A high-powered delegation from Costa Rica on Saturday, April 23, 2022, toured the Nkyinkyim Museum located at Nuhalenya-Ada in the Greater Accra Region to explore and understudy Ghana’s cultural tourism.

Led by Costa Rican Vice President Madam Epsy Campbell Barr, the visit formed part of efforts by Costa Rica to build the history of the People of African Descent and highlight their contributions and the importance of preserving their rich cultural heritage.

The country is also building the “Door of Reunification” – a project to connect the People of African Descent to their motherland – the African continent.

Madam Barr, Costa Rica’s first Black Vice-President and Champion of the rights of the People of African Descent in Latin America, has been touring Ghana’s heritage sites since her arrival in the country on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

Her visit, dubbed the “The Return Mission” is to advance and promote the rights of People of African Descent.

The Nkyinkyim Museum is an evolving outdoor museum in Ghana that is archiving and preserving African history and intangible cultural heritage.

Through beautifully designed sculpted pieces, the Museum narrates the story of the Slave Trade and other stories that express the love, passion, resilience, and rich culture of the African people.

Mr Kwame Akoto-Bamfo, the Founder and Creative Director of the Museum received the Costa Rican delegation and introduced them to all the art installations at the Museum and the stories behind them.

Madam Barr planted a Baobab tree at the site dedicated to Africa’s enslaved ancestors to mark her visit. She appealed to Mr Akoto-Bamfo to visit Costa Rica and support the country in its project to retell the story of the People of African Descent.

She said Ghana had rich cultural tourism and emphasised that Costa Rica would establish a strong partnership with Ghana to promote tourism in both countries.

“You have a very strong cultural tourism. We have a lot in terms of environmental tourism and we need to exchange our experiences to make our people better,” Madam Barr said.
“We are building the Door of reunification in Costa Rica and we need the arts, the anthem, the music, the food, and the soul of the people to make that new story begin,” she added.

Madam Barr described her five-day visit to Ghana as an amazing experience, saying “I felt at home.”

“We, as people of African descent, when we visit the African continent, we feel back at home. But I also feel the bad history but we have to deal with that and build a new future,” she said.

According to the United Nations, about 200 million people in Latin America identify as African descent and many millions more are in the diaspora.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2015-2024 as the International Decade for People of African Descent to ensure the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, civil, and political rights by people of African descent, and their full and equal participation in all aspects of society.

The theme for the International Decade is: “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.”