Amb. Chioma Unveils African Travel Impact

Today Africanews-TAN West African Correspondent interviewed Ambassador Chioma Anyiwo, founder- Ogene Africa International Initiative and who also serves as the Country Representative for Africa Tourism Board.

Abuja-Nigeria, By Afolabi Osho West Africa Correspondent 

Amb. Chioma is a graduate of law from Imo state University Owerri, and Nigerian Law School Abuja, Nigeria.  In 2017 she pioneered Tour Aro, a cultural heritage promotion of Her motherland Arochokwu kingdom,Abia -state in Nigeria.

TAN interviewed  Amb. Chioma to find out why Ogene Africa International Initiative is focused on sustaining African Cultural Heritage for Tourism Essence.

TAN: Why did you find Ogene Africa International Initiative? Anything to do with cultural heritage in Africa if we may ask!
Amb. Chioma:  Ogene Africa International Initiative is Non-governmental Organization with a clear vision to promote, protect and preserve African cultural Heritage for tourism Essence .
Ogene Africa as u know is a culture  and tourism organization that helps to protect the rich cultural heritage of Africa.  

 Ogene Africa helps  preserve the heritage site as well as a platform that provides practical ways to showcase this rich heritage to the world.
TAN: When & how did you start this Initiative?
Amb. Chioma:
Ogene Africa was actually birthed on 29thSeptember,2020 that was COVID19 year.  I can’t jump into Ogene Africa without saying how my journey started in the tourism sector.

I will want to take us back to how I started Tour Aro.  I am the founder of Tour Aro-Chukwu.
Tour Aro is a tourism project to protect and preserve cultural heritage of Arochukwu kingdom in Abia state Nigeria through media and Tourism which i started in 2017, because of the love for my place Arochukwu kingdom which has rich heritage. We have a rich history, tasteful food and good people.  
Anyone who knows Arochukwu Kingdom will know that we have a deeply rooted and rich heritage with amazing culture there.
So, I thought that as they always say” that charity begins at home” and got into the tourism board and started by promoting mine.

Therein, I started with the TourAro mission where I started taking youth and the people to visit and learn about their heritage . I first discovered some tourist sites in Arochukwu. In fact,I started by discovering the sites and learning about them before I hosted the first Tour Aro program..
The project started off as “rediscovering the rare gem in  Arochukwu”, with a mission to protect and promote Arochukwu’s heritage sites and culture  through tourism and media. That was how I started my project to go discover those places and discover the abandoned cultural sites.
 It was a rediscovery time for me . I believe that for one to say that they have a hold on culture, one has to discover its own, to appreciate, embrace your culture and identity.
So, I embarked on that mission for us all in  Arochukwu Kingdom, now it's a yearly tourism event . It’s a way to  put  the Kingdom out for tourism . 

OgeneAfrica was created when I thought to make this impact in Nigeria,  Africa and the world at large .
That's when I found  Ogene Africa International Initiative, which  came as a mission not for Nigeria but the entire Africa.
We are on a mission to put Africa out  to the rest of the world , to bring into limelight our African heritage sites , culture, people , food  in a light that has been downplayed.
TAN: Why are doing the Travel Impact Africa project especially the OgeneAfrica sisters across borders?
Amb. Chioma: One of the projects that Ogene Africa will be handling is  Africa Impact travel.
The  Africa Impact travel , we started up with a  theme ogene Africa sister across borders. I want to say that it's a way to foster entrepreneurship amongst women in Africa.
So, the African impact travel came as a vision to me when I traveled to many African countries. I noticed that people come to their destinations  and travel back after enjoying themselves without  impacting the indigenous locals . 
Now, that's what Ogene Africa is trying to do with  Africa Impact travel . We want to create a synergy between tourists and locals .The initiative seeks to create a synergy between tourists and locals, encouraging travelers to make positive impacts through education, resources, support, and empowering programs in the communities they visit. Ogene Africa is eager to partner with various organizations, individuals, and governments to make a positive impact on Africa and the world at large.