The Government of Kenya in partnership with Traverze Culture — an African American–owned relocation and regenerative company — have officially launched the Journey Back to Eden (JBE) Initiative.
The JBE Initiative is a private-sector-led program in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife, the Kenya Tourism Board, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The partnership ensures the initiative strengthens Kenya’s tourism sector while creating long-term economic, cultural, and social bridges between Kenya and its diaspora communities.
During the official JBE launch at Nairobi’s Serena Hotel, Traverze Culture CEO Kea Wakesho Simmons said that African Americans alone hold USD 1.6 trillion in annual spending power, alongside the hundreds of billions more commanded by the wider African Diaspora.
By offering a credible platform for reconnection, Wakesho added, JBE will help position Kenya as a premier destination for cultural return, foreign investment, tourism, and family settlement.
“Journey Back to Eden was created to give the diaspora not just a tour, but also a pathway home. This partnership with PDM Group elevates JBE by providing participants with the stability, clarity, and trusted infrastructure needed to make informed decisions about relocation, housing, investment, and long-term settlement in Kenya,” said Wakesho.
Kenya’s Tourism Principal Secretary (PS) John Lekakeny Ololtuaa — who was representing Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano — welcomed this transformative initiative saying that it will bring a longstanding legacy of credibility and structure to the relocation and settlement experience.
“Kenya is open, ready, and eager to welcome our people home,” said PS Ololtuua.
The initiative represents a historic invitation for African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and the global African Diaspora including Kenyan nationals who have lived abroad for years to return, invest, relocate, and build in Kenya.
The partnership also integrates the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), elevating the initiative’s credibility and enabling seamless support across healthcare, education, and financial services. This will include lifestyle settlement, and community wellbeing, key considerations for families relocating from abroad and investors seeking to establish long-term roots in Kenya.
The JBE Initiative will offer an immersive 7 and 12-day experience designed to help diaspora participants explore Kenya’s potential across real estate & relocation, medical tourism and wellness, including Investment landscapes, business development and entrepreneurship, education as well as cultural and heritage reconnection.
The Initiative aligns with Kenya’s strategy to deepen economic, cultural, and social ties with global diaspora communities while strengthening sectors such as tourism, investment, real estate, and medical travel.
The JBE Initiative strengthens Kenya’s tourism sector while creating long-term economic, cultural, and social bridges between Kenya and its Diaspora communities.
