Come out this Saturday for the Sankofa Marketplace; children’s activities, farmers market with fresh produce and wild caught Louisiana shrimp, local entertainment, community resources, health screenings, and health resources. Held on the second Saturday of every month, Sankofa Marketplace takes place from 1pm – 4pm at the corner of Caffin and St. Claude in the Lower Ninth Ward (Parking Lot of All Souls Episcopal Church.)  The upcoming dates for spring and summer months are: April 10 – May 8 – June 12 – July 10 and August 14^th. This is such a great opportunity to get fresh produce in a place where it’s really hard to get them!

The Sankofa Marketplace was created by a coalition of artists, community groups, churches,and small business based in the Lower 9th Ward to stimulate economic development and community revitalization.  Started in August of 2008, the Market was created because of the absence of grocery stores in the neighborhood, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina flooding.  Almost 2 years later, not much has changed – residents still have to travel miles to the nearest grocery store elsewhere in New Orleans, or in Chalmette, or in St. Bernard Parish. Thankfully, the market is still going strong and perhaps once we have our new Mayor, we’ll see proper grocery stores coming to the area.

The Ujamaa Project:  Bring the Kids and Introduce Them to Fruits and Vegetables

The Ujamaa Project provides children with access to, and a positive experience with, fresh fruits and vegetables through visits to our Farmers Market and vegetable grill station. Children meet Sankofa Marketplace produce vendors and learn about the benefits and nutrition of vegetables and fruits through activities such as role play, drawing, printmaking, and imagination games. They also get to create artwork of their favorite vegetables and fruits. Children participating in the project’s activities also get a bag of fresh fruits and vegetables to take home and share with their families!

Introducing kids to fruits and vegetables in a fun, interactive and hands-on approach is a fabulous way to get kids interested and willing to give fruits and vegetables a try.  Getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables is critical for their current and future health.

Some screenings are also available:

• Free private HIV screenings in the NOAIDS Task Force mobile van.
• HIV and STD health information by St John #5 Camp Ace HIV Program