There’s something different about Rafiki Coalition

by Landon Willis

Devoted to celebrating and honoring the culture of the African Diaspora, Rafiki Coalition is known throughout the Bay Area by the Ghanaian Adinkra symbol Gye Nyame. The symbol means supremacy and omnipotency of God. The long history of Rafiki Coalition, 40 years to be exact, displays service to black and marginalized people that includes accessible health care, food banks support, community education opportunities, and various policy work.  One would say they are absolutely moved by a higher power.  Rafiki is a culturally relevant organization, never losing its connection to the mother land by empowering African descended people. 

 Rafiki’s mission statement is, “To eliminate health inequities in San Francisco’s Black and marginalized communities through education, advocacy, and the provision of holistic health and wellness services in a culturally affirming environment.” One way Rafiki displays its mission is by providing group activities like boxing, Afro Caribbean dance, and other strength and mobility training to help with health disparities. The group classes offer opportunities for connection along with self-improvement in a community setting. You are not alone, support is at the core of Rafiki. The organization encourages social wellness through all their services because it is beneficial for mental health. They encourage their recipients to share about other services – ultimately helping people who are struggling get connected to needed resources. 

Rafiki is not limited to traditional forms of promoting health and wellness. They also have unique activities like meditation, acupuncture, and massage therapy. These experiences allow participants to look inward and discover spiritual connection with others. The recipient becomes intune with their own mind, body and spirit. These methods of holistic wellness allow for people to explore different angles within a healthy lifestyle. 

Past Works & Future Plans 

I sat down with some workers at Rafiki asking, “Why is Rafiki important to you?” Pia Odom, Rafiki’s Associate Marriage and Family Therapist shared, “We’ve been serving Bayview Hunters Point for the last 40 years. Originally we started out as an organization that served the HIV positive and AIDS population, but have since evolved.”

 During the 80s, HIV and AIDS prevention was slow to mobilize.  In San Francisco, this was no exception. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Prior to the widespread availability of sterile syringes in the late 1980s, HIV incidence among IDUs in San Francisco peaked in 1987 at a rate of 2.7%.” Rafiki was established in order to cover low income black folks who did not have access to culturally concording care. On their website, it states, “Founded in 1986, Rafiki Coalition has grown from a grassroots response to the HIV/AIDS crisis into a trusted leader in Black health and wellness, providing culturally rooted services and advancing health equity across San Francisco.”

I also inquired about the grant from Kaiser Permanente’s Voices For Mental Health campaign wondering about the benefits of the additional resources. I was informed that Rafiki plans on starting a project where kids can talk about mental health through art. Sian Yongyuth, another Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Rafiki mentioned, “Art therapy is a huge way for people to express things they have a hard time vocalizing. So, I think using art specifically with kids gives them the opportunity to express things that they might still be in the process of finding the words for.” 

More Than A Disney Character, But Still Magical

Rafiki is also a Swahili word that means friend. Yes, Rafiki has been a friend to the Bay Area community, an organization that we can depend on without a doubt. 

However, my first introduction to the name of Rafiki was the Lion King. I remember the character affirming, “Oh yes the past can hurt. But the way I see you can either run from it or learn from it. So what are you going to do?” This quote is from the Disney animated movie, and has a profound inner message. The protagonist Simba realizes in order to move forward and remember who he truly is, he must confront his past head on. Despite knowing this, he does not know if he has the strength to do so. Rafiki tells him again, he must learn from his past instead of running from it. 

When I interviewed the team from the Rafiki Coalition, it reminded me also of the character Rafiki. Not necessarily the character’s personality, but instead what he represented. The character Rafiki was a symbol of spiritual healing for the main character Simba. The Rafiki organization is also a symbol of healing and courage for the Bay Area community. Rafiki also serves as a guide to people in need, just like Simba was led by a wise and eccentric mandrill.

Rafiki Coalition positively changes how people view wellness and they strive to instill this change in the youth of Bayview as well. They are truly a unique organization that continues to adapt to the community’s needs. I believe Simba would agree too!

What’s Next 

Rafiki Coalition has two upcoming events that you are more than welcome to join.  The 40th Anniversary Soirée on Wednesday June 10 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at Pier 27. The event is described as a “fundraising event bringing together donors, partners, and community leaders who believe in health equity that lasts.” The second event is the 15th Annual Black Healing Summit. It is a two-day free event from June 12-June 13 developed as a “community-centered experience designed to uplift, educate, and restore.” You can find more information about these wonderful events on the Rafiki Coalition website at rafikicoalition.org. Again, there are many opportunities for you to participate with Rafiki Coalition. 

Landon Willis is a writing and media intern with the San Francisco Bay View newspaper. He is a second-year marketing student at San Francisco State University and a special reporter on the San Francisco Kaiser Permanente’s Voices for Mental Health and Wellness Campaign. In addition to school, Landon enjoys exercise, music, and hanging out with friends. He is very passionate about film and acting and is currently working on creating his own feature film.

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