Our Story

I'm Anaëlle, and before I tell you about Adjoa, let me tell you where she comes from.

— The Genesis of the Project —

As a child, my mother would tie body adornments around me, called baya or bin-bin depending on the country. Then one day, they were gone. I forgot them for years. Raised in Caribbean culture, I felt as I grew up that something was missing — a connection to my African roots, a gesture, a presence to carry every day.

That's when I began wearing them again. With these beads, an entire heritage came back to me.

— The Story Behind the Name —

Adjoa is an Akan name given to girls, meaning born on a Monday. It's also the nickname my aunt had given me — my only direct link to my Ivorian origins. This name has stayed with me to this day.

Giving it to this project felt obvious: to extend, through each creation, the thread she had woven between me and where I come from.

— Adjoa's Mission —

Adjoa exists for those seeking to reconnect with their roots, or to affirm more fully the bond that ties them there. And so that this tradition, born elsewhere, may be passed on more widely — so that it does not fade. Each baya is shaped by hand, made for you, and carries the name of a woman who left her mark on the world. A tradition stays alive only by being passed on.

Anaëlle
Founder of Adjoa