Scholarships & Grants

Foundation Scholarship Program

Historically, the solution for help in order to be initiated was built into the system. In ancient times, the young man, or woman, who sought a career in Ifa could, fairly easily, arrange to intern/work for an Ifa Priest in trade for initiation. This fit into the overall world view of Ifa….balance. The balance of the work done by the apprentice was provided by the knowledge they would accumulate in the process, and ultimately in the initiation they sought. In our society no such apprentice system exists.

A secondary concern of the Ifa Foundation was the increasing emphasis on money that Orisa/Orisha & Ifa Priests were focusing on.  Certainly, a priest deserves payment for their services, but the foundational principle of Ifa, expressed in the sacred odu “MONEY IS GOOD. WISDOM IS BETTER. THE SEARCH FOR WISDOM IS ALWAYS MORE IMPORTANT,” has increasingly been disregarded by those who view priesthood as a path to riches rather than growth.

For these and other reasons, more than a decade ago the Ifa Foundation created a program of grants and scholarships for those that appeared to have the qualifications of becoming a good priest. These include partial grants towards payments for initiation, to fully paid scholarships covering all costs of Ifa/Orisa initiations.

Grants and scholarships are awarded twice yearly. Individuals seeking this help should write a detailed description of the reasons you would like to embark upon this spiritual path, your personal backgrounds, and how you would hope to use this process in your life. These should be sent to scholarships@ifafoundation.org.  All communications will be reviewed by the Ifa Foundation’s Board and recipients will be notified if they qualify.

no cost family initiations*

After 40 + years studying and teaching the ancient wisdom of Ifa, one basic truth becomes evident: EVERYTHING begins with family. The Ifa Foundation was created more than 30 years ago for the sole purpose of disseminating accurate information regarding Orisa and Ifa.

The Foundation has accomplished a great many things, here are a few among others:

•  Re-introducing Ori into the Western Hemisphere.

•  Re-establishing the equality and respect for women by virtue of their historical place in genuine Africa Ifa.

•  Initiating Men & Women with regard to their character and disregard for their gender, skin color, nationality or sexual preferences.

•  Restored the right for Women to receive a complete Icofa.

•  Introducing the reality and power of telephone and online divination.

•  Dismissed the veil of fear and secrecy that prevented the individual growth and empowerment of individuals.

•  Created the world’s largest Internet presence for information on Orisa and Ifa information without secrecy.

•  Created the first long term continued education and training of Ifa initiate in the Western Hemisphere.

•  Created the ONLY complete Sacred Orisa Gardens in the Western Hemisphere.

•  Was the first, and unfortunately Only, foundation to offer scholarships for those who could not afford to pay.

Now it is time to address a basic flaw in how Ifa and Orisa tends to be practiced in the West.

That flaw has to do with the self-absorbed individualism of the industrial Western world.

After initiating hundreds upon hundreds of people over the last few decades it became increasingly obvious that, while initiation provided great benefits and empowerment to their life, it had much less impact on their family, community and our plan et they share.

Looking at today’s world it is so clear that the growth and influence of Ifa is imperative in modifying the behavior, morality, sense of responsibility and irrational prejudice that leads to behavior as diverse as individual discrimination to national genocide!

The Ifa Foundation is convinced - and is supported by divination - that the most effective way of beginning this process is to increase the number of families that grow and learn together, automatically creating the next generations of those guided by good character rather than greed and instant gratification.
 

We have seen this within our own family. We have raised our children, from before birth, in the path of Ifa. When met with difficulties, as all families do, the wisdom, tools and support of Ifa combined with the childrens trust established through their own personal experiences of working with it, provided not only the solutions, but the growth and empowerment for the future.

To facilitate this reality, the Ifa Foundation will initiate up to four of your children, age 17 or younger, at each future adult Ifa or Orisa initiation at NO ADDITIONAL COST!*

For specifics and further information contact us

* Applies to fully paid adult initiations only