How to Make a Kwanzaa Promise Book

This project is ideal for the last night of Kwanzaa, which celebrates faith. Participants commit to improving their lives and communities.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Kwanzaa Guidebooks
• African-print Fabrics
• Glue Guns
• Hot Glue Sticks
• Black Ink Pen
• Hardcover Notebooks

1. Buy a nice hardcover notebook from a book, card or office supply store. Look for one that uses an African design for the cover. (Do this at least one week before Kwanzaa.)
2. Write "Kwanzaa Promise Book" and the date on the first page of the book.
3. Write the names of the family members and friends who will be involved in your Kwanzaa celebration at the top of each page, one person per page, starting with oldest to youngest.
4. On the final night of Kwanzaa, ask each participant to commit to making one personal improvement and one improvement to the community.
5. Relate these vows to one of the seven Kwanzaa principles: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsiblilty), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity) and imani (faith).
6. Record the commitments on each participant's personal page, first noting the year they were made.
7. Store the promise book with the rest of your Kwanzaa supplies when the holiday is over.
8. Revisit past commitments with participants when Kwanzaa begins again the following year. Record brief summaries of the results.
9. Make new commitments for the next 12 months, adding pages for new participants as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• This project is ideal for the final day of Kwanzaa, which places the emphasis on the principle of imani (faith).
• Decorate your notebook by making a book cover: Trim red, green or black material (with an African-inspired print, if possible) to the size of the book, adding 1 inch on all four sides. Fold the extra cloth over to the inside of the book and secure it into place using a hot glue gun.