Situated in Sognaayilli, a traditional village in Northern Ghana 7 km northwest af Tamale. Set in a landscape of open savannah our rustic guesthouse comprises a traditional compound of connected round adobe huts, with comfortable but basic facilities. The twin/dbl rooms all have a private bucket shower, there is no electricity & the (eco friendly) toilets are outside. Moderately priced meals are available by request. Guests that prefer to stay in a homestay can do so in one of the two homestays. Price for accommodation is 10-20 US Dollars per night, including breakfast (and including lunch and dinner if you stay in the homestay). In adittion, village tours that give the traveller the opportunity to experience the rural life in Northern Ghana can be booked. Activities include ao. indigenous washing of babies, an audience with the village chief, a visit to a sooth sayer, a visit to the fe**sh shrine, cooking of kuli kuli, etc.
The Sognaayilli guesthouse, homestays and tours are coordinated by the Meet Africa Foundation (MAF). MAF is a membership-driven, non-governmental organization based in Ghana. In the light of recent global economic problems and the impact of climate change, many rural and urban communities are facing numerous challenges in meeting their basic needs sustainably. It was set up to stimulate and facilitate knowledge exchange and promote understanding and friendship between people of different cultural backgrounds in the world.
A society in which, an empowered rural poor become self-reliant through sustainable, community driven initiatives
OUR MISSION
To eliminate poverty, prejudice and discrimination through cultural exchanges and diversified and sustainable livelihood opportunities
OUR FOCUS
To achieve our mission, we seek to:
• To promote sustainable eco-cultural tourism activities
• To strengthen the entrepreneurial skills of women, including those with disabilities
• To promote mutually beneficial learning exchanges between Ghana, Europe and other parts of the world as tool for accelerated rural development
• To provide educational support/assistance to needy girls and boys, including those with disabilities
ECO-CULTURAL TOURISM: WHY WE STARTED THE SOGNAAYILLI GUESTHOUSE, HOMESTAYS AND TOURS
The ‘Meet Africa Rural Village Experience and Lodging’ (MARVEL) was born out of the idea that Eco-cultural Tourism can be used as a tool for creating opportunities for self-development of the people in the peri-urban and rural communities around the Tamale Metropolis.
Through eco-cultural tourism and related activities, MAF facilitates learning experiences between local communities and eco-cultural tourists from Europe and other parts of the world. The tourists are exposed to indigenous farming methods, food processing, conservation and other activities which are carried out by host communities to survive. Volunteers and tourists are hosted in families within the communities to expose them directly to the culture and provide space for interaction and learning. Both volunteers and tourists pay fees to cover board, lodge and other expenses. Income and resources obtained from tourism activities are ploughed back into the community to support enterprise development and education for vulnerable youth (so they can attend and remain at school).
Key staff receive salaries as and when resources permit. The rest of the support staff are given allowances upon ex*****on of identified tasks. There is a bookkeeper who oversees financial management finance and administrative manual to guide expenditure and reporting.
The guesthouse and the homestays are situated in Sognaayilli, one of the several peri-urban suburbs in Tamale. The community comprises mainly of the Dagomba ethnic group, and offer real experience of indigenous traditions of the people. The proximity of the village to the main city and its environs also makes it an exciting place for tourists to experience the contrast in lifestyles and way of living.
The eco-cultural tourism experience (village tour) seeks to expose people to the daily lives and livelihood activities of the local women and men so that one gets a clear picture of the culture. It is a selection of the following activities:
• Visit to the senior most Elder, Wulana, to request for permission to see the Chief
• Visit to the chief and his elders at the Palace
• Observing traditional rituals associated with bathing newly born babies. Here you witness the ritual bathing of a newly born baby. This is done with such diligence and art that has been practiced over centuries. This way of bathing is done in the northern part of Ghana.
• Observing cotton spinning elderly women knowledge holders in this activity. Here, we will show how cotton was spin to make fibers and later woven into cloths. This how our forefathers made their little pieces of cloths which they wrapped around their waist.
• Visit local Sacred Sited/Shrines. Here we explain and show how the local people worship their ancestors.
• Consult a soothsayer/fortune teller. A fortune teller is one who is spiritually selected to predict one’s future and past. These people are important personalities and are accorded with so much respect and regards. Our traditional rulers engage their services daily.
• Observing Kulikuli making (snacks made from peanuts)
• Participate in domestic chores including cooking, sweeping, fetching of water, washing of clothes
• A walk to the community dam to fetch water for cooking, washing dishes and clothes, and to bath
• A visit to the host families or community farms to engage in the farming activities Undertake a transect walk of the community
• Watch a drumming and dancing performance
Half day tour is GH¢50.00 – GH¢100.00, depending on the activities. Full day tour is GH¢ 150.00
Other activities and excursions that we can arrange for you upon request:
• Visiting the Shea butter processing factory. Shea butter is an indigenous essential oil of the Northern part of Ghana. It is believed to have a number of benefits as well as medicinal healing components. It supports hair growth, give the skin a soft and shining skin, and use to cure many diseases and sick by traditional herbal practitioners.
• Visiting the Cloth weaving factory. This industry will give you the insight of how our traditional attires are worked and also how cloths where fabricated and downed by our forefathers. Here we will appreciate the skill of cloth weaving.
• Visit to the leather factory. At the leather factory you get to know that not all our shoes, sandals are made by the Americans and Chines but with our local technology Ghana does manufacture its own beautiful flip-flops, sandals, bags, with an appreciable art.
• Visiting the Botanical farms and gardens. With visit we intend to learn some medicinal plants and their respective use on how to cure what. We also will appreciate individual’s efforts at supporting and advocating afforestation in the country. We will see and learn all kinds of spices of trees, ornamental plants, medicinal plants (herbs).
• Visit to the big markets of Tamale. The market is a beautiful site to with its haphazard setting of shops where everything is found anywhere. There is no special shop for a particular commodity. You can patronize anything you wish to.
• Visit to the Cultural market. Here in this beautiful market is where all the leather works products are sold. You can any Northern artifact from this market as survinirs for family and friends back home.
• Dawadawa processing: Dawadawa is a local ingredients prepared with local technology. It is highly nutritious and gives our traditional meals an amazing aroma. At the communities and tamale at large, dawadawa is a substitute to both meat and fish. Due to high protein level and it is recommended for vegetarians.
