Current CAMPAIGN

Temple Renovation: Ouidah

Agbe Agbeto Awoyo
Africa Personified embraces tradition and culture. In Ouidah, Benin, Vodoun is free to roam the kingdom is freedom and strength. We plan to renovate the Agbe Agbeto Awoyo temple in the Ouidah Kingdom.

Benin formerly known as Dahomey sat in the gulf of Guinea hemmed in by the might of Nigeria on its Eastern flank and Togo to the West, with the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean lapping along its palm fringed beaches. This former French colony is rich in colonial history; home to the “Slave Coast” of Ouidah, and the spiritual birthplace of Voodoo.

According to the Voodoo tradition, there is one supreme god, who is known by different names in different parts of the world. In Haiti, for example, he is called Bondye, which comes from the French bon dieu, meaning "good god."

Regardless of which name people use, the primary god is immensely powerful and beyond the reach ordinary followers. For this reason, Voodoo practitioners must rely on hundreds or thousands of other spirits to communicate with god.

These spirits are known as loa or lwa in Haiti; anthropologists writing about African Voodoo often refer to them as spirits or gods. The spirits exist in a hierarchy. There are major, powerful loa, many of whom have their own holidays, celebrations or other observances. There are also minor spirits, who play various roles in different regions. Communities and even families have their own loa, such as the spirits of beloved or influential family or community members. The loa receive their power from god and communicate with god on behalf of followers.

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It is important that we do our very best to preserve culture at all costs, for if we do not, future generations will never get the chance to experience the greatness that is found among our people. We plan to renovate the Agbe Agbeto Awoyo temple in Ouidah, Benin to do our part in the preservation of this beautiful culture.