Thank you to Kpeto Ali Kwami for sharing how Mawuvi Basketball Fellowship integrated The Circle Way with their community tour.
Mawuvi Basketball Fellowship leverages the game of basketball as a powerful tool for positive change among youth in Ghana, focusing on providing not only basketball training but also essential life skills and advocacy for environmental sustainability.
MBF Youth Empowerment Organization organized a Circle Way workshop and community tour, aimed at strengthening leadership, deepening community dialogue, and nurturing a culture and listening, respect, and collective wisdom among young people and community members.
Ngoneh Jagne, a TCW (The Circle Way) practitioner from The Gambia traveled to Ghana to provide TCW training sessions. Her work was funded through a TCW Supporting Circle Training grant, and she found the enthusiasm and willingness of all who came to the training circles inspiring.
The program objectives were:
To introduce and practice The Circle Way as a tool for deep listening, inclusion, and shared leadership
To strengthen MBF organizational leadership capacity
To create safe spaces for dialogue within MBF communities
To promote community bonding, reflection, and learning
To expose volunteers to key natural and cultural sites in the Volta Region
The first Circle Way session was held with MBF Organizational Leadership and focused on:
Orienting leaders to the principles and practice of The Circle Way.
Understanding roles such as host, guardian, and participant.
Exploring how The Circle Way can be integrated into MBF meetings, programs, and decision-making.
“The program demonstrated that when people sit in circle, wisdom emerges, relationships deepen, and sustainable community growth becomes possible.” ~ Coach Ali, MBF Founder & Associate Coach
Community Circle Way Sessions
Through three additional sessions held in different communities, the workshops were tailored to each community:
Wli Community: Participants actively engaged in the circle, sharing stories, listening deeply, and reflecting on community values.
Kledzo Community: This session was lively, interactive, and filled with moments of learning and laughter.
Hohoe Community: The final session demonstrated a clear understanding of the Circle Way principles among participants. Discussions reflected maturity, attentiveness, and thoughtful contributions, showing how repeated exposure to the Circle Way deepens confidence and collective wisdom.
Educational & Cultural Tour Activities
As part of the program, MBF leadership and volunteers embarked on a two-day tour to promote relaxation, learning, and cultural exchange. Tour activities complemented the Circle Way sessions by reinforcing connection to self, others, and the environment. Sites included Wli Waterfalls, Volta Lake Cruise, Accra Cultural Sites.
Closing Reflections
The Circle Way Workshop and Tour was a meaningful and successful initiative, aligning with MBF Youth Empowerment Organization's mission of using innovative, human-centered approaches to empower young people and communities, and they look forward to expanding The Circle Way practice into future programs and partnerships.
Kpeto Ali Kwami launched the initiative in 2019. Born and raised in Kpando in the Volta region of Ghana, Ali did not allow the lack of facilities and resources to stop him from aiming for his basketball dream, instead, it motivated him even more to create it. His love for basketball and culture sparked the birth of what Ghana today proudly knows as the Mawuvi Basketball Fellowship. As a FIBA Foundation Youth Leader, Ali was selected to participate in a workshop with 22 fellow African changemakers in Windhoek, Namibia and a consecutive mentoring program to further leverage the impact of his Basketball For Good initiatives.