cholas - urbanlab.org Ghanaian assocaition in London.pdf · 3. Gold Coasters in Britain:* Students...
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f ., "'~",: .. . . DE'JELOF'MEI\IT H STUD'{ GHAI\IAIAt" MIGj;-:f~NT ASSOCIATIO"~S IN LONDON By Ni cholas AtampLtgr-e. . . ..
Transcript of cholas - urbanlab.org Ghanaian assocaition in London.pdf · 3. Gold Coasters in Britain:* Students...
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M I Gj;-:AI"'TS Af'~D DE'JELOF'MEI\IT
H
STUD'{
OF
GHAI\IAIAt" MIGj;-:f~NT ASSOCIATIO"~S IN LONDON
By
Ni cholas AtampLtgr-e..
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"':'~~~;:~T';';:' '"'-"'c, "l: - COUNT~:Y F'~:OF I LE
A~:EA Af\iD F'OF'ULATION
At-ea (sq. km) 238,537
F'op'_llation (CensLIs ~:esLIlts)
1 Mat-ch 1970 8,559,313
11 Mat-ch 1984
-Ma 1 es 6 , (:)63 , 848
Fem "' les 6 "'"':P'" "'"':P"':P"" , ..:; ;...:;., ..:;."';"";'
Total 12,296,081
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Estimate as at 1989 14,566,(:1(:)(:)
Density (per sq. (.::m) 59.2
F'opulation by t-eqiQQ( 1984 CensLIs)
Westet-n* 1.157.8(:17
C -
n ';'
t -"'
l* ': l '
14 ~""':P"':PC" i: '- "" , ..:;. , ...;, ...;, .oJ
Eas tet- n* 1 ,68(:1,89(:1
Ashanti * 2, (:19(:1,1(:1(:)
Bt-ong Aha~o* 1 ,2(:16,6(:18
Gt-eatet- Acct-a 1,431~099
'.)01 ta 1 ~ 211 ,9(:17
Not- thet- n 1 ~ 164,583
Upper East 772,744
Uppet- West 438, (:)(:18
Total 12,296,(:181
*Sou~~ce= Central But-eau oT Statistics
ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE F'OF'ULATION (1984 CensLls)
I
Total Employed Males Females Total
'"'6 " (-1'"' 9 '"' 78 C" 4 ""' 1 co 4 ..,..,
48 '-
)L ~ '-' I , - L L , .oJ ,.oJ .oJ , ..:;.~ , ~
Unemploy§g 87,452 7(:1, 172 157~624
. Total laboLlr ~orce 2.724.481 2.855.623 5.58(:1.1(:11
*Sou~~ce: ILO Yeat- Book oT Labour Statistic.§;
F't-incipal Ethnic Gt-OLlPS (196(:) CensLls)(% o~ total popLllation)
AI-::an 44.1%
Mole-Dagbani 15.9%
Ewe 13.0%
Ga-Adangbe 8.3%
GLlan 3.7%
(
GLlt-ma 3.5%
Othet-s 11.5%
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GI-IANAlt"::jN MIGFI":ATION INTO BFI":ITAIN: A HISTOf':ICAL O\JEf"':'v'IEW
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Al though there at-e no rl":!adi l'y' a'v'ai 1.:lbl e docLlmentarY evi dence
on the -first Ghanaians to settle in Bt-itain~ it is gerti:;:,)t-ally
accel=,ted that the po~-t cit); o-f Livet-pool ar,d Cat-di-F-f attt-acted
a si gnii":i CCl,I-1t. nLlmt1et- ,:),F Ghanclians. f"':e't":e~-ence has been Irlade to
a celebt-.-::\tion o-f c\I-1 P,d.::'\e (A~::an) -Festival in the "Liverpool
a~-ea ~\jhet-e trlet-e is CI. la~-ge colony o-F Gold Coast people and
F'alm wine (a local ,:;jt-inl.::) is available">:';. Nevet-theless~ when
the GI-,anc:-,.iar, migt-ant commLlnit)' is being con'=idet-ed!l attention
iE. LISI_!E:Illy -FclcLlsed orl the l':lttE'~- dCI); migrclnts whose ir,-rlLI:.: is
signi-ficc\nt outside po,..t cities. F'ot-t ~ities historically
att,'-act people o.f diver-sE' nationalitiE.\s as a t-esult o-F
mat-itime tt-ade. As SL\I=h~ they do not necessa~-ily t-e\/eal the
caLlses o-f Illi g~-ation. TI-'E' impetLls -fOt- ~-ecent mi gt-atot-y -flows
hc\s be,:?n mos.tly dLle to bott-1 economic and political -facto~."s.
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A new bt-eed o-F mi grants
It is 5. (:)(:) alrl ~ tt-,e 3~- d o-r Feb~-Ltat-.}1 ~ a t-Cl. tl,el.- co I d and -rt-osty
Mondc\)-' Ir,orning. j:::tl.JclberJC\ AdjE'i ~{ descends the escalator at
~:::ing"s Ct-oss statiorl to boat-d the 'Jictot-ia Line. It is his',.
-fi~-st day o-f \I"ot-I::~ and~he is te'Tlpo~-at-ily ~-eplacing Osei!, (a
Ghanaian) who is 1":J-f-fici'::1.lly" :ill bL!t irl reCl.lity was depot-ted
the day be.Fore -rOt- not hav'ing "cort-ect,r papet-s. As he t-eaches
the SoLtthboLlnd Victot-ia .line plat-form~ he .Finds a vet-y ct-owded
pI at-form o-f onl y bl acl.:: .F~\ces. To the 1 eft of the pIa tfo/'-1T1 ~ he
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obset'ves a gt-OLlP o-f aboLlt 11:) yoLlng men bLISi ly chatti,ng away.
They a~-e discLlssing the recent A-ft-ica CLip o-f I\lations
toLlrnament arld ho\-J Gharla WOLlld I-lave won i-f Abedi F'ele had not
been disqLlal i-fied -fOt- the -finals. He has been attt-acted to
the ct-owd be CaLISE:' tl-ler' are spea~::ing his rlative langLlage~
"T"'Ji". As he dt-a",'s cJ.oset-~ he t-ecognises Agyel'::Llm~1 a childhood
-frj,end +t-Clil1 the v'i llagE'.
Adjei is 27,>'t-s old and has nevet- been to school. As a t-esLllt~1
he can neither read not- wt-ite EngJ.ish. He arrived irl the U.~:~.
two wee~::s eat- J. i et- havi ng le-ft Ghana 7Yt-s. ago ent-OLlte to
Libya. I-lis +it-~t stop o~tside Gharla was BLlt-~::ina Faso whet-e he
Wot-~::ed -first as a sh':Je shine boy and then as cl cobblet-. He
managed to sa"\'e some money .to continLle his j\:!Llt-ney to Lib,>'a.
His t-e18.y migt-ation tool.:: I-liiTl to Ci-lad whet-e he sLlccess-fLllly
ct-ossed ti-le desert or! i=oo.t .to Libya~ with a badge o-f 15 athet-
Ghanaians, 7 0+ whom +ailed to endLlt-e the deset-t heat and died
o-f thit-st. Irl Lib'>!a~ he marliEl.ged to sc\ve Lip to $5~1:)I:)O oft-om a
Vc\t-iE'ty of= odd jobs. Un-fot-tl_lnately~ he Wii:\S Llne::pectedly
depot-ted f=t-am L i b,>'cl to Ghana.
Adjei t-E'pt-esents Ci. new bt-eed o-f migt-c\nts whose single motive
,.+Ot- leaving Gharlc! i'::;; a desire to SLlcceed in li-fe~ a desit-e
demonstt-clted by a high level 0+ ingenLlity' and creCi.tivity
SLlppOt-ted by sheer detet-mination. It is ci bt-eed that I-las
contt-ibLlted to changes in. the chat-actet- and composition o-f the
GhanCi.ian commLlnity in Bt-itain.
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Gold Coasters in Britain:* Students or Collaborators
A centLlt-y agCJ~ Adjej. would nevet- 1-la.ve SE't -Foot in Bt-itain~
Ltnless he came as c\ ,jofflesi:ic set-vant o-f Bt-itish colonial
o-f-Ficials t-etLlrning -fina.lly oft-om the it- tOLlt- o-f 'Ipaci-fication".
The Ghanaian cl~mmLlnity therl (called the Gold Coastet-s - Gold
Coast was renamed Ghana at Independence) consisted o-f names
1 i ~::e Bannet-fflar) ~ E!t-ew!1 F' i E,.tE)t-Ser,!, Fet- gLtsorl, HLttCI-li son, HLltton-
Mills, ~:einrJot-f-, SCIITI!i Sat-bclh, Hagan, de Gt-a,ft Hay'+ot-d and
QLlat-t,=y-F'a.pCi.-Ficl.. Plltl-IOL~h the:' rl~1mes mal' not SOLtnd A,ft-ican,
the.y' v./et-e j. n ,fact memtlet-s OjC ,fami 1 ies o-f the coastal towns o-f
Elfflj.na!, C.::o.pe Coast~ AlloITlabl_l!, Saltpong and Acct-a. Invat-iably,
they WOLi.ld tIe 2nd or 31.-cj gE:r)c~t-,:;;.-I:iorl c:lescf=r-lcjc;lnt.5 o,f -Fami].ies
l,-Iho ha.d either con'vel-.ted to christianity!, or born o,f cni:.:ed
mat-riCi.ges o'F ELlt-Opeans who had integt-ated into the Gold Coast
lil::e the l1Jj.lliaffl HLltcl,isons, Bt-odie Ct-Li.ic~::shan~::s, and Johannes \
Zimmet-fflanns. As a. t-esLi.lt!i betweerl 1885 and 1.915, thet-e was a
s.teady ,flow ,~+ abOLi.-I: 5(:1 Gharlaians in each decade (aboLlt 5
Gt-,ana.ian,::, a y'eat-) j.r-,to Britain. MC:iny o,f them were sent by
tt-,eit- ,families to stLtdy, sc.me o,ften convet-ting theit- stLtdy,
,.visit to a. pt-Olollged Stclt. Fot- e:.:ample, James HLltton Brew and
Francis HLltchison cclme to Bt-itain in 1888 and 1898
t-espectively to stLldy bLlt sLlbseqLlently stc,\yed on to wOt-~:: cIS
Land COfflpan)/ pt-omoter. ,':\nd jOLlt-rlcll ist t-espectively. I ri
genet-al!i Law was the most -favoLtred sLlb_iect with engineering
and Medicine beirlg PLtt-SLled., by relatively f-ewer stLldents.
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The pt-esence o'f this eat-ly Ghanaian commLlnity is best
t"emembet-ed by Ar thLlr Wrlat" ton ~ sari o-F f':ev. Herlt"y What- ton, a
,
blacl:: Mif1istet- -From Gt-enada (Cat-t"ibean) settled in Cape Coast,
who Wi:r.S the +i t"st to t"Lln 10(:) metres in 1(:) seconds at the
Bt-itisl, AmateLlt- Athletics Association meeting in London in.
1886. The -Flow 0+ Gh.::'\nai'::lns into Bt" i tai n in the ear 1 y 19th
cerltLlt"'y' was thet-e+ot-e domini:r.ted by this collabot-cltionist class
~rhose t-eason'5 +Ot- COfj-1 i ng tc"! Br i tai n i ncl Llded ti,e mai ntenance
0+ missionat-y ],in~::s, pt-omotion o-F Bt-itisr. bLIsiness intet-ests
"' ncl th "'" rl l " "'::' I' I 'l' t ',J:. '=:.-I" l 1(' \ ,; ,"'\0;,
C\ \7.: IJ-, ,..!". l_,- -,--_J-_.,.
I ndependence: The need -FOt" tt-ai ned pet-sonnel.
. .AlthoLlgrl .:lescendants o'f the collabot-ationist class t-emi:r,ined a
sigrli-FicClr.t component o'F the Grlanaiarl commLlnity in the U.~:::':'
the socii:r.l at- i gi ns 0+ the Grlanaiarl coffirrlLlni ty began 'to change
~",i tl, th.~ cldV(~rlt o-F severc:\l GrlariCliarls sponsored speci-Fi cally to
pr_It"SLle stLldies t-elevant to govet-nment administt-ation. Mt-.
Cobbinc:\ Ci:r.lTle to Bt-itairl irl 1953 as pat-t 0+ a gt-OLlP 0+ Ghanaian
Civil Set-v"3rlts sponsot-ed to StLldy irl the Urlited I':::ingdoffi as
part o-f trre tra:lning pt"ogt-clffiITle set LIp by 'trle colonial o-F-Fice.
~-Ie t-ecalls the sitLlation when he +it-st iElt-t-i'-,ed. lIlt was
di++icLIlt to meet Ghanaians wrlen we arrived. These days:, \
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whet-evet- YOLI go, YOLI 'ftnd them all ovet" trle place". Mt-.
Cobbina belongs to that category o-F Ghcln.:\ians wr,o cclme to
StLldy bLlt rlave since not retLlt-ned, althoLlgh they rrlal,:;e +reqLlent
tt-ips home. Fot- ITlany 0+. them, . post illdependerrce Ghana is -Fat-
+t-om what they dreamed o-F when they were sent here to study.
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The pol ic).' o-f sending Ghanaians OLlt to stLldy on go\~et-nment
scholat-s.hip continLled well a-ftet- indeper.dence. As pat-t o-f a
pt-ogt-amme o-f a rapid e:.:pansion o-f s~::illed manpower,
scholat-shi ps wet-e made avai lable to man'.; Gl-lanaians to stLldy i rl.
Bt-itain. Piiongsicle those coming on Ghanaian gov(;:,t-nmen.t ancl .
Bt-itish C':JLlncj.l scholat-'ships wet-e also sons and some daLlghtet.s
o-f rich -t':amilies i=rOIrI .the col=oa .::Ind gc!ld pt-OdLlc:ing AI,;:an areas.
11,;.\ny stLldents -fr':Jm these at-eCl.S', wet-e sporlsot-ed by tl-.e Cocoa
t'lat-~::eti ng Board (CI"ID), al.thougl, thet-e WE't-e a -few who l-~et-e
sponsored by' the it- Y,"tlr,ilies. Some o-f the t-enowned t-ecipients
o-f CI'1B scl,c!J.ar'ships who stLldied in Bt-it.::lin inclLlde the late
Dr. Joe Appiah (Gharla"s ~-oving amba.ssadot- in the 197(:)"s) and.\}ictot- [JWLI.SLI~ CI. I;:'t-esidential candidate dLlring the 1979
elections. EdLlcation abt-oad W.:IS not only pt-estigioLls bLlt also
o-f-fered one CI. I-lighl')' pEtid job, o-ften accolrlpanied witI-I a
IbLlngalol-',j and a cat-. DLII'-irlg this pet-iod~ the tLlrn ovet- o-f . !
Gha.naians was high since mar.y' stLldents Wet-E' an:.:ioLIS to t-etLlt-n
home to ta~::e I_!P t.he i t- jobs.
The COL!r.:' d" tat OY 24th Feb~-L!at-y 1966 whi ch ovet-threw the I
.Fi t-st post i ndeperldence go'vet- nment, headed by Dr. .:::wame
I'J~::t-L!irl'"th a.nd his Convention F'eople"s F'at-ty (CF'F') govet-nment.
shoL!l d have pt-OdLlced the :-'F i t-st badge o-f pol i ti cal re-fLlgees.
Howe'.'et-, there wet-e o-f-fici.:\lily -few re-fLlgees. The mass
chat-actet- o-f the pc:"\t"ty and govet-nment - popLllat-ly 1.:;nown as the
govet-nment o-f vet-andah boys - enSLll'-ed that many pat-ty
activists withOL!t any 'dit-ect histot-ic.:ll .ti~?5 C)t- socicll lin~~s
with the U.I:::. couJ.d not co~iidE!t- B~-itairl as a -fit-st option o-f
~:~~~,~.~,"-'1'~-,",.-'-
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t-e-FLIgE. In any c:asE~ Irlany pat-ty ac:tivists and leadet-s eithet-
denoLlnc:ed their own goVet-nmE'nt pt-obably to ~:;a\'e their s~::ins 0/'-
wet-e swi-Ftly detained. The -few who had lin~::s with. B/'-itain
owed i.t more to thei r stLldent days. The pt-esenc:e in the
Br i tish pat-l i ament o-F F'aLIl Boateng whose -Fathet- was a melrlber
c:.-F NI,::t-umclh"s govet-nlrlE.'nt bLlt whose Irlothet- is British beat-s
testimony t.CI this.
1970-1980: THE SEEDS OF THE EXODUS
Ti-le dec:ade begi nr.i ng 197<:) C:OLll d be seerl cIS the pet- iod when the
e;.:odLI5, wa.s begi nrli rig to be nLlt-tLlt-ed. Al thoLlgh the seeds o-F
ec:onolrlic: C:t-isis ~AJet-E' begirinil-ig to gerlrlirlatE~ it was -Fat- -From
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ac:ti ng as a PLls1-1 -Fac:tot- .Fot- elrli gt-ation. The 2nd c:ivi 1 ian
goVEt-rllrlent o-F Dt-. t:::o-fi Busicl~1 whic:h c:alrIE into o-F-Fic:e irl 1969,
was beginning to -f'~el the ec:onolrlic: pinc:r1 t-e-flec:ted in Bclla.nc:e
o-F F'a,;'merlts d:l-F-fic:ulties~ spec:i-fic:all.,.' t-ooted ir, the twists
and tutOrIs 0+ trle c:oc:oc:-\ ir1dLIstt-y. By 1971 ~ the shot-tage o-F
impot-ted c:onSLlmet- itelrls was a signal o-f thE' pt-oc:ess o-F dec:line
in the ec:onom>!. ThE' govet-nment SOLlght to restore the paymerlts
baJ.ance .tl,t-OLlgh cln IiVlF stabilisation +urld wl-lic:1-1 entailed cl
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The aLlstet-ity measut-es whic:1-1 WE't-e implemented c:orltt-ibLlted to a
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militat-y C:OLlp against BLlsia"s govet-nment or. the 13th o-F
JanLlaly1972. The C:OLlp howevet- -Failed to I-.alt the dec:line o-F
the ec:onomy. Instead it sowed the seeds -fOt- a new bt-eed o-F
Irligt-ants into Britair,. AlthoLlgh there c:ontinued ar, in-Flol-J o-F
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Ghanaians - mainly those with t-elations already settled here - .an irlct-easinQ nLlmber o-f }'oLlng women became t-egLllar visitors to- .Bt-itairl. They wet-e popLllat-ly ~::nown as the Gol-f girls (Gol-f
Cars bei ng thei r statLls symbol) and erlgaged mai nly in the
impot-tation o-f conSLlmet- items dLle to impot-t licences given'
them dLle to theit- pet-sonal lin~::s with militat-).' o-f-ficet-s in
govet-nment. Ivlan}' o-f them wet-e not higl-lly educated~ t-ely'ing
essentially an tt-ade in COrISLllTlet- items .For the it- SLlt-vivcll. (~
s i gni-f i cc1.nt nLlmbet- o-f thelTl -FoLlnd themsel v'es hLlsbands in
Br i.tai n and settled do~\)n wl-lerl tl-lE'i r economi c -fOt-tLlnes
decl i nl~i:j"
In gen'~r"al ~ thi" migt-ato~,>' patterns -fallowed the histot-ical
pattet-rls~ with edLlcation being the mast impbt-tant -factot- i-f
even mast erlded Llp being pet-petLlal stLldents or t-athet- stLldent
Iwor~::et-s." Although ti-let-e was a "Scigni-ficant emigt-cltion o-f
Gl-lanaii£\rls in seat-ch o"f bE,ttet- e'conomic -fOt-tLlnes~ Bt-itain was
riot ti-le -fa"yOLlt-ed ria tion. Get-many tende'd to hast ITlany
Ghanaians whose pr ilTlary' objecti'v'e voJas to accLlmLllate money
t-api dl'y' and ti-let-eb"y s-,eCLlt-e thei t" -fLltUt-e and those o-f thei r
-falTlilies. To this day " HAMBORGA " is Llsed to t-e-fer to a
category. o-F Gharlaians with limited edLlcation who t-etLlt-n to
Gharla a-ftet- havi ng ITlade money abt-oad. The i t- sta tLIS symbol S
,.at-e L.lsLlally, "Jet-t-,' cLlt-led~hait-I'~ a Met-cedes Benz Ot- BI1W and a
ITlansion Llndet- corlstt-Llction.
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THE DECADE OF THE EXODUS: 1980 TO DATE
When the N i get- i an Goy.et- nment e;.: pe 11 ed Ghana i arls -Ft"om N i get" i a
in 1983, it was the -first time the wot-ld had an idea o-F the
scale of the e:.:odLls -Ft-om Gl-lana. AlthoLlgh st.:\tistics in A-ft-ica-
are ~::nol.:Jn to be notorioLtsly inaCCLtt-ate, about 1.5million
Ghanaiclns Wet-E' estimated to have been e:.:pelled. Wha.t is
impot-tant is not the aCCLtt-acy of the -FigLlt-eS bLtt the sizeable
commLtnit,>' of Ghanaians living oLltside tl-,eit- coLlntt-y o-F bit"th.
Although ELlt-Ope~ Llnli~::e Nigeria, did not clbsot-b so many
Gha_rlcliar..; irl so shot-t a timE'~ wl-lat is Llndeniable is the
e:.:istencE? o-F a sizeable Ghanaian commLlnity irl ELlt-Ope. The -
Uni ted ~:::i ngdolrl is one coLlrltt-,>1 whi ch 1-1,:-IS attt-acted many
Gh':-ln,:-lians as -a rE?sLllt of histot-ical ties. Thet-e I-las been a
dt-amatic j.rlcreasf;' j.rl t-ecant times~ althoLlgh the commLlnit)-' has
consolidated its pt-esence ovet- a longet- pet-iod.
The t~umbet- o-F Ghanaians in the U.K
It is \/it-tLlally impossible to obtairl arl acct.lt-ate -FigLlt-e .Fot-
the nLllrlbet" o-F GI-,ana i ans in the U .1.:::. CensLIses condLlcted by the
Bt-itisl-l Go'vet-rlment rlevet- speci-Fied coLlntt-ies o-F origirl.
Instead, it ct-eated bt-oad c':-ltegot-ies SLlch as West Indian,
P,-Ft-icarl, Indiarl~ F'a~::istani Dr Barigladesi-li etc. ,:-IS t-evealed in
the 1981 popLllatiorl cenSLlS. FLlt-thet-more, it is particLllarly
"difficLIlt to ta~::e c\rl acc6t-a-te cerlSLlS o-F Ghc\naians living in
the U.~:::. The di-F-FicLllt-y is t-ooted in Immigt-ation Laws which
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cat.egot-j.se the majot-it)' 0+ Ghanaians ~'l.s illegal immigrants
sLtbject to t-andom depot-tation. As a t-esLtlt~ many o-f them
a.'void showirlg LIP or1 statistics. The Ghana I-ligh Commission in
London has +oLtr1d it \'i rtLlally impossi ble to Ltndet-ta~;:e a cenSLIS
0+ Ghclnaians CLlt-t-erltly residinq in the United I;::ingdom. !VIr.- .Fot-djoe who came to Bt- i tai n in 1956 as a stLtdent and
sLtbseqLterltly wor~::ed as a wel.Fat-e o-t:-ficer with the Ghana High
Commission .Ft-om 1964-69 indicates that their recot-ds had the'
+igLtt-e o'F 35~(:)(:)(:) Ghanc\ians in 1967/68. Ivl,.-. Ben Aryee~ ~oJho
wor~::ed \.vj.th tt-IE f-ligh Commission bLtt curreritly WOt-~::s -for the
Gharla Union pLlts tile nLlmbet- o.t": Ghclrlaians (whose names showed
Ltp on the commj.ssion"s t-egistration list) at 250~(:)(:)O as at
1985. The Gt-lana Url i orl ~ i,.,;h i ch 1-lclS eiTlt-::'r gE,'(:! .::\S arl UITlt!t-e 11 a
orgi::lrlj.,:::,atj.on +Ot- rrlc\rl}' Gh.:lnc\ian commLtrlity. grOLtpS is o-f the view
tl-.c..t tt-.e -Figut-e shoLtlcl be apPt-oact-lirlg thE' one million mat-~;:,
especj.ally i+ choildt-en ~t-n o-f Gharlclian pat-ents at-e inclLtded.
PllthoLlgrl this. f=i gLtre is pt-obably e:.:agget-c\ted, wrla.t is
i ncontestclb 1 e is the 'ver}' 1 at". ge Ghanclian commLlrli ty cLlrt-ently
t-esiding in the U.I':::.
For .the PLlt-pOses o-F this stLtdy~ a lo~'./et: -figLtt-e is more
relevant beccILtSe tilE' 1i1ajor i t.y 0+ those who clcti.vely pIa)' a
t-ole in commLlnity organisations at-e those bol"-n in GhanCl and
rlave t-egLtlarised their StClY. in ti-le U.~:::. Those categot-ised as
illegal imrrlj.grclnts o-ften a'/oid any SLICh gathet-ings.
Invariably, since .tt-leit- objective is limitE'd to t-aising -fLtnds \
..
and theit- I iv.es sLlt)_iect" to random deportation i-f they at-e
cal_lght bt-ec\~::ing the law~ they o-ften avoid SLICh gclthet-irlgs and
"".
c,,~i:i:;:h;;
. ,-x-. ,0
at-e t-E'll_lctant to fl1al.::~") ;:,ny -financiaJ. commitments to groLlp
activitj.E's.
- .The Contt-ol 0+ Immigt-ation statistics, U.K. does o++et- some
indicatiorj o-f the volLlme o-f t.t-a-f-fic between Ghana and the.United I:::inqdolrl bLtt is 0'(- littlE' LIS(=.' wherj it comes to. -
determining the e:.:act nLlmbet- o-f Ghanaians CLlt-t-ently residing
in thE' U.f:::., and ~'.Jho -fOt- all pt-actical PLlt-pOses consider-'
themsel,,"es I='let-manerltl"l t-esiderlt het-e. These stc,tistics only
t-ecot- d arlnLla 11 ')! triose l."Jho h.:\ve been accepted -Fot- s~::~ttlemerlt in
the U.~:::. 1-lc)wev-et-, considet-ing the di'F-ficLllties in obtaining
perlrlanent settl ement het-e, it carl be conc J, Llded that the
figLlt-es beat- little t-esemblance to t-ealit,>'. The nLlmber- 0+
triose Ir'Jr,c, t-eside irl tl-le U.I':::. Ir.Ji-tl-iOLlt pet-m.:inent t-ight o-f sta,>'
pet-l-jaj::lE',; e:.:ceeds by Irlore than 1(:) times the nLlmbet- wj. th
pet-Irlarlent settlemerlt. .
GHANA I AN PASSPORT HOLDERS GIVEN LEAVE TO ENTE~: THE U. ~~ .
CATEGORY 1985 1990
Tota 1 ad,TI it ted 38,4,(:)(:) 38,7(:)(:)Ot-dinat-.,l visj,tot-S 2(:),4(:)(:) 15,40(:)
ElLIS i ness 6,68(:) 6,89(:)
Tt-ansit 4',7(:)(:) 5,6(:)(:)StLlderlts 61(:) ~ 840
Diplolrlats 18(:> 16(:)
F'asseliget-S F:etLlr r,i ng:
b i m i ted J, ea'v'e :1, .. 35(:i 1 ,,83(:)F'!'-e'v' j, ousl.,,1 settled 4.,,19(:)* 7 .. 28(:)~:
WOt-~:: et-mj, thaI det-s-t-'de endents 5(:> 6(:)Admit'ted ALl F'ait-
HI_lsband/Fiarlcee 1(:»'~ 3(:)*
Wi'FellFelrlc\le Fiancee 1(:»'~ 8(:)*
Othet-s giverl leave to entet- 11(:) 370,.
~
AcceptE'd ,For settlemerlt 6(:)* 1,2(:)*
0 n a t- t- i 'v' .:;_1
"',
\ , ..,., -'_.;0. ".-
The most indicative o~ CLlrt-erlt t,-ends the data on
passengers retLlt-ni ng as previoLlsly settled, those admi tted as
hLlsband or wi-fe (aLl pair) and the nLlmbet- accepted -fOt-
settlement on at-t-i\lal. The vit-tLlal doLlbling o-f the -figLlres o-f
those ca tegot- i es t-ept-eserlti ng Ghanai ans ~'ljho tOes ide Qet-e Ot-
intend to t-es ide het-e permanentl y is i ndi cative o-f the
inct-easing nLlmber 01-= Gt-lariaians settling here legally within
SLlch a short space o~ time. It cOLlld also poirlt to the larger
nLlmber settJ.inq illeqally. The data -fOt- the year 1973 con-firm
- _. ,
the signi-ficant inct-ease in .tt-lE' volLlme o-f trcl-f-fic and
per- m c\ n E; r"i .t ~:.; I:::~ 'l:, L 1 E~ in (,' rl i~ '"\ s: <:, C) in r:) c\ r' e cJ t c; ": I., (E' .t r' end .t h.:( t de \' e lop e d
oft-om the beginning o-f the 80"s. Elelow at-e -figLlt-eS indicative
o-f the trends in tt-le 7(:)" s.
CONTROL OF IMMIGRATIONS STATISTICS
.' 1973
'Total admitted 11!f(:)93
y'isitot-s -for- less tl-lcln12 montt-is (inclLlding tt-ans,it) 7!f288
StLlderlts 691
ALl F'a i r -
,
Diplorr,ats and theit-
deperldents 236
WOt-~:: F'et-mit holdet-s
and .tt.,ei t- dependents 83
Othet-s gt-anted leave to
enter- -for- 12 months 63
F'e..-sons t-etLlt-ni ng to the 2,636
u. ~:::. -ft-orr, tempot-at-y clbserlce- ..abt-oad.
-,
f .""'~~
- '3the social and ethni c balance in the Ghanaian mi gt"ant
commLlni t)./. Thet-e is now a high pt"OpOt- ti on of t-ecent mi gt-ants
who at-e yoLtng soldier-s Ot- ot-dirlat-y civilians ~-Jith little
edLtCa t i on.
.Political Factot-s.
AlthoLtgh militat-y intervention stat-ted in 1966, the period
beginning 1979 mat-I::E.\d Ci, rle~.,1 .tLlrn in the crlaractet" of Ir,ilitary
COLlpS. The Ltpt-ising o-f 4th JLtne 1979 ~"ias a t-ebeJ,lion o-f
jLtniot- ran~::s agai nst thei r senior o-ffi cet-s. Apat-t from those
who died irl combat, it t-eSLllted in the o-f-ficj,al e:,:ecLttion of 8
seniot- at-m'y o-fri'cet-s~ Or which 3 ~"iet-E' -For met- I-leads of State.
The .tht-ee morlth go'v'el'-nmerlt that ~'JctS installed - The At-med
Fot-ces f;:evoILltionat-y CoLtnci 1 (AFF1:C) - therl led by CLlrt-ent Head
of State, FIt. .Jet-t-y Jorlrf j;':awlirlgs, pt-esided ovet- a pet-iod of
social Llprleaval ~-Jhicrl IE'i::t an impt-int on Gl-larlaiarl politics.
This Llpl-leavcll a'F-Fected la"-ge segments o-F civi I society.
TrlE' t-etLI"-I-1 of r:;:cl~JI ings tht-oLtgh another COLlp d" tat orl tl-,e 31st
of Decembe,.- 1981, tl-lis time cIS head of ~ the F'rovisional
1'-Iatiorlc:...1 De.IFence CoLtnci 1 (F'NDC) represented a contirlLlatio'n o-F
the politica.l t-ep,.-essiorl tl-lat I-lcld begLtrl in 197~'.. Since 1983,
270 dea.trl sen.tences a,.-e I,::nown to I-lave been pctssed in trle
Gl-lanaian COLt,.-tS, mainly' by F'Ltblic Tt-ibLlnals (a jLldicial body
set LIP by the F'NDC). Of these, there have been 95 jLldi cicll~
..
e:':ecLltions, 23 of ~Jhich I-la'v'e beerl identified by Amrlesty
Intet-na,tional as political e:':ecutions. This compares with 1
,-:;~:.: ;;;~'::!.- ---
..::Ii "C""[,~~~ C .--
c,'+ c '~k
,c,t.~
'It)
jLldicial e::ecLltion Linder the -fir-st independence gover-nment,.2 "
e:.:ecLltions by the military. t-egime - the National Liberation
CoLlnci 1 (NLC) - that ovet-threw the 1"~::rLlmah govet-nmen:t in 1966.
Unti 1 1979, thet-e were no other e:.:eCLI ti ons.
.
AlthoLtg,"! the ITlajorit).' of Ghanaians who have settled het-e have
come fot- econ'::lmic reasons, thet-e has beerl a dramatic inct-ease
in the nLlmbet- seel.::ing pet-lTlanent Ot- long tet-m settlement het-e
-for political t-easor,s. Between 1979 and 199(:)~ the Home O-f-fice
t-eceived a t.otal nLlmt)er- o-f 3~385 applications .For- political
aSy'lLlm. Below is the )iear-l.y distt-ibLltion o-f asylum applicants.
APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM BY GHANAIANS
YEAR NUMBER
1979 . . 122
198(:) 29
1981 13
1982 4(:)7
1983 689
~
1984 337
1985 175
1986 22(:)
1987 153
1988 17(:)
1989 225
,.
..
199(:1 84.5
*Sout-ce: Bt-itish ~:e-fLlgee Council DocLlments.
-.
I - ;,
. \1The abov.e -fi gLlt-eS do show an. i nct-ease in asyl Llm appl i ca tions
coinciding with pet-iods of= instability,
SLtch as the JLtne 4.th Llpt-ising in 1979 and the COLtp d'etat o-f
31st Decembet- 1981. These -fi gLtt-eS at-e Llse+Ltl as poi ntet-s to
trends, especially the scale o-f the inct-ease o-f Gtlanaians
see~;:ing "pet-manent" t-esidence here. O-f signi-ficance has been
the i r,Ct-eas,:' i rl the nLtIT,bet- o-f asylLtm see~;:et-s wi th
edLtcati on, a +actot- WI-I i crl t-I';:lS a-F.FectE'd ti-le stLtderlt Ot- iented
natLtt-e o-f Ghanaian IT,igt-ar,ts. This rialS been dLte to the social
Ltphea\'als since 1979 involving all stt-ata o-F societ,>', bLtt mOt-e
impot-tantl'y' the lowet- stt-ata especially within the at-tried
-FOt- ces .
GHANA~S ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
The most telling ir,dicat.or o-f the sevet-ity o-F Gharla's econolTlic
pt-oblems is the scalE' o-f the e:.:odLts o-F Ghanaians ir, search o-f
bettet- economi c oPPOt-tLlni ti es. Al thoLtgr1 .trle statisti cs do
pai nt a gt- im pi ctLtt-e o-F the E'conomy dLtt- i ng the last decade,
the best testimon,>' i's the 1 iving E':.:pet-iences o-f those who I-lave
had to l'~clve.
D~:. Vandet-pLtiye* is cl geologist oft-om a middle class Ghanaian
-Family. He gt-adLlated -ft-OITI the University o-F Ghana, Geology
depat-tment in 1977 and wot-I.::ed -FOt- 4 years as a govet-nment
geologisi.:. I-le at-t-ived in the U.I.;::. in 1981 -For -Fut-ther studies,
..
..
completing witI-I a F'.HD. Since his completion, he has Wot-~;:ed
as a ~;:itchen porter irl a hotel not too -far oft-om BLtC~;:irlgham
.. .,
-.
,
. :"" !
- '6palace. "llJhy should I go hc.lme. I-F my coLlntry canrlot a-F-Fot-d to
ta~::e care o-F me, I owe cl dLlty' to m.ysel-F and my -Family to
. -
enSLlt-e thc\t we do not stat-'ve. It was a nightmat-e worl,::ing as a
regional geologist. It was impossible to .t'::eed my -Family. Ovet-
het-e, althoLlgh iTl)' edLlcation j,s Llseless, I am SLlt-e my <=.hildt-en
wi 11 not, go hLlngt-)' as lorlg as I WOt-~::".
Dr. 'v'andet-pui ye r.ep,-esents the team i ng nLlmber 01': Ghana i arls o-F
all soci a.l layet-s Ifo!ho rlave had to see I-:: economi c t-e-FLlge in the
Urlited I-:::ingdom. Unable to legalise theit- stay~ they at-e
compelled to ta~::e Lip menial jobs since employment
oPPOt-t.Llnities in the U.I:::. commenSLlt-clte with theit- s~::ills o-Ften
t-equit-es .f'_lll t-esidence statLIS.
The' pt-o,=ess o-F ecorlolTlic decline which rlas led several
Ghanaiar,s to l~C),ve the- coLlrltt-y has been attt-ibuted to a
pt-olonged pet- iod c,f." ,?conomi c m i siTlarlagement whi crl began in
1972. Th i s pet- i oc1 has been chat- actet- i sed as one o-F econom i c
y.aci llatiorl iE..nd ad hoc sOlLltj.ons~ ~!itrl at-my genet-als dit-ecting
tl-le econom)! intI-Ie w.:.'i..y' tha.t 'they please. A-ftet- the COLlp
d" tat o-F 13trl Jclr,Llat-y. 1972 wrli ch broLlght in the govet-nment
o-F Colonel (latet- l:7Ienet-a.l) Ache~\mporlg:l trle natior, went tht:'OLlgh
Cl ser i es o-F ill thoLlgrlt OLlt clnd o-Fterl contrcldi ctOt-y pol i cies.
Thet-e !1-Ja.s cr, unilatera.l iTlot-a.toriLliTl on deb.t servicing pcipl_ll.:.'i.t-ly
I-::nown CI.S the YEN TUA(we shiElll not pay) polic~.}! liElter to be
-Followed b.>' CI.n IMF stabiliscltion progt-amme; c\ Pt-oposed shat-e
,...
rlolding scheme ir, ili,jLIStt-y clccoiTlpanie'd with mc\ss dismissal o-f
stt-i~::j.lig ~Jot-~::et-s; an agt-icLll'tLlral policy pt-omoting state -Farms
~',
~ I ~:"'"-
. '7and latet- a pol icy .t.hat pt-ovided hLIge loar)s to pt-omote large
scale capital j.ntensive 'Fat-mirlg especially il:-1 the cet-eaJ.
prodLlci ng no/- thet-n regions o-f the coLlntry.
Al thoLIQrl the economi c e-f-fects o-f the above had begLln to ta~~e a-. .sev'et-e .toll by' 1977~ especially with the Vit"tLlal
institLltionalisation o-f cort-L\ption it was only in 1983~
-follo'/'Jing a pt-olonged pet-iod o-f dt-oLlght, trlat the economic
disastel- W.:I.s most evident. F't-isorlet-s wet-e dying in theit-
nLIITlbers as ",i. resLIlt Oi= .:;tat-'\lation~ whilst those l.4Jho wet-e {=t-ee
-foLlnd set=Llrirlg a d;::\~'s meal arl impossible tas~::. MalnLltt"ition
t"E'.£:\t=r,E'd sLlcrl I e\'e 1,:; tl-I.:\ t ne'ar 1 y e...'et-y' ci ti zen wot-e wr.at was
,=alled trle RawlinQs~ Cha!!} - the hollow collat" bone at-OLlrld the
nec~:: whicrl becomE':::, c\IJpi::lt-E'I-,1: ,:lut-:i.l-ig 5f='.'/E'rE' O-li.:llriLltt-itiorln
The econofTlic $t.:l.tistic~ show,~d that Gt-oss Domestic F't"odLICt
(GDF') in 1983 \!-Jas only' 7<:1% o-F its, whilst pet- capita GDF'
de,=lin,:;)d t,:) 6<:):~ Ot": i:I-,e 197<:) level. Cocoa e:.:pot-ts -fell to 33%
0+ its peal:: 1968 1 e' e 1 ~ wh i 1st totcll e:.:por ts cIS a pet- centage
o-F GDF' -fell {=t-om 28~~ in 1960 to 4.4% irl 1983. F'ot-eign e:.:change
t"eset-\'es rlad -fclllen tCI lln5~~ o.t": impot-ts in 197(:) and COLlld Drily
covet" 3 months impot"ts o-f b'3.sic inputs. Agt"icLIltLlt-ewhich
gt-ew on an avet-age bf=.'t~\)eerl 5. 7i~ betweerl 1955-6(:i decl i rled to c\
negcl.tiv'e growth o-f -8.3:-:: betweerl 1980-83. F'er capita -food
pt-OdLlctiorl was rlegative' -fat" most of the 7(:)"s and 8(:)"s, witrl
cet-e.:l.l c-lrld cocoyacrl pt"oduction in 1980 'Fc-llling by 22% and 46"1. \
,..respectively' o-f .tr,E' 197(:) levels. t"lar'LI-r:actLlt-ing capc-lcity
Llti 1 isation -r:el1 by 2(:)-25;~. In-flatiorl t"eacrled 117"1. irl 1981 as
-.
:";:15';'" :"~J¥;~;""".""~ !,...~~;,~~~'" ~::,- '". ~~.'- '
."~- -
I . ~
. '.compat-ed to its avet-age 0+ 7.5% in the 1960"5, and t-eal
minimLlm income in 1983 was 32% 0+ its 1977 level. At the pea~::
o-f the dt-oLlght indLlced in-flation in 1983, the minimLlm wage
coLlld co".et- only 2.6:~ o-f the minimLlm acceptable bLldget -fOt- a
-family o-f -five pe-!ople. .
By 1986, UNICEF had estimated that the total nLlmbet-. o-f
hoLlsehol ds below the 1978 povet-ty 1 i ne was pt-obclbly mot-e that
5(:)% o-f the popLllation. Attendarlce at govet-nment heal th Llni ts
-fell b)-' o,,-et- 4(:)% oft-om 1'::-;'79 -to 1984 mainl)-' dLle to lacJ.:: o-f
SLlppl ies and the e:.:odLIS o-f medi cal sta-f-f abt-oad. I n-fant
mortality' whicrl sto':Jd at 85 pe't- 1(:)(:)(:) in the late 7(:)"5 t-ose to
12(:) per 1(:)(:)(:) and was I:.?ven wot-se -fOt- the not-thet-n pat-ts o-f
Gharla. I\jLltritiorl,-~1 SLlt-ve.y's condLlcted in 1982/83 showed the
,=alot-ie inta~::e o-f childt-en t"iclS below 69% o-f theit- need whilst
pt-oteirl inta/::e. was lE'?'s than 87%. The Catholic relie-f
set-vices t-,:.?cot-ded a shat-p inCt-eclse o-f mot-e trlan 34% in
L!ndet-weigrlt pt-e,-school crlildt-erl betweerl 1980 and 1983.
Irl genet-a.l, the - econolrlic statistics cori-fit-irl the t-eal li-fe
e:.: pet- i ence o-f Irlcln':J" Grlarla i ans wr,o have hcld to 1 eave the
coLlntt-y. I-/owevet-, th,:.?y do not e:.:plair. the detet-lr.irtation o-f
people, some ~-litrl minimclI edLlcatiorl and little social" and
histot-ica_l contact ""ith Eu'.-':iP':=!, to see~;: a bettet- li-fe in
EL!t-Ope, neithet- do -they e:.:pl.::\irl why they orgc\nise themsel-ves
into Irli,~t-arlt associations rlot- mairltain active lirl~::s with their .
societj.es o-f ot-igin. Fot- an e:.:planation o-f this, we have to
..
..e:.:amine thE' social ol"-ganiscltion within the al"-eas whet-e IrIOSt o-f
trle migrants ot-igi'-ICI.tE'.
"',
"'..cr".c~c..".",',f,,"',:""':'
,- ._'"~-
f .~-
. ,.~
SOCIAL ORGANISATION WITHIN ZONES OF EMIGRATION.
.
I~n over~'Jhelming nLlmber o.F Ghanaian migrants ot-iginate oft-om the
SoLlthet-n pat-t o-f the coLlntry~ particLIlarl)' the A~~C\n ?pea~::ing
people o-f whom the Ashanti at-e the lat-gest and histot-icall)'
-FclmoLls gt-OLlp., Ti-lis is dLle to several -factot-s. The largest
single ethnic gt-OLlP in Gha.na are the A~::Cln WI-IO ma~~e LIP aboLlt
44.:/~ o.F the tOtcl]. popLllcttion o-f the coLlntt-y. The t-errlclindet- at-e
divided into 5 Otl-lt~t- lctr.ge lingLlistic/ethnic gt-OLlpS. The
Mole-Dagbarli who mal.::e LIP aboLlt 16/~ CI-F the popLIlatiorl inhabit
the not-thern part o-f the c:oLlntr.}"~ the E~}e WI-IO sl-jare a bot-der-
with Togo ma~::E' LIP 13~~~ .the GcI--Adangbe who inhabit the capital ~
Acct".:;.~ a.lld its SLlt-t-OLlrldin'd distt-icts ma~::e LIP 8% 0+ the
pctpLlla.i.:iorl~ ti-le GLlc!n cIJr,stitLl.tE' 4~.~ arId the GLlrma a].so ma~::e LIP
4% 0-F the tota.l. popLlla.ti~n. There ar-e hovJevet- other- minot-ity
gt-OI_lpS sci:l.ttered i:I.ll o','et- the coLlntt-y who do not -Fit these
ci:I.tegot-ies. Thet-e-fot-e~ I:;:)rl the basis 0-F popLIlation alone~ it is
Llrldet-s tarldab 1 e why the.,' t-ej:'t-eSel"it thE' 1 ar.- gest gt-OLlP wi thi n the
fTli gt-ant commLlni ty.
The A~::ari i:I.r'~as cllso possess ti-IE' riatut-,;:tl t-eSOLlt"'=E'S whicl-l wet-e
the rrli:l.j.rl SOLlt-ce LJf7 ct..t.tt"i::\CtiOll f70t" ELtt" Ci I:JE'i::t I-I coloriiset-s. Gold~
diamoncls ~ C:incl Otl-ll~t- rrli r11~t-ctls aboLtnd i rl the PII.::clrl at-eas. Timber ~
cocoa~ palfTl IlLltS clrld othet- -fot-es.t t-eSOLlt-ces at-e typical 0-F
tr,is troj:iical -Fot-est belt. Its nc\tut-i:l.l t-esource base not only'
~
..
attt-acted ear.-lier contact witl-1 ELtt-Ope bLtt <O:'Ilso made it an area
o.F active tt-ade. E\/erl pt-iot- to colonial irltervention, the
~'.
I .";~~
. ~o
t-oute o.F tt-ans-sahat-an tt-ade i.-eachE'd the A/::c:-:in sl=)ea~:: i ng -fat-est
zones whet-e ~::ola nLlts .::lnd gold wet-e j.tems o.f high demand.
.When colorli.:l.l intet-vention changed the trade patterns it was
ma in I y to enSLlre direct supp I}! o-f these pt- i m.:it-y Pt-OdLICtS to
ELlt-Ope. ,
The eat-I}! i ntt-OdLlction o-f commodi ty Pt-OdLlction, especially of
i telTls Ii (.::e gal d and COCO.:1 whi crl at-e not conSLlmed in any
signii=icarlt qLlantities locally stimLllated '::1 bLIO)/ant mor1~y
econom').-'. To this e::.;-ten-t prodLlction was not merely -fOt-
SLlbsisterlC'~ bLlt trlainly. of,:::!r accLlmLllatiori o.f wealth. As a
reSLll t, the pt-ocess o-f soci a 1 di -f-Fet-enti at i orl begLln in the
A~::an .:I.t-e.:l.s ml_lcrl E'.::lr 1 i et- .:ind t:,:iStE't- th.::lrt in otrlel.- pat-ts o-F the
coLlntry. Trle ril-:llt::!::::.t PE'(:iple j.l-j GI-j,:lri.:\ tcicl.:i,;! i::lt-igirlate mainly
-ft-':im trlE A~::arl spea~:: i ng at-e.:iS" As -fat- b.:l.c~:: as trle 18trl CentLlt-y,
encl.:l.-,,'es o-f mid~letrler, grew LIp, with' some being wealthy enoLlgh
to send t.heit- crlildt-en OLlt to ELI~-ope -fOt- edLlcation.
Tr,e' aboy-e' p~-ocess rl.::15 1 ed to tl-,e ,jE"-'e 1 opment o-F .:\ CLll tLlt-e o-f
accLlmLi.lCl.tion which h;;:"\s become .::In essential P.:it-t o-f the social
, ~
~' -f.:\b~- i c o-f trle A~::an. SLtcces"s i rl A~::an CLll tLlt-E' is meaSLtt-E'd by
~~\ j) th,~ tAle.::l]. th trlat or1e has CI.CCLllnLtl B- ted. Evei.-y. Asrlanti man Ot-
womarl asp i t-es to owrl his Ot- her- own rlOlne, a des i tOe combi rled
wi trl CI. stl.-ong terldenc'y- t:Ot- domesti c i ndeperjC"J'~nce" The ethi c
OT aCCLttrlLllCl_tiorl is believed to be t-ooted in individLtal
er,deCl_-VOLtt-. Trle abserlcE' o-f -fLllly developed capitalist
,.
..
t-elations o-r: Pr-OdL!ction - o-f a propet-tied class owning most o-f
the lCl.nd _. hCl.s enSLIJ"-ed tha.t smclll hol det- ofa~-met-s have been the
"',
c.'"
- ~-~~"...I_I- . - . --r- - - -.- . . ;~"J~
bacl.::borle o-f the econom).!. Ur11 i~::e Ivot-Y Coast~ Ghana did not If~[;);..
develop any plantation CI.gt-iCLlltLlt-e. The e-f-fect of becoming ';;;,i;':i
. '-;':'~;t-ichLlsing family laboLlt- has ensLlt-ed that individLlals con tin LIe :;.:~;:;
";~~~~i
to asp ire tow at- d!:", wea 1 th tht"OLlgh the i t- owr1 endeavour. .;:~eic:::!..
:,:. 0'",
':~
Anotliet- -fac-t.or ir1 r.il.::clrl l-':Lll.t.Llr.E' is .the SY!:"ltEoffi of inhet-itance ,:!,'c;'J and identity~ An ~ndividLlal ~elOngS to his/het- mothet~S lineag~ ,:!;;~$f~,;:
\ or clan and lrlliet"lts -Ft"om hlS Irlaterrlal Uncle. To thl~ e:-:tent~ :d~!;:;\
~~~c-z,
hLIsband arid wife belong to dif-Ferent domestic and clan gt"OLlpS. ~~l;i:~~[{~"~'
~:tt'HLIsband and wj, .FE' of-ten .:lCCLIITILll ate we.:ll th i nd i v'i dLlally. All I
,..,
~l~~
propet-ty that a wi-Fe acqLlires whilst mat-t-ied~ inclLlding ~~,.,""~
";"propet"ty that she 1-la:; inlierited belongs to her" and ~:i"..
. ~JYJ
The hl_lsb':lnd has n,:! shat-e i rl '5LICh pt-opet-t)./. A pet-son" s t-eal ~:,
halrle irl 1~11::an society is riis/i-ler Irlotrlet-"S rlome whet-e he,/she is
entitled to ",l r'oom. This sy'stem o-F inhet.-ita_nce rlas a
'"
disirltegratirlg in-fILlencee on trle -FaITlil'y' Llnit and t-esLIlts in a
disper'sal o.t: a pet-SOr1"s accLlmLlla.ted i;,ssets. AlthoLlgrl the t-ight
o-f i rlher i ta.nce -fi t-st goes to a man" s jLlrliot- bt-other (s) in the
.:!bsence o-f wholrl the -F i t-S t nephew will i nhet- it, thet-e have
been i nstc\nces a-f con-fl i ct ovet" pt-opet-ty bEotwEoerl bt-othet-s and
nephew!:".. Trle t-esLIltant con-Flict has sometimes lef=t childt"en
a-F trle decec...:;ed t-iomeless Ot- led to c:l -ft-agmerltation o-f his
proper" t'i.
When land was the ma in pt-opet-ty to be i nhet- i ted, its
disintegt-atirlg e-f-FEoct was less pt-OnoLlnced. Larld as a -Fi:-:ed
....
cl:!lrlmodity mei:!nt trl,:\t with inct-easing popLllatiorl, it became
less arid less avail"'lble to indi-vidLlal melrlbet-s o-F tl"\e clan.
"',
. . T--
. ~~
Irll.:::rec:\se(:J iridividLlal accLlmLllation th,,-oLIgh t"-.:\de and economic
entet-pt-ise has o-ften genet-at(~d a lot o'f con-flict when it comes
to dE.'te,.-minj.ng who is °to inherit sLlch p,.-ope,.-t).'o As nLlcleat-
+ami ly p,.-opet-.t).' becomes less .:.'Ind less a gLla,.-",\ntee 0+ a secLlred
1 i i=e -fo,.- marlY' yol_lng men:l the pt-eSSLlt-e 'fIJ"- each yoLlng irian to.i3.ccLlmLlla.t,~ his own wecllth oLltside the traditional system o-f
i nhe,.- i tarlce has become a pronoLlnced rE'atLlt-e. Si nce the
a\'enl_Ies +or ~Jealth accLlmLllation in Ghanc\ have been declining'
,.-apidly over' trle )'E.'a,,-s!I e::ternal mig"-c\tion rlas been the
+avOLlt-E,d opti ori. A cenSLlS 0+ Ghancli ans in nei ghbour i ng
COLlnt,.-ies:, c\S \-.Iell as in ELlt-Ope arid (~me,.-ica wi 11 LlndoLlbt.edly
srlow c\n ove,.-\-.lhellrtj,rtg p,,-opot-tion 0+ A~::an spea~::ing Ghanclians.
E:.:tet-rlal migrc\tiorl also t-,as its cld'Y'clrltC\ges in that it allows
r':Jt- t-a.pj.d clc'=umLI].atiorl withoLlt orle"s ~::in t-elations Irlc\~::ing
delTlands ori y'ou.
. .
To conclLlde!l the o"-ganisatior! 0+ A~::arl t,.-aditional society
especial].)' ti,e emprlt=\sis trlC\t it pLlts on individLlal wealth
acqLlisition~ trle ,.-apicJ deterio,.-atiorl o-f Ghclrla"s economy
'::OiTiti:i.'-lf:.;\d v.Jj..tll c\rl Lln-Fc\voLI,.-at,le political clilTlate have all bE'en
.F.::i.,::.tcJr's:. t."Jrlj. ch rlc\ve se,.-y'ed as caLIses 0+ emi gt-a-tion.
"
.
"'",
,. -, ~~.
~~
GI1AI'Jf~ I f~N Ivl I GF<:AI\lT ASSOC I AT I OI',IS 11\1 LONDON I;ND T~-IE I F<: COI\lTF<: I BUT I ON
TO DEVELOF'MEI\IT ACT I V J: TV 11\1 GHAI\IA.
.
Migt-ant associations at-e a t-elatively new pherlomenon. A}thoLlgr
Ghanaian? who ot-iginate ft-om common towns or t-egions did meet
ft-eqLlerltly~ it was by and lat-ge in-fot-mal~ o-ften on the
occclsion 0;'.: bet-eav'ement Ot- child bit-tho 1~llthoLlgh assoc.iations'
o-f Ghanaians did e;.:ist~ trley -ft-eqLlently' too~:: eithet- a
pt-o-fessiorlal Ot- pol i ti c'::ll ci-lat-actet-. Associations sLlch as the
Ghana F'eople"s Solidc\rity' Ot-ganisation~ the Ghana Union~ the
~. J Ghana La~J.,/ers AssociaJcion and London bt-ancl-lf=:'S o-F Grlarlaian
poli"tic~ll pat-ties v,jet-t~ the mot-e pLlblicised gt-oLlpirlgs of
Ghanaians irl "the late 197(:)"s.
SolTle o-F the actfi\/ities o~ Grlarlaicln ITligt-ant associations based
on to\.'Jns Ot- distt-icts 0;'.: origin f=it-s.t came .to Ii grIt wherl the
Lorldon bc;.ISE!d Wee~::l't' joLlt-rlc\l West Africa Magazine .stat-ted an
E'./ENTS colLtmrl. (-IITlong the .Fit-st ev"ents pLtblicised was the
meeting 0"1= tl-1'=:' Omanr\ene (pat-amOLtn.t chie"\C) o-f I":::waliu with rlis
sLtbjects or, the 24trl o-t": October 1982. SLtbseq~uer,t pLlbl i cati 0'"1S
ITlentiorlecl thE' e;.:isterlce o-f the JLtaberl (a town in SoLlthet-n
Gl-lal-l,:l) P,ssociation o-f the U.I.:::. ~"Jrlicrl WC:lS organising arl Easter
darlce on the 28th o-F December 1983. As the yeat-s went by, an
i nct-easi rIg rILlmb'~r o.F SLICh orgarlisations begarl to publi cise
the it- acti\/ities in the magazirle. Despite the advertising of,.
..these '::Ic.tivities~ thE't-e has been .vet-y lit "tIE' intet-est in trle
a.ctLlal ~Llnctiorling o-f these ot-ganisations.
~'.
;:~~,j;;;;,..;~1~"
~."~
. .~~
. 4'1.+
An ovev'v'iel-l of= Ghi.:\naiar\ community. organisations cLtt-rently
opet-ating in Londorl show 4 main categories. Thet-e at-e
.Village/Town Associations whic!i bt-ing togethet- all those who
originate f=t-om a common v'illage/town in Ghana. These at-e
consj.det-ably -FE'Wet- sirlc:e i.t is di-f-FicLlli: .to f=ind a. large
numbet- ,?'F Ghanaians in London originating -from one tol;'ln.
Thet-e at-e Ethnic i::\nd Clan Associations whicl-1 bt-ing t'ogetbe,'-
all those with a COlrlmon ethnic and clarl ot-igin. The stt-LlctLlt-e
o-F clans irl the AI::al-1 .tt-aditional system i':; not geographically
t contigLtOLlS, so clarl a.ssociatiorls do invo]..v'e people -From
1 di-F.Fet-erii: ",i.dmi'-lis.tt-",\tj.\',:::.' cl:i,s.tt-:lC.tS 6:'i.rid t-egj.ons-,. These at-e also
compat-ativeJ.y -Fev"E.'j- sirlce tr,eir ,T,embet-ship is dt-awn -Ft-Olrl a
siTlallet- so,=j.i:"\l spclce.
.Thet-e at-e also Distt-ict and r.;:egional Unions I-;lhose objective is
to bt-ing tcIgether people -Ft-l:Jm orle distt-ict Ot- ,'-egion.
Ft:,:=!gion.::i.l Ur1ions at-e t..:rle ,=it-st line o-f -fot-matior, wher, people
t-ecogrlise .the rleed to ot-garlise bLlt do not ha'v'e cl sLI-f-ficient
membet-ship to '=o.rlstitLtte ,:lis-,tt-ict Ot- towrl bi::ISed ot-ganisations.
~-Iowe'v.et-, as the corlcentv'a.tion o-F Ghci.rlaians has inct-eased,
distt-ict aSSOCii::ltions tend to pt-edominate.
Old Boy I~ssocia,tions bt-ing togetrler all Old Eloys o-F some o-f
the ma.jot- secondat->' schools irl Gharla CLtt-t-ently t-esiding in the
United 1':::ingdoITI. The',! '::1t-e initiated as t-esLllt o-F the,.
~
inct-easing rjlJ.fTlbet- o-F GI-lana.ians who rlave comE.' het-e on -FLlt-thet-
stLldies bLlt have con.vet-ted thei t- StLldy leave to semi-pet-Irlarlerlt
~'.
""""'-1111118 . ~:~J
'a.s \;",;C. i::f;~
t-esidence. The membE\,.-ship tends high 1).' equcated and at-~ I;"£~
,i:",,¥
o-ften pt-eoccLlpied wi th tt-yi ng to pt-eset-ve image o-f thei r- ,;';:;f'
. :~';~'\7!1,cAlma mater dLlE to the bt-ea(.,:down o-f edLlcational \:i":iit~:
.~:~
which has accompanied decline. major-:~
~ \ ,:;:;
area.s o-f activity~ apart -fr-om social gatl,et-ings~ -fLlnd '.)B':'
-:t-a.isi ng .fot- the pLlrchase o-f boo~::s and eqLli pment. ,
, c,'. ,t~
l'1iqr-ant associations di.F-F-et- accot-ding to the date o-f the it- '::~!;:- , . ;"':.'-F-ot-mation~ the size o-F theit-"mefubet-ship~ the dynamism o-f their :;::
,":::'c,
leaders and their capacity to bt-ing in iTlany member-sa ':C..,
The).' at-e Llrlited in the it- common objective o-F impt"oving the
wel-F-at-e o-F ITlembers~ helping the integr-ation
a.s well as pr-omot i ng a. serlse o-f i denti ty. The).' at-e concet-ned
aboLlt pt-ocesses ta~::illg place at I-I.ome and a.ssist as and wl-lerl
necessat-y.
..
~
,.
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. . :r~-"~=
.. ~'&
CENSUS OF GHANAIAN COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS IN THE U.K.
',) I LLAGE/TOWN ETI-II\I I.C /CLAN D I STFi: I CT /REG I ON
N~::oransa Asl::Jrlc\ Vemprel'::Lla Agona Fc\rl~::obaa ~:::LIW
AdLII::rom Oyo~::o AbLIsLla WG.'nchi (East/West)
OgLla AI,::oto I:::LIW M-fantse iVlpontLI ~::LIW Amansie Union
Se~::ondi/Ta,,-di E:,,-ett.lo j:ll~osLla AbL\a~::wa SLIsLlbiribi J
E-F-Fi dLlasi c' mty AdLlana/l~bot"adze 1':::wahLlmarl .
Nleshie I:::pee* AI'::Llona AbLIsLla I\lzema I~ssociation*
Mot"so ApetesLl-~:::OiCj. E1CLltLI t:::I'-OI-jl.:\ (I'::r'obo) *
Amarlianmpong {:I':;.:\rlteman (U.~:::) Dangbe Bii Hii A~::pe*
(I.:::t"o Ye ~:::LIO) (men's association)
MpLtSLlaman At~'IIima I':::at-oye ~:::LIO .Dot-maa Adar'isiman
NsLltaman Asan'te PII,::im Union
Begot-o Elrong l~ha'Fo Union
JLlaberl Am~'l.nsee
Sal tpond 11pl_IaSLtman
Be"-e~::LliTl L.:\r'terl Uni or,;
Techim.:\n I\lov'i I-la*
A~::ro~::et- t- i EweiTle Habobo~:
~:::~'IIabt-e ~:::t-oye I':~LIO
Sa-Dangme Ni ~~asemo As.:\+o*
GomLt.:\
The t\!ot-thet-rl FOLtndatiorl~'<
Shan.:\ Not"thern l-Jomen's Association*
A~::im ~:::OtO~::LI Association
:t:Trlese c\t-e as'soC!iatiorls c!'-F rlorl P,!.,:an spec:\I,::irlg people.
Othet-sGrlarla Urliol-l* - BiriTlingh':\ITJ
Nottj.rlgh.:\m
1\101'- trlamptorl
Glas';;:Jol--JAbel'- deerl
Lj.\,/et-r;JoolLeeds11a.rlchestet- ~
>:I"The t"espect.i\Y"e Llniorls bl'- i rigs togethet- all Grl.:\rlaiarls t-esi dentin the abo've cities. it-respe,=ti'vE' CI+ trleir districts/t"eoionsr- ..' -
Or Ot-lgJ.rl..
OLD EIO'{S ASSOCIATIOI\lS
A(J:l S.,,\df.2 J. 0]. d ElLi'}"::;;
Wesl,:=!y Girls 1-1igh Sclloo101 d AcrliiTlotans
St. John's 01 d stLlderlts ~
..F't-emperl co 11 egeOpO~::I_I. Wa'r"e 01 d Boys
ApaiTl Seconda,,"y School 01 d StLlderlts Association':;
~'.
;;;", ~;;:,::~"'"" c. '.~
.., :: --- . ~7 1
WHY THEY WE~:E FORMED -
~It-. Cobbina is ,Ft-om the Ashanti t-e,-;;].ion 0'/-= Gharla arid considet-s
himsel-F a. Gh.;'.niilian and an Asrlanti. I-Ie has been in London -For
mOt-e tharl 35 yeat-s bl_\t has avoided joining any o-f -the ~-nigt-ant
associa.ti':Jns -Ft-om his region. I'Sin,=e my t-etit-ement ~t-om the
Mirlistt-y o-f Tt-clde arid IrldLlstt-.'~ I a.m always at home. I do riot
associate m't'sel'f with tl,ese so-calle,j assl:Jciations. As -fa 1'- my
people, 'tl,ey adot-e tl-ie de':ld mot-e thclrl trley catOe -for the
li'ving. "(OLI heat- o-f; these associa-tions wherl someone i-::s dea.d Ot-
~vhen tl,et-e is c\ '::5I:Jcial gati-lering. II
It i'::; temp't_ing to ;':;Igt-ee with Mt-. Cobbirla It\Jheri \:Jne attends a
-furll,:?t-al Ot- nalTlil'g ,=et-emorlyot-g,::ll,i!se<j urider- -the umbt-eilci o-f
i:hes'~ as::Sl:Jci,ations. 1-"II:Jwe'/et-~1 or-I closer- e;'~amirlation~ SLICh
gathet-ings at-e mori;::. :lfflpClt-ti:lr,-t -ti'cln ini-tially iTlee'ts 'tl-,e eye. In
any- '=ase~ it is e'",'ident .tha.t hl~ t-ept-i~sents the e:-;cep-tion
t-ath':"?r tr.an .tl,e t-Llle. A si gni-fi carlot I'Llmber o'F pt-e-
independence 13I,al,.:£(j.a_r'i liliiJj""-"'lliC':;:; i.,,:i_\il;:: IJt~(;::ri sii~nii:il=,arftly'
in.tegrated il,i:o British soci(~t~v and 'FI--equerltl~xi rlav-e onl-y ;':;1
theoretical ::Ippr.eciai:ion o-F trle need 'to maintain their
cuI tLlt-al i denti ty.
The most impot-tal,t reasor'i that I,as led -to -tl,e FOt-mcltiorl 01-=
-these associa.tions is tl,e rleed 'to integt-ate into -the new
societ-y whilst main-taining.a serlse o.F idel,'tity. The pt-oblem
o-f integt-ating into cl I'I:'W cLIltLlt-e whicl, di-F-Fet-s signi-ficantly
.Ft-om the CLIltLlt-e 1:J-f l:Jt-i,;;)in is an impot-tal,-t \:Jne. As a t-esLIlt,
. '
,-
"J...,- '. .'
v . ~~
the pt-imat-y ob_jective o.F sLlch groups is to address pt-oblems
trlat .Face them in the nEW .;;ociety especially th,~se I'-elated to
thei t- wel-Fat-e. The stated aims LISLLally i nclLlde the pt-olTloti'~n
o-F '_Init'f clmQng ITlemlJers, the pt-ovision o-F wel-Fat-e and SLlPPOt-t
to membet-s o-F ti-le comml_lni.ty, mairltain a serlse o-F <=.U.ltLlt-al
identity, and lin~::s wi.th theit- to~o-Ins and dis.tricts o-F ot-Oigin.
Cultural roots
The i;I.;:an '=LIl.tLlt-e: is charactet-isecl by a highly sti.-LlctLlt-ed
5 ~I ~,:; ~: I::? li1 (J -f j.j 0 J. :L 1.: :L c: a 1 ,a Ll .t h 0 r i .t y. wit I-I .t t-1 E IJ a r ,EI In a u I-i .t chi e -1= cl.t the
pj.I-!I-ic\j.:l,~. Below .the Pclt-'3.mOI_lnt chie-f (a. ITlale) i.;; the '=lLleerl
mo.thet- (who i.:::; trle .Femclle hecld Oi= the Clan) Wt-IO is respol-lsible
.Fot- ,=t-,oosirlg the c:hif~-F, .:::;Llbjec.t to the {;:ippt-ov.al o.F i:t-,e eldet-s.
r"'L-- .- 1 -- a -- L ' m --"-- j - I -.- POI1 -. 1 .1- 1 ' 11 .. t " C OI - _ 11 1 ,' :1 11 ".- ."-"::- 1 . 1 -- 1 . n .l- h = ;:1111::: d.;:,!.) =:o.::o,II:::=>.=~ ~.I..! ,I-.d Ulilt.: ::o,;:o.,'d..::O '_~
at-,:::?a. Under the pclra.moLlnt ,=hie.t-= at-e .:::;Llb-chie-fs WilD hclndll~ the
administt-ation 0-+-= .the '1,-at-i(JLlS 'vi llages. I-Ie is assisted by
el,::!ers ,~-F tl-,e I.-e.:::;pel:ti',fe I.:larls v-Ji.thin tl,e 'v'i 1 l.:::\ge. I~ssistir,g
.the i.:rlii.=.F is thE Krontiherle~, i:he pf~t-SOn t-esporlsible -fOt- tt-le
I dev.'eloplnEnt o.f .tl,e at-ecI and -fOt- .tl-,e we 1 i-=at-e o'F ci.t i ;,:er,s. I-le
WOt-!.;:s ,=li.:Js,:::?ly l/Oli.tl, a netv"l/OI~~;: o'F Y'~Llth gt-OLlPS ccllled Asa-Fo
companies who Ilandle all il1obi I isa.tion -- .Fot- de\,r.elopITler\t cIS
well as "'Jat--f.E\t-e - ,3.nd t-epot-t dit-ectly' to r,iln.
In additiorl to this systeln 0+ political cIl,l.tl,ot-ity, trlE' i;~;:arl
notion o.f hLlmcln e:.: istence I'-ecognises a cycle o-F 1 i-fe wi th
sevet-al t-ites o.F p':lssage. A rlLlmal-1 bei'-lg hcIs botrl a phy.sical
and spit-itL'.al e:.:isterlce clnd the cycle consists o-F movemer,t
.
~,
"'-
," c_" "~..-,~~".~~c_-,~"-_.,.".~~~_.. '
~'c.,ir-",:,*...f~~ .' "iC, -C
":~~~"..:
':'
-Ft-am orIs Fot-m Oi~ e:,:is'tellce to 'the atllet-. i~S a resLllt, when a
child is boron!, he/'si-le is cansidet-ed a new ar-t-:ty"al oft-am tl-ie
spit-it wot-ld, whose trans-Fot-matian into physical e>:istence is
t-ecagnised 0111°'1 ai~tel'- 8 dclYs ~hen the chi Id is given a n.:-Ime.
The cr.i 1 d goes tl-lt-aLtgh puber ty and mat-t- iage and eve~ntLtally
death. DecI th is cons i det-ed as a pt-ocess o-f t-etLlt-n' to the
spit-itLlal t.'Jot-ld ,~r,d h,:ls impot-otarlt sigrli-ficance in A~~an
cLtltLtt-e. All ,'::,I,::.::,n li'/e in -Feclt- o-f dying in a way that will
not -Facilitate '::1 Sirlootr, -transitiorl irlto trle spit-itLlal world.
This wi II OCCUt- .. it':; the pt-,::)pet- -FLlr,et-al t- i ghts at-e not
pet--Fot-lT,ed, and is ,=onsidet-,::,d a Set-iOLlS ,jisgrclce 'to .:-,ny -Fami Iy.
Funet-al t-it,::,s i":':-lcili'tate the sepclt-a'tion a-F 'trle soul o.F the
dead -Ft-om 'tile 1 i\,;O~Lrli:J '3rld enSLlt-eS a smoatl-1 entt-"l into the
,,-.jot-ld o-f the ,~nc(;::si:ot-'::;. FI_lner-als .:-It-'::' ,:=;_ctLta,lly not considet-ed
pet-iods o-f ,j(;::ep SOt-t-'::)J..'J irl 'the sense -ti-lat irlatch ma~::irlg(gettirlg
m.:lot-ital pat-tn(,~'r's) is enCOLlt-aged dLlt-ing SLlch occasions.
The tJ..'Jo mast iml:Jor-tanot (;::'/er,ts in 'the 1~1-~an Iii":,::' cycl,::' - bit-tl-,
and deao'tll - ,::tl-so pet-'F':Jt-'-I-ls the -fLtnctian '::)ii: social cahesii.:Jn.
Con-fl i cts be-t~"'een i ndivi dLl.:-II s ,':\nd -F':lmi lies at-e e:,:pected to be
bLlt-ie,j on the occ",ision o°F ':-1 bii'-tl-, at- death within the -Fel_lding
-families. On thl'?se accaosians~1 all inembet-s o-F the commLlnity
come togethi:?i'- 'to ~'1j("~ll-=ome tile new bi.:Ji'-n or ,::Is=,:t~:;i: ii-I i:ll~::!
t 0 + °- ,- otl "" "j -- d J.- '-1-,- - P1' j - 1'J- Ll - I "' at - l '" "',1- 1'-- '--l--: LI -'-'- t- ailS 1 _1 url l:i,- 1\-::: I ~cl \..U \,,1,0; "", \.. cl ." l.J. J. '- :;;, c.,\l~c:I, ,:;;, ,-
I t~iS bacl';:9t-O'_l~d ~hat ~ne can b~st Ltndei'-~t-::Ind tll~~ empi-lasis th~t
m1gt-ant assoclatlons glyOe to b1t-th .:-Ind +unet-al-s. Fot- thelTi, It
is an asset-tion a-f i:I-leit- identit'y' as Ghanaians fi'-om a
pat-tic'_llar eothnic gt-OUP and t-egian in Ghana. It is this
-
;" 0 -'
identity whi(:h enSLlt-eS 'tha't they t-emairl sLlbject to theit-
tl'"aditional s'y'stem o-f aLlthot-ity and enjoins them to mobilise
. \
t-eSOLlt-ces to ,:tssist in developmen.t activity in theit- home
t-egions as aDd \",hen i:he need .at-ises. This is Llsuall'y' in the
-fot-m o-f t-eql_lests oft-om the pat-amol_lnt chie-f .to his ~ubjects
.cl_lt-t-entl:f Ijomiciled oLltside.
THEIR CONTRIBUTIOt~ TO DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY I~~ GHANA
CI~SE STIJ[)\' OI\IE
: /f!J"- t."I. U-I t # ~ .
TI-iE I:::W(~E{F: ,:::IJO (~SSOC I PI T I Of'-I
1"'11'". Tanv B':ia.tenq 11ai Is -ft-OfTl tile I:::w,::ibt-e Distl'" i c.t o-f tl-le Pish.::-.rlti, -
t-l~gion~ loca.ted to the 1,-Ies.t o-f 1.:::Llm.:lsi:t 'the ,=apital. I-le 11,3S
, . -.,. - J -I- d -I d . -- J- l -iJe'=?11 :LI-i );.::'-l"::i::l:i.ri .Y-'::it- '-II;?"::Ii"- .._; ,-\.--10 e'=",iue-s I-lOW cln lS CLlt ten\- j' ,"I
/ pt-\:iba.tiorl ':ii=-Ficet- liVit!-1 trl~ Ealirlg F't-l:ibatj.on Cerli:t-e. I-le i'::; all
e:-:ecLltiv-e irl~irIIJet- l:ii= the Kwabre Kroye Kuo~ tile assol=i.:I.l:ioll t":Ot-
all citizeliS l::i-f ~:::l---Iabl'"e distt-:lC.t. t-esiderlt in the U.~:::~ as well
as those a.F.y":ilj.a.telj -to i:rll;? 1-:::wab'--I~ dis-tt-i,=t b.,l 11icir-t-iage.
"The associai::ion l---IcIS stat-ted 1(:) yeat-s ago by a sfTlall gt-OLlP who
saw .the need ..Fot- memb,~t-::; --Ft-l:Jm the distt-ict to come togethet- to
pt-OITlote the it- ':il-\in wi.:?l.Fat-I;? i,.I)hell .trte ':lssociation W.::IS -fot-med in
1982~ trlet-';? r,.-Iet-e ,3boLI.t 3(~) ITlefTlbel'"s. Theit- pt-imat-y aim WclS to
ass i st eacfl otI-let- in we 1 i=.:\t-e i SSLles clnd promote a .~ense o-f
'_lnity a.mong LIS. Trle main -focLIS o.F activity was SLlPPOt-.tirlg
membet-s dLlt-ing -fLlnet-.:;ll.:; as well as ot-ganisillg social
ga.trlerings to br.ing LIS to\:;;Iethet-. For e;.~ample~ the .::\SSOCi"-1tion
. ~,
has bot-ne the cost o.f sending the bodies o-f 2 o-f OLlt- membet-s
who died holTle .fot- a pl""opet- bLlt-ial. It cost LlS 3, (:)l:)(:) poLlndS.~
As pat-t o-f pt-omoting OLlt- wel-fat-e het-e!l we entet-ed into a gt-OLlP
inSLlt-ance '~cl".'.eme vJith which OLlt- membet-s li.::I'.,Ie been sav'ing -For 5
yeclr'S. I-I(:j(".£'i!'.i£'i!t"~1 \i'Jr-IEll v.e ~::::.;amilied .tJ-le de.tails of the in_SLlt-':lnce
sc:heme, ~'lie 1'-ec:1 J. i ~-:;f?d tlia.t we liad been dLlped. We wei'"e '.,Iet-y
ignot-ant,'1 at-':;jLled t1r. B(Ja.telig.
A change in -fOCLtS
"I joirled 8 y"f:::at-S c\go arId I have l:Jeen qLlite '3ctive. Toge.ther
vJ i tto-l .trle ,=Iia i t-mc.~n .i:\lid otliet- ffif-:?fllbet"s:1 ','lie 1-1;;;1'."e been .tt-y i rig .to
emprlas i se he 1 ping OLlr at-ea. Fot- e:.:amp 1 e!l becaLlse o-f the pOOl""
--- --
state o.f Ol..l.t- 'iospitals!l I/'Je ,jecided .to ado!J.t .two wat-ds--/ at I~~::omi":o l~no"::Y'f":i: I-~osp i .tal in OLlt- t-egi'::ir1al cC:lpi tal, t:~L\fllc:lsi. L'Je
assLlmed t-esporlsibiJ.it';1 '[':01"" .trle SLlpply of ioa.terials .t":ot- the
t-enovati'::in o-f tile Wat-ij. In 199(:), we sent do~'in 1(:)0 hospita.l
beds, trolleys etl-':. t'iort!-1 ':lbOLlt .4,00(:) pol_\rlds. We paid .fot-
~ome of it .tht-OLII;.Jrl Ol_\t- O~lli contt-ibLltiorls iElr1d collected the
~I.' I) t-est in .tl-le i":(:Jrm IJ.t": LIS\,,=:,j items .from liosp:i.tals beilig closed
do(,\jrl in London. i"los.t o.f these items were in I:;;)ood condi tion.
Trle shii=.t in empli.:;;.':;:;i~ away i=t-om .fLlrlet-al',:; .to(,-Jat-ds lielping OLII""-- home villages li.:ls bt-oLlgh.t in many new merllIJet-s. It rlCls rlOWe\/er
- ---
bt-OLlgrl.t ill slJme di1C:-ficLllties. BLlt-e':luct-atic olJstacles in Gliancl
is a,c:-fecting OLlt- WOt-~::. F'::ir e:.:ample, SOITle o.f trle items we sent
di d liOt go .to tile .t~AJO wards we adopted. II
~
~ ~ "'fi":",
""'r' ~,
The association cut-t-ently has;£l. t-egistet-ed member':ship o-f 120
a.I-ld ITI(::::mbet-s pa-y- ,::.~n ,:;:nrolmer1-t t-=ee o-F 5 pounds arid monthly dLles /o-f 3 poLlnds. They meet e'iet-y morlth to disCLISS issLles t-e1a.ted
to the wel-Fat-e o-f trleit- melTlbet-s, rlow to genet-ate -fLlnds -for the
association - ,3.nd 'to disCLISS iIJrJat .::Issistance they can - give to
theit- liome ,jistric:-t. rots e;.:ec'_lti'v-e stt-'_ICtLlt-i= has a. Chait-, .
pet-Sari, Secret_iar';i!, Tt-easl_lt-et-, 4 SI"::Jcial Sect-eti:lries, 4 -:;icl-;:
visitot-s '::'i.nd "il pLlblic t-ela-tions o-f'ficet-. Tliose ,jealirlg witli
wel.Fat-e iSSLll::?S .::It-':;: located ill \/arioLls distt-icts irl Lol-,dorl
COt-;--,:;:spon,jin'd t(:J -tr,e 'dt-ei:ltest cor,cel-,tt-atiorl ':3-1: membet-s. The
- oCJ '- l --- 1---,1..- 1- 1-.-'-- - ,--- "-- ll --' l '- -1-/--- '- l- I--- t -t - I::J-- -- n-t ."- t -..I '.j/-- n~ .","- ~~\-~\_':;\'-\:'::;'<:;\-\:! '_I""'_<::I,LY,-'I:=1-r':" U 1::: '_UI <::,\-I:::U V'11:=11
th,~t-e is i:1 pt-':JI::J].f:o::m.
The Kwabt-e Kt.oye ~:::uo i:; OI-I'~ o-f the compclt- a t i 'v"~ 1 'y 51-1-"::111 er'
comlTILlr-1 i -t'y' I::Jt- i~cln i sClt ions ':Jpet- at j. rig i rl 1_':JI-ld':Jr,. IJn,~ ':3-';:: its
s.tt-er,gt/is i-s -tha,t it I-'cls a 1ei:lder:;/-,ip ~!rli'=rl is a~LITling -to
.bt-i.::Jaden its pet-:;;pective t-apid1y away 'ft-om an elTlphasis on -tr,e
l."Je1-fi:lre 1::J.t: ITlelTlber--s -t=t-om the distt-ic.t t-es:iden-t ill -the U.I-:::.
towards pt-omoi:ing c.1e'ie1opment a,=tivit.y a't holTle. This ne\.oIJ --F':3Ct_IS
~
rli.::JWI:?'.'-et- ha,:::- ii:s j:'rl"::Jb1ems. BecaLlse .tl-,e distt-ict i-:; qLlite 1arqe.,~--' --~ - .
it is ,ji,t-=-FicLl].t t':J decide wrlic/-, pt-ojects- to Ijev,~J.(.'jp. i~I'S cl
a'-~~ LlSLlcll1y e:-::iJect,~,j 'to s!ioLI1det- the bLlt-den. I1:S objec-ti'ves
ar-,d ,Tloije 01= opet-ai:ii.::Jli is s;imi1at- to 111ClrlY otl-let- migt-alit
associations.
-.
$6THE KWAHUMAN ASSOCIATION: CASE STUDY TWO.
SLlnday-~ the 16th ,~-f Febr-'_,at-y~ 1992. The -time is 5.00p.m and a
gt-OLlP o-f aboLlt 15i:) Gllarlaian men and women a_t-e gathet-ed in a
ChLlt-cl-1 I-Ia11 on Cromer Stt-ee-t ne.:lt- f-:::ing"s Ct-oss st,:,~ion in
not-th Loni_1orl. Till:;? II chi 1 dt-en o-f the moLtrltai ns II are 110 1 di ng
ti-leit- t-egLtl':lt- ITlee-tirlg. TI-lii1 Ivice---Chait-, a WOITI.;;-lrl, is handling
the mee1:ing -today. Tllei,-- popLl1at- ,=I-,air is pt-eparing to go to
GhiEl_na beCaLtSe o-F -the deatll 0;: Ills Uncle.
The meeting begins I_AJith ari e:-:plar,a-tion '::1.S to why ti-le
pt-e',iiOLISl)' sche.:lLlleij il-leei:irlg i,:oLtllj not tal-::E' pl.:ice (tr,e
r-enovati(Jn o-f tf-le chLlt-ch hall) ~ -apologies t-,:;?cei-'/ed ,Ct-om those
Ltrlable -to at-tend an,j tiler, pl--oce.~ds to IjiSCLlSS tl-lt~ agend':l 0;:
the Ij':l'y'. The clgl~rllja --F,~t- -tile IjClY ,:::ire J.:I-II:;:) SUblTlission oi: accoLlnts
-FOt- -the soci,..l ev-el-l-t held d\_lt-ing ct-it-istmas (see appendix 1)
arlij :an LtP(ji£I"t:I:;i: clr-, trle i.:ollective inSLlt-,allce scl-,eme -ti-lat -tIle -a_ss(:JI=:i_i£lti'~n h",is 't'.::1.~::en -for its melTlbet-s. The -disCLtssions ..::tt the
--:
meetirlg at-e qLli-te li-v"ely and the mediLtm o-f COi\lmLtllication i's
IITwi I', the J_':lngucl_ge 1:J-t: -tile 1-:::wi:iIILl pi~ople, a ':::;e,=tion o'f "the AI-::arl
spea~:: i ng peop 1 e 1"J-f Giiancl.
The meetillg j-":::; bt-':Jugt-l-t to ':1 close ai::"ter 2 hoLlt-s I:J+
del i bet-a-ti':Jns I,vi -th i:rle -fot-lTlcIl i 1-I"trodLlction o-f 11 new meiflbet-s,
(8 o-f wi-lam ,:\t-e INomen) who ar-e a-tter\ding tl-1e meeting -fOt- tt-le
-fit-st time. TI-,e rlel..J me'rflbet-s at-e called to -ti-le -Ft-ont o-f the
t-oom arld are t-eqLlired -to identi-fy themselv-es. I;;S is -the
tradition wi-thin tile f:::~vat-ILlman Association, each I-Jew membet- is
~ ,.
=-:--=-c-=.- .O'tt
t"'::?'-=lLlit-ed to say- i'i-= he/she is m.::lt-ried Ot- single. The men
t-espond by sa-ying whetl-let- they at-e mat-t-ied Ot- single l..-Ihilst
the t-esporlse (:J-t: -the women ,jt-iEIWS laLl,:;)htet-. .. I sleep alone" -fot-
single womerl .and "I do not sll.:.;,'ep alone" -fot- mart-ied women. As
-the irrIEff,bet-s ijispet-se ~ -ti-let-e is -:::1 clear sense o-f a. COITlillon
identit-.~' ,Elnd bel(:Jllging. .
Ti-le 1.:::wahLlman assocj_':ltion is one tile best ol~garlised migt-ant
.::lss(Jc:L o:=l t~ i oriS ill l_i::'llijOII. I-t l:,r i ngs to get 1-let- 1-:::W.:.'\l-iLl peop 1 e
CLtt- t-entl y t-,~s i lient: in -tl-I!;:=! IJrl j- t.ed I.::: i ngdoiTl. 1-:::v'JcIIILl peop I e
ot-igirlate f=t-om -the moLlntainoLls ijisJct-il::tS o-f the Eastet-n F:egion
of= 51-lana, tIle capi-tal of= I;.jl-lich is: 1-:::o-!-=oridLla. i~pat-t jCt-om the
I:::t-obo spea~:: i ng peop 1 e =' tile t-egi on i -~ popLll cIted by A~::al-i
spei£l~:: i rig people o-t;: I"Jhi ch tj-le 1-:::~-')iEIIILlS at-'::? a pat-t, the o-thet-s
beillg A~::iiTIS alld f;~::wapims. Ti-le 1-:::~~clhLIS clt-i:=: pat-ticular-l-y
iderlti-Fi,~d ~.ji th -the ffioLlntai nOI_IS at-eas 0+ trle Easter-n f':egion
a_nd the;1 ,=all tl-lemsel'/es '~~hildren o~ the mountains:'~
Tile ~:::i-larILlS ot-gallise 'tlleITls,:I'/e-s into '::,\-5Si::Jl-.:i.::ltions 1..-1 her E.'/e t- -they
at-e. As a t-esLllt, -tl-let-'::? at-e .:lssocii::"ltions 0+ 1-:::waI-ILIs irl othet-
pa_r"t.5 0+ GharlCI. The ~:::~--JarILlmarl Associatiori -- U.I-:::. was +ormed in
1982 '..-lith an irlitial membet-ship o.f 50 and a CLlt-t-ent membership,
o-F 400. Its objectives inclLlde the promotiorl o-F Llnit.y' among,
~:::~~ahLls in the U.~(.. the P rovision o-F wel.t;:at-e set-vices to-' ,
~:::~-'J(:l.hLlS in Lon,::!on, sLlppot-ting development activity in the ~:::wahu
.
in -the U.~~:. and pr-omoting cooperation with other associations
irl the U..I<:.,
#
"'"
~~h ::; 5 ':~;;~[:~~c
Its e:.:ecutive S.tl"-LlctLlt-e has ..::]. tf.Jel-fat-e o-f-ficers, a -financial
se(.:t-etat-.~.'. B.I-jij ,E! . s,~cicl]. ~:;i~'Ct-(~t'""\t..y, in addi.tion to a Chait-
person and 'v'i ce, Secretat-'y' and an assistant ~ and a tt-eas/_lt-et-.
11embet-s ':;j.F tilE aSS(:ii::.i,~.tion pay a .total o-f 36 pounds a yeal"-,
spt-ead o',/et- .tlle . :.;e,3.r as is collvenient -fOt- e.:,cll mefT,bet:. Its
Genet-al mee.tirlgs clre held e'./et-y othet- morlth and altet-nate witrl. .meetirlgs o-f .trle '~:.:ecLlti'v";:.? whicll also .tc,I.::e place e'.'et-.y o.tllet-
month (see appendix 2). Meeti ngs at-e LlsLlally attended by arl
avl~t-age l:;j-f 2(:)(:) memIJ,~t-s and issLles '_lsl_lall..( ,jiS'=Llssed inclLlde
t-f:?IJ(Jt-ts o-f e'.;erlts hellj~ -firlclllcicll rrJa.tt'~t-S CaccoLlnts alid
ITlembet-ship ,jLles)!1 t-epot-ts an cJev-eloprrJent '3.cti.'iities in the
f:::~.\jahLI distt-ic.t o-t= 511';\/-1':1, and wel-f:':lt-e 0+ merr,bet-s in trle U.I:::.
Tile,!' '::Jt-ganise 3 .social '~v.ents,~ y'eE,t- -Fot- membet-s arid SLlPPOt-t
meITJb,~t-.s -firlarlc~Lally \.\Jrll:?11 trle\i iE,t-,~ in di-f-ficLll.t'y' clt-isirlg .Ft-om
ber.eay-err,erlt 01"- j.ll rli::"?ss.
Ti-le ,je\/elop/Tlent al={:i\iitif::s .they rIB..ve SI_lppol.-ted in theit- home ,,-
distt-icts irl(:lLlde rclising .FLlnds to assist in t-oad collstt-Liction. ,-
along the "hot-se .shoe I'. a 1~'::Jad netwot-~:: 1 i nl.:: i rlCi 3 mcljol"- ~:::wahLI. - -
towns - Obomerlg~ iVlpt-.:.'Ieso and 1\lJ.::a.w~::aw. III addition to the
- - -
above~ ther' ha\ie rovided e t,;.. ent -fOt- the hospitals at
i; t i b i e ,:\ 11 (J t\1 ~:: ,:\ ~\j I:: ,::\ I,..,j . r1 r. . E U \
J :. e I-, I~ D 0 .F 0 0 'I -r t- e ':1 S Ll t- ,~ r 0 .F .t h e.
asso,=ia tiara ~I i'.JI-,o IN'::Jr ~::-s \.\Ji th tile Ft:ac;;? r-;:ela .tiorls Uni.t o-f trle
Landorl BOt-':;jLlgr, (J.F I~~lirJgton estiiTI.:.'Ites trle .Fil-:.:.'Incial cos.t o-t":
theil"- Ijev.el':JpJTlellt a.cti\iity c,t aboLlt 11,(:)(:)(:) pounds, with the
.-
mcljority o.f e::.;IJI,::rlditLlt-e being -Fot- the hospital.s irl trJe at-ea.
Some o-f the i .teills sen-t home were Llsed ho.spi tal eqLli pment
donated to -the cissoci,3.tion by I-,ospitals .trli.'\.t h.:lve closed down.
, ,
":"""~~ "~"3 6 "co.", """", '.
'~;~:~~t
The Ghana bclsed pa,'-tnet- in development o-f the association is.;
b~_~~paramo~~~-.5-~~ o-F th=-~~-=~=--- When there is a
development activi ty i:o be Llndel..ta~::en, the chie-F sets Llp a
colTlmittee to coot-dinclte -fLlrld r<:lising ;':Ot- tI-,e speci-fied
pt-':Jject~. I~ J. 1 r':::I;.JahLlS \AJhet-ey'er 'tliey at-e!l o-Ften c~ntt- i bLlte
-fLlnds -fOt- 'ti-lese ,acti'/ities:l mair,ly' .tl-,t-OLlgl-, 'tl-le coot"dinatioli a;':
theit- t-espec't,ive ~:::waI-ILl associa'tioiIS. In London, they at-e
a-f-filiated tiJ ti-le (;1--,'::11-1;:1 Union, wl-lich ':ICtS ;:IS '::11-1 LllTlbrella
ot-ganisa'tion "Fot- 1-11 a r1 ':-! o't-=: tl-'E!! com'11Llni'ty l::irganisations.
Its pt-incipal obj';-c'ti'/l::? lias beeli to pt-oml'J'te C~lltLlral aW~t-erless
among Gliar"::lj,'::lr-I's. It r-Ui1S e,juci:I'tiorla,l arid cLlltLlr-,i:ll acti'/ities
especial I:! -fOt- cl-,illjreli o-f Glian,=\iclli pat-et-,tO:lge, iZl'S ~AJell ciS a
tt-airling pt-ogt-alllille attached 'to its pt-iritir-ig di',/isil'Jn. It is
non poli'!::ical 6.1nd lias t-ecE'i'..'ed i::inanci'=ll SLlPPOt-t -ft-OIT, local
London E!Ot-i:luqh" s Gt-ant" s Scheme. I t has arl o-F-fi ce witrl -fLlll- "' '---:'
~e paid st,EI,'F-F:I whi~~erla.bJ.I.::)s i't to coot"dinaote acti\/ities
SLlCli as tI,e mobilisation o-f °funljs to °SLlPPOt-t ovr~r a million
Ghanaiarls v.JI-lo wer-e df'.:!pot-te.j 'ft-'::i111 1\ligE'r-i,i:I irl 1983.
Iot neV'erotl-,eless h.::"\s ii:s pt-oblems. Its nono-politiciZll cliat-",li:'tet-
has o-ften l,:;?d i't to .=oopet-a'te with the I-ligh Commissiorl. The
Gharla I-ligh Commissioli is noot y'iewed positively by' many
Glianaia.n migt-6.11-jots WI-IO a'..'oid having any °t':ot-mcilised lin~::s wiotrl
'c""':!,~~t't",,~-
'3. -, ,",~,.' ;,
it:o ",\pat-t.: -from '::.~ r-enewal ,~-f P'::iSSPOt-ts Ot- tt-avel docLl_rrlents.
They see the High Commission <-"IS I_:ollabot-ating with Bt-i-tish
Immigt--ation A'_t'thot-i-ti,:s and at-e t-,:lu,=tant to register wi.th it.
I e Ghcin~- Union' 5 1 i n~:s wi th the High Commission tends to
dt-i.ve away mil:;3t-ant associations with a political bi?s, who
WOLlld pt~e-fer to have nothing to do with the gover-nment. ,~t- its
t-ept-eserita-ti'/es. De~SIJite its pt-ublems~, the Ullil":Jrl I-,as ti-le most
org;;lnise,j reSuLlt-CE-'! base -fOt- pt-orrloti ng Ghanaian CLll tLlt-e wi thi n
-the Gl-,ana i arl C(Jmml_ln i t-:'!-.
AN Ev'ALUATION OF GHANAIAN MIGRANT ASSOCIATIONS- - Iv
lt- t'o -- t ~ nq -~;- - tl -"" I_--""'-'- t - e t.--I --'-~ t-'- LIO --~ 0 - 1. -"'t1 - - n 1- - -~ - )- '---
I . D.::I '= _:0 \_-,-y- - I': r--.y"':lIJ r Uti=-' r--- 0:.,::0::0 L <:. U:o ::0 U, _III~'opirliorl tt-la-t tl-II~Y '=i~L.lld do n-iot-e than they. at-e ,=urt-el-itly doirlg.
He \"'uLll d rJt-f?-f"E:r- -t_hl~ i /'- el"ilpl-lcls i -:~ -to be on pt-O'". i d i '-19 SLlPPOt- t 1=0/'-
the t-enova -ti':'1n o-f -:::;(:hoo 1 sand rlosp i tals, and -tile bui 1 di ng O"j=
libt-at-ies. I-Ie (::.orl~:.:;:Ldet-s tl-l,:?i/'- rrlajot- pt-'::Jblems to be tl-I~"?
'~enet--=ltion i~-f -t":L.lnds to car-toy I~Llt theit- a.ctivities. Ti-lis mr_tst
1-luwev-et- bel:;Jill \'"i-'tll ,;Iri irrlpt-i:'v-emerit o-f tl-leir dLle-:::; callectioll.
Oi": corlsidet-able iiiil:J<"Jr-tall'=e~, irl his o[Jinion, i-:::; devl:?lopirlg
ade'=lLlate lirll-::s wi-tl-, Gh;;lll.;\ -to -facilitclte ti-leir wor~::.
ELlgene Do-F'::Jo o-t": -the 1-:::v,Ja_hLlmc..rl A-:::;soci ,::I t i all I-iawe'./el-- -t":eel s
satis'fie,j wj_tl, -tl-,e WOI--~:: I-:,-t": ti-leir c:lssociation. 1--Ie points to
the inc/'-eased illval',I,:ment o-F membet-s in -the .ll=Llnctioning ,:)--F
Jcheit- ':l::;:=;oci,:\tion, .:.~s well cIS 'tl-jf? i:-,c/'-eCls:Lrig j-iLlrr,b"i't- Or ~;::I"'al-ILls
v,Jt-la clt-e j 0 i r, i jig thein. He sees the i t- pt-ob 1 ems mot-e cIS
adminis-tt-,:\t:i'.;e. Fot- e'-:aITlple, the maintenarlcl,? o,c cl fficlnLlal
~',~!;e
~8
r-egistet- is .:1-F-F(:::cting the coordinc:i-tion o-f theit- wor~::. Member-s
change C:itidt-esse"s -i-=t-equently I--Ihich o"ften leads "to i:.1 los"~ o-f
contact with som.::: (J"f -tt-leir ITlembet-s -fOI~ long per-iods. Theit-
~"'or-~:: col_lld ha"v'e beer! mor-e e'f-l-=il-:iellt i-f they COLlld a-f-for-d 'fLlll
tirrle paid Wot-~::er's, assisted with a compLltet-ised sY.stem o-f
doCLlmer!"!:a't i on. They clt-e howevet- in the pt-ocess o'F ac~Lli ~- i ng a
computer "to ,Fi:.1cili-tiiilte their I--Ior-~::, ~Jflich ShOLlld lead to ;:In
impr-o'./ed pt-o'..; i sian '::J-I= we]_-fa~-e set-"vi ces to thei t- rrlembet-s.
It carl IJe ::;lr(~l_lf:?(j,. C:ii=tet- c:i \-:l_lr so ('-Y" O'./i;?t-\/iev-J 01= 'the activi'ties
o-f Gt-I'?,r-laian 11!i(;lt-ar'i-J: ,::issociations, that 'the'"!' t-:iiii\,/e a very low
developrrl'??ll't corlteni: j_r! "so 'fat- as de'y"elopmel-l-t acti'"/i"ty ill 5llan'::l
is '=orl'=I??r'rle,:::I. t"!eC:lr]"y all 1::J'f these clsso,=iatiorls wet-': -fot-med
p t- i m;:\ t- i 1 '"'1' 't I'] -s e I,:? 'f: (:) 't Il (~ \--1 e 1 -1-= a r \7,? o"F "t 1-1 E' i t- m Eo if I be t- ',5 C Ll r t- e I-I t 1 'I'
t-,:siljent j,n tll(~ [J ,,!.::: " (~s"~ resLllt~ pt-obl~oms o'F integt-ation
~I. r-1 -t 0 B r i 't :L ":51-1 s (J ,= i E' 'f: -,I ,::;\ t- \~ b -y -f c:1 t- t I-I e m o"s 't imp I'] ~- i: -3 n t mot i 'y' c:\ -t i n g
, -- c ' t '--,._-
1 ',.- i --'---' l"
' - ""-
, --"'-'- j - 1 '- n._-=\ ,l.J..,::o ,i _,III:::; - ,..,,)"1'1'::\- '_J .
FLlt- 'thet-mo t- [;:: ~ tllii:::;i do no"t ':..r.JIJe,::~r i:o hc\ ',II?? c.1ny s trLIC 'tLlt-e d 1 ii-II,:: !::;
wii:h ij,~vl?:?lOpjl-IE'r!i,: ~jrocesses c:lt homl'a oLlt..:side tr.~dj_.tion.:1_l
pat'tet-r,s o'f aLltf-lor i '[:",' and deve 1 opmerl-t pt-ocesses. Tllere are no
associatil'Jr-ls I::J'F village "Jt-OLlPS irl theit- towns and distr"icts o-f
. ori"Jins whose pr-imar-y goal is to pl""omote development activity
~
in theit- ~~r-eas. I~S.:1- j"-esLll't. tt-ley' ol-lly t-espond to Ileeds
- - . -
c,ommLlnica-ted -to 'them -frolll eithet- pat-amoLllit chie-fs or- soml'a
distinguist-ll'ad members o'f their- distt-ict~ Tilis means -that'
tllese as~oci at ions do not necessat- i ly I-lave tt-le capaci ty to
de'..;elop CI'- i 'tet- i,=\ base,j Llpon ""hi ch they can o-f'Fet- deve 1 opmen-t
h"";~"'.,!"-
,~::assistance. They also do not have a mechanism -For monitoring'[.';5~1~~
'f'¥the impact o-F their development assistance. Thet-e-Fot-e, the -;:'
". ..issLle as to whether their contribLltions do respond to the c;'~- '",,:
genui ne needs o-F thei r di stt- i cts cannot be made be caLise they
ha'~e no structLtres that ,jeci de the most pt-ess i ng rleeds o-F
their towrt or district. .
Despite the above, these associations do ha've an enOt-mCLIS
potential -For promoting ,jevelopment beyond wI-tat they' CLlt-,.-entl'y
do. In ti-le ~it-s~ place, it has to be t-ecognised that the
stat-ting poirlt is always a t-e,=ognition o~ one"s identity and a
pt-eparedness to associate J~n that basis. This ma~::e'~ any' SLtch
gt-OLlP pt-edisposed to o~~et-irlg matet-ial assistarlce when ti-leir
villages arId distri,=ts o~ ,~t-i.~in at-e ~et-i'~Llsly tht-eatene,j or
Llt-gently need some assistance. It i~ ti-lis seIlS':? o-f ider,tit.y
which enables miJ~t-ant associations t':J mJ~bilise r-eSCLlt-'=2S.
This was +=Ot- e;.;ample tl-IE cas,:? Wrtell Lti-le ':3 ria rla IJnicn, in -
t-eSOLlt-'=2S to assist in ti-le resettlement c~ Gr,dri,:;.i,=.riS wrlc were
- r-epat i,:;.ted +=;--om Niqet-ia in 1983.
~ l, . t '--- .1-- h~ ' g _:_--' .1-1--.1- '-1 h -- - I-:_'-- t- e\-\-';II.;.i.,>,", 1 11-::1."=0 \-'..i uo: ji:\-U JI.i.:=I:'L.: i_Ii.:'.\. i.:i1';:\!iC'. iC\= C\ 11.i.1:lI'1:'
idE"/E1opmetit 1e'./e1 .~s comparelj to many '=oLlnt;.-ias in .~j_lb-s,=.I-!c..r-an
A~r i ca. At tl-te time that Grldrld ga i rle,j i t= i ndeperl,jerlce arid
towat-ds the end o~ the +=ir-st devell~pment decade, its-
inrt-astrLictLtt-e, irlcome pet- I-lead o~ popLllation and ecorlomy was
j.-ivalle,j only by Southet-n ~:hodesia, now Zimbabwe. It w,:;.s a
net t-ecipiertt o~ migt-ants, a pt-ocess wl-lich only began slowillg
,
~
~,
- down by 1969.- 1~ was only towards the late 70's that"G~~Uf11f~~;;?~,.;.;};,~;:':-
"~..;"~:.:-;.~~~ ,.~~.' 'c'"'
emigt-ation becamesigni-ficant. By 1982, it was estimatedth~t.~;';~!:t~~
- , , '!~:'(c
there were aboLlt 2 mi 11 ion Ghanaians outsi de the coLlntry. As :;,':;:;-)', ':;;"'~::';;;-.,
compat-ed to Ft-artcophone Sahelian coLlntt-ies, Ghana"s socio- "c,
economic in-fr-astt-uctut-e is -fat- mOt-e advanced. For e:-:ample,
the Uppet- East region o-f Ghana whi ch shat-es bot-de.rs wi th
BLlt-~::ina Faso"s ~~ahout-i pt-ovince has 5 govet-nment hospitals
whi 1st the NahoLlri pt-ovince has only one t-egional hospital,
which in t-eal tet-ms is a_r: ad'/anced clinic. The same t-egion in
Ghana has aboLlt 7 secorldat--y. schools. Navt-ongo Secondat-y
School, which is just 25 ~::ilomett-es f=rom f'O, the capital o-f
NahoLlt-i pro.vince, has a total popLllation o-f aboLlt 1,500
st!_ldents, whilst thet-e is only one Ly.c e in F'O catet-ing f=ot'
the wl-iole pt-ov'ince, with a POPLll;=:,ticn 10;= less than 3(:'10
stLlderlts. As a. t-es,_llt. o-f the abo,..oe, the ;=OC,-tS o-f de\...elopment
acti'-lity is more on t-ehabilitatirlg e;o(isting ill-fr--ast;--'_lctLlt-e
~-atl-let- than bLlilding new ones. -:'~.. ~Itoe/;{ ~tl.o+v.tf1W.
--1 f 0(rr"1,.ti (w {. ... ~ ()All) 0lI"\o I~ .
Ar,othet- element in the deve 1 opmEnt pr-i~l=ess i ri - G1-ia.lla rlas cae:,
the ~lea\I'1 involy'ement o~ the ':tate ill bl_tildilig sccia-ecalloITi:=
';~'-"-~-"'-- L '-"" l '-~ 7 hl -~ I ~- -~ ':--1 ' '.' I- el -' '-'--.1.1'1, =::0'-, '\-'_1..10:. 'I: !..i'=~=11 <:\'- .l.iil-'I:~'=IIU'='II;_,= "" I I ;_!!O:
';;)i:;v2r-n:Tie,--.':: ,:::-F ::0-. r-:::i,Ai;=:.ffi!: ;',J~::~-i_lm~_!-i pr-omote,j a r-api,:i polii=;,,- o-r:
; 1i "; U -.L.-- l.-";--.L. l'~ n ---'-' m ---;--1 ,o.;~1-. - ': d --- p - n -':- n "";:' :~. ;U ::0 '-, ~.i ~;:.i;~ U ~\-,-,-! l-!,=,.tl.l. ,=U W.I. 1..; i ':\ r:'.j.J.. ':::;'; <:\i ::o.i. U '... I ::o'.J\- J. u-
ecor:omic in~I--astt-Llcti.lt-E. The irlvolv'emErlt 0+ thE stat;~ in
nearly all spheio-es 0+ social and economic al=tivity did lea'/e
ari impt-ession in the mirlds o~ Ghariaians that it is the
r-esponsibility o-f government to pt-ovide socia-economic
in~rastt-LlctLlt-e. It is only long a-ftet- Gharra"s economic
~"!F""~"i~IC~
;,~:t :;,; .,~:
decl ine di d many vi llages wake up to the real isation that;"cfl}ey~~;;;;~,~:,~ .c,
CQLlld no longer.. rely, on government to maintain e~'{i'sting '.
i n~t.astt-uctut-e mLlch less provi de new ones. This reawa~~eni ng
has encciut-aged a spirit o~ sel~ help throLlghoLtt the coun.try. //
It is however a spirit which is yet to develop in a strLlctLlred
" - and long lasting way. Mobilisation o-F ~-eSOLlr.ces ~or.de'/elopment activity in rl_lt-al Ghana is qLlite widespt-ead.
Howevet-~ these e~~orts do not always resLllt in ~I_lnctioning
ot-ganisations whose sole PLlt-pOse is to disCLLSS and pt-omote
development iSSLles.
In aljdition to the above, Grlana,'s coloriial e;,;per-ien,=e has rlad
- n ~ = - - ,-'" - - .!- he - .'1 m ; -.- - - - - ~ _ 1' -.1-; - n - _.-,.., - n1, - - ~n d ~ he ~ .-
"",I .l.11!:,.;~'-'- ',..ill _I 'N.:i 11.i.',;' ",,'1- ::,,:~'..i,- ct,-_UI: UII:!C\i '~I:: ...1 .. .I...
.. ~ n l,- ,..; J. h d " ' ' t " J. ,~. !,' t ' 1 '1 .
.1..1.' r:,= "".I.\..I eve.l.opmen"l: a,c l'I"-..y' 1ii ~1-i.a!-I,:',. undEt- !Ie '::;o-ca .l.ed
policy' o-F indit-ect r!_lle" British .=olorliali'::;m le.ft many
J.' I'-=.'-!';':"':- n -l .: n - t ';-I-"J.;-~~ -.i: _. ( :..'- o ,-;J." l' n -'-- r ~ .- J. AI '- '-,~J l.U a- .1.1 = .I."""-.i.U,I~ U, .::t'- ,-,I r .i.,-;{ 1 ~.::t_,_. .1.'1 mas... Hr::a,rl
-,--~- J.h- -' Ltho "..J., y 0 .:; ~'-- -'-':~':; .:- --'-':'1 1 e ' V1 '-'- n T- -r hl '- ;:\,'1::,=,,=, \-,11:: !:I,I- I ,.1.'- ,'-III: ,-11J.i:1 .I.~ =\-.1..1. '-II: 1,-. II =
,:',Ltthor-it'y' is 'Felt most irl ti-ie promoti':Jn o-F ,je'velopITler,t in
,-",,-_'1 - t "' h -'-- .i:-I,-i-'I ;--,I-;...",I- 1'- nC; - ,-- -" n ---1--"': ,'-- "-""11'"'\_l,l:\.i. ':\ ~~= ~ll::rl: 1~_\I-,ctJ. .i.J::\-J.'-'-"- U,- 1:\": \:';"1-'\:,'-'-1:1",: '-'-' \jU~/"""
,
'-' 1 -'- ._'! - J. ...'" I 'I... J." ',- rAA...JJ
~I-',=:\i iJ':.:iU '-II::Y'=.l.opm,::::n,- -3C'_1"-I11:',,'. n "l:lie '_lmcer j'-l'=11 a,!'-'~a::;. v..-r.. -.. .
.--,,_':J.:;-- P=- l'-' t , J.r--"'~J-;--_': -".J-'-- I -':':- l'-- "1"' _._,-I '-'y~.I. '__=:: QI1: ... '-1 .\..1 ,-,' d;.j,1. ,-,,-,';I!.:\... d\..\,-,IU'.I. '- \:':;:,. ,il'=:'~1: !:I,I \:'
'--
-"n---!---1 J.~ I...~ '""" l ' d "-- - - -I - J- ,- J-' -I' .-'="'1-"='-'-'==\001 '-'-' '-"= 1-= 1r1i.U :\ r'_tr1i..o m~ano:.; 1"1:J1" '_rle ue\/EJ.l'JpmE:I"I: ':Ji---- '
t '-,c ,'\,- - ,--,-,,"~ _.:-"._,..,~ -'-'-'~-';~"';- n '- l'~"- t-;- b '! y'I,~ ct, :d=. I-I~;\ I ,=,~,-'.i.'-, ,11"-'::" ;\1.,- ;:.~;'-"-.l.Q'-..\ooI 1:= IIV'.:i .1.;:\' J.
J.- "'~ J-' ' 1 ';'" .. , .' ~ ' { t th 1'-' ,-uul-'~' .:iI-\:' "".I. ,-i1 ma1n_y' "l:IIElr- J.cc,:',. Cn1E1"'::;. . E Ie Cl-11E-t-' s
pEt"ception o~ arl at-Ed's de\,'elopmerit needs do not alway'=
t-e~lect the pr-essi ng needs I:J~ the r-Llr-al cammLlni t';. 'On the
contt-at-y, chie-Fs do o-f'terl promote projects which bolstet- trlE
imagE and pr-esti'~e o~ trte are= r-ather- than addr'Ess the genLline
deve.?opment needs o-f th~ r-Llral people.
Another aspect which is impot-tant in assessing the role o-f
migr-ant associations activity is the level o-f
-food insecurity in their- villages/towns or district o-f origin..
As mentioned eat-l iet-, most mi grants come ft-om the tt-opi cal
-fat-est zone o-f Ghana. The most important problem in that area
is not the capaci ty o-f the land to pt-OdLlce enough -food -fOt- the
people. On the contr-ar-y, ITIOSt hoLlsehol ds are able to prodLlce
: .-the -food that they need for r,oLlsEhol d cons'_lmption 0 The
pt-essut-e on land as a t-esLllt o-f inct-easing population ha.:= "led
to inct-ea:=irlg de-fot-estatiorl as hOLlseholds ,=leat- 'vir-gin l;:,.llds
-t:or -food '=Llitiovati'::Jn. To a iat-ge e:.~tEnt, it i:= the Pt-OCESS o-f
environmental ,:legt-adation wl-li;=h t-ept-esents the most Set-lOLlS
tht-Eat to SLlstai'lablE de'~elopmEnt in trlE at-e~s wrler-e ml::Jst
"'!...~n - 1° -,.,
m .: ""' r--- t - or.'; -,.:n -~~ f.. -- m orJ. 0 .: - th - n~-!-" r-~ 0 ; .I. hE(.:II,C\I~C\II .I.~,",II= .I.~"'~'_O: o..oJ. .1.,-..= I':' =,-,-,= 1'-
thr-,:~t to hoLlserlold -f'::Jod which is the most
imp'::Jt-tant -f~ctOt- in detEr-mirlillg trle. e:.~t2rlt to whi,=h Grlar,aial'
migt-ant as:=,=i~iatiarls f'~C1_iS crt de\/el'::JpffIEllt ~cti\iii:ol ill tneit-
at-2as cf ot-i g i n 0 Fat- 2:0:am p le. trle Northern Foundation" whi ch~I =.-"",...t"'~-" - 0-
.-"'- _J.- t-t o=d by 11"' I-n' --- 10--- -'- om ,-.~ r-"-~ n - w== ='-'"';;;" 0_'!;J <:'.I!<='. ,=\11= -1-, ",,-,il':' ,-,T '!;JII~. '"'
.::::i,j inciLtdE in their curlstitLition t:-te prcmotil~n ;~oF ;jEv'el,~pmertt
activity in their- t-;:gians o-f origir,o This w~.s in r-Ecagrlitior,
c-f tlie problem o~ ~ood in°:=ecl_lt-ity wrli,=rl ~r-e'~'_lently thr-;:atEns
the ar-e~.. However-, it !-tas not de,...eloped in a ,Tlajor- mi gr-ant
.3.-:=sociation beca'-tse most migr-ants -from Nor-ther-n Ghana ar-e ~r-om
;.:ii' er-.:=e ethni ,= gt-OL::--':it~~~~=~~:~~~;= 6,-\lt.
lso
-:~~ ~ ~~~~
())...~ o~~ '
~::~.ry;:'1;;T'L:;;. ._, . ,. ." .-
43
comparatively smaller and do not even spea~~ the same; ~;;::::'::":¥~'{;.;'--
This sitLlation is also applicable to the onl'y' women"s migran..~-'(;'2!~-~~:."':" - :"~-.?';':;:'
- -
association, the Ghana Not-thet-n Women"s Association, which -:-,.::'
"0aims to bt"ing together WOlrlen who originate -ft-om the Not-thet-n -
.
p;:,.t-t o-f Ghana. Thei t" -fOCLlS has been the mobi I isation o-f
t-eSOLlt"ces to assist in development activity in Grlana. This is
becaLlse o~ an awat-eness ,~~ the pt-oblem ,~~ -food insecLlt-ity and
compat-ati.ve Llndet-de.~.elopment o~ trle Not-th o~ Grlatla.
CONCLUSION
The st'_ldy rlas e:.:amined trie evolLltion o-f the Ghanaian commLlnity
in trle U.~:::. It rlas shawn trlat what began a: .a sl,~w and
c:onsistent -flaw o~ I;h;:,.r,ai,;;.ns mainly -;::Ot- the PLlt-p':Jse 0+ StLld'j
h.:.s t-apidl'y. '=onsolidated itlto a l;:,.!"-ge migt-ant C:OITlffiLlnit:i' l.-Jrluse
main ':Jbje,=ti'".e i-: no lun'~el"- the pLlt-Si_lit ':J-F -fLlrther- edLlcati':Jtl
'- ~ - n ' m :- _ 1--' ~-"7':-'-';--' -- ,' l .~.;-r- l. """ n '- -J..~ uLl,- C\ I ~::o'-o:\j.JC TfUl1 ~t:"t:r~ ;=:'-UIII..;III",- '=' IU i-""';.!..!.'-.l.\-;:,.I. '-'-' ~.I.~ ...1 = 'I
Griati.;;. .
The t-apid inc:..-,~~:e in ti-iE Gj-i.:.i;aia~ ;=CtT;iTILir;it;! [-,as e!-;'=':JL,r-~gEd
t:-'e F;:J;--'-I",,!::i~!-; ,:;;::: I-i-i:i.gt-,:.:-!'~ ,",,::::oi:i.:;.tiai-i.:. SI_lch as:oc:.,:;.t.i;~ns
;:;t:=.i'-t i:,itially. ;riith .:.ti abj'~cti',..:::; i: ;:;(;:2:':;';'-;:;:: t~e i,Aielt=at-e ;:J;::
ITiEffibEt--: iil the U.~:::. Gr-,~dLI.?ll':i'~ t:-ie.:". at-e de';elapirig a
,-!o. " '~"~- m - n -'- -om '- -- t-' n ": n - J..- wn ' _J.. " --- -- -'-'- e'-'_"~ J. "II ~" .; I "' ii ~ t ' ' u .~- " u 1 ,-, 'L'- , ,~, ,", 1-" '-~I- ~'-- -r- ~"- - 1-'- -'- ~ I'_=r-- ~.I..~ .~,- ~.;-! ~o;:- 1..11
pe,.-cei'/ed nEeds o-f the people in -the towns or di-::;.tt-icts u~
ot-igin. The low dE\/elopment cumponerit is mairlly a resLllt o~
socio-economi c and CLll tLt,.-al +actot-s pec:ul ia,.- to the a,.-ea: o-f
ut-igin o~ most o-f these migt-ant a~sociations. Ne'_'ertheless,
they do hav.e .?, stt-ong sens= u+ identity' i~hich is vital -fo,.- the
mobili~aticn o~ t-esOLlrces within the cummLlnity.
,-"-' "co';,., . '::' ~.~~'t!~; '", ,;':cti;':~:i.:';:':~;~:~f:
- 44
BIBLIOG~:AF'HY
1. AbLtgt-e Charles, BEHIND THE CROWDED SHEL\/ES: F'ovet-t'l,
Vulnerability and Gharla's Stt-LlctLtt-al
AdjLlstment E:<periences (-forthcoming)
2. A-fr i ca SOLlth o-f the Sahat-a (1992) ~ 21st Edi tion - ELlropa
PLlbl i cations.
3. Chazan ~~aomi (1983), An Anatomy o-f Ghanaian F'olitics:
; Managi ng F'ol i ti cal ~:ecess ion,
1969-19824. Fitch, B, ~( Oppenheimet-
Mat-y (1960) i:;harla: End aT an illLlsion
Monthl'y ~:e\iiew F't-ess
5. Fortes Meyer (edt) (1963)~"", r-'; .:' ,~to "-
L ' ,-"'. ",--
~,-,,-.l I. _.1 \-'-'-\\;::
F'Llb. ~~ew YOt-~::~ ~:Llssell ~.; F:Llssell
. -.l.f"1I...
6. !-!ansen EJTlmarlLle 1 ~( 1\1 ins in
;.:::..,ame(edt.) The Sta.te:l Developmer.t :\f"1d F'olitic:
1 '.., '~ h ~""'- ;-
OD ' E c-r- 1 =' .I."'~ ;-,r,,-i.-- =~I,-i ==II ~ ICIIC. '- '-' I', " ,-,-,-", --, .'-_.
7. HLtg:l M. M. The economy ,~-f Ghana
Macmi 11 an F't-ess
'" ",,--1"
1 '-- ='~"
(1 '- 8 C"\ '--' d , ,-,- ,-, '-' .,.."..,-
1 ",.,-,
o. '-,-:IIr-, 11=, 1'-=1, '7 "';1 '.;J\..i.i. '_\..i'"'='_;,r '-"\1::' ==:"\::0. .i.':;;;;:='(_'-,7J.7
in Immi rants and Minorities \,'c,l.4
!'~o . 3 0 p . 5-52
.
r
~ :,:"':
m l-." .1. - ;".~"':-""""' 6 ~
) ,'\ --'.: ;--, ":_'" ,-" -,- '-' '. 1,.i.II,-, I: U=v.l.U..J.7 0_' I-i :.J\.;.i..'-""-'='J. ii.i.~l-Ory \-ii "::1 1<:\1 I=,.
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