Several residents of Crozet who are members of the Albemarle County Rotary Club attended a lunchtime presentation on activities occurring between the local club and the one in Winneba, Ghana. The relationship started in 2008 when club member Dave Norris, the Charlottesville Mayor at the time, was approached by Winneba native Nana Ghartey who was then living in Charlottesville. While Charlottesville already had three sister cities at that time, they were all in Europe, and Ghartey said to Norris, “You know there is more to the world than Europe.” By 2010, a formal sister city relationship was formed between the city of Winneba on the Ghana coast and Charlottesville, followed by the formation of the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation two years later.
Ghartey, now president of the Charlottesville-Winneba Foundation, spoke at the meeting. He described his hometown: “The city of Winneba is a lot like Charlottesville. It is a college town blessed with natural beauty and has about the same size population. There is a rich cultural history including many festivals.”
The Rotary crowd was astonished as Ghartey went on to describe the Aboakyer Festival (meaning catching a live deer) held early each May in which two friendly rival warrior groups (the Tuafo and Dentsifo) head out to catch a bushback deer using only sticks and their bare hands, symbolizing bravery and strength. The first group to present the live deer to the Chief is declared the winner. As Ghartey invited the men in the Rotary crowd to come to Winneba and join in the deer hunt with the warriors, there were a lot of smiles and raised eyebrows in the room. “You are invited to join the hunt, just be sure to ask your wife,” he said.
Norris went on to describe some of the activities of the foundation, “The foundation has raised money to support the hospital, literacy programs and fire safety, including donating a retired fire truck from the CFD, which is the pride of the Winneba fire department.” The Rotary Club has also raised money to repair a school in Winneba that was severely damaged in a storm. There are regularly organized trips to Winneba by the Foundation to explore the rich culture and heritage of Ghana. Previous travelers have explored the Elmina Castle, which was a transit point for the trans-Atlantic slave trade. There is a trip to Winneba scheduled for this coming May. Charlottesville area residents are invited to join.
Nana Ghartey. Photo: Ron Wade.
