Discovering West Africa: Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon
In Discovering West Africa: Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, you will take a 10-episode tour across three West African countries. Nathan Fluellen, known as "World Wide Nate," will be your expert guide. A traveling documentarian, avid adventurer, and seasoned global citizen who has traveled across Africa to discover his own roots, he is well-equipped to guide you through new and unfamiliar terrains. Moving through the nations of Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon, you will join Nate and a mix of local artists, chefs, musicians, entrepreneurs, sportsmen, and other locals. You will not just see West Africa, you will experience what it has to offer, while you immerse yourself in the everyday aspects of the region as if you were there in person, collecting and cooking its most traditional dishes; playing its cherished and ancient sports; and studying its history and culture through natural landscapes, small museums, elaborate monuments, vibrant naming ceremonies, spoken word poems, and local art. The people of West Africa tell their stories through the lives they live, the farms they tend to, the textiles they make, the art they create, and the stories they have chosen to elevate. And as you accompany Nate on this West African adventure, the extraordinary citizens of West Africa will guide and teach you about the places they call home.
- 2023-2023
- 1 season
- The Teaching Company
- Documentary
In Discovering West Africa: Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, you will take a 10-episode tour across three West African countries. Nathan Fluellen, known as "World Wide Nate," will be your expert guide. A traveling documentarian, avid adventurer, and seasoned global citizen who has traveled across Africa to discover his own roots, he is well-equipped to guide you through new and unfamiliar terrains. Moving through the nations of Ghana, Senegal, and Cameroon, you will join Nate and a mix of local artists, chefs, musicians, entrepreneurs, sportsmen, and other locals. You will not just see West Africa, you will experience what it has to offer, while you immerse yourself in the everyday aspects of the region as if you were there in person, collecting and cooking its most traditional dishes; playing its cherished and ancient sports; and studying its history and culture through natural landscapes, small museums, elaborate monuments, vibrant naming ceremonies, spoken word poems, and local art. The people of West Africa tell their stories through the lives they live, the farms they tend to, the textiles they make, the art they create, and the stories they have chosen to elevate. And as you accompany Nate on this West African adventure, the extraordinary citizens of West Africa will guide and teach you about the places they call home.
Season 1 Episode Guide
10 Episodes
Episode 1
Made in Ghana
23 mins
Kick off your tour by visiting Ghana, a vibrant coastal country in the heart of West Africa. Explore monuments, museums. Meet entrepreneurs designing products like chocolate and luxury clothing that highlight the "Made in Africa" movement.
Episode 2
Ghanaian Botanical Gardens, Afropop, and Yoga
26 mins
Focus on Ghana's natural landscape, from almond trees to cocoa wine. Meet some of Ghana's musicians to see how they are blending new and traditional genres. Try African "kemetic" yoga, canoe on the Volta River, hike in Shai Hills reserve.
Episode 3
Ghana's Sports, TV, and Philanthropy Champions
23 mins
Keep exploring Ghana with an in-depth visit to the cities of Kokrobite and Accra. You will explore the fascinating dimensions of surfing, boxing, tennis, and skateboarding in the country. Sample some popular Ghanaian street food and get to know two particularly impressive women in Ghana: TV host Anita Erskine and High Commissioner Grace Jeanet Mason. Conclude at Accra Freedom Skatepark.
Episode 4
Reclaiming Ghana: History and Homecoming
31 mins
Wrap up your Ghanaian adventure with a trip to the W. E. B. DuBois Museum. Attend a West African cooking class to make some traditional garden egg stew, then discuss Ghana's 2019 "Year of Return." Next, you'll go to the town of Elmina, the first European settlement in West Africa, where you will reckon with the brutal history of the Elmina slave castle, the oldest European structure south of the Sahara. Conclude by attending a traditional naming ceremony with Nate.
Episode 5
Senegal's African Renaissance
21 mins
Turn your attention to the westernmost point of Africa: the country of Senegal. Tour the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar. Examine what Islam means to Senegalese people and their culture. Spend some time with top women boxers and a leader of women's racing, exploring the "Pink Lake" terminus for the Paris-Dakar Rally. And sample one of the country's culinary delicacies, Yassa, a popular chicken and rice dish.
Episode 6
Senegal Style: Surfing, Textiles, and Art
22 mins
Join "World Wide Nate" as he surfs along Dakar's Yoff Beach. Sit down with Dakar's first female mayor, Soham El Wardini, to see how the city has secured and is preparing to host its first Youth Olympics. Connect with a weaver to learn about Senegal's culture through its artifacts and textiles, then visit with a contemporary artist in his studio on Ngor Island.
Episode 7
Senegalese Wrestling, Farming, Griot, and Dunes
23 mins
Head just east of Dakar to the city of Pikine where you will explore wrestling, an ancient sport in the country. Continue north to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Saint-Louis for insight into preservation efforts, then east to join Senegal's minister of agriculture and check out sustainable farming in the Senegal River basin. Next, experience how one local artist uses graffiti and the spoken word tradition known as "griot" to tell Senegal's story. Complete your Senegalese adventure by exploring attractions at the orange dunes of Lompoul Desert, Senegal's version of the Sahara.
Episode 8
Cameroon's Mountain of Greatness
23 mins
Head to Cameroon, the final country in your West African tour. Hike the tallest mountain in West Africa before joining a gourmet cooking class that spotlights Cameroon's crown agricultural jewel: Penja pepper. Explore Cameroon's business world with a home-born media mogul in Doula. And conclude with a foray into Cameron's history and cultural life in the capital city of Yaoundé by touring the Reunification Monument, and by learning about the local music scene.
Episode 9
Preserving Cameroon's Wildlife and Heritage
22 mins
See how wildlife, from chimps to drill monkeys, are protected and cared for at Cameroon's Limbe Wildlife Centre. In the large open-air market of Yaoundé, shop for ingredients for bouillon, a traditional Cameroonian soup. Visit the Blackitude Museum to check out ancient art and objects, then prepare bouillon. Return westward to marvel at the beauty of the Ekom Nkam waterfalls.
Episode 10
Deep Connections in Cameroon
29 mins
Wrap up your tour of Cameroon by accompanying PhD research assistant Francois Ngouoh on a proper archaeological dig. Talk with a traditional village chief and queen. Explore Cameroon's film industry, from a comedy television show to major festival. And see how truly connected Nate is to Cameroon and the broader West African region.