A Leadership Retreat
Back
to the
Source
April 22nd to 29th, 2027
Abene · Casamance · Senegal
Every other leadership
retreat sends you
to a hotel.
This one sends you to the source.
In thirty years of living and travelling in rural West Africa, Doug Manuel has witnessed something no boardroom or corporate offsite has ever replicated: communities that have understood human connection at a profound level for generations. Back to the Source is a seven-day immersive leadership retreat in the village of Abene, in the lush Casamance region of southern Senegal, preceded by two preparatory group calls and followed by one integration session. It is a once-in-a-career experience grounded in thirty years of lived relationship with this place and its people.
Built for leaders who
know something is missing.
Not in their strategy. In the way their people show up for each other. Back to the Source is for senior leaders who are ready to address that at the root.
- CEOs and senior executives seeking a leadership experience unlike anything they have done before
- Leaders who have completed traditional programmes and found them insufficient
- Founders navigating the human complexity of scaling culture as well as company
- Executives who sense that trust and belonging in their organisation are quietly eroding
- High performers who want to lead with more presence, authenticity, and genuine impact
- Anyone curious about what human connection looks like when it is not manufactured
Three touchpoints.
One transformation.
Two Pre-Retreat Calls
Two online group sessions before you travel. Meet your fellow participants. Doug introduces the intellectual framework: the science of belonging, rhythmic synchrony, and what it means to lead with genuine connection. You arrive in Abene prepared, not cold.
Seven Days in Abene
Full immersion in the village life of Abene, Casamance. Each day begins and ends with a guided group reflection, a moment to process, share, and integrate what you are experiencing. Between them: ceremonies, elders, drumming, community, the river ferry, the market, the ocean. Doug's thirty-year relationship with this place means you are welcomed as guests, not tourists.
Post-Retreat Integration
One online group session after you return home. Doug facilitates a structured conversation to help you translate what you experienced in Abene into concrete shifts in how you lead, listen, and build connection in your team.
Seven days.
Abene,
Casamance.
The retreat begins in Dakar and travels south: by city, by island, by overnight ferry, by market, by road, until you arrive in Abene. Each day deepens the experience. Nothing is rushed. Everything is real.
Arrival: Dakar
Arrive at Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport. Transfer to your accommodation in the capital. First encounter with Senegal's extraordinary energy and warmth.
Gorée Island & the House of Slaves
A boat across the bay to Gorée Island. Visit the House of Slaves and the Door of No Return, a profound encounter with history that sets the depth of context for everything that follows. That evening, board the overnight ferry from Dakar to Ziguinchor, a slow passage south that begins the transition away from the pace of your working life.
Arrival in Ziguinchor, The Market, Abene
Wake up on the ferry as it arrives in Ziguinchor, the capital of Casamance. Explore the vibrant local market: colour, sound, life in full flow. Then head south to Abene, arriving at the village that will become your home for the next three days.
Village Life in Abene
The heart of the retreat. Three full days immersed in Abene. Each day opens with a morning gathering setting intention, grounding the group in what lies ahead. Each day closes with an evening gathering, reflecting together on what was felt, what shifted, what surprised you. In between: village elders, spiritual sites, traditional ceremonies, drumming, dance, communal cooking, fishing, and humanitarian work at the local school and medical centre. Doug's thirty years of relationship with this community means you are not observing, you are part of it.
Departure: Banjul
Transfer to Banjul International Airport, The Gambia (BJL). No earlier than 7:00 PM local time. You leave carrying something you cannot fully articulate yet, but will feel for a long time.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”Nelson Mandela, painted on the wall of the village school in Abene
You will not
observe Abene.
You will enter it.
Drumming workshops. Dance. Traditional ceremonies. Fishing at dawn with the pirogues. Eating from a shared bowl. Meeting the village elder Vieux Touré, who has welcomed guests for decades with the same open arms and incandescent smile.
Doug's thirty-year presence in this community makes all the difference. You are not tourists. You are guests, and the village knows it.
Everything you need.
Nothing superfluous.
Programme
- Two pre-retreat online group sessions with full cohort
- Morning and evening gatherings throughout the retreat: guided group reflections led by Doug
- One post-retreat online integration session
- Access to Doug's From Me To We™ framework and materials
The Retreat in Senegal
- All accommodation throughout
- All transportation within Senegal including the Casamance river ferry
- Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- All activities, excursions, and entrance fees
- Gorée Island visit and guided cultural experiences
- Drumming workshops, dance, traditional ceremonies
- Humanitarian engagement with local school or medical centre: materials included
- Materials and tailor service for two custom garments
Not Included
- International flights (arrive Dakar DSS · depart Banjul BJL)
- Travel insurance: strongly recommended
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Vaccinations and health requirements
Arrival & Departure
- Arrival: Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport (DSS) · April 22nd, 2027
- Departure: Banjul International Airport, The Gambia (BJL) · April 28th-29th, 2027, no earlier than 7:00 PM
- All in-country ground transport organised and included
Suggested Arrival Airlines
- Royal Air Maroc
- Brussels Airlines
- Air France / Delta
- Iberia Airlines
- Air Senegal
Travel insurance covering medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and personal liability is strongly encouraged. Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. Cancellations within 60 days of the retreat start date are subject to standard terms.
What people carry home.
A unique opportunity for me to reconsider my views of the world, to reassess my values and to question my own purpose. I came back deeply moved and better connected with our shared humanity.
Christian Petit, CEOThe thing I enjoyed most about this experience was the sense of community. The people of Abene were so welcoming, and we became part of their lives so easily.
Madelyne Shilliday, Retreat ParticipantThe hardships of the people of Abene helped me to reframe life. I came back full of energy, as if I had stayed in a seven-star hotel.
Ana Yudine, Retreat ParticipantThe children there are desperate to learn, and I just found them magical. This changed how I see generosity, resilience, and what really matters in life.
Lesley Angus, Retreat Participant
Doug
Manuel.
Doug Manuel is one of the world's leading keynote speakers on human connection. His programme From Me To We™ is grounded in thirty years of lived and travelled experience in rural West Africa: three decades of real relationship with the communities, rhythms, and wisdom that form the soul of this retreat.
He does not visit Abene. He returns home. That distinction is everything.
“I have spent thirty years watching communities in West Africa do effortlessly what most organisations spend millions trying to build. Back to the Source brings you there directly.”
Simple.
Transparent.
Your investment covers everything: two pre-retreat group calls, the full seven-day retreat in Senegal, all accommodation in single occupancy, meals, transport, activities, and cultural experiences, plus the post-retreat integration session. Flights to Dakar and from Banjul are arranged independently.
Get to the heart of
what really matters.
Back to the Source runs once annually. Places are limited to twelve and filled by application. If you are ready to secure your place or would simply like to speak with Doug first, reach out directly.
Doug Manuel LLC · Crans-Montana, Switzerland