Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), in collaboration with ‘They Often Cry Outreach’ (TOCO) Foundation, has launched the African-Diaspora Youth Festival to create opportunities through networking.
The event christened: ‘Hands Across Africa Festival and Expo 2022’, also has TOCO Youth Tournament in sports that aims at helping the African youths to gain exposure, expand their networks using music, arts and sports.
CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman, said the event would not only give exposure to the teeming youth, but also sell Ghana’s tourism and culture to the continent and beyond.
The festival would drive traffic from neighbouring countries to Ghana’s tourism value chain sector, as the country gets ready to host the maiden edition of the festival. “Music is an integral part of tourism, bringing reggae music to a cross-continental platform is going to sell Ghana to the rest of the world”, Mr. Agyeman said.
Taj Weekes, Co-founder of, TOCO Foundation, said it was an opportunity to have a TOCO community in Ghana to link the youth with opportunities.
He said cynicism in youth is deadly for society and therefore, there was the need to create platforms for network and development for the younger ones. Mr. Weekes said the foundation would offer exchange programmes in sports, skills training, and ideas to Ghanaian and other African youth.
Executive Director – TOCO Foundation, Seth Yeboah Ocran, said their aim was to address issues which affected youth through advocacy and support. “TOCO’s broad focus also includes sustainable agriculture, environment, health, gender equity, among others”, he added.
The Foundation has been active throughout the Caribbean since its establishment in 2007, delivering social support to the youth and vulnerable communities from Haiti to Trinidad and Tobago. The festival would last three months, starting from July 2 in Ghana and ending on September 24 in Namibia.
About nine countries including Ghana, Gambia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia will host the festival.
