When international vlogger and YouTuber Wode Maya first visited Barbados several years ago, it was to continue efforts to form a bridge of sorts between Africa and its diaspora.
Those videos racked up hundreds of thousands of views and earned him loyal Barbadian and Caribbean fans. They are among his 2.6 million followers on Facebook and 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube.
Little did Wode Maya know, his efforts would gain him official recognition by the Caribbean country.
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On Saturday, the Ghanaian, real name Kobina Ackon, was honoured at a We Gatherin’ ceremony hosted by the Barbados High Commission in Ghana.
High Commissioner Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland declared herself one of Wode Maya’s supporters. She said around three years ago, she first saw one of his videos about a Kenyan woman who built 200 houses. She was so inspired by the story and his unique and authentic way of telling it that she subsequently liked and subscribed to his channel.
“We gather here because there is one among us who saw our nation and in our people a reflection of his proud Ghanaian heritage, and he made the determination to make an impact,” she said.
The high commissioner spoke at length about his advocacy, compassion, and charity work.
“Although many try to imitate you…there’s no better vlogger than Wode Maya to capture and keep us connected to our proud African ancestry.”
The Barbadian diplomat credited the vlogger’s wife, Trudy, for being a strong support system during his extensive travel.
“We give you your flowers. We say thank you, Trudy, for the sacrifices that you’ve made as he has done all of the globetrotting,” said the high commissioner as she encouraged the influencer to continue being his authentic self.
“You’re really great for the Barbados brand. Every time you put those videos out, we’ve seen an uptick in tourists. We can now boast of tourists travelling to Barbados since the work you’ve been doing from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya.”
“Ghanaians have welcomed me and spoken to me with familiarity about Barbados, our food, our music, our Crop Over street festival, our costumes, all because of the popularity of Wode Maya’s videos.”
She revealed that the high commission has arranged for Wode Maya to partner with Barbados’ Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Incorporated (COSCAP) on a workshop for local artists focused on monetising and developing their brand globally.
On another matter, she said Barbados is in the process of building out its marketing programme in Ghana and intends to partner with local individuals and businesses.
Meantime, Wode Maya said he feels he has found his calling despite the degree he obtained in China in aeronautical engineering.
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“The revolution of Africans in Africa and Africans abroad connecting is happening, and I just want you all to know that it’s time for you to take part. We’re not going to leave any stones behind. When I started connecting Africans in the diaspora, I felt there was a huge gap between us. We didn’t know about each other. There were misconceptions [that went] both ways.”
Wode Maya recommended that people living in Africa visit the Caribbean and explained, “The prime minister of Barbados really wants to connect the dots. She’s putting in a lot of effort. I wish that Africans on this side of the world could see the effort that is being put in. Let’s not politicise everything. At the end of the day, let’s make the best to connect with our brothers and sisters.” — Barbados TODAY
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