Discover & spotlight
We travel to indigenous communities to find and spotlight hidden dishes, the local cooks who keep them, and the food custodians who remember.
The MK Sankofa Food Project
Back to our roots. A food heritage project.
A cultural preservation initiative led by Chef Maamle to rediscover, spotlight, and celebrate Ghana’s indigenous cuisine across all sixteen regions.
Why it matters
A heritage on the edge of forgetting.
Sankofa is an Akan idea: go back and fetch what is at risk of being left behind. Ghana’s culinary heritage, the dishes, the cooking methods, the ingredients, and the stories behind them, is disappearing under modernization and changing lifestyles.
“When we lose our food, we lose a piece of who we are.”
What we do
From the edge of memory, back to the table.
Reconnect
We reconnect young people with their roots and preserve endangered food knowledge before it slips away.
Training and support
We train rural youth and marginalized communities to turn indigenous dishes into food businesses and lasting livelihoods.
Elevate
We position Ghanaian cuisine through the MK Pop-Up Buffet experiences and a global conversation.
Through youth training, digital content, and indigenous cooking experiences, we’re transforming preservation into education, tourism, and sustainable livelihoods.
- Education
- Tourism
- Sustainable livelihoods
Our goal
To reconnect young people with their roots, preserve endangered food knowledge, and position Ghanaian cuisine as both a cultural treasure and a global conversation.
The vision
A Ghana where every generation knows, cooks, and celebrates its indigenous food heritage.
Starts August 2026
First phase in action
Training begins in four regions.
We discover and spotlight indigenous communities, food custodians, hidden dishes, local food products, and native species.
Field report
Greater Accra · Ada
We have started with the Greater Accra project, and we've decided to focus on Ada rural community.
Ada is an indigenous space where clams are harvested, processed, and sold to food hawkers.
This project has been eye-opening for my team and me. The effort that goes into producing this product is huge, but consumption is slow because it isn't visible.
We're excited because this project will spotlight the Ada clam to the world, and train youth in that community to add more value to the product and start their own businesses.
During our visit, we spoke with a few food custodians. Their main request was support in the form of equipment, structure, and business development to make their work easier.
MK Sankofa will look into ways to keep this heritage product alive by supporting them with what they've requested.
Observations from our first week
- 1.Too much smoke during processing
- 2.Unclean methods and unhygienic space
- 3.Equipment not up to standard & not properly washed or maintained
- 4.No structure; open space cooking with flies everywhere
All these were unhealthy conditions we observed.
We'll make a second visit in a few weeks and we hope to secure the support these food custodians need.
The next step
- 1.
Develop Modern Recipes Using the Ada Clams
We will use Ada clams to create modern, market-ready recipes that celebrate indigenous Ghanaian cuisine.
- 2.
Train Rural Youth
We will train interested youth in the Ada rural community in indigenous food preparation, food safety, and product development.
- 3.
Equip for Business
We will assist these trained youth with start-up resources to launch their own food businesses.
- 4.
Create Market Access
We will connect them to restaurants in urban centers for the outsourcing and supply of processed Ada clams and dishes.
From community to market. From culture to income.
From the field
10+ youth
Volta Region
Sankofa project
Pending
10+ youth
Eastern Region
Sankofa project
- Abolo Project
10+ youth
Central Region
Sankofa project
- The Fante Kenkey Project
Field report
Greater Accra · Ada
We have started with the Greater Accra project, and we've decided to focus on Ada rural community.
Ada is an indigenous space where clams are harvested, processed, and sold to food hawkers.
This project has been eye-opening for my team and me. The effort that goes into producing this product is huge, but consumption is slow because it isn't visible.
We're excited because this project will spotlight the Ada clam to the world, and train youth in that community to add more value to the product and start their own businesses.
During our visit, we spoke with a few food custodians. Their main request was support in the form of equipment, structure, and business development to make their work easier.
MK Sankofa will look into ways to keep this heritage product alive by supporting them with what they've requested.
Observations from our first week
- 1.Too much smoke during processing
- 2.Unclean methods and unhygienic space
- 3.Equipment not up to standard & not properly washed or maintained
- 4.No structure; open space cooking with flies everywhere
All these were unhealthy conditions we observed.
We'll make a second visit in a few weeks and we hope to secure the support these food custodians need.
The next step
- 1.
Develop Modern Recipes Using the Ada Clams
We will use Ada clams to create modern, market-ready recipes that celebrate indigenous Ghanaian cuisine.
- 2.
Train Rural Youth
We will train interested youth in the Ada rural community in indigenous food preparation, food safety, and product development.
- 3.
Equip for Business
We will assist these trained youth with start-up resources to launch their own food businesses.
- 4.
Create Market Access
We will connect them to restaurants in urban centers for the outsourcing and supply of processed Ada clams and dishes.
From community to market. From culture to income.
From the field
Results
The end goal is to showcase these overlooked products to the world, while training interested youth in these communities in product development and entrepreneurship, so they can build businesses of their own.
Trained in
- Product development
- Entrepreneurship
- Starting a business
Partner with us & sponsor a region
A movement, not a solo journey.
We’re calling on organizations passionate about Ghana’s heritage and youth empowerment to join us:
- Culinary organizations
- Tourism authorities
- Government agencies
- NGOs
- Media platforms
- Food & agricultural brands
- Hospitality partners
- Heritage & youth empowerment
Sponsor a region
Fund the training, equipment, and ingredients for rural youth in Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, or Central Region.
Sponsor a regionPartner with us
Bring your platform, your audience, or your expertise to the movement. Let’s talk about what we can build together.
Together, we’ll preserve Ghana’s culinary heritage while creating sustainable livelihoods.
Sponsorships & partnerships: mkbymaamle@gmail.com