About Farafina Travels
Farafina Travels (FT) enable you to gain insights into different African countries beyond the common narrative.
Born out of Farafina Institute https://farafina-institute.org/, FT introduce you to the people, cultures, histories, politics, environment, and current debates and developments of your travel destination from a local perspective and with an academically-informed concept. Our local guides and moderators show you the hidden beauties of their countries away from the main tourist tracks, enable engagements with local communities, and facilitate insightful exchanges about innovative and functioning approaches and practices in the social, economic (and other) fields in the hosting African countries.
Concept of Farafina Travels
Interest in African transformation from all around the world is growing following clear efforts of Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora to lead the way towards well-being in Africa. It is welcoming that other citizens of the world are interested in experiencing, expanding their knowledge, learning from, and making meaningful inputs in diverse ways. However, many people in and outside of Africa do not have the chance to experience and gain first-hand insights into the societies, the status of well-being, and the processes of transformation ongoing in different African countries.
In keeping with the goal of Farafina Institute (FI) to support well-being in Africa through research, exchange of ideas, good practices, and intercultural understanding, we initiated Farafina Travels (FT) to offer opportunities to interested individuals and groups from within and outside of Africa to visit different African countries in order to learn, share experiences, and exchange good ideas and practices with its people. It is our conviction that direct contact with Africa and her people enhances appreciation of the diversity of African societies and enables reflection on and rethinking prominent (mis)perceptions about African societies.
FT makes visible the potentials in countries that are targets of ‚development‘ policies – away from the limiting views about Africans as ‘in need’, but rather towards viewing Africa as endowed with sources of innovations and potentials.
We base our work on the long-standing experiences and partnerships of FI in organizing thematic group travels to different African and European countries. These travels have been documented and evaluated.[links to reports] Partnerships with the organizations and stakeholders in the countries that we cover have been established through FI’s various projects.
A part of the fees for Farafina Travels will be used to support Farafina Institute’s projects.
Mission and Values
In times of crisis, we sadly witness societies, countries, and continents breaking into oppositional parts; parts that are artificially separated and alienated by interests of power and against the natural oneness of the human race.
We understand our mission in building bridges to reconnect peoples and raise awareness and understanding of the achievements and potentials of Africa and its people. Footsteps and Handshakes travels take steps and reach out hands to build bridges made of mutual understanding and peace.
FT is value-driven travel. The values we believe in and incorporate into FT are:
Belief in the achievements and potentials of Africa and African people
The term “Farafina” means ‘the land of the dark-skinned people who refuse to be dominated’ in the Bambara language of West Africa, which signifies our unwavering belief in the achievements and potentials of Africa and African people worldwide. FT aim to contribute to the continents’ transformation for wellbeing by capitalizing on the potential and building up and spreading the word on the achievements of African people.
Respect for all human beings and their cultures
We respect all human beings and their cultures equally and expect the same from people who join our tours. Human encounters are a core part of FT as the cornerstone for reflection, expanding ones mind, and learning about the respective country and its people. We approach local cultures not as a nostalgic element but rather as a fundamental element of peoples‘ history, contemporary societies, and deeply-rooted ontologies.
Community-orientation
We collaborate closely with local communities and conceptualise our tours in a way to support and experience local structures, projects and initiatives. This includes our choice of accommodation, means of travel, and foods as well as the fact that our tours are planned and organised by local experts and guided by local guides.
Sustainability
At the same time, we recognize our responsibility for the environment. We organize our tours as environment-friendly as possible, ensure respect for nature during our tours, and encourage those who join our tours to behave environment-friendly. Moreover, climate change and the management of natural resources are important elements of our reflective sessions.
Farafina Institute
Founded in 2012 as a think-tank and research institute by a group of African and European scholars, Farafina Institute (FI) conducts policy-relevant research and implements sustainable projects on issues of wellbeing and governance in Africa and Europe.
FI positions itself as an international platform for reflection, dialogue, exchange, and action on Africa. FI uses African-centered and participatory methods aimed at creating empowerment, ownership, and sustainability. FI holds the conviction that working directly with communities is indispensable for partnerships for sustainable and peaceful societies.
The institute draws on the expertise of professionals from a network of academic and civil society institutions with a focus on Africa and is located in Europe and Africa. FI conducts research and, on the basis of the findings, initiates processes that enable and empower people to take action for working towards the goals they identified and that contribute to the well-being of Africans in Africa and in the Diaspora.
For more information on FI, read here https://farafina-institute.org/
Introducing Uncommon.org: Empowering the Youth for a Tech-Savvy Future with Farafina Travels
At Farafina Travels, we are proud to collaborate with Uncommon.org, a visionary organization committed to empowering positive change and creating opportunities for the youth across Africa. When Uncommon.org launched their pilot in Zimbabwe at the end of 2017, their goal was to teach kids how to code, and the results confirmed the overwhelming thirst for technology education and the lack of opportunities for youths in the target communities.
Through successful fundraising and a commitment to making a lasting impact, Uncommon.org shifted its model to focus on training young adults for the tech workforce, aiming to build a generation of purpose-minded, tech-savvy, and entrepreneurial individuals. This shared vision aligns perfectly with Farafina Travels’ commitment to offering transformative and locally-based experiences that go beyond the common narrative of African travel.
For more information, please visit uncommon.org