TEAM NFED PAYS A COURTESY VISIT TO THE
KUMBUNGU CHIEF.
Photo by Emilio Dellanzo - The ICS and NFED
team after a formal introduction with the chief and his elders.
Every community has an ultimate leader. In a
typical Ghanaian setting, chiefs are considered as the owners of the community
and therefore serve as the ultimate leader. It is a necessity that the team
embark on a visit to the chief of Kumbungu against the knowledge that, our
activities as international Service (ICS) volunteers are going to take place in
his sphere of authority and thus has direct influence on the communities under
his care.
17th July, 2017 was as the first
official day at work. The first activity of the day was a brief introduction of
the work, expectations and the team's drafted plan and a formal introduction to
the NFED staff of Kumbungu and together, we set off to visit the chief. On
arrival, we followed directives as custom demands and we were set to meet the
chief and his elders. Then our mission for the visit was asked.
Now let me take you through the processes that
occur when meeting a chief in the north of Ghana!
Firstly, there is a form of communication between
the chief and a drummer (luŋa, in the local language, Dagbani) where the
drummer communicates from outside the palace, letting the chief know that there
are visitors and he should get ready to receive them.
Next, you take off your foot ware and enter the
palace as culture demands. After this we then knelt in front of the chief and
his elders in order to show our respect to him. This was important for us to do
as it showed that we are ready to learn cross culturally. We were welcomed by
the linguist and then our mission for the visit was asked. Mr Godwin Edem (In
Country Team leader) responded by explaining in brief our mission and a quick
introduction of the team was done.
It is a point to note that communications in the
palace are done through the linguist who serves as a mediator or translator who
finds the best way to communicate to the chief. This is important because some
ways of communicating words with the chief are seen as contempt and may attract
fines so therefore the linguist is put in place to avoid this from happening.
Mr Godwin Edem after introduction asked for the
support of the chief and his elders to help us carry out our project
successfully.
He welcomed us to his home and assured us of his
maximum support and security. He encouraged us to continue the good works we
have started. He later confirmed us as residents of Kumbungu and assured us that
we are entitled to every good thing any resident enjoys. As custom demands, the
chief gave us cola nuts as a symbol of a peaceful welcome. An indication of a
rich culture it was.
It was an incredible start to our journey as
volunteers and it helped us to realise that we are safe and secure here that we
have the up most support from the chief and all the community within Kumbungu.
Written by:
Justice Boakye Tumfour and Hannah Bulleyment
(NFED-Kumbungu comms. Leads)
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