Panko Center in Ghana – Dr. Gitta Zimmermann

Panko Intentional Community

Mubarak Alhassan and his team have developed a center for children in the North of Ghana, in the suburb of Tamale. It is called “Panko” which means: “am not alone”. Panko is a Dagbani word, a language spoken by the Dagomba people (tribe) of Northern Region of Ghana.
The children who are joining in are orphans, neglected children and street children, children with disability, school dropouts and children in substance abuse, child laborers, migrant children and children from poverty-stricken families.
The center was launched on 26th June 2020. Currently, 61 children — 22 girls and 39 boys — are attending.

Panko symbolies that those children are not alone, they have well-wishers and sympathizers to support them in developing their talents, creativity and ideas that will at the end help them live a more dignified and fulfilled life.

A football field, a library, and some recreation areas were built.
A computer learning center is on its way.
The center will be run on the principles of “Eco-Village” and NVC. Eco-Village means to be self-sustainable through environmental sustainability, social responsible, self-sufficient with a progressive lifestyle. NVC fosters connection, compassion and peace within the inhabitants and the environment.

The center is an attractive place for children below the age 18 to meet, learn and play. There will be run life skills sessions, literacy and numeracy sessions, NVC sessions, indoor and outdoor educational games, recreational and sporting activities. Boys and girls learn to plant and cook own food, they collect water in a cistern, they collect their garbage — a big change towards care for the environment.