My spouse Anne and I made a decision to go to Ghana after our buddy from Minnesota invited us to journey along with her as she visited household again dwelling. Neither of us had been to Africa earlier than, a lot much less any growing nation, however the urge to journey to a spot like Ghana has been with me ever since I started working with Wisconsin Microfinance over 10 years in the past throughout my undergraduate years at UW-Madison. Having completed fairly a little bit of journey to different worldwide locations in Europe, I used to be shocked to search out Ghana way more chaotic and noisy than anticipated (notably the visitors!), but in addition so welcoming and pleasant. The black star of Ghana symbolizes the emancipation of Africa towards colonialism, and celebration of Pan-Africanism (unity of the continent towards colonial oppression).
Whereas the consequences of colonialism are certainly nonetheless affecting the financial system and skill for Africa to thrive in worldwide markets, native Ghanaians maintain all positions of political energy and black tradition is alive and thriving within the streets of Accra and Cape Coast. Ghana has shortly turn into one of many premier locations for vacationers wishing to go to West Africa, notably for a lot of African-People interested by returning to the land the place their ancestors have been shipped out as slaves. Cape Coast Citadel serves as a monument and brutal reminder of the abject struggling and centuries of inhuman oppression that adopted the Trans-Atlantic slave commerce.
Nana Obokese Ampah, Chief of the group of Moree, brings us as much as a quiet constructing with a big walled courtyard shaded from the beating solar with a wonderful hand-made straw roof. Residence of his “Obokese Basis” and “Obokese College of Excellence”, that is the place Nana and his crew work diligently to help the close by group of Moree and the encompassing areas via entrepreneurial, enterprise, academic, and management courses. On the ground is a big plaster-built curled-up tiger, and Nana sits on the throne chair along with his ft resting under him on a pillow.
The Chiefdom group is alive and effectively in Ghana. It exists as a well-respected establishment for group management, each by politicians in addition to widespread individuals. The identify “Nana” is the Akan/Fante expression for the ruler or chief, and Nana Obokese is the regional ruler of the group of Moree, a sprawling city simply outdoors of Cape Coast within the historic Asebu area. Moree and the encompassing areas has a inhabitants of over 100,000 individuals, and is dwelling to the historic Fort Nassau, the primary Dutch buying and selling submit established within the early 17th century for participating within the slave commerce.
In the present day Moree is dwelling to a bustling fishing financial system, with Nana Obokese himself to thank for a lot of current rebranding efforts to be referred to as the “Metropolis of Mild”. Driving into the city as night time begins to fall, we come to a roundabout with a big bronze statue of Farnyi Kweigya, acclaimed “father of fishing”, holding a big fish.
As we stroll via the filth streets, clouds of smoke pour into the open air of the rows of tin-roofed homes. Nana has taken us right here to observe the ladies smoking right this moment’s catch, preserving the fish for future cargo inland to markets in Kumasi and Accra. The financial system and society of Ghana’s Akan individuals is inherently matriarchal, the place ladies make lots of the monetary selections within the household and switch property and inheritance rights.
We speak to some ladies who present us how they wash and smoke the fish, which have been caught that day and positioned into the “chilly storage” till they’re able to smoke.
Different enterprise actions in the neighborhood additionally focus on fishing, together with the distribution of “premix” gas and the mending of fishing nets. Nonetheless, it’s also a group that wants primary providers like meals and beverage distribution, hair styling and trend, and social providers.
By making Wisconsin Microfinance loans obtainable, Moree will be capable to deal with many infrastructure issues together with sanitation, flooding, road lights and street networks. There’s a robust demand for these microfinance loans, which can inject a lot wanted capital into the financial system of Moree. Nana Obokese defined that he has an obligation to help the residents of his group, whose issues usually middle across the lack of cash. If anyone will get damage and wishes surgical procedure, there are little assets obtainable as a result of most individuals don’t have a financial savings funds obtainable. Extra capital circulating in the neighborhood will ease this burden and make bigger infrastructure initiatives obtainable. Many of the building initiatives in Ghana occur with out capital advances like mortgages or building loans. Because of this, building on houses and buildings solely occurs when a sum of cash turns into obtainable as revenue, and investing in building of their property is a option to solidify these belongings.
Nana Obokese is dedicated to growing Moree right into a vibrant group. He firmly believes in the identical ideas of microfinance that Wisconsin Microfinance advocates for, akin to lending teams, low rates of interest, and loans primarily to ladies. His spouse Sarah is a specialist in finance on the native Assinman Rural Financial institution in Cape Coast.
Anne and I had an opportunity to sit down down with Sarah to debate the small print of the Wisconsin Microfinance program. Loans are at the moment obtainable for the poor at this financial institution department, nonetheless they’re required to cost a better rate of interest than what we’d be capable to supply with Wisconsin Microfinance. As well as the mortgage functions at this financial institution are on the person stage – through the use of lending teams Wisconsin Microfinance will be capable to depend on group social stress to supply loans to individuals with much less credit score historical past. We will depend on Sarah’s experience to manage the mortgage program in Moree.
We completed our go to with Nana by receiving a present from him – a historic wood statue of a girl holding a basket on her head. This can be a present for Tom Eggert, president of the board at Wisconsin Microfinance, to represent the partnership between our organizations.
Nana then took us to a photograph studio to attempt on some conventional Ghanaian clothes, a celebration of our appreciation for Ghanaian tradition and a enjoyable option to finish our go to.
The necessity for capital in Ghana is nice, and by focusing on the group of Moree as the following vacation spot for a Wisconsin Microfinance program we might be forging a robust partnership that may hopefully function a template for future Wisconsin Microfinance packages in Ghana and elsewhere on the African continent.
