Hey there, I’m Dossé-Via, a West African entrepreneur who’s passionate about travel and self-exploration. I was born in Paris, France to parents Edith and Dossevi Trenou, who are from Lomé, Togo. My family moved to America when I was 3 years old, and we’d travel back to France and Togo throughout my childhood. However, between the ages of 15 and 24, I experienced a large gap without traveling back to West Africa, and I missed it dearly. It felt like some part of myself was missing.

In January 2017, I traveled to Togo where my grandmother Mamima lives. As soon as I stepped foot back home after being away from 9 years I was filled with a huge sense of relief and belonging. I had missed West Africa so much, and I made a vow to myself to never go so long without returning home. 

Fast-forward 11 months later, and I stayed true to my vision and returned to Lomé with my family, and also brought two of my friends from grad school along. This was a game-changer for me, because for most of my life, whenever I told my friends that I was traveling to West Africa, they had no idea what it was like. But this time, I was passionate about sharing my home and the West African experience with my friends, especially since they too are originally West Africans (as millions of Black people around the world are). So my family opened our home to them, and we all had the time of our lives. There were some triggering experiences though, because decolonizing our minds is not easy work. Ultimately, being able to bring my sisters back home was healing for all of us.

Our re-discovering the Motherland, which included visits to Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, is what emphasized my desire to create Magic & Melanin. I am privileged to be able to know where I come from and to still have direct connections in West Africa. The next step is sharing that privilege with my fellow brothers and sisters of the diaspora, and providing access to the motherland through an immersion experience that awakens them to the beauty, richness and culture of West Africa. That’s why I’ve curated a traveling experience and platform where descendants of Africa can reconnect with their roots in a safe space, and/or access resources and items from the motherland such as clothing, books, accessories, and more, directly from the source.

My intention is for humans of the diaspora to keep close ties to the Motherland in whatever way possible, and to help us all celebrate our royal roots. I moved to West Africa and now reside here while welcoming our diaspora family to also partake in this magical experience. 

Founder of ScorpioMystique & KnowTheZodiac