When California native Rufiena Jones first arrived in Barbados in 2022, she expected little more than a tropical getaway. Instead, she found what she describes as a missing chapter in the story of the African diaspora—and a calling to help others rediscover it.

“The day I landed, I knew I was supposed to come back and I knew I was supposed to bring people with me,” Jones recalled.

Now on her eighth visit to the island, Jones has transformed that personal conviction into the Sankofa Wellness Project, a heritage tourism initiative founded in 2022 that introduces members of the African diaspora to Barbados not simply as a Caribbean destination, but as an essential part of understanding their history, identity and cultural roots.