Abdul Karim Abdullah Shares His Lifestyle as Founder of Afrochella
With the highly anticipated Year of Return now in our rearview, and recognition from publications like Essence, TIDAL, CNN Travel, Okay Africa, and others, it’s safe to say that the Afrochella Festival is a force to be reckoned with. Whether you’re in a cabana with the celebs or on the ground of El Wak Stadium with the people, this festival is more than a good time - it’s is an ode to the music, cuisine, arts, and culture of the African Diaspora that the world’s been missing and now can’t get enough of.
In addition to curating an unforgettable environment for guests to enjoy, the Afrochella movement has done the work to create a platform for trailblazers in the States to share their talents by way of #AfrochellaTalksa, and have expanded by way of philanthropy with initiatives like #AfrochellaReads and #AfrochellaGiveBack that allow the AC team to raise funds and reopen schools for under deserving communities in Ghana.
When I met Abdul Karim Abdullah, founder of Afrochella, I was seated in the lobby of The Golden Tulip in Accra, Ghana in 2018. I was with a group of 50 young Black professionals waiting to board a tour bus headed to one of Ghana’s many tourist attractions. His visage had his usual focused, but friendly expression as he spoke with a few familiar faces. I said hi because he was with those familiar faces and Mama raised me right, you always say hi to people in the room (in this case, the lobby.) Visiting Ghana was a phenomenal experience with the visit of the Kakum Canopy Walk, and the ever-captivating Cape Coast Castle, but everyone knew the social peak of this trip would be attending the Afrochella Festival. We talked about it the whole trip. What we were wearing, what section we’re in, and who we were there to see, knowing very well most of us wouldn’t understand a word. In true Ghanaian fashion, we arrived 6 hours late, but were right on time.
Since then Abdul and his team of focused individuals with ranging expertise have gone on to host their 3rd Afrochella Festival in December 2019; contributing to the increase of tourism throughout Ghana; Visas allowing entry to Ghana went from 70K in 2018, to 750K in 2019, as mentioned in a recent interview with NYC Radio Station, Hot97. With Ghanaian Independence Day on the way, I’m so happy to have Abdul share part of his lifestyle with us. Check out our interview.
1. When you were younger living in Accra, Ghana, what/who did you want to be when you “grew up”?
For as far as I could remember I wanted to be a heart surgeon. I went on the pursues a BS in Psych and Bio from Syracuse University & a master in Public health from CUNY hunter college. I currently work as a project manager full time for pharmaceutical company.
2. How have you changed since the conception of Afrochella in 2015?
I’ve built a lot of confidence in ability. I’ve learned to set boundaries & delegation. I’ve learned to understand the importance of listening with an open mind. I’ve definitely begun to read more.
3. Afrochella sets itself apart not only taking place in Accra, but also with initiatives like #AfrochellaFeeds #AfrochellaReads #AfrochellaGiveBack and #AfrochellaTalks. How far in advance do you begin planning for the annual festival in December? And what do you think is necessary in order to build an effective team for a vision like Afrochella?
We immediately begin planning the next festival after the last. We often start off with a post modem to ensure we are assessing areas for improvements and identifying areas that worked. It sets the stage for the year after & allows us to work more effectively. We love to work with individuals who show a belief in what we are doing. Working in Africa requires resilience & diligence. Individuals that bring nuance, expertise & a willing to learn often work better in our team.
4. What were some administrative obstacles you faced while developing Afrochella, if any? I imagine the paperwork/permit/staffing process to be extensive – no?
Afrochella faced a lot of obstacles. Firstly we are self funded. We had & still have many financial constraints which limit our ability to reach our final form, nonetheless we have persisted. We faces issues around money transferring, understand which agencies we needed to work with.
5. What advice do you have on managing time?
This is something I’m still trying to figure out personally. However, the best advice I could give is start as early as possible. The more headway you give yourself the better you are able to refine your idea for the best.
6. In a recent Hot97 interview, you said Afrochella will not be brought to the US, to incentivize those of the Diaspora to bring their gifts to the Continent. I’m here for that! Do you have your sights set on bringing Afrochella to other African countries? Why/why not?
Yes, we plan to bring Afrochella’s presence to other African countries. The main festival will always remain in Ghana. Our hope is to be able to activate around the continent. Introducing the same vibes in a smaller scale.
7. On Instagram, you mention 2019 bringing you closer to God as it ended in the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo congratulating you on a job well done with Afrochella. In the photo you shared, you looked so proud and so many of us were proud of you. Describe that moment for us. Did you always know that this was the impact you were destined to make in Ghana?
I had no idea. I’m a firm believer God puts you in positions at specific times to push his will through you. I do think that is what has happened for me. 2019 was a challenging year & through it all i felt the presence of God guiding me. Through Afrochella festival, we have been able to step into rooms and meet people we had no idea even the year prior we would meet. Meeting the president of Ghana & the British High commission felt like stamp of approval we needed to keep going despite any challenges we have faced.
8. The Ghanaian term Sankofa, meaning “go/reach back and get it” manifested itself for many people who traveled to the Continent for the first time in order to attend Afrochella. With your own lifestyle including being an avid traveler, how does itfeel to know that you and your team provided a setting for so many Diasporans to embody what Sankofa means?
It feels good to be apart of history in that sense. We are still very close the production of the event as such I do not believe we have all been able to full understand what we have done. We are thankful we have been able to encourage this movement.