My name is Besa Vormatu-Dzelumadzekpo. Besa means “the third born male.” I am the third male among five brothers. The meaning of Vormatu-Dzelumadzekpo is a long story. In short it translates to “you shall not come into contact with evil.”  I come from a long line of fishermen on my father’s side of the family and farmers on my mother’s side.  Unfortunately, I neither fish nor farm. But, I have fruit trees in my yard and occasionally, I ride a canoe on the beautiful lagoon where my ancestors have fished for generations. I have chosen to protect their heritage for future generations and to share it with the rest of the world. I believe that our natural, historical and cultural resources belong to a triple heritage – a vast family of which many are dead, few are living today, and countless yet to be born. As human beings, we tend to disregard the laws of the universe and bend the rules of nature to suit us. We often believe anything in nature that is not useful to humans, must be discarded. That is why for over 25 years, I have worked to protect the heritage of Africa.

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​There is a huge baobab tree near the market in my mother’s hometown and I can't wrap my arms around it.  The baobab can grow between 16 and 98 feet tall and have a diameter between 23 to 36 feet.  In our villages, the proverbial baobab tree is the place for community activities. It is the “town hall” or “village square.”  The baobab tree is the rallying location for activities and it “sees,” “hears” and “feels” much during the life of a community.

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“Under the baobab tree” rites of passage are held for young men, women in the village sell their wares, musical groups perform, debates are held and wrestling matches may takes place.  At night “by the fireside,” stories are told to children. We go to the baobab tree for wisdom, for guidance, for protection. The baobab tree “sees it all, hears it all, and knows it all.” In Ewe we say, “Nunya adzidoe, asi me sune o,” meaning, “knowledge is like a baobab tree, the arms cannot encircle it completely.”  On one hand, it means knowledge is limitless; therefore it is fruitless to seek it all for yourself.  On the other hand, it means knowledge is limitless therefore you always have to seek it.  It means that no one person has all the knowledge; therefore you have to learn from others. 

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As an African and a global citizen, the proverb represents my belief that the only way you can enrich yourself is to share what you have.  You learn from other people when you share your knowledge. The only way we can make knowledge “complete,” with reference to the proverb, is for all of us from different backgrounds, with varied interests and different experiences and expertise to hold hands and “encircle” the baobab tree.

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Join me on the journey through the past, the present, and the future. Enjoy nature and experience the culture and history of Africa and exchange knowledge.  It doesn’t matter what you’ve read or watched about Africa. You will never be the same after this immersing experience touches your soul.