DANIEL ANABA

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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT II

REPORT ON ENTRY TO KWEIMAN

On getting at Kweiman, after a wait, we were welcomed by the elders of the community,

who duly informed us that the chief was not present at that moment. The community had no

queen mother. However, it was said that they will soon have a queen mother.

The modern system of leadership involves the assemblyman and unit committee members. The

elders were therefore to serve as the representatives and stand in for the chief, to brief us on the

history of the community and to give us details on livelihood and general knowledge of the

community. The name of the linguist was Daniel Tetteh, and he was assisted by the other elders

in conveying the information to us. Two students who were fluent in Ga had been elected to

serve as the mouthpiece on behalf of the students, and also to relay the information from the

elders.

Kweiman is a large town in the La Nkwantanan municipality. The name Kweiman

originated from a man called Kwei who first settled there in the year 1829. He is therefore

recognized as their forefather, and five generations have come since his arrival. The population,

as we were informed, was merely about 600 almost 4 years ago. Now though, it has increased so

much so that we were told that conducting a census is a near impossible task. The land size is

approximately 600 acres. Five communities surround Kweiman, of which include Ayi Mensah

and Danfa.

Staple foods consumed include garden eggs and tomatoes. Most of the households, as we

were informed, grow most of the crops they consume, and quite a number also rear domestic

animals such as sheeps and goats. Their main market place is madina, since it’s the closest to the

community . We were told that some of their taboos are that, farming is not done on Fridays,

with some reasons that one might meet spirits in the forest and also this day is dedicated to

communal labour and also this day is a resting day for their forefathers. Another taboo is that no

one rears dogs in the community because it is believed that they have evil spirits.

In terms of education, there are two main schools in the community. One is a Presbyterian

primary school, whilst the other is a municipal school JSS. We were informed that once a child

was of the right age, they were prompted and encouraged to attend school, thus we saw very few

children when we arrived.

The dominant religion in Kweiman is Christianity. However, there are also traditional

worshipers. As a Ga community, the festival they celebrate is the Homowo festival.

In terms of economic and financial staus, there is no bank in the community. However, we were

told people form financial institutions come to the community to transact business. Also, there is

no police station in Kweiman. The police are called to the community in times of need.

QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY ELDERS

WHY HISTORY OF KWEIMAN?

The elders of the community asked why we questioned about the history of the community and

the reply given was that since we will be carrying out our research in the community, we needed

to know about the community, what is expected of us and how we can peacefully interact.

BENEFITS OF THE COMMUNITY FROM THE SURVEY

Another question posed by the elders was how the community will benefit from our research. It

was explained that recommendations from this research will help the community make informed

decisions and also know potentials and limitations of the community. Also, it was said that

recommendations from our research could aid bring developmental projects to the community.

ANY PARTICIPANT MOTIVATION?

Lastly, we were asked whether there would be any motivation for participants in our survey,

especially children. We informed them that since our survey is purely academic, it is not a

guarantee; however there could be.

WALK A walk through the community revealed important land marks in the community including a

chief palace, a community center, a road network which passes through the community and links

Madina to Dodowa, a football field just by the community boundary and a forest. Also, there is a

Ghana water company in the community.