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Alkebulan Village Impact

                Over the years I have been at Alkebulan, I learned a couple of things. For starters, I learned how to be confident. When I first got here, I believe I was a little shy. After some time being here, I became very confident in what I was doing . As I was enrolled in martial arts, I learned various things like to be strong , give it all you got, self control and of course self defense. In my opinion, these are the main things that I learned which shaped me to where I am today and I would like to thank Alkebulan for that.

I been at Alkebulan for one year now , I started coming in the summer of 2017. My mother told me that she wanted me in the program because I used to always get in fights with people around my neighborhood. My mother said since it kept happening so I had two things to pick: 1. I got live with my father (I wasn’t going to do that) or 2, come to the program and stay here for the rest of the summer. I picked here because I didn’t want to go with him. I started coming here with Mama Akeliah, Jaylyn, Antrell, and Rashad. I made new friends and I thought Alkebulan was fun and I came everyday so I can stay out of trouble for my mother and for my safety. I came in the fall and was working to get my summer job. I started going to a class where we would sit down and talk about what we did wrong how we could stop the problem. I learned that I don’t have to pay attention to people and if they didn’t touch me there’s no point of fighting. I also learned that I don’t have to be friends with everybody , and everybody isn’t my real friends .

Alkebulan has affected me in many ways. It gave me a sense of community. Usually, most people I know is either from school or my neighborhood. While at Alkebulan, I have made connections I wouldn’t have known if I wasn’t here. Alkebulan is like a cycle. The staff (adults or elders) help and teach us while we’re young. We grow up and help the community back. The generation learns from the previous one. The cycle influences many people since there will always be some one younger and less fortunate than us. The connections made here will last forever, creating many positive relationships. Why help one person when you can change the world too?

Alkebulan Village has helped me learn how to be independent and how to be on time. Also, I learned how to work for what I got and how to help with kids. I like working here and I hope I work here again.

Alkbulan Village has influenced me in a great way. It has told me that there’s a time when you can play and there’s time when you need to get work done. However, when I was a kid, I only thought that alkebulan was for fun. But, it’s actually a place for you to get help with you school work, martial arts, and a recreation. Also, Alkebulan has thought me and prepared me for the real world. They showed me a lot of stuff.

AJ
Time at Alkebulan Village

I’ve been with Alkebulan Village for over 12 long years. Growing up with this organization my whole life has taught me so much. It’s more than just karate, drumming, dancing, and having fun. I’ve taken trips around the world with the village and I thank them for that. They have taught me about life and things to be prepared for in the future. I got my first real job from the village and it has gotten me ready for bigger jobs. I was taught when and where to play and when to be serious. I learned to be a respectful and responsible young man. I have gotten many opportunities to do things all over the city of Detroit with them such as, meeting new people, and getting experience doing things that I didn’t know how to do. Alkebulan has prepared me to be more ready for college and my life ahead of me. I’ve matured as a young man being with the program. Without Alkebulan Village, I don’t know how my life would be.

I’ve been at Alkebulan since I was 8, so that’s about 5 years now. In my time here, I’ve learned to be open to trying new things. For example, when I first came I didn’t do any activities. Now, I do a lot of them. Also, I’ve learned to put my work/schoolwork first. I used to not get good grades. Now I get all A’s and B’s. I’ve also made a lot of new friends. That’s how Alkebulan has influenced me.

Alkebulan has helped me learn new skills and has given me my first official job. I volunteer here at the village and participate in exciting educational field trips. Alkebulan is a really great thing for me and I would love to continue coming and participating in the program.