Sustainable farming in Guabuliga

Overuse, monocultures and a high input of chemically-synthesized pesticides start showing its drawbacks globally. The project-team of Braveaurora takes action to fight these difficulties and their negative outcomes, considering the fact that farming is the essential base of cash- and food-income in Guabuliga.

Consequences of erosion and infertile land can not be solved with a higher input of chemicals on a long term base, neither ecologically nor financially. For this cause Braveaurora initiated a close cooperation with Asiribisi Self-help Initiative, a community based organisation focused on ecological farming. They train people in Guabuliga on sustainable and organic gardening. Besides proper crop planting to avoid nutrient-poor soil through monocultures, they produce self-made pesticides based on organic substances. Another focus is on the cross-breeding for more successful harvesting.

Enthusiastic about the trainings, I joined the group and took them through the Austrian method of compost construction. The group collected the material in no time and with the help of a skilled carpenter, previously trained by Braveaurora, the compost was done within two days. 

Standing with the trainees in front of their creation, I asked about the purpose of the exercise. And their answers made me outrageously happy: 

„Organic waste will turn within some months into an organic fertilizer. We put it on the soil of the vegetables and fruits so they grow better. Like this we can give more nutritious foods to our families and we will stay healthy. We will have a good harvest without buying expensive chemicals.“ 

Thanks to the great cooperation with a motivated gardening team and the translations and expert-knowledge of Asiribisi Self-help Initiative, the organic garden will provide self-produced organic and nutritious fertilizer.

This transferred knowledge aims to help making use of compost in larger scale for their own farms, to be independent of expensive chemically-synthesized products. Since I unfortunately need to leave Guabuliga soon, for a longer or hopefully shorter period, the supervision will be conducted by the trainees.  

Bugum - Celebrating ancient traditions in the north of Ghana

As I arrived in Guabuliga four weeks ago to do research for my master-thesis in nutritional sciences for the University of Vienna, I had no idea about the intriguing and compelling society awaiting me. If I would have known, I would have come years earlier!

It is easily witnessed, that proselytization also reached remote areas in all Northern Ghana as everyday-life is embossed by regular religious ceremonies. However, the ancient flame never lost its fire, as I was able to experience on my own in the previous week.  

The Fire festival, or Bugum Chugu as it is called locally, takes place annually for over 800 years in some communities and cities of Northern Ghana like Guabuliga. After dusk, the Elders are summoned through drumming at the Chiefs Palace where traditional dances are initiated, torches of dried wood are lighted up and a procession through the village starts. After some time, the Chief circles his head seven times with an illuminated torch, gives signs to open the gunfire and after the first gun is shot, the whole Guabuliga is brightened up by children, women and men carrying their fires and running joyfully through streets  celebrating until late night.

As children told me and online research proved them right, the roots of the Bugum Chugu lies in a King, whose son went out to play and did not return back home. The King desperately sent the whole village to search after his dear son. After nightfall he ordered to continue the search with torches, with which they found the child sleeping under a tree. This tree was accused from the king to have hidden his son from him and therefore they threw torches on it to cast away the evil, which still can be seen nowadays in some communities. 

If you should ever be around Northern Ghana in the beginning of October, be sure to be part of this unique night. It engages you in the pulse of a traditional relict and will surely leave you stunned. 

Review Meeting

On Friday the 6th of October, Braveaurora organised a review meeting in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare on the Unicef powered Social History and Post-reunification Stories project. The onus of the meeting was to present findings from the assessments so far and to discuss key findings with the various stakeholders. It was a platform to get participants' understanding of the project and to get them to unearth their experiences during the exercise.

As part of the objectives of the meeting, participants were tasked to dilate, in groups, on the provision of  a structured support package to reunited children and the benefits thereof. They also came up with vital components of a support package.

Interestingly, most outcomes of the meeting, went further to solidify the knowledge we already have concerning the reunification of children. Family based care is the best for all children and placement into institutions should be seen as the last resort. Exciting new learnings were also recorded from the assessments.

Putting this behind us, the team is now poised to start assessments in the West Mamprusi District. Both DSW and BA teams are prepared to hit the ground running. Pictures of the Review Meeting are shared below: