Last year marked the 400th anniversary of the start of the slave trade in West Africa and was also known as the “Year of Return” to Ghana, calling the survivors of the descendants to return home, Afrochella is a celebration of Africa’s diverse culture and vibrant work of African creatives and entrepreneurs. The festival is designed to elevate and highlight the exciting and thriving millennial talent in Africa by introducing an interactive event that teaches, explains and explores culture with a pioneering approach, which ultimately brought over 10,000 attendees to Ghana. Now in its, fourth year, Afrochella has contributed to boosting Ghana’s economy, which brought in 1.9 billion in 2019 alone.
“I am so grateful for the team at Afrochella because they expanded my mind in what was possible for global Blackness. They challenged me to reconsider the definition of status quo about the space I take up in this world as a Black woman — and if you’re wondering: we are the status quo, everywhere we go.”
Tiffany Bender, Head of Content for Afrochella
In addition to the one-day festival, the Afrochella brand offers conversation series dedicated to discussions on African business, music, food, and the creative industry. The focus of the talks is to provoke a shift in how Africa and the African Diaspora can capitalize on the many facets of each sector. The festival also prioritizes charity and volunteerism in Accra, Ghana communities through providing over 500 meals as well as renovating an orphanage school in Jamestown. The Afro-Food Truck meals were distributed in low incomes neighborhoods, Nima, Opeibia, and Shiashe. Afrochella community partners, Twitter and Airbnb, contributed to the Genesis Orphanage school’s renovation and provided 140 backpacks with school supplies for students.
“I joined the Afrochella family in 2017 as the face of Festival and have seen it grow into greatness. Our entire team works so hard each year, but the women of Afrochella are the powerhouses. As Head of Charity, I worked with my team to bring our community initiatives up to nearly 400% in fundraising since within the last year. It brings me joy to see the lives we’ve impacted outside the festival grounds. Seeing our audience grow from 8,000 to 30,000 is proof that we are changing the narrative of African culture. Afrochella to the world.”
Gifty Boakye, Head of Charity for Afrochella
“I’ve been with Afrochella from the beginning as one of the few women leading the platform to over 30,000 attendees. As the festival’s lead in talent, it has been one of the most humbling and fulfilling experiences for me. The most rewarding part of my job is being a part of a team that trusts and supports me in producing the talent for the festival. Not only are we creating a celebration, but we are also creating a space to share our rich African stories and have the world discover Africa’s talent in the process.”
Khadijat El Alawa, Talent Manager for Afrochella
Source: Forbes
