When I was a child, I remember images on TV of starving children from Africa crying, with flies pitching on their little faces. These images usually represented an impassioned plea by a humanitarian aid agency or a non-governmental organisation (NGO), encouraging persons to donate money to stop starvation in Africa. These images of poverty, sorrow, and pain, however, left a permanent imprint on my mind, with personal sentiments that I would never want to go to Africa!
Now, roughly 30 years later, my views have changed because of several clarifications I have had regarding the continent. Now, for me, the expression ‘Back to Africa’ no longer represents a backward movement, but a forward one.
One clarification came when I got the opportunity to present my research at the World Social Sciences Forum in Durban, South Africa, in 2015. This experience was surreal, and while there, it felt like I was back home in Jamaica; in fact, when my group went shopping at the market, it felt just like Coronation Market in downtown Kingston. I remember bargaining with a South African woman about the price of her goods and her giving me a “bad” look, as we would say in Jamaica. Although I didn’t speak the local language, I understood her facial expression, and it was clear…she would not drop her price!
We were warned while in Durban in terms of our security and safety on the roads; however, while I received this caution, I actually felt safe in the city. This was my inaugural trip to Africa, where I set foot on its soil—an experience I will never forget.
My trip to Durban eventually led to a city-to-city exchange between Jamaica and South Africa, with delegations coming from both countries to share knowledge and contribute to development plans for Savannah-la-Mar in Westmoreland, Jamaica, and Durban. This happened in June 2016 and eventually led to a “Sister City” partnership. A great example of the power of collaboration and cross-regional connections.
My next clarification came in 2022, when I represented the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) as a research fellow, as well as a delegate for Jamaica, at the Conference of Parties (COP); the United Nations Climate Change conference in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt.
I had completely forgotten that Egypt formed part of Africa and was reminded while looking at the world map. The Egyptians I met, however, looked more of Asian or Middle Eastern descent, but they were still in Africa. This speaks to the diversity of races, cultures, and languages across the continent. Africa is home to over 3000 ethnic groups and over 2100 languages; as such, there is no one single race in Africa. Africa is diverse.
My final clarification came recently and represents my most recent trip to Africa – Accra, Ghana. Along with a team of experts from Jamaica, Trinidad, and Ghana, I attended and presented at the second staging of the Africa in Transition Conference in October 2025. The conference was held at the University of Ghana, in Legon. Our Afro-Caribbean working group presented on issues related to energy, agriculture, economy, and education, with an overall objective of building capacity, fostering relationships, sharing knowledge, and enhancing business and trading opportunities between Africa and the Caribbean.
This represented a full circle moment for me, in that my foreparents were forcibly brought to the Caribbean from Africa under inhumane conditions and treated as cattle/commodities. However, 158 years later, as descendants of this travesty, we returned to the African continent to learn, trace our roots, share knowledge, empower, and establish trade links under far more humane conditions.
Growing up, when we heard about “back to Africa”, the notion was shunned, ridiculed, and laughed at, but now we see the switch, a turnaround, and change.
Join me as I unpack my sojourn to Accra from different angles: historical, spiritual, academic and economic perspectives. This trip was very enlightening and has simply changed my life forever. Walk with me, as I share my experience.
Chuuwod is a Jamaican geo-scientist who has travelled across Africa, Asia, and the Americas