by Asiwome Tei-Mati
"...When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, 'Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.' Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, 'First sell me your birthright.' Esau said, 'Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?' And Jacob said, 'First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright." (Genesis 25:29-34).
The above is the story of Ghanaians when Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah admonished “…for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent. “…the long battle is over and our beloved country Ghana is free forever"
Free Forever? I doubt! What is freedom if our individual identity is linked up to the total superiority of the white skin where used and torn broni panties are better than our own indigenous Ghanaian names? Many a Ghanaian over the years has deviated from their culture and has adopted foreign names which they don’t understand and could not pronounce correctly. Worse of all is when these indigenous Ghanaian names are being spelt English. The recent increase in the adoption of ‘twinglish’, ‘ewenglish’ (twi and ewe blend English names) etc is detrimental to the development of the Ghanaian culture and identity.
Oheneba Akua Manfo (formally Blakofe), shared a story of an encounter she had when traveling from London to Kent. She said “I feel it is important to use my Ghanaian name at all times. More so as the naming of a Ghanaian child is very key to our culture. As a Ghanaian, just by telling you my name, you automatically learn something about me (I bet many of you did not know my father is the Sanahene of Asamankese and hence the Oheneba)”.
Names such as Kwame Nkrumah, Yaa Asantewaa and Kofi Annan are names that are proudly indigenous-unadulterated! What we see today are Ghanaian names shamefully spelt. Kwame, now spelt Quarme, Kofi spelt Qouphi, Kwesi spelt Quacci or Cwesi. Frimpong spelt Frympong or Phrympong, Etornam now Er Thor Nahm
The implication is that we are gradually becoming a nation of low self-esteemed Ghanaians with feelings of worthlessness having a skewed mindset that a blend of English to our Ghanaian names will place value on our personality. I felt wonderful knowing my name is Asiwome (meaning, In God’s Hands) because this was the first information I had about who I was, the real me, and where I’m from.
A Lost identity also denies us the privilege of cultural affiliation. That also denies us traditional knowledge. An Anlo bred Ghanaian who has never stepped foot at KIA speaks and you wonder if the White House is his/her home. It’s called LAFA (Locally Acquired Foreign Accent) – fashionable huh?! You are lost!
Many of us eventually lost our language and names making it almost impossible to bridge the language and culture gap
From Twinglish, Ewenglish etc to second-hand plates, dresses, panties and bras, what else is left as our birthright, culture and identity? We forget that one without a name is one without an identity and one without an identity is a lost individual.
" Many of us eventually lost our language and names making it almost impossible to bridge the language and culture gap"
We have sold our identity for a pot of fashion and a loaf of westernization.
Enyolynn, Koffy, Kel (Kekeli), Ephua, Efya, where are you all from? Leo Caxton (born Ibrahim Idris), where are you from? Where are you from Se L Orm?
Proudly Ghanaian at least by name. What a about you?
Signed:
First Name: Asiwome (unadulterated ewe name)
Last Name: Tei-Mati (Traditional Ga Adangbe name)
"...When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, 'Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.' Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, 'First sell me your birthright.' Esau said, 'Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?' And Jacob said, 'First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright." (Genesis 25:29-34).
The above is the story of Ghanaians when Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah admonished “…for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent. “…the long battle is over and our beloved country Ghana is free forever"
Free Forever? I doubt! What is freedom if our individual identity is linked up to the total superiority of the white skin where used and torn broni panties are better than our own indigenous Ghanaian names? Many a Ghanaian over the years has deviated from their culture and has adopted foreign names which they don’t understand and could not pronounce correctly. Worse of all is when these indigenous Ghanaian names are being spelt English. The recent increase in the adoption of ‘twinglish’, ‘ewenglish’ (twi and ewe blend English names) etc is detrimental to the development of the Ghanaian culture and identity.
Oheneba Akua Manfo (formally Blakofe), shared a story of an encounter she had when traveling from London to Kent. She said “I feel it is important to use my Ghanaian name at all times. More so as the naming of a Ghanaian child is very key to our culture. As a Ghanaian, just by telling you my name, you automatically learn something about me (I bet many of you did not know my father is the Sanahene of Asamankese and hence the Oheneba)”.
Names such as Kwame Nkrumah, Yaa Asantewaa and Kofi Annan are names that are proudly indigenous-unadulterated! What we see today are Ghanaian names shamefully spelt. Kwame, now spelt Quarme, Kofi spelt Qouphi, Kwesi spelt Quacci or Cwesi. Frimpong spelt Frympong or Phrympong, Etornam now Er Thor Nahm
The implication is that we are gradually becoming a nation of low self-esteemed Ghanaians with feelings of worthlessness having a skewed mindset that a blend of English to our Ghanaian names will place value on our personality. I felt wonderful knowing my name is Asiwome (meaning, In God’s Hands) because this was the first information I had about who I was, the real me, and where I’m from.
A Lost identity also denies us the privilege of cultural affiliation. That also denies us traditional knowledge. An Anlo bred Ghanaian who has never stepped foot at KIA speaks and you wonder if the White House is his/her home. It’s called LAFA (Locally Acquired Foreign Accent) – fashionable huh?! You are lost!
Many of us eventually lost our language and names making it almost impossible to bridge the language and culture gap
From Twinglish, Ewenglish etc to second-hand plates, dresses, panties and bras, what else is left as our birthright, culture and identity? We forget that one without a name is one without an identity and one without an identity is a lost individual.
" Many of us eventually lost our language and names making it almost impossible to bridge the language and culture gap"
We have sold our identity for a pot of fashion and a loaf of westernization.
Enyolynn, Koffy, Kel (Kekeli), Ephua, Efya, where are you all from? Leo Caxton (born Ibrahim Idris), where are you from? Where are you from Se L Orm?
Proudly Ghanaian at least by name. What a about you?
Signed:
First Name: Asiwome (unadulterated ewe name)
Last Name: Tei-Mati (Traditional Ga Adangbe name)
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