Year of Return

Although Ghana’s year of return happened in 2019, this year became my year of return. I moved to the US in August 2018 and this year, I had the opportunity to visit home. I planned to go back in 2020 but then the pandemic hit so I had to reschedule for 2021 which also did not happen due to a few reasons beyond my control. However, it happen last month after a long wait.

I was able to travel because I won a research grant which paid for my travel to Ghana. My research will commence this semester, thus I had to go gather information before the new school year begins.

I made quite a dramatic appearance at home which I posted on my TikTok and Instagram. I did not inform my family about my trip home, instead, I told them a friend I have in the US who is visiting Ghana needed a place to stay and will be staying in my apartment. They did not have the slightest inkling that I was the one visiting. I teamed up with my sister-in-law because I needed someone to play this out with, and we executed it perfectly. Also I put on a mask and a bucket hat so it was mission impossible for them to make me out. However, my sister was able to make me out even with the bucket hat and the mask. You can watch the video here.

Without wasting no time, I went out to renew my Ghanaian passport the next morning and started talking to people about my research. My recruitment method was through word of mouth so I kept asking people to direct me to individuals who had knowledge about my research. My research is about the migration of the Ga people specifically those who settled in the town of La. My thesis project is going to be a dance piece about the migration and I needed accurate information about the migration. I was linked with one of the Chief Priests of the town whom we refer to as “Wul)m)”. I met with him and we discussed my research and we were able to schedule a day to have the interview. He invited two other knowledgable folks who supported and gave me a lot of information. Also, I was able to witness an important ritual that happens every year before our main festival is celebrated. The ritual is to go to the sacred stream of the town to fetch the “sacred water” that will be used in the cleansing of the chief’s throne. Unfortunately, I could not stay to witness the other ceremonies and the actual festival because I had to come back to the US.

I can confidently say I have enough information to make my thesis project a spectacular project and all I have to do now is process the information that I have and embody it. I look forward to telling you about my project in March.