By Damilola Adeyera
When you see the ladies gracefully walking towards you with their hands twisted and knees slightly bent, they do it as a mark of respect and reverence.
When you see the men with their right hands shaking twice and their left hands at their backs above their waists, they do this to honor you. This is the first thing many guests notice upon arriving at La Campagne Beach & Forest Resort.
To someone unfamiliar with African customs, these gestures may appear unusual. Some may even mistake them for acts of subservience. The humans of La Campagne Tropicana Beach & Forest Resort should not be misconstrued or misjudged by the virtue of their culture of greeting. They are expressions of one of Africa’s oldest and most enduring values: respect. It is an acknowledgement of another person’s humanity.
In many African homes, children are taught from an early age to respectfully greet their parents, elders, neighbors, and visitors. Across the continent, from Yoruba communities in southwestern Nigeria to kingdoms in East and Southern Africa, greeting has never been treated as a mere formality.
When an African greets you, it’s their way of saying, “I see you. I honor your presence.” These cultural gestures are not symbols of inferiority; rather, they are symbols of the rich African heritage that has been passed from generation to generation.
La Campagne Tropicana was founded on this belief that Africa’s greatest treasures are not only its landscapes but also its traditions.
When Otunba Olawanle Akinboboye conceived the vision of building Africa’s foremost African-themed luxury beach and forest resort, he had culture at the forefront of his mind. He imagined a place where visitors could experience Africa in its truest and undiluted form.
In Africa, greeting one another, even a child, is a sign of respect. It would have therefore been an “error” for Otunba Olawanle, as the founder of La Campagne Tropicana Beach, to have created this unique African experience without the infusion of African greetings.
This explains why every member of staff, from reception (Ekaabo) to the restaurants (Eebi O), from housekeeping to guest relations, greets you or other guests at the resort as described in the first paragraph.
It is part of the resort’s identity and a reflection of the values upon which it was built. The men and women of La Campagne Tropicana, through these greetings, are promoting cultures adapted from African traditions by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye. They are custodians of the rich African cultural heritage. They are ambassadors of African hospitality.
At La Campagne Tropicana Beach & Forest Resort, every slightly bended knee and every hand shaken twice is not done to lower our human dignity, worth, or pride; they are done to elevate you, acknowledge you, and most importantly, welcome you. It is the story of Africa. It is the story of respect. You’re welcome.
