A Smart Ghana Repatriation Guide outdoored

On May 19th, Ghana’s First African American Tourism Ambassador, Diallo Sumbry will release A Smart Ghana Repatriation Guide, a book that simplifies the challenges of making a move to Ghana for business or repatriation.

Over the course of the past year, Sumbry collaborated with local experts from the areas of Ghanaian history, culture, food and diet, health care, real estate, and finance whose insights are featured in each chapter of the guide for honest and authentic viewpoints.

A Smart Ghana Repatriation Guide also offers readers an accompanying “smart” virtual experience through the use of scannable QR codes embedded in the text connecting them to valuable resources and experts.

A key architect and steering committee member of Ghana Tourism Authority’s successful Year of Return initiative, Sumbry brought vision to the planning and development of the year-long calendar of activities which grossed an estimated $1.9 billion in revenue for the Black Star Nation. The forward to A Smart Ghana Repatriation Guide was written by Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority.

Birthright Journeys

Between 2018 and 2019, Sumbry led nearly 1000 diasporans on heritage tours called “birthright journeys” to Ghana through the Adinkra Group, an African cultural edutainment resource and consulting company which also included organizing a three-state visit for the Ghana Tourism Authority, business delegations to explore partnership and investment in Ghana for the Staff of Ebony Magazine and the President and Executive Staff of NAACP and over 250 members for Jamestown to Jamestown, and launching the Back2Africa Festival and Tour which brought artists such as The Backyard Band and R&B singer, Raheem DeVaughn to Ghana.

“I have been travelling to Africa for over 20 years and recently have had a focus on Ghana. It’s powerful to invite diasporans to come "Back to Africa" but without providing proper guidance and support, repatriation to Ghana can result in unnecessary suffering and loss. Returning to our ancestral homeland reinforces us culturally and spiritually and fosters cross-cultural understanding and collaboration that has been broken for centuries due to the transAtlantic slave trade. I was inspired to author this guide for people who are dreaming, contemplating and saving for their first or 50th trip to Ghana and desire an honest blend of personal experiences, lessons, and practical tips that provide a timely contribution to the “Back to Africa” renaissance sparked by Ghana’s Year of Return,” says Sumbry who continues to use his voice, platform and network to promote and market Ghana and other West African countries as tourist destinations and investment opportunities.

Ghana's Year of Return resulted in an overall annual total of between 900,000 and one million foreign visitors to Ghana with many being African Americans on a quest to find their roots. Uncertainties on acquiring citizenship, discrepancies on buying land and challenges with investing and starting a business as a foreigner have all created challenges that have proved discouraging for many.

Building Bridges

“Although we share the same skin color and many the same DNA, we are still foreigners who must learn the cultural nuances and subtleties to fully integrate and thrive in Ghana’s system. A Smart Ghana Repatriation Guide’s chapters on Managing Your Privilege and Expectations & Relationships help readers prepare mentally for repatriation, which is essential,” adds Sumbry.

A Smart Ghana Repatriation Guide is an extension of Sumbry’s work fostering cross-cultural connections that are reflected in his position as Tourism Ambassador, his lifelong cultural and community work and even role as the Director of Partnerships for African Ancestry, the platform that helps members to reconnect with their ancestry through comprehensive DNA testing.

“I believe I represent a group of problem solvers, visionaries, doers, thinkers, builders and comrades from the diaspora who see Ghana and ultimately a unified Africa as a viable, realistic option for life and want to make their contribution. We’re building bridges. We’re re-connecting the diaspora. We’re in the process of undoing what hundreds of years of colonization and terrorism have done to separate us. This guide will be a start for many who are thinking of taking this bold step of re-connection,” adds Sumbry.