By Nii Moi Thompson
Taking a break from my regional tour today, I visited a Ga-Dangme farming community deep in the forest of Asante Akim South District in Ashanti Region.
It is called Kpone Praso (or, “Kpone on the Pra River”), and they’ve been there since 1927, when the Asantehene granted the land to the family patriarch from Kpone, in what is today Greater Accra Region. (They have a sister community called Teshie Praso). Next year will be their 100th anniversary. The community is older than modern Ghana!
They farm mainly cocoa, supplemented by foodstuff such as cassava, plantain and vegetables.
The current chief, Nana Benjamin Sackitey, son of the founder, was born there in 1948 as are most of the residents. A picture of the Asantehene hangs next to his on the wall at his residence, acknowledging his allegiance to the Otumfour.
And, yes, every year they travel to the original Kpone to celebrate homowo. (Such Ga-Dangme returning home for homowo are known as Soo Bii (Thursday People) for arriving on the day before the commencement of homowo celebrations).
The big lesson from this humbling visit is that despite their differences, including wars, our ancestors learnt to live together, inter-migrated, and even intermarried.
There is a reason we have Osu Ashante in Accra, or a signboard for “Appiah We” (Appiah Family House) at Jamestown, Accra; or why my cousins from Teshie are called Otchere, despite being “pure” Ga, with names like Angeley, Nai and Sowah.
And it reminds me of a young man from a village near Kumasi whom my mother “adopted” in the 70s. He lived with us at Bantama for as long as he wanted, going and coming as he pleased. He was a member of the family!
When he married and had a daughter, he named her Addoley Dankwa in honour of my mother. And when a second daughter followed, he named her Adorkor Dankwa!
As the late comedian, Waterproof, once said: YÉ› yinaa, yÉ› yÉ› frafrafoÉ”. (We are all mix-mix).
For the young people who often indulge in vile tribal insults on social media, be careful: you may well descend from the tribe you are insulting!
Be proud of your tribe, but not at the expense of other tribes.
Ghana First!
PS:
Thanks and praises to the MCE, Hon. Maame Sarfoah Appiah, for facilitating my visit; her spokesman, Ebenezer Adiaw, for taking me to the community, and the Assembly man, Marvelous Tei, for receiving us and taking us to the chief.
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