“Minaokoo!”
“Te oyɔɔ tɛŋŋ?”
“Mi yɛ ojogbaŋŋ. Oyiwala dɔŋŋ”
What’s that you say? The above is about as far as I got with the Ga language while in Accra, but what a difference a few phrases can make. (The brief exchange translates to: Good Afternoon/How are you?/I’m fine, thank you.) Greetings are extremely important in Accra (and across West Africa). Walking up to someone and asking them point blank where the post office is or how to get to the history museum would be considered the height of rudeness. Say hello. Ask how someone’s day is going. Don’t expect to get much help if you start out on the wrong foot.
Dozens of languages are spoken in Accra, but the two you will most often come across are Twi (in Greater Accra) and Ga (in Jamestown, where the Ga people settled almost two centuries ago). Walking around Jamestown with a Ga speaking guide is basically a necessity. Luckily, as soon as you reach the Jamestown lighthouse, you will be swarmed by many Ga/English speaking men who will be happy to show you around for a few hours for a small fee. (Make sure you agree upon the fee ahead of time- $20 is usually the going rate for a 2-3 hour tour- but don’t be afraid to tip if they do a good job.)
You are free to walk around Jamestown by yourself, but under no circumstance should you take any photos if you turn down the offer to have a guided tour. You will be accosted and your phone may even be taken from you by force. It is illegal to photograph the lighthouse without permission from your Ga guide and the men and women working in the fishing village will not welcome pictures without a local by your side. I understood their point of view to be that if you have paid the “admission price” then you have given back to the community, creating an understanding that photos can be taken (still, always ask first). If you refuse to spare the entrance free, then you will be seen as a tightwad who is trespassing in the community. My guide was a blast too- a rasta who definitely had smoked a little something beforehand, but gave me access to some family homes, two “off-limits” slave forts and introduced me to some fishermen bringing in their boats.
King Tackie Tawiah I
Ok, this memorial is technically a ten-minute walk from Jamestown proper, but if we are going to talk about the Ga people, we first have to talk about King Tackie Tawiah I, their most beloved king who governed the Ga from 1862 until his death in 1902. His slightly rundown memorial park is located in the midst of Makola Market and has signage that explains his significance.
When King Tackie Tawiah I ascended to the throne in 1862, the British were still in control of the Gold Coast, one of the four Crown Colonies that would unite to form Ghana in 1957. Tawiah brought the Ga people, who had somewhat scattered along the coast, together in Jamestown, the oldest neighborhood in Accra. In 1864, Tawiah supported a rebellion against the Dutch soldiers in Fort Ussher and gained ground with the British in securing privileges for the Ga people. Due to the prosperity and stability Tawiah brought to Accra, the capital of the Gold Coast was moved here in 1877 from Cape Coast.
Tawiah was an extremely progressive leader, but he also tirelessly promoted the Ga language and culture. He was the first person to translate the Bible into Ga and made sure traditional dances and music were kept alive as technology and society continued to move forward. Tawiah is only the second king of an indigenous ethnic group to be featured on a Ghanaian postage stamp.
Ghana General Post Office
Speaking of stamps, upon entering Jamestown, one of the first buildings you’ll see is a relic from British colonial times, the Ghana General Post Office. Built in the 1850s, its lovely peach-colored facade still captures the splendor of colonial architecture. For anyone looking for a unique souvenir, the post office sells rare and out-of-print stamps, along with postcards and the latest line-up of postage. In front, you will see the statue “Mother and Children” which was erected in the 1990s as one in a series of monuments that were meant to draw attention to women’s and children’s rights and showcase the pivotal role women play in Ghanaian society.
Jamestown Lighthouse
The Jamestown Lighthouse is one of the most recognizable symbols of Accra and the central meeting place for anyone visiting the neighborhood. The unofficial Jamestown tour guides all hang out around the lighthouse and most tour routes will begin and end here. The original lighthouse was built by the British in 1871, but this current red and white-stripped model dates from the 1930s. It is possible to climb to the top of the 28m (92ft) tower, which allegedly offers the best views of Jamestown and Greater Accra, granted you can find the guy who has the key first! I had no such luck when I visited, but it is theoretically possible!
The lighthouse is perched atop a hill that overlooks the Jamestown fishing village and the Gulf of Guinea below. There is an orphanage/school for boys near the entrance to the beach and the young kids will happily show off their English skills, do cartwheels and handstands or anything else they can think of to impress, all in the hopes that you throw them a few cedis for their efforts, or course.
Fort James (Prison)
Right next to the lighthouse is the imposing empty husk that was once Great Britain’s main stronghold in Accra, Fort James. Built in 1673, Fort James was established as a trading post, first for gold and later for human slaves. After Ghana achieved independence, the fort was turned into a prison until it was decommissioned in 2008. There are now plans to turn Fort James into a museum, but the building is strictly off-limits if you don’t have a guide at your side.
Ussher Fort
The aforementioned Ussher Fort was the Dutch base of operations in Accra. Constructed in 1649, Ussher Fort was owned by the Dutch West Indies Company and traded in spices, gold and human slaves with North and South America. Ussher Fort has recently been declared a UNESCO site and plans are underway to turn it into a museum and house of records for descendants of slaves who are trying to trace their African lineage. There are a total of 27 European forts that were built along the Ghanaian coast for the purpose of trading slaves. It wasn’t just the British and the Dutch who were involved either: the French, Portuguese, Danish and Swedes also had a hand in profiting on the sale of humans.
Another perk of having a Ga guide is that it allowed me to wander around Ussher Fort and take photos, which would have been impossible if I were on my own. My rasta took me into the prison cells where slaves were held for up to three months until another ship arrived to carry them to the “New World.” Of course, all of this will be seen by future travelers in a more official capacity, but it was especially eerie for me to experience Ussher Fort before it was cleaned up and made ready for mass tourism.
Jamestown Fishing Village
The heart of Jamestown is its fishing village, where the majority of the Ga people live and work. Ga businesses are usually run by the women in society, who control all the money in the household. The matriarchy passes down the businesses to the next generation of female family members when the mothers and grandmothers can no longer work. The colorful boats are magnificent to watch; some fishermen told us they will sail all along the Ghanaian coast to catch fish and bring them back to Accra. The women then smoke and prepare the fish before bringing them to market to sell. While several fishermen and smokers were eager for me to photograph their impressive hauls and cooking techniques respectively, they kindly asked that I not include them in any pictures.
One of the best parts of visiting the fishing village was watching all the Ga children play in the ocean waves. Perhaps they were supposed to be focused on digging crabs out of the sand, but most of them were more concerned with laughing and running around. This is a side of Africa that the media doesn’t want you to see. Even in the poorest area, joy and laughter are still to be found. People don’t have much, but they work hard and will greet you with a smile when approached respectfully.
After we left the fishing village, my guide took me to some family homes and I got to see how the Ga people lived. Again, photos were declined, but one of the households had a lot of cute goats and I was allowed to take as many photos of them as I wanted! My guide told me that since it was approaching dinner time he could ask if we would be welcome to join a family for their meal. As tempting as this offer was, when I explained to him that I was vegetarian he decided against it in fear that someone would be offended if I refused to eat what was on my plate.
One last stop on our Jamestown tour took us to Discipline Boxing Academy, one of the many boxing schools in the area. Jamestown is famous for producing world-class boxers and many of the young men see learning the sport as a way to better themselves and escape poverty. For those not so interested in boxing, youth groups centered around traditional Ga drumming and dancing are also popular.
The Ga people are an important part of the fabric that makes up Accra. King Tackie Tawiah I played a vital role in established Accra as the capital city of the Gold Coast and the fishing village is part of the life blood of the city. A few months before I visited, the government announced plans to sell the fishing village peninsula to a Chinese company who wanted to pave the area and put up a casino and luxury hotels. The outrage was so intense, that the government had to rescind on the deal and leave the Ga people be. My afternoon in Jamestown was one of many highlights from my time in Accra, so I recommend learning a few Ga phrases, picking up a guide and diving in!
