Why do so many African communities neglect to care for and preserve what we already have?

In this episode of Restoring Legacies, April Yankey peels back the layers of historical brainwashing and inherited mindsets that have shaped our attitudes toward upkeep and preservation. From colonial narratives to societal conditioning, she traces the origins of this deeply ingrained problem and how it became part of our collective behavior.

Research for this episode is based on articles by: Robby Fivez, “Resisting Material Binaries: Unpacking persisting dichotomies of building materials in Central Africa”

Gertrude Kamya Othieno, on The Independent Uganda,"COLONIAL AFRICA: The disruption of traditional structures"

Intro Music: Ama Bonsu by the Ramblers Dance Band

Outro Music: Tswa Omanye Aba by the Legendary Naa Amanua of Wulomei Fame and the EKN Big Boyz

Show Art photographed by April Yankey, Fort Vernon, Prampram

In this episode, April Yankey takes a closer look at the Ashanti Traditional Buildings, earthen structures rooted in Sahelian construction methods, and draws a comparison between the original indigenous building techniques and the modern maintenance practices they now undergo.

Once crafted with natural, locally sourced materials through communal effort and cultural ritual, these structures are increasingly being preserved with concrete and other foreign materials, prioritizing appearance over authenticity.

April explores how this shift toward aesthetic preservation rather than holistic conservation risks erasing the architectural identity embedded in Sahelian tradition.

If this trend continues, our heritage may one day survive only as a visual relic, history flattened into decorative form.

Research for this episode is based on documentation by architecture students E.K. Akotoyeh-Kubenu, A. Brown, G.N.K. Dometey, A.T.Y. Gadzanku, and H.C. Warmann, conducted under the direction of W.F. Hill at the University of Science and Technology, Kumasi.

Follow us on TikTok and IG @restoringlegacies_pod

Intro Music: Onset Music Group- Sonwabile

Outro Music: Tswa Omanye Aba by the Legendary Naa Amanua of Wulomei Fame and the EKN Big Boyz

Show Art photographed by April Yankey, Fort Vernon, Prampram

In this first episode of Restoring Legacies, April Yankey shares the heart behind the podcast. Why it exists and where she hopes that it leads.

She reflects on Stone Town in Zanzibar, a place where African, Arab, Indian, and European architectural styles blend naturally.

That peaceful coexistence of design speaks to what she’s trying to build with Restoring Legacies: a space where tradition, innovation, and identity all have a place.

This episode highlights a mindset that she’s trying to promote. She believes that the sustainable practices embedded in Indigenous African architecture can help tackle one of today’s greatest challenges; global warming.

Our ancestors knew how to build with the earth in mind, and it’s time we listened.

Follow us on TikTok and IG @restoringlegacies_pod

Intro Music: Onset Music Group- Sonwabile

Outro Music: Tswa Omanye Aba by the Legendary Naa Amanua of Wulomei Fame and the EKN Big Boyz

Show Art photographed by April Yankey, Fort Vernon, Prampram

🎙️ Join April Yankey as she launches "Restoring Legacies".

Feeling stuck in repetitive work, April is turning her attention to something that matters more. She wants to revive Africa’s fading maintenance culture and highlight the sustainability of Indigenous African architecture. With her background in architecture and experience in Ghana’s real estate industry, she is using her podcast to push back against the idea that ‘if you want to hide information from an African, put it in books’. The knowledge is there. It has just been overlooked, undervalued, or ignored.

Through stories, lived experiences, and forgotten practices, April is helping people reconnect with the wisdom that once shaped Africa’s built environment. This is a call to action to restore not just buildings but then, also cause a shift in our mindsets.

Follow us on TIKTOK @restoringlegacies_pod and IG @restoringlegacies_pod

Intro Music: Colonization by NSG

Outro Music: Tswa Omanye Aba by the Legendary Naa Amanua of Wulomei Fame and the EKN Big Boyz

Show Art Photographed by April Yankey, Fort Vernon -Prampram.