, grandfathers, teachers, or leaders who have impacted our lives have decreased. In addition to being recognized by the community, our honorees will receive awards, Brunch, and flowers, their names will be listed on a Proclamation from the city of Oakland,

Please join (YEWAS) Young Empowered Woman Achieving Self and Bay Area (SOT)and Sisters of Tomorrow Rites of Passage Programs for Girls of African Descent and Sacred Grove Traditions in honoring our community "Sheroes" by nominating a Grandmother or Elder who you feel embodies the energy and spirit of Grandma Hands. Also, mark your calendars and plan on celebrating with us June 1st for Oakland's 4th Annual Grandma's Hand Community Tribute Awards.

01/25/2025

📚💡 YEWAS-SOT Academic Session: Set Yourself Up for Success! 💡📚

Join us for an empowering and inspiring session designed to help you excel academically and prepare for your future! 🎓✨

Session Details:
🌟 Part 1: Learn from our amazing presenter, Damali Ankoanda-King, an Engineering Program Manager at APPLE! She’ll share the BEST studying tips to guarantee an A and help you set yourself up for success in elementary, middle, high school, college, or your career path.

🌟 Part 2: Grandma’s Hands

Share your nomination of an adult elder who has made an impact in your life.
Include her full name, physical address, and the reason for your nomination—we’ll be writing heartfelt letters to express our gratitude and love.
What to Bring:
✅ Your journal for taking notes
✅ Your best attitude and energy
✅ A snack or beverage to share with the group

Event Details:
🗓 Date: Sunday, January 26th
⏰ Time: 12 PM - 3 PM
📍 Location: Duafe Designs
326 15th St, Oakland, CA 94612

💌 To RSVP or for questions, contact:
📞 Mama Asatu: (510) 672-7926
📞 Mama Ayodele: (650) 315-4456

We’re so excited to see you there! Let’s grow, learn, and celebrate together. 💖✨

10/11/2024

Greetings YEWAS-SOT Family
Special shout out to Iminah Ahmad and Chanel Aleta productions for providing tickets to the Bay Area Pan-African Dance Conference this Sunday 10.13.24
We have received a limited number of tickets for our girls, so if you want to attend, please RSVP today by contacting Mama Ayodele or Mama Asatu for the link to the Google Doc form.
Field Trip
Sunday, October 13th · 8:30am - 5pm
BISHOP O'DOWD HIGH SCHOOL
9500 STEARNS AVENUE
OAKLAND, CA 94605

09/06/2024

Happy Friday Family,
We apologize for the late post regarding our activity for this Sunday, Sept 8th but here is the information for Sunday’s optional Field Trip.

We are inviting all of our YEWAS and SOT families to come out and enjoy the World Arts West Dance Festival with us in San Franciso where our own Mama Ayodele Kinchen will be performing with the acclaimed Congolese Dance Company Fua dia Kongo.
World Arts Dance Festival showcases the culture, wisdom, and beauty through global dance and music and we know this will be an enriching experience for our young sisters.
The festival is in San Francisco so we need families who can support you with Car Pool if you are planning to come.

Logistics:
Sunday 9/8/24 1-4 pm Leave East Bay from SOT-YEWAS meeting location Duafe Designs 326 15th St, Oakland, CA 94612 and travel to

Presidio Tunnel Tops Address: 210 Lincoln Boulevard San Francisco, CA 94129
Performance 1-4 pm
Bring: pocket money for food, snacks, a light jacket, bottle of water
*Please RSVP and parents let us know ASAP if you can assist with Car Pool with Mama Asatu (510)672-7926 or Mama Ayo (650) 315-4456

08/17/2024

“ No two string quilts are identical, each one is a true original” Zelpha Ann Alexander

In preparation for our YEWAS-SOT Sista Quilt Project, we are presenting a series of quilting and sewing classes with Master African American Quilters.
We are inviting girls, teens, and mothers to Workshop #2 with Master Quilter Ms. Zelpha Ann Alexander.

In this beginner-level class, Mama Ann will introduce String quilts, a simple and beautiful style of quilting that will help the beginner learn the basics of this art form.

Class Details
SUNDAY, August 25th, 12 pm-3 pm Location: Duafe Designs 326 15th St, Oakland, CA 94612
*Suggested Donation: $15 or $10 for each sibling or if you bring a friend
* ( no one turned away for lack of funds, let us know )
*Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly

Class Description
In this class, participants will learn
* how to read a quilt pattern,
* common quilting terms,
*fabric selection,
*how to square up fabric, cut, and stitch
* the importance of measuring accuracy
* selecting practical quilting tools.

Participants Requirements: *Please bring a 1/2 yard of cotton quilting fabric. If you have access to a cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutters PLEASE bring them with you.
*You must RSVP, arrive on time and we kindly ask that all participants a snack to share with the group.

Fabric recommendations for participants:
*Choose a fabric with a small pattern in bright or pastel colors.
* Avoid plaids, strips, or one-way designs.
* Once again, if you have access to a cutting mat, ruler, and rotary cutters PLEASE bring them with you

*RSVP today, space is limited by contacting Mama Asatu (510)672-7926 or Mama Ayo (650) 315-4456

02/22/2024

Join SOT-YEWAS this Sunday as we continue our 365 celebration of Black History and Black Joy. We are headed to the Black Joy Parade but first, we will meet 11 am at Duafe Designs 326 15th St. Oakland for a delicious warm beverage and a tasty snack before strolling over to the parade. Please dress appropriately for Bay Area rainy season weather, ie. layer up, wear a weather-resistant jacket and shoes, umbrellas are recommended. If you have a favorite topping for Hot Cocoa, special milk preference, or your favorite hot beverage mug with a lid..Bring It! We will leave 15th Street for the parade around 12:00 pm. Contact 650-315-4456 or 510-672-7926 to RSVP.

01/24/2024

This weekend, YEWAS-SOT is learning about personalized skincare. We are happy to welcome the multi-talented Shanina Shumate, CEO of Hello. Soulful. Her Wellness Practice combines her unique background in coaching, counseling esthetics, and yoga. She helps her clients discover, maintain, and sustain an active wellness lifestyle in an ever-changing world. If you have a daughter ages 10-18, please join us, Contact sot.yewas@gmail.com to RSVP!

12/07/2023

This Sunday SOT-YEWAS is pleased to welcome Boss Mother, Financial Influencer, Author, and Financial Coach Naseema Mc. Elroy to educate our Young Queens(and mamas) about Financial Literacy and How to become Financially Independent. It is never too early to learn about $, investments, and how to have a healthy relationship with money. We will also have our end-of-the-year Gift Exchange. Everyone bring 1 gift for a girl or young woman. Please keep the gift value at :$0-$20 or we encourage homemade gifts made with love.
RSVP: Mama Asatu 510.672.7926 or Mama Ayodele 650.315.4456