Across the globe, members of the African diaspora are increasingly turning to traditional herbal wellness as a way to reconnect with ancestral knowledge and find more holistic paths to health and healing. In particular, herbal teas, tinctures, tonics, and rituals rooted in African traditions have become powerful tools—not just for physical wellness, but for emotional and spiritual reconnection as well which are beautifully interconnected to nurture a feeling of being whole and at peace.
Among those helping to guide this journey is Clarissa, founder of Aguma Tea, a brand rooted in African herbal wisdom. Through the work of Aguma Tea it has become a bridge between cultures—sharing African plant-based practices with diasporan communities and helping people rediscover parts of their heritage that may have felt distant or lost.
The journey of the diaspora into herbal wellness is often one of reclamation. For many, mainstream wellness spaces in the West do not reflect their histories or lived realities. As a result, more people are returning to the herbal traditions of their ancestors—finding in African plants not only healing, but identity. Through herbs like lemongrass, moringa, hibiscus, soursop leaves and mango leaves, they are piecing together cultural memory, learning how previous generations tended to the body, and building new rituals that honour those roots.
Aguma Tea has become a touchstone in this movement. Aguma Tea has shared herbal traditions with diasporan groups travelling to West Africa through Travel Deeper Inc., providing tea experiences and engaging with those seeking meaningful connections to African healing. Whether through curated blends, education, or the simple act of gathering around a cup of tea, these moments offer grounding and cultural education and growth.
Aguma Tea has also interacted with health professionals from the diaspora through organisations like Repra Health, a US-based maternal health NGO. In 2024, Clarissa participated in Repra’s Ghana-based summits and events, joining them as a guest and engaging in dialogue about the role of herbal knowledge in maternal wellness. These interactions—informal yet impactful—form part of a larger pattern of diasporans seeking African-centred approaches to health and wellness through shared knowledge and integration.
Beyond health, Clarissa has also helped position African herbal knowledge within the arts and cultural sectors. At The Matriarchs’ Verse, Apiorkor’s annual immersive poetry concert, Aguma Tea curated a sensory herbal experience that wove together poetry, scent, and plant healing. The theme, Roots and Blossoms, was reflected in custom tea blends served during the performance—each one crafted to evoke ancestral grounding and emotional healing. The event, which attracts a diplomatic and international audience, showcased how herbal rituals can exist not only in the apothecary or kitchen but also in spaces of artistic and cultural expression.
Food and herbs have always shared a relationship in African healing, and Clarissa has helped bring this connection to the forefront through her work with Crescendo Foods and its founder, Dr Wanida Lewis. In August 2023, the two collaborated on Ghana’s first three-course herbal tea-infused culinary experience, demonstrating how African teas could be infused into savoury dishes and desserts. Since then, Aguma Tea has continued to support the Crescendo co-working kitchen, sharing recipes and ideas that bring herbs into everyday cooking.
This fusion of food and healing underscores a key theme: herbal wellness isn’t only about what’s in the cup—it’s also in the meals we eat, the rituals we reclaim, and the spaces we create to gather and learn.
For diasporan communities in cities like London, where access to authentic African herbal knowledge can be limited, Aguma Tea has offered workshops that create space for cultural exploration and wellness learning. These sessions provide more than information—they offer connection. Participants often come away with a deeper appreciation of their heritage, having learned how to blend teas not just for flavour, but for meaning and medicine.
In all these contexts—whether through food, health, or cultural experience—Aguma Tea is helping to rewrite the narrative of African wellness. The work is not about romanticising the past, but about reweaving tradition into modern life in ways that serve the diaspora today.
Ultimately, the herbal wellness journey for the African diaspora is a path back to wholeness. It’s a way of remembering, healing, and honouring lineage—one that often begins with a single, thoughtfully brewed cup. Through her work, Clarissa continues to show that herbal tea is more than a drink; it’s a ritual, a reconnection, and a quiet return to home.
