About Project Matatchebo
On November 27 and 28, 2019, I made a sad observation about the condition of the centuries-old mango trees lining the three old tracks in Loango Bay, along which men and women were forcibly led to be deported to the Caribbean and the Americas, where they were enslaved. It was to save these dying mango trees, silent witnesses to the slave trade, all attacked by the mango kernel weevil, and to perpetuate the memory of the millions of deportees from Loango Bay that a deep calling inspired me to launch the Matatchebo project.
Batota Kissala, D.
Project Promoter
Our Mission
Matatchebo is a living memorial rooted in remembrance, renewal, and reconnection. Through reforestation, education, and cultural healing, we honor the millions who were forced from the Bay of Loango during the transatlantic slave trade, planting mango trees as symbols of peace, power, and return.
Our Story
Centuries ago, enslaved Africans were marched along three main paths toward the Bay of Loango, where more than two million people were taken and shipped across the Atlantic. These routes were lined with mango trees, many of which still stand today as quiet witnesses to a painful past.
The Matatchebo Project was born out of a commitment to restore these sacred spaces and create a new narrative, one where the land itself becomes part of the healing. Each mango tree planted is a tribute. A story reclaimed. A seed of hope for the generations to come.
Why Mango Trees?
Mango trees were first brought to the Loango coast by Portuguese ships in the 15th century. In time, they grew into markers along the very paths walked by the enslaved. Today, those trees, some of which are still standing, hold deep cultural and historical significance.
As these ancient trees now face extinction due to the mango stone weevil, we see an urgent opportunity: to protect their lineage, restore their presence, and honor their meaning through action.