Eighteen girls are about to find out where they come from. And they are going to find out in Ghana.
Girls For A Change, a Richmond, Virginia nonprofit that serves approximately 300 girls annually, is taking 18 young women to Ghana from July 18 to July 29, 2026. The trip culminates in the unveiling of DNA ancestry results on African soil. Not at home. Not online. There in person.
The journey does not end at the airport. On October 11, 2026 — International Day of the Girl — short documentary films produced during the trip will premiere publicly, telling the story of what those 18 girls found.
A Ceremony of Identity
The DNA ancestry reveal is not a novelty. It is a ceremony. For young Black girls who have grown up with a broken chain of identity, knowing they are from somewhere in Africa but not knowing exactly where, standing on the soil their ancestors came from and hearing a specific answer is a profound reckoning. It is an experience that simply reading a screen cannot replicate.
Girls For A Change has been building toward this moment through years of dedicated programming, including mentorship, leadership development, and college preparation. The Ghana trip is the capstone. The documentary is the permanent record.
Amplifying the Journey
The Kodjoe Family Foundation is incredibly proud to amplify this partnership. Boris and Nicole will use their combined platforms to help tell this story as it happens through the lens of the FULL CIRCLE initiative.
The connections this summer are profound. Junior Hakizumwami is in Rwanda. Boris and Nicole will be in Ghana for FCA SummerFest in early August. And 18 girls from Richmond will be on the exact same continent in late July, finding out exactly who they are and where they belong.
This is not a coincidence. This is the summer the Full Circle vision becomes an undeniable reality.
Mark Your Calendar
- July 18 to July 29: Girls For A Change Ghana trip, featuring the DNA ancestry unveiling on African soil.
- October 11: International Day of the Girl and the official documentary premiere.
