Our Founder
Dr. Muhjah Shakir is the founding president and CEO of Nature’s Garden for Victory and Peace, Inc., (NGVP), a non-profit and aspiring 30-acre Community Land Trust located in a lush forest like environment in Tuskegee, Alabama USA.
The manifestation of the property was the result of a vision and was spirit led. The development of NGVP represents the culmination of many years of study, social justice activism, and a lifelong pursuit of spiritual growth. Using the land and the philosophy of Nature Culture the aim of NGVP is to create a holistic, intentional, and transformative learning community for the health and healing of the people and the land. This is achieved through the Arts defined as any human activity or occupation performed with mindful imagination, beauty, and social responsibility.
In pursuit of fulfilling this vision, in May 2016 Dr. Shakir retired after 16 years of teaching as a full time professor of Occupational Therapy at Tuskegee University. Muhjah Shakir has a B.S. degree in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan; a M.A. degree in Cultural Anthropology; and a PhD degree In Transformative Studies both from the California Institute of Integral Studies located in San Francisco, California. Dr. Shakir is a certified massage therapist and Reiki master, and plans to develop an “occupationally-based” academy for the healing arts.
Dr. Shakir is a devoted mother, grandmother, and supportive friend. In 2012 she was ‘enstooled’ as a Queen Mother under the auspices of the Institute for Whole Life Healing. She is well traveled having visited four continents and is deeply appreciative of world cultures and the beauty in its diversity. She lives a spirited and reflective life dedicated to the restoration of the land and her people.
We Believe in A Collaborative Approach
Rooting & Restoring
NGVP nurtures a sacred, living relationship with the Earth through conscious ecological stewardship and regenerative land practices.
Honoring & Bridging
NGVP fosters shared learning and community empowerment through intergenerational collaboration.
Learning & Evolving
NGVP offers holistic educational pathways that inspire personal growth, collective transformation, and lifelong discovery.
Real People. Real Impact.
NGVP is powered by real people—elders, youth, families, and changemakers—working together to restore balance and cultivate belonging. Our impact is rooted in lived experience, cultural wisdom, and collective action toward a more regenerative and just world.
When people are disconnected, communities suffer. When land is exploited, culture erodes. But when we come together with care and purpose, we heal—ourselves, each other, and the Earth.