If you are a Black Woman leader or non-Black love warrior wanting to Stop Having To Twist Yourself To Fit Into a Colonized World- then join us on for this never-to-be-forgotten, life-transforming journey that is will demystify your African roots, and tap into some deep ancestral and historical healing to bring ancestral, historical, and cultural joy and which will open the doors to the you that needs to be retrieved. Sankofa!
Can you imagine how proud you’ll feel when you finally stop dreaming of going to your ancestral home – and just do it?
The pride is rising already! As part of this trilogy journey, through pre-trip preparation sessions, you’ll be prepared for your bucket list adventure, so you can return home feeling ready to ignite your life with continued compassion, confidence, and curiosity.
Can you imagine the power that you’d feel from having some rituals and ceremonies that support you to retrieve the stolen joy, love, and prosperity that is rightfully yours?
I can so imagine it! During this retreat, using an award-winning African goddess workshop and dialogues, you will learn how to retrieve lost ancestral self-love and joy, so you can return home with joy that knows no limits.
Imagine how deeply rewarding it will feel to get into alignment with your true nature and step boldly into the authentic you?
Yes, I can see the rewards! On this journey, through the use of powerful Iboga Quantum Leap ceremony you will be able to have extreme clarity to unapologetically show up authentically so that you can find your passion for life and show up as the real you!
How rewarding it will be to learn how to establish a self-care routine informed by your ancestral wisdom?
Oh, so rewarding! During the retreat, you will learn from local medicine women how to integrate ancestral wisdom into a daily routine so that you can build your own radical self-care practice when you return home.
Welcome to West Africa!
Benin still holds the majesty and magic of its ancient past as the gateway to Africa. You see faces and smiles that are foreign but familiar and you feel deeply aligned with the people and the spirit that lies within everyone you meet. Standing on the ancestral ground of Benin, feel the grounding sands beneath your feet and hear the wild but soothing coastline in the near distance. Witness the rays of the African morning sun against your skin and know that you are finally back home.
The wind in your hair seems to whisper in your ear “You cannot leave me, I am inside your head, in your soul, part of your DNA. My rivers run like blood through your veins, my drums beat like your heart, and my animals cry for your freedom. My coastline is welcoming you back home my daughter.”
Demystify your African Ancestry and Connect with your Clan!
Women are the backbone of any society and hold the power to create life. Over the course of history, many were stripped of their heritage and humanity, yet they survived to ensure one day we would thrive. Find your roots and your power.
African Ancestry is the world leader in tracing maternal and paternal lineages of African descent having helped more than 1,000,000 people re-connect with the roots of their family tree. With the industry’s largest and most comprehensive database of over 30,000 indigenous African DNA samples, African Ancestry determines specific countries and specific ethnic groups of origin with an unrivaled level of detail, accuracy. CONFIDENTIALITY and confidence.
If you were assigned female at birth you will discover your African roots with the MatriClan DNA Test! This at-home ancestry DNA kit reveals the specific ethnicity and roots of your mother’s maternal line up to 2,000 years ago. You'll learn more about your African heritage and the origins of your family.
The MatriClan DNA Test is extremely accurate and easy to use. Simply collect a DNA sample from inside your cheek and send it back to the laboratory for analysis. We analyze the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that you inherited from your mother, which traces the maternal line. When your test results are ready, you’ll be able to log in to your account. If your result is African, you’ll see your African country and ethnic group of origin.
As a part of the experience you have the option to share your DNA results but only after a release as your DNA results are protected by strict confidentiality policies of African Ancestry Inc.
Eleven Days of Joy
What you'll eat!
West African food is down to earth, comforting, full of flavor and from the first mouthful, you will be reminded where soul food was born. The staple foods in West Africa are rice and ground vegetables, but not just any rice!
Ghana is famous for its jollof rice, which is typically accompanied by a variety of delicious side dishes, including meat, vegetables, and soups.The menus at the resorts you will stay at are inspired by a consciously local cuisine that is sure to provide an epicurean experience that meets the needs of every pallet. Their global cuisine trained chefs are trained to inspire you to eat like a local or to try the global cuisine on the menu. You will also have
opportunities to try local restaurants and discover personally that the cuisine is packed with unique flavors and ingredients that will tantalize your taste buds, stir up memories of dishes and tastes from back home, and leave you wanting more.
I recommend trying everything, it’s one of the ways to better understand the people of this very special region!Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a meat eater, each meal will wow your taste bud and your imagination. You'll find mouthwatering traditional African dishes as well as your world fare to nourish you for your excursions and tantalize your taste buds and your senses. All meals are cooked with ingredients that will make your mouth water to the last bite.
Can't eat this or that?
Whether vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten free or any other diet, we'll accommodate your food preferences or allergies, so you feel loved, nourish, and supported.
Your home away from home
When traveling to Africa it’s normal to be assigned to a 3-star hotel as part of your package. I’ve chosen to upgrade our stay for 8 nights to 4-star hotels in Cotonou, Benin, and Kumasi and Accra Ghana.
I promise – it will be worth the cost!
We begin our retreat at Maison Rouge Hotel in Cotonou, Benin. This is in the city and will be a home away from home for three nights of leisure, ancestral healing, and rest while in Benin. When we’re in Ghana, we begin in Elmina and stay at a 3-star beach resort. We move to Kumasi for 2 nights and stay at the luxurious Lancaster Hotel for 2 nights before ending our journey in Ghana.
And after three days in Accra, we bid farewell to Africa and return home.
**Keep in mind that you NEVER know what’s going to happen and they may move us to another hotel. However, if that does unfold, we will move to a venue that is equal in value to what I’ve already chosen for us.
Retreat Host and Local Friends
Dr. Michelle
I am a Medicine Woman, Ancestral Healer, and Leadership Development Activator and created this retreat to bridge leadership development/activation, ancient healing traditions, and plant remedies as a form of activist healthcare for the Black woman leader and their non-Black love warriors in today's modern world.
I'm originally from Trinidad and growing up I was hardwired to think, speak, and act freely, and to be authentically me.
After being in jobs that interrupted that freedom, I transitioned from an 18-year career in Higher Education to my soul’s calling to heal, support and serve women. My heart was to create a true activation experience for women through the art of medicine making with herbs, ancestral healing with West African Alchemy, and leadership development activation. I now help Black women and non-Black their love warriors to optimize their primal power to heal and liberate themselves by teaching them to tap back into source…West Africa.
That is why I'm jumping for joy that you are joining this journey and allowing me to be your healer, your wing activator and servant leader where you will breathe new life into your retrieved self using ancestral rituals, herbs, mouthwatering meals and connections with your new clan. I am excited to teach you to unlock the code to unapologetic joy regardless of who or what life throws your way.
Chief Bernard Adjibodoun
Chief Bernard Adjibodoun whom I fondly call baba is the Adjannan baba oro of Oueme. He is the Vice President of the elders of the king’s palace of Porto Novo, the Capital City of Benin and also serves as the secretary General and spokesman of the Fédération des Associations des cultes Endogènes of Benin. For over 20 years he has worked with Africans Americans and university faculty and students to come back home understand and receive their heritage from their ancestors from Africa. He also serves as the Africa Director of Hope for Africa, an international NGO headquartered in the United States, dedicated to Africa’s economic growth and development by creating leadership teams in Africa composed of Diaspora Africans (descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade), academic scholars, expatriate Africans (African born migrants living abroad), and Africans living on the continent.
He will help you to understand the lost stories of your ancestral heritage as well as give you an opportunity to know more about lost ancestral religions, rituals, and ceremonies that helped our ancestors to thrive.
What to Expect
After you register
On registration you will receive a series of forms which you need to complete and return. The credit card authorization form authorizes us to charge your credit card for the deposit and payments according to the scheduled payment plan and once it is completed, your registration is accepted. You have several payment options that work for you. There are seven other forms that ask for required information, some which includes a list of your emergency contacts, list of allergies, and request releases for use of your picture or video.
These must be returned by November 24, 2024.
Your threshold for transformation
This retreat is designed to strengthen your connection to your inner wisdom, self-love, and compassion for self and others. As a Black woman or her love warrior, you sometimes feel like you are not playing the game of life fully. You feel like you have followed rules that make you doubt your worth and like you are an imposter in your own story. This retreat is designed to help you to step to a threshold of transformation with a group of soul-sisters and to reclaim what was stolen from you. Sankofa means go back and get it, and this is an invitation for you to do just that.
Sankofa!
Mind body techniques
Through mindfulness, Sankofa Sistah-circle™ dialogues, meeting with a medicine woman, heritage workshops by Elders, and connecting with the history and local people, you’ll practice cultivating the authenticity, courage and loving-boldness of the African women you call ancestors (for others, and most importantly – for yourself).We also suggest honoring your body, mind, and spirit. To support you, there will be opportunities for you to process your thoughts and feelings during the Sankofa Sistah-circle™. I have intentionally designed
the entire retreat experience in a trauma-informed manner so that you will always feel seen, safe, and supported throughout the entire 11 days.
What's Included
Accommodation at 3 hotels for double occupancy.
All accommodations as specified in itinerary or similar.
Accommodations are at world class hotels in Cotonou Benin, Elimina, Kumasi and Accra Ghana.
Retreat experience (heritage and healing workshops, cultural self-care rituals, daily yoga sessions, medicine woman visit, trauma-informed support, Sankofa Sistah-circles ™, Calabash dinner)·
Guided tours with a professional driver and tour guides for every tour listed on the itinerary.
All group transportation and transfers as per itinerary.
All meals specified on itinerary.
Breakfast and Dinner will be provided daily. On most days you will have lunch on your own. Keep in mind that African breakfasts are very heavy.
Entrance fees for tours and excursions.
Fees for all tours and excursions specified in the itinerary or ones that are similar.
Special Thanksgiving Dinner on November 27, with some surprise guests. It will be Am.Azing!
What's not included
Your round-trip airfare or transport from home·
Alcohol except at Calabash dinner·
Any additional transport during free time and not related to planned excursions·
Shopping and additional services, personal snacks, personal food, personal toiletries or items, medical expenses·
Private one-on-one coaching or consultation on site ·
Insurance, (personal, medical, travel)·
International airfafe·
Departure taxes & fuel surcharges, seat selection·
Optional Tours not listed on the itinerary ·
Meals unless listed in itinerary·
Tips & Gratuities ·
Increase in local tax rates·
Early check-in & late check out of rooms (standard check-in time is 2pm and check out 10am) ·
Visa/passport handling fees
Your Investment
Double occupancy $6,997 USD (for those who want to share a room)·
Single occupancy $9,054 USD (for those who want to room alone)·
Early Bird special must be paid in full- Until July 25- September 25, 2024.·
Early bird -Double $5997
Early bird - Single $8054
A nonrefundable deposit of $350 USD
·
This will hold your spot and applies to total retreat cost)
$350
1st Deposit
Due on November 30, 2024
$500
2nd Deposit
·
due January 25, 2025
$1,000
3rd Deposit
·
due February 25, 2025
$500
4th Deposit
·
due April 25, 2025
$500
The full remaining balance
due by July 1, 2025.
$xxx
Financing available:
Travel now pay later plan: These are available and are done with Uplift for US and Canadian residents
CancelLation Policy
Dates to Take note of
An $350 USD non-refundable deposit is required at time of registration to reserve your spot by November 4, 2024.
·
You must complete the credit card authorization form and your card will be charged for the amount specified for future payments if you are using the payment plan.·
We reserve the right to cancel the trip if it is not meeting the trip minimum (if we do so your deposit is refunded in full).·
Any cancellation made before February 26, 2025, will result in a 50% loss of all funds paid.·
Any cancellation made between February 27, 2025 and the trip start will result in a 100% loss of all funds.
All cancellations must be received in writing via email.
Trip cancellation insurance is always recommended whenever making travel plans. Any medical expenses, quarantine due to COVID-19 or other cancellation costs of travel are at your own expense.
FAQS
Is the retreat worth the investment?
Yes…yes...and yes! This is not a workshop in a pretty place or just a tourist adventure. It’s a physical, emotional and spiritual investment in yourself and is designed to help you to achieve the promise. So, take a deep breath, follow what your sacred center is saying and know that you don’t only deserve it, but that you are in for several life changing benefits. This one-of-a-kind experience is worth every penny.
Will I learn personalized African traditions that I can use in my daily life?
Absolutely. If you have tried conventional methods to stress-reduction that take you so far and no further, you will learn some African rituals and ceremonies that may give you the stressbusting and joy-releasing breakthrough that is beneath the surface. As a Planetary herbalist, I advise my clients, family, and friends to eat like their ancestors, and using the stress reduction techniques of our ancestors is no different.
What if I must leave during the retreat?
I believe in the power of letting what needs to happen, happen. If you have an emergency that requires you to leave during the retreat, though the retreat upholds the cancellation policy, you will be honored with a $500 credit that can be used for an upcoming retreat.
Do I need a Visa?
Yes...yes…yes! You need a visa for each country. Benin, Ghana, and Togo. You need tourist Visas for Benin and Ghana and a transit visa for Togo. Here's a great resource to get visa information and apply for visas. Click here
What if I have unique food preferences/need accommodation?Here
The culinary staff at all three hotels and my team will be your private food concierge and will make every effort to accommodate your needs. Prior to the event, you will be asked to complete a survey that will gather information on allergies, food preferences, or restrictions so you can feel safe, seen and that your stay can be successful.
Can I bring my family?
While we love the support and comfort that family provides, this is your right to rest, your permission to pause, and your priority to amplify your self-love. You should do this on your own, at your own pace and without the responsibility of caring for others. After all your selfcare is not self-indulgence and you need to practice doing that in your own space and time. So I’d say lovingly, no family, unless it’s another Black woman wanting this experience.
What should I pack?
Pack a pair of reliable walking shoes, a head cover for mosque/temples, comfy cool clothes for every day, a jacket for cool nights, swimwear, a white pants and top for ceremonial wading, and a fit-for a queen white outfit for the Calabash dinner and closing ceremonies. .
Why is this CENTERED on Black women?
Black women are the most disrespected, neglected, and unprotected group in America and maybe the world. Because they are so marginalized, there are very few opportunities that make their needs the AXIS of its plans. This retreat does that. It centers its design on the needs of women that have been neglected for centuries. Also because of the emotional and spiritual nature of this experience, Black women deserve to do their work in privacy and with a group of women that there is no need to explain Any.Thing! We invite advocates and love warriors who are clear that this is a great opportunities for them to step into their powerful non-Black allyship. Like the CRM this will be your time to open the door for Black women and allow them to walk through it. If this describes what you'd like to experience, then you are welcomed to help us go back and get it!
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We don't just take...We give back!
Nestled on the tranquil waters of a vast lake just outside the capital of Benin, Ganvie is a breathtaking African marvel. This self-sufficient village, often called the "Venice of Africa," is a testament to human ingenuity and harmony with nature. Imagine a world where children navigate to school by boat on their own and families live in floating homes. I had the chance to visit and fell in love with the people especially the children. The video below shows a group of boys all under 12 years old welcoming me to their village. There are 21 provinces in the villages and we will visit them when we go to Benin.
Join us on this transformative retreat and experience the magic of Ganvie. A portion of your registration will sponsor 21 local children’s school and book fees, helping to create a brighter future for this unique community.
Get in Touch if you have questions
Email: [email protected]
