 We call this place the door of no return. The door of no return because here, before you reach this place, this place is the last step for you to go to the other world. I mean, when you are a slave, when you reach this place, it means that there is no return for you. You have to get the ship over there and then you go to America or other countries. But why we say the gate of no return or the door of no return? We say so because there is a tree. That tree, when you go around that tree nine times, when you are a man, you forget everything about your past, your culture, your family, everything about you. But when you are a lady, you have to go around that tree seven times and you forget about everything. So you are easier to manipulate, you're easier to... they will have you easily. So that's why we say the gate of no return. Because you already go around that tree, you forget everything about you. So when you reach this place, there's no return for you. You have to go. You get granted that tree. Yeah, you know, Benin here, there are so many things that are mysterious. You know, everything about Benin is mysterious. But before you do all those things, you have to consult the oracle. And then what the oracle directs you, that's what you do. If the oracle tells you this is what you do so that you get satisfaction, that's what you have to do. So those days, the king of Abome, they have their ways of treating people, making them docile so that they can get them easily. So they are the one who do those things. The history of slave trade is always bitter. And this is one of the reasons why I stopped making videos like this. I mean, if you've been following me for a long time, you know that I was so curious just getting to know what our brothers and sisters actually went through before they found themselves in another world. I think my last video was at the last bath. I couldn't sleep that night because I felt like the story that I had was... I mean, I was imagining it. And imagining it really haunted me for a very long time. But we cannot run away from stories like this because I see people on the internet saying that the slave history was a fairy tale. But we still got proof and history that traces back for us to know that something like this actually existed on the continent. I used to doubting that you're from Africa. I used to doubting that your roots are not back on the motherland. My brother in the diaspora, Africa is calling. I'm not saying pack all your bags and come back here, but all I'm saying is let your feet reconnect with the motherland. I know and believe that your ancestors will be so proud of you. And this is why I keep on saying that come back home. I'm not happy the way African governments are commercializing come back home. Because for me, your coming back home is all about money. But I feel like your coming back home is more like a fulfillment for your soul. I was in Wida, one of the biggest market of slave trade. I was just there to learn about the slave history that happened in Benin. But I found a sister busily pouring libation for her ancestors. And I was like, you know what? Since she's reconnecting back to the motherland, let me speak to her. And probably it will inspire you who wants to come back to the motherland. And one thing that I love about the map of Benin is because it looks like a key. And that key is opening the doors back to you all. So brothers and sisters, enjoy this video with my sister right here. And I hope to see you two on the motherland. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to be part of this awesome Yejin channel. Georgina, I saw you pouring libation at the door of no return. And that's why I really want to speak to you for us to have this conversation. My name is Maya, the one and only annoying village boy from Ghana who is on a journey to change the negative narratives of Africa and also celebrate African excellence. And also let the diasporas know that Africa is home for them. Are you doing this in the motherland? Well, you say the motherland, so I returned to my mother. This is my real mother, young. And I returned for myself and on behalf of my family, my older ones, on behalf of my sons, on behalf of those that aren't born, so that I can become a good ancestor who can tell the stories and who remembers and understands the history much more than we did not learn this. We don't learn this in England. You see, so I come and I say I see with my eyes. What do you mean by you don't learn this in England? We don't learn about the history of racism and enslavement and the capitalism, the religion. We don't learn how this is connected in England. At primary school, I am colouring in pictures of castles, kings and queens, and I am like, what is this for me? What is the connection here? And my family, because you can see I am a lighter colour because my mother is English and Irish and my dad's is from Jamaica. So I spend a lot of time in a white family in rural England where there are hardly any black bodied people. How does that feel? It was difficult growing up there and not knowing where you come from or being able to connect or understand where you belong, not seeing people who look like you being more objectified. At what point did you decide to go on this journey? I finished training as a psychotherapist and I was doing some more training and it was so racist I left in the middle. And last year I met somebody there from Jamaica and she said I am going to Ghana to run a hotel. And I had dreamed to come to Benin and Togo three years ago when I read some books about Afar and Mami Wata and I could not imagine I could ever come and be here. But I sow the seeds and now it is blossoming. How does it feel being here? Yeah, it's really fantastic and filled with sorrow and pain, frustration. I want the place to be filled. I laid a reef earlier at the memorial and there is just one reef there at the moment of flowers. I want the place to be filled with people coming and remembering I want the paths to be a pilgrimage because we are pilgrims here always visiting, always remembering, always pouring libations to remember our ancestors. I saw you pouring libations. Why is it so important to you to return back to the motherland? And when you return, decide to pour libation and I saw you moving. I mean you are not standing at one place. It's more like you are following the full steps of your ancestors. Can you just explain to me what were you doing, why that process? For me, because it's a private memory, so this is public memorial and for me this is my private prayers. I pour the libation for the spirits and the spirits of ancestors, my personal ancestors but also everybody, those who died, those who didn't make it, those who will die by the water. I pour it to say, I am here. You imagined us in your dreams. How could you even dream when you were chained that you survive and you imagine us? Hundreds of years later we are here. I am here. These are your feet. These are your hands. These are your eyes. These are your ears. This is your mouth. This is your heart. This is your head. Now you live through us. We remember what we see, what I see, what I do, what I say. I do with you. I come back and I give them all, I give them all the memories of all the places in the world I travel because they were young. The young survive. So I give them everything they will never see all their hopes that they wanted all their families to study, to make a home. I show them what I do in my heart and I say, this is for you also. I take the colon nuts here because it's closed. I just on the corners, just for, just some food and then I just have some beans. I mean, I'm not really priest, you know. So I bring the beans and I just take to the sea and back and I say, because it's dry, things will never, you think these beans will never grow here just like you think you will never grow and prosper, but I tell you, these beans will grow along the sand also. We will learn to take root in the sand in dry, difficult places because we are strong. So this is what I do. The ancestors are listening to you right now. Definitely they will be so proud of you today. Has your father ever been to the continent? No, my father grew up in Jamaica and his parents, they came with the wind rush on the big boats that went through South America through the Caribbean, collecting people to work after the Second World War. They call England the motherland. Come to the motherland and soon we will look after you but of course they find a very, very hard and difficult life there. So my dad sees himself as Jamaican. And we are Jamaican too because we go through a process we go through a process from door of no return now is a real initiation. We cross the seas, we take our minds, we scale everything we cross the seas and we build new civilizations with our skill, with our heart with our blood, our tears our sweat. Your father is still alive? Yeah, I sent him a journal every day of what I do. I would like to bring him. Do you think your father will ever return to the motherland? I want to take him here. I really want to take him. I want to send this video to your dad. Listen, I want you and I to convince your dad to visit Africa before this year ends. You know what we're going to do? Before coming to Africa, what was the impression or perception that you have for the continent before coming? My impression was that this is bountiful. Everything is here. Everything grows here. We have everything here. Why? Because we have a lot of information to where we have plenty where we can grow like the huge barbabs and the trees where we grow and we have spread ourselves out and we have space to be ourselves and grow. If you are defining Africa this way then why is your dad not coming here? Does he have a different perception from yours? He sees the narratives about the flies the poverty the disease that it is like a third world country. So he is worried about his safety. You've been here. Worried about his safety? Oh my goodness, daddy. Your home, daddy. This is your home. Benin is safer than England. For you for sure. I mean there's no killing in the UK. Not for being black. My dad beaten badly for being black in the UK. No one is going to beat you for being black. Because you see your own people every single day. You've been here. What have you seen so far? Anyone who has never been to the continent after listening to you, they'll book that flight ticket and come visit the motherland. People want to say, oh you have a good holiday and the food is great and the music is great and the people are fantastic. But for me is ancestral. You cannot live a good life unless you really understand where you have been and where you're coming from. So for me it's the most important to come take the journey. You can never, for me it's difficult because I can never know exactly where we are from. Those tribes, the languages, they're lost and I have a lot of sorrow that I lose my name, I lose my languages. But I come anyway and I place my feet on the grounds I ask the ancestors, the spirits and the gods for help and let them guide you let your ancestors walk you back home first. Give them the choice of finding a true ancestral place and I tell you, you will find much more peace and abundance in your soul. You will, this is the rest always I'm a psychotherapist and always my clients they're telling me, ah I'm so tired I'm so exhausted I'm so tired. I tell you this is the place where you walk, where your back is upright, where your heart is blossoming, where your mind is clear, where you have energy and vitality come and find your strength regain your vitality and strength here from your motherlands. This journey I come through Ghana Antogo and Benin this time. My final destination I return, I go north to Benin because it's important to go north because they take the enslaved from north. I walk back and I see the homes I see the resistance I want to see how people live to resist the enslavement how they were fighting back not just the Hollywood movies about the enslaved on ships in chains and low they were fighting the strong people fighting for their freedom I go, we visit find a home, north togo and then I go back to Ghana. I don't know if you've ever heard this before about Africans living in Jamaica in the Caribbean in America saying that we are not Africans. Yeah, yeah, my dad too really and this is okay because we are people this initiation this is a from death initiation to cross this middle passage to who knows where nobody knew where this initiation, not every African body made this initiation so he has the right to say I am Jamaican I am from Balados you have the right always to say this because it's true as well and also we have African ancestry also we are both listen I would not say you are both I would say you are an African because this is the only place like listen, you're born in Jamaica but if you trace history to bring you back to this place whether you like it or not trace your history, just trace it and when you trace it you know we are here tomorrow there's going to be a voodoo festival if you go to Haiti the voodoo came from here but so people in Haiti are going to say that oh no we are not from Africa no, that's the roots it's important to watch the chamber if you have Caribbean ancestry watch the chamber because I hear always in England they are saying we want reparations we need compensation but the chamber is a spiritual way they are acknowledging through the chamber the participation of African bodies also in enslavement of other African bodies so I bring my ancestors to witness this first do you think what you've done today will inspire other diasporas to return back to the Malalan because I mean you came for private stuff right but I'm here it's no longer private I've seen it and I've shown them and I know that what you've done today will inspire most of them to return see the door over there is the door of no return and there is another door which says that it's time for you to come back and this key holds the door for you to return so come the door is open Africa is calling trace your roots back and I'm not saying come and stay but just come in let your feet touch the sand in here I mean we'll connect you back to your ancestors but come in inner prepare prepare first I spend a month fasting so I don't take any English or American food I don't want it in me so I'm drinking water just eating eggs so prepare make sure you have your protection and that you are connected with call your spirits call the ancestors and the gods in to be your wits and your eyes and your hands so you have a very good journey and the same journey well whatever your religion go to the highest place of your religion and also just taking the water to make your libation and just talk to your ancestors they're your family and tell them what just talk every day in the morning and at night just pour the water on the ground and just tell them where you're going I'm going to tell you something you said put water in Africa in Africa the ancestors don't like water ancestors love the pure gin so when you come 4-3% your ancestors can really drink so when you come you just pour your libation for the ancestors you'll find a message to Africans in the diaspora your ancestors love you they're here for you they will walk with you you will be safe and you will not be imagining what they can do for you they are waiting to return not just to the country empty handed and take from you they are waiting to give you to replenish you and to restore you in every way thank you so much for talking to me it's a pleasure meeting you and I know we're definitely going to keep in touch I've returned even though I'm not in the diaspora but I just entered and just returned it's about time you also your ancestors went from me I'm not telling you that all of you are from Ghana but try as much as possible to know your roots check the DNA and subscribe DNA get to know which part of Africa are you from whenever you check and you know that you're from Ghana make sure you return to this place and let them know that they said is the way of your return your ancestors would be happy that they are great great granddaughters or they are great great granddaughters finally return to them so what is the Ghana baby and I think I'm not going to do more of this episode because if you tell me about this episode I'll get back home and have to strap into them I'll be back in days and I'm going to see you in the next one