Ancestral Travel: Trace your roots [Travel TMC]

Travel to trace your roots

There are a lot of names for it: ancestry travel, genealogy trip, family heritage travel. If you’re just getting started with genealogy, it might surprise you how truly global your history is.

A study by the University of Pennsylvania revealed diversity on the continent, shared ancestry among geographically diverse groups. There is no single African population that is representative of the diversity present on the continent. So even though the three countries represented on this table are miles apart, that is to say Nigeria in the west, Congo in the centre and Zimbabwe in the South, we could all share some kind of lineage due to our ancestors migrating.

Traveling to discover who and what made you who you are can be addictive. Just ask Anita Kerai.

Anita’s ‘Return to Kenya’

Anita Kerai was born in 1975 as a third generation Kenyan. As the eldest of four children, she started cooking from a young age. In 2017, Kerai resigned as a Certified Accountant in London to concentrate on recreating recipes from her native African-Indian diaspora. In 2018, she produced and presented Return to Kenya which traces her culinary roots and inspiration that has made her into the chef she is today.

The forthcoming TV title recreates recipes from Anita’s Kenyan-Indian upbringing. A Hindu faith combined with African hardships. It is all about showcasing how different cultures have influenced the Kenyan and showing Kenya as a must see destination.

Most of this diasporain Southeast Africa arrived in the 19th century as British indentured labourers, many of them to work on the Kenya–Uganda railway. Others had arrived earlier by sea as traders.

So there is this trend of of ancestry reveal videos on YouTube and Facebook, featuring people looking for answers about the past in their genes. While others choose to take a DNA test, Anita chose to go straight to the source. Here is why she decided to embark on this journey to discover who she really is.

@NyashaKMutizwa