This is not a holiday. This is a summons.
His Excellency Ibrahim Traoré is calling Africans from every corner of the world — to come home, to stand in the revolution, to own the liberation of our continent.
This is not tourism. This is the Revolution.
Own it. Live it. Build it. — Liberate Africa.
His Excellency Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Burkina Faso, has extended a direct call to Africans of the diaspora — in the UK, Europe, the Americas, and beyond — to leave the comfort of exile and become active participants in Africa's sovereign future.
This is the official response to that call. Organised under the auspices of the High Council of Burkinabè in Great Britain (HCBIGB) — the official, legally recognised representative body of Burkinabè people in the United Kingdom — this trip is more than a visit. It is a threshold. A commitment. A revolution walked, not watched.
You will arrive not as a tourist who observes, but as an African who belongs. You will be embedded in your community. You will learn. You will contribute. You will plan your return. The revolution is not happening without you — it is waiting for you.
In October 2025, nearly 700 Afro-descendants from the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean travelled to Burkina Faso. It was powerful — but for many, it remained symbolic. This programme goes further.
Discover Burkina Faso Rising Spirit is a structured 14-night jumelage — a twinning — between Afro-descendants based in the UK and Europe and the communities of three living, breathing Burkinabè cities. You are paired with a community. You live it. You come back changed.
Living costs in Burkina Faso are remarkably accessible — you can eat comfortably on as little as £5 a day. This is a land of possibility, not hardship — and this trip will show you that in full.
Engage directly with the living revolution. Participate in community assemblies, political education sessions and discussions led by local organisers. Understand the ideology behind Burkina Faso's sovereignty movement — from the ground up.
Participate in a cultural ceremony conducted by community elders marking your symbolic reconnection to your African identity. Not performance for tourists — a real threshold crossing into belonging. Traditional music, storytelling, ancestral rituals.
In Zorgho and beyond — visit working farms, understand Burkinabè agriculture, and explore paths to land ownership, cooperative agriculture and food-based enterprise. Africa's greatest wealth is her land. Come and see it.
In Pouytenga — Africa's most dynamic market energy. Explore micro-business, trade networks, mining investment and entrepreneurial pathways. Meet people building real economic sovereignty every single day.
Contribute your skills — healthcare, technology, education, construction, finance — directly to communities that need them. Leave something real behind. This is how the diaspora pays its debt to the motherland.
For those ready to go further — discussions, briefings and pathways on residency, permanent relocation, business registration and investment in Burkina Faso. The trip is the beginning. La meilleure façon de rentrer aux racines.
Our visit coincides with FESPACO 2027 — the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, the world's largest African cinema event. Subject to availability, participants will have the opportunity to experience screenings of powerful African films, attend panel discussions with filmmakers, and witness African storytelling in its most celebrated form — right in the city where it was born.
Our trip dates are no coincidence. February–March 2027 places us in Ouagadougou at the exact time of the world's greatest African cinema celebration.
Since 1969, FESPACO (Festival Panafricain du Cinéma et de la Télévision de Ouagadougou) has been the heartbeat of African cinema — the continent's largest and most prestigious film festival, held every two years in the very city we will be calling home. In 2027, it falls exactly during our programme window.
African cinema is not entertainment alone. It is memory. It is resistance. It is the continent reclaiming its narrative from those who stole it. During our evenings in Ouagadougou — and subject to the festival programme and availability — participants will be immersed in this living cultural revolution alongside directors, artists and storytellers from across the African continent and diaspora.
Attend screenings of selected African feature films, short films and documentaries from across the continent — in French, Moore, Dioula and beyond. Subtitles available. Stories told by Africans, for Africans.
Where available and accessible, participate in post-screening discussions with filmmakers — understanding the creative process, the politics of African storytelling, and the power of cinema as a liberation tool.
Experience Ouagadougou alive with music, art installations, open-air performances and the energy of thousands of Africans gathered to celebrate their culture. This is the city at its most vibrant.
FESPACO draws creatives, intellectuals and activists from every African nation and the global diaspora. Your network during this trip could span a continent. This is a moment, not just a festival.
You will be paired with one of three living communities — each with a distinct energy, purpose and opportunity. Every participant is matched to the city that fits their pathway.
The heartbeat of the revolution. Ouagadougou is where the political transformation of Africa is unfolding in real time. Connect with organisers, educators, technologists and visionaries driving Burkina Faso's sovereign future. The seat of the government and the pulse of the nation.
The heartland of Burkinabè culture. Approximately 100km from the capital, Zorgho is where the earth speaks. Experience traditional farming, elder wisdom, ancestral ceremonies and the living art of Burkina Faso's oral tradition. For those who want to reconnect with what was lost — and reclaim it fully.
One of West Africa's most energetic market towns — a hub of commerce, trade, mining activity and small enterprise. Pouytenga is where African economic resilience is visible and tangible. Perfect for entrepreneurs, traders, investors and anyone who wants to understand the real economy of Burkina Faso.
Arrive in Ouagadougou. Met and received by programme coordinators and HCBIGB representatives. Group orientation session: community expectations, cultural briefing, language basics in Mooré and Dioula, and city introduction. First meals, first community contact.
Travel to your assigned city — Zorgho, Pouytenga or Ouagadougou. Begin your integration: first days on your pathway — in the field, the market, the school or community project. Language sessions each morning. Evening meals with community. This is where it begins.
Full immersion in your chosen pathway — teaching, farming, trading, building. Cultural exchange evenings: traditional cooking, live music, storytelling, community gatherings. The revolution experienced from within, not from outside.
🎬 FESPACO 2027: During these evenings, participants based in Ouagadougou will have the opportunity to attend African film screenings and festival events as part of the Pan-African Film Festival running concurrently with our programme. Subject to availability and festival schedule.
A ceremony led by community elders marking your symbolic reconnection to your African roots and identity. Conducted with full community participation and cultural weight. This is not a performance — it is a threshold. A real crossing back.
Briefings and individual sessions for those considering land purchase, business registration, agricultural investment or extended stay. Group reflection. Conversations with community leaders and HCBIGB advisers on long-term residency and return. The revolution needs permanent participants.
Final group gathering. Each participant states their commitment — to return, to contribute remotely, to send others, to invest, to come back permanently. The jumelage does not end on departure day. It begins.
Please read carefully. Entry requirements differ depending on your nationality. Your visa will be facilitated by our programme organisers — but the documents below must be submitted in advance.
If you hold a passport from a European country (including the UK), a visa is normally required to enter Burkina Faso. Your visa will be coordinated and facilitated by the programme organisers to make the process as smooth as possible. You must provide the following documents:
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of nationality and the passport(s) you hold. If you hold an African passport or dual nationality, please contact us directly so we can confirm your specific entry requirements.
For those who hear the calling clearly — and want to answer it permanently — there are pathways beyond the 14-night programme. During your trip, you will have access to individual sessions covering:
This is the revolution your ancestors dreamed of. It is happening now. La meilleure façon de rentrer aux racines — c'est de ne plus repartir.
The total programme cost is fully inclusive — your flight, accommodation (room and breakfast) and programme coordination are all covered. Everything you need to arrive and be received is in this price.
*Personal spending money, lunches, dinners and individual activities are not included. Daily food living costs are approximately £5 in Burkina Faso.
Payment plans are available — contact us to discuss your schedule. A place on the programme and a reserved flight ticket are only guaranteed upon receipt of the £689 deposit before 11 November 2026. Spaces are strictly limited.
If you need to cancel after paying your deposit, a partial refund may be available. However, a minimum of £129 is non-refundable under all circumstances, to cover flight reservation and administration costs incurred on your behalf.
The earlier you notify us of a cancellation, the greater the portion of your deposit that may be returned. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to info@retourracines.org.
Once you are there, daily life is remarkably affordable. You can eat well — locally sourced, fresh, nourishing food — for as little as £5 per day. Lunches, dinners and personal treats can be covered comfortably for £10–£15 a day if you wish to spend a little more. Africa is generous. You will not go without.
Some media paint Burkina Faso in red. We ask you to look further — to what those in Ouagadougou, Zorgho and Pouytenga experience every day: markets open, families thrive, culture continues, and a nation walks with its head held high.
It is true that Burkina Faso — like much of the Sahel — faces complex security challenges in certain regions, particularly in rural and border areas. Western governments issue travel advisories, and we do not dismiss them. But travel advisories are not the full picture.
Ouagadougou, the capital where this programme is primarily based, remains a functioning, vibrant city. Daily life continues. Businesses operate. Schools run. Culture flourishes. Restaurants, markets and community spaces are full of life. Thousands of Burkinabè and diaspora visitors move through this city every week.
This programme is organised with the full institutional backing of the HCBIGB and in coordination with local Burkinabè authorities. Your safety and welfare are the central priority of every logistical decision made. You will never travel alone, never be left without local guidance, and never be sent into areas of active concern.
These links offer a fuller, more grounded picture of Burkina Faso — its culture, its resilience, its sovereignty and its people. The story the headlines miss.
"We do not fight for Burkina Faso alone. We fight for Africa. We fight for Black humanity, for the dignity of Africa, and for the wellbeing of our people. Africa is at war — and the diaspora must choose which side of history to stand on."— Captain Ibrahim Traoré, President of Burkina Faso
Complete the form below to register your interest and begin the booking process. A member of the team will contact you within 48 hours with payment details and next steps. Deposit of £689 required by 11 November 2026 to secure your place.