Philadelphia teens return from Ivory Coast after meeting a king, reflect on experience
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Nine Philadelphia-area boys are back from the trip of a lifetime to the Ivory Coast in West Africa, and it's all thanks to a local mentorship program.
At Ubuntu Art Gallery in Germantown, mentees of the KB Foundation's Mo Bamba Leadership Education Abroad program reflected on their recent trip to the Ivory Coast, sharing entries from their travel journals.
"This is extrapolating things that they've already written down into memory anchors," mentor Steven CW Taylor said.
Their journey began on Aug. 7 with an 11-hour flight from Philly to Abidjan, where they reconnected with nine Ivorian peers who previously visited them in Philly.
"I feel like we're connected. It was really nice to be with them," Alexander David Moragne, one of the boys, said. "They were funny."
Over eight days, the teens explored Côte D'Ivoire, learning about the global supply chain while being immersed in the local culture.
They trekked through a rainforest, planted trees and spent a day at Grand Bassam beach.
The highlight of the trip was meeting the king of Krindjabo, a village in the southeastern region.
"I was really grateful. I enjoyed being there and seeing the king. You know I had to give him a bow to show my appreciation," Moragne said.
In a surprise ceremony, the king crowned them all as honorary princes of the village.
"My African name was Adade-Aku," Moragne said.
The boys' mentors say it's important that they continue to carry the memories of this trip in their minds and hearts.
"There's no place like the continent of Africa when it comes to Black people feeling loved," Taylor said.
"We got included instantly and it was cool to see," Santana Swittenburg, one of the mentees, said.
"When they apply to college or go on a job interview and someone asks what's a memorable experience, we don't know if they'll choose this one," KB Foundation CEO Kirk Berry said. "But what we do know is they'll have one to choose from."