Godsway Anderson grew up in Enyan Denkyira with his mother and siblings, as his father passed away when he was 13 years old.  A visionary from a young age, he values self-determination, independence and sustainability.  While he was involved in a film project about the empowerment and identity of black communities in the US and their ultimate roots in Africa, he realised that he should turn his focus within in order find novel solutions to modern problems of poverty, food security and decent livelihoods, the need to focus on what makes a good life and how to achieve it by building on Africa’s wealth of natural biodiversity.

After he completed his Junior and Senior High School education with sponsorship through scholarship programs, he completed courses in Permaculture and Ecovillage Design Education at the Kumasi Tropical Agricultural Institute Ghana, and became a certified Moringa Producer with the Ghana Permaculture Institute.  He then taught and trained students and farmers for 4 years at Heritage Academy before going on to work as the farm manager at Escape 3 Points Eco-lodge where he also trained local famers on agro-ecological techniques and the production of Moringa.  He believes that knowledge should be shared and has made it his life ambition to empower local farming communities through sustainable agricultural techniques. 

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Xavier Geissmann, half British and half French, grew up with the benefits of the English and French education systems, however as he grew older he became he increasingly concerned by the inequalities he perceived in the world and became dedicated to a career in international development and aid. Growing up in the countryside, Xavier has long been interested in agroecology and the potential of permaculture to improve livelihoods and food security, and as a mechanism for poverty alleviation in rural communities in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.  Alongside a broad experience on several continents ranging from grape-picking in France, working in communications in Spain and Latin America, and working as a project manager for a British NGO in Ghana, Xavier holds a Master’s degree in Globalisation and International Development from University College London (UCL) as well as a degree in humanitarian project management from Bioforce Europe. 

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Working Together, coming from different worlds and backgrounds, these young and ambitious characters instantly saw eye to eye and became united by the desire to take on the challenges faced daily by rural communities and by a common passion for permaculture and agro-ecology as a mechanism for transformative change towards a fairer and more sustainable future.  The project represents the convergence of views from Africa and Europe so to work towards a better tomorrow for those who need it most – a future that is based on fairness, sustainability and ecological living.  Godsway and Xavier closely collaborated on the conception and launching of Alewa Ecovillage, with Godsway running operations on the ground and Xavier taking responsibility for remote project management, communications and fundraising. 

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