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The Queen Mother’s story!
IIt was January 1998. I had the most extraordinary experience of my life, captured on camera for all to see. I was installed as Queen Mother – Nana Ankama 1st of Gomoa Obiri, a small village on the South Coast of Ghana.
The story begins a few months earlier when, as part of a study of the coastal zone of Ghana, a colleague and I visited the village. We’d heard that they were charcoal makers and we wanted to know what sort of impact this was having on the environment and whether they were replanting trees or not.
The pictures speak for themselves. It was an extravaganza of African culture, filmed by Wil Aaron, Ffilmiau’r Nant for S4C.
It generated lots of publicity – including a feature in the Express on Sunday Magazine and an interview with Angela Rippon on the Gloria Hunniford show.
I said at the time that I would provide support for the village – doing things with them not to them or for them. And so it has been. Here is a summary of progress since January 1998:
1. The clinic
I had NO idea how to go about helping the village without being patronising and creating a dependency culture. In any case, I had no financial means at my disposal.
Tony, Hefina and Llandygai church (see below) came to the rescue and we decided to start with a donation of £50. I thought perhaps they could hire taxis to take pregnant women who were in difficulties to the hospital in Apam (a few miles down the road).
When I returned a few months later they reported as follows:
•They thought my idea was unsustainable so they sought advice from the hospital in Apam..
• The staff there suggested they hire a hut in the village to set up a clinic.
• Two men were sent to be trained as first aiders
• The hospital provided medicines for common ailments – pain killers, malaria prophylactics, indigestion tablets etc. to be replenished as needed. traul ac ati a’r ysbyty i ail-gyflenwi yn ôl yr angen.
• People were asked to contribute ‘small small moneys` towards the drugs and they kept a register of patients.
• They purchased a bike for the two first aiders (who worked shifts) to visit the sick if needed.
This was SO impressive that Tony, Hefina and the church decided to extend the support.
The chiefs and the Development Committee came up with a plan. First, they needed electricity, second a school, third a new market place. We agreed to help them, bit by bit.
2. Electricity Poles
The first thing they wanted was to buy a complete set of 30 teak poles for their electricity supply. The Ghana government had a Self Help Electricity Programme (SHEP). If villages pooled together to buy the poles the government would pay for the high-tension wire and transformers.
Gomoa Obiri had already managed to buy 9 but needed another 21 poles @ £50 each. This was achieved in 2009.
When Mike and I visited in 2010 they were pleased to give us a tour of the village at night, illuminated by the new street lights. The new lighting made it possible for small traders to operate later..
3. The School
The old school was falling down, largely due to erosion by heavy rainfall splashing from the aluminium sheets on the roof (which had no guttering). They already had a foundation in place for a six-classroom school so wall by wall we helped them finish it off.
They have a great system – a ‘Taboo day’. People don’t go to their farms on this day but rather use the time to do ‘communal work’. In the case of the school project they made the bricks and built it themselves. Because the village showed initative the local authority chipped in to roof the school. Having a decent building also meant that they could have another teacher.
4. The Market
Thanks to the clinic, the village had more passing trade, so the development group thought that it would be good to have a better market place to enable small traders to sell their produce and products to the visiting patients..
5. Extra class for the school, water storage tank and a toilet block.
The six classrooms were not enough so they built an extra nursery space and kitchen..
As the old school had suffered from erosion this school has guttering with water flowing from the roof into a tank.
They also built a bloc of toilets outside
There is now a tarred road through the village and more trade so they think a bigger market and bigger clinic is required.
The money collected from my birthday campaign 2020 will go towards this
Tony and Hefina Chamberlain and Llandygai Church.
Following the programme on S4C dear friends of mine, Tony and Hefina thought it would be a good idea if we could support the village directly. As stalwarts of Llandygai Church they organised for funds to be raised every Christmas at the carol service. We are very grateful to the church for their support. Llandygai church retains an interest in Ghana but through the Bishop of Cape Coast.
Gomoa Obiri and Bangor University
I was in Ghana as a result of a DFID-funded project through the Centre for Arid Zone Studies (CAZS). Tony was a lecturer in Animal Production at the old Department of Agriculture and was founder member and former Director of CAZS. He and Hefina were involved with countless numbers of students and overseas visitors over the years. I hope the work in Gomoa Obiri is a fitting legacy to both of them. Tony died in 2003 and Hefina early in 2018. They were a huge inspiration to me and are much missed.
Mike and the Youngs. Mam, dad, Llinos and her troops have been very supportive. Mam and dad visited in 2000 to much fanfare. Mike and I visited in 2010 (Mike perfected his ‘Duke of Edinburgh’ impersonation, keeping a respectful few steps behind Nana Ankama I). This time, 2020, it’s Llinos’ turn to accompany me on tour.
Many thanks for considering donating towards this long term project. Llinos and I are looking forward to sharing our stories from the visit.
To make a donation please visit my JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/einir-young
Dweud fy nweud II Having my say 