Greetings! We recently returned from a trip to The Republic of Ghana (hereafter referred to as Ghana; GAH-nah; country #105), where we were able to experience the capital city of Accra (ah-KRAH), and the Cape Coast area. Below, you will find information and photos from our trip. Please note that there are references to slavery within this post.
Ghana is a country in northwest Africa that is bordered by Togo to the east, Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the North, and the Gulf of Guinea (which connects to the Atlantic Ocean) to the south. While it is surrounded by Francophone countries (i.e., countries that speak French), Ghana is English-speaking due to it having been colonized by the British. (That said, they drive on the right side of the road because they are surrounded by countries that do the same, and it was too hard for drivers from other countries to switch to the left side when traveling through Ghana). Ghana has 70 dialects (including Akan [ah-KAHN], which has 23 dialects of its own, and comes from the Ashanti culture [the Ashantis (ah-SHAHN-tees) were warriors who did not (want to) rely on government]). A primary language spoken in Accra is Ga (gah). They also speak a version of Ewe (ev-ay) in the eastern part of the country, which is also spoken in Togo and Benin, and results in Ghanaians being able to speak to the Togolese and the Beninois (bin-in-WAH).
Accra is the capital of Ghana and the largest city in Ghana, which is divided into 16 administrative regions (10 of which were added in 2018 to meet the needs of the growing population). Each region has a minister that is responsible for the day-to-day administrations within the region. Ghana is governed by a president, with elections held on December 12 every four years (coinciding with the US presidential election years), with a swearing in on January 7. Members of Parliament are also elected, but once the president is elected, ministers are appointed (not elected) by the new government.
The Portuguese were the first to establish themselves in Ghana, with a primary interest in finding and exporting gold from the coast (subsequently naming the coastline the Gold Coast, which it was called until 1957). In order to preserve their monopoly on the gold, they erected fortresses along the coast, like Elmina Castle. However, their influence was soon overtaken by the Dutch and the British, the latter of whom ruled the coast and declared the Gold Coast a British Colony. Within this timeframe, 40 forts were erected along the coastline. Those forts were ultimately used in the slave trade, as they discovered that they could use similar approaches with slaves that they were using with and for gold and other goods, including cocoa, making Ghana one of the leading exporters of cocoa in the 1920s.
Through all of the trials and tribulations experienced by Ghanaians, they were still able to hold firm to their culture and preserve their traditions, withstanding some of the influence of other cultures. Ultimately, Ghana was the first country in west Africa to gain independence from the British (1957), a process that was spearheaded by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
Interesting note: Individuals born in this region are named according to the day of the week that they were born. Dr. Nkrumah was born on a Tuesday, and therefore he was named “Kwame,” which is the name given to a male born on a Tuesday (they only recognize two genders: male and female). That name is often used as the middle name, with a different first name given to differentiate them from others born on that day. I asked if there is ever an opportunity for a namesake (e.g., Jr., III). I was told that people can establish that for their children (e.g., they can name their child Patrick Jr.), but it does not happen the way it does in other cultures.
In the photos above, Dr. Nkrumah is wearing clothing that is typically worn in the south of Ghana (to contrast the clothing he wore when Ghana was declared independent from the British, which was clothing typically worn in the north of Ghana, as seen in the photo below), and is a reflection of his promotion of unity throughout the country. The Nkrumah Memorial Park is established on the grounds of what was originally an area where blacks were not allowed to go.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was born on the Gold Coast (in Ghana) and lived there until he graduated from high school, after which he taught at a high school in the same area. He eventually went to the United States (US), where he received a Master’s degree in Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and was subsequently awarded an honorary doctorate from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, hence, the title “Dr. Nkrumah.” He studied in the US for 12 years, before returning to Ghana with the support of six men (including the father of the current president) to help Ghana move towards independence. Upon his return, he immediately pushed rather hard for independence, which upset the British, and he was jailed. While he was in jail, he was part of the political party that won their local elections, which included Dr. Nkrumah being elected to Parliament, resulting in his release. He became prime minister of the Gold Coast in 1952, and when the Gold Coast and British Togoland combined in 1957 to become the independent state of Ghana, Dr. Nkrumah became the first prime minister. Ghana was the first African country to become independent from the British. Dr. Nkrumah subsequently became the first president of Ghana in 1960 when it became a Republic.
Dr. Nkrumah reportedly worked to build the infrastructure in Ghana in a way that resulted in there being a mismanagement with very negative financial consequences. The impact on the economy was significant enough that those working on the projects went on strike, and there was general unrest within the community. Dr. Nkrumah ended up reaching out to communist countries for support, which increased negative views about his leadership, and resulted in assassination attempts. Ghana’s economic and political problems became significantly worse, and when Dr. Nkrumah went to China for a visit in 1966, a coup resulted in his seat of power being taken over by the Ghanaian army and police.
Dr. Nkrumah sought refuge/asylum in Guinea, and the president at the time – Sekou Toure – made him co-president of Guinea. Dr. Nkrumah ultimately became ill and went to Bucharest (Romania) for treatment, but did not survive the journey. His body was flown back to Guinea because he had been living there at the time of his death. His mother asked that he be buried in his hometown, so, his body was subsequently relocated to Nkroful (near the border with Côte d’Ivoire). In 1992, the Ghanaian president at the time declared that Dr. Nkrumah had not had a proper burial, so, the memorial park and mausoleum were established in Accra, and he was relocated to his final resting place.
Cape Coast
Cape Coast was the initial seat of government for Ghana before it was shifted to Accra. As previously indicated, there were several fortresses/castles built along the coast, and several of them were heavily used for the slave trade, including Cape Coast Castle and Elmina (el-MY-nah) Castle (photos above). Another popular sight is that of fishing boats, as 70% of the population in this region are fishermen, while 10% are into salt mining.
Salt Mining was established by an Italian, and leased to the locals for 50 years, at which point it was considered to be owned free and clear by the inhabitants.
The photos above are from Elmina Township, known by the locals as Anomasa (ah-noh-MAH-sah), which means “inexhaustible water.” Most of the fishing boats leave in the late afternoon to fish and return in the morning. Men do the fishing and women do the selling, determining the market price in that moment based on what has been sold, so far, in the market. The women also organize the materials and provisions for the fishermen, especially for the semi-industrial fishermen, who will stay on the water for weeks, as they have a way to keep the fish refrigerated.
Nzulezo
This village on the water was established during slavery, though its origins pre-date slavery, with a group (“the forefathers”) from the country of Mali escaping persecution from some Senegalese chiefs who waged war on them. The Mali inhabitants were not strong enough to fight the Senegalese, and fled to Burkina Faso and then to Ghana. They had three chiefs and a spiritual communicator, who told them when and where to move on their journey to the central region, and then onto Sekondi and Takradi. Eventually, they made it to the river that led to the sea, and they made a raft and settled on land across from the current floating village (about 400 of them went to Côte d’Ivoire instead). The living conditions were not suitable, so, the forefathers moved to live on the water. This also had the strategic benefit of protection, as they were able to see people coming on the water before they arrived.
The “forefathers” married local women because they knew they would not go back to Mali. The men learned the women’s (local) language, which is still spoken in the village today. The village is about 1.5km/0.9mi in size, and has 3000 inhabitants.
Within families that live in Nzulezo, the religion that is followed is that of the mother.
Several of the houses in the village have satellite dishes, and many of them also have electricity. However, most of the infrastructure is reflective of what would be expected within a developing country.
Common/Popular dishes that are eaten in Ghana include Red Red, Fufu (foo-foo; a couscous-type dish made from cassava), and fish (of course).
Our visit to Ghana was very informative. It is a country with a steep, multilayered history, with a culture that has withstood significant atrocities and has risen above to become an oft-visited locale. The people are kind, the food is good, and if your travels take you to northwestern Africa, we recommend that you consider visiting Ghana. Until next time, take care and be well…