Neighbourhood Gong Edition 15

Where do You
live?
Nkroful
kroful holds a special place in the
Nhistory of Ghana. It is the birthplace
and initial burial place of Ghana's rst
Prime Minister Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Nkroful
means “new village”. This was to refer to the
settler's new home led by Chief BrommahTuen I.
Nkroful is a village in the Ellembelle District,
located near Axim in the Nzema East Municipal
of the Western Region. It stands inland 5 km
(3 miles) from the coastal highway, from the
Essiama village junction turnoff.
The rst settlers were forced to move, after
there was no room for expansion in their old
village. They moved to Nkroful because the soil
then was fertile and gold in abundance. The
entire Nkroful was moved from “Sardid”
literally meaning old village in the local dialect
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was born in Nkroful in
1909. He spent his early childhood before
leaving eventually for the capital, Accra. He
was overthrown as President of Ghana and his
subsequently passed on. His remains in Nkroful
till date, serves as an attraction for tourists who
visit the community. Indigenes have done a
good job to maintain and improve upon other
Nkrumah-related souvenirs to make the
community a place to visit.
The people of Nkroful are amiable and take
great pride in the spot in the history of Ghana.
All over the community are landmarks made in
honour of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Perhaps it's
intended to serve as a form of inspiration for
the youth who form a sizeable chunk of the
area's population, especially students of the
Nkroful Agriculture Secondary School.
Nkroful boasts of it’s rich natural resources, yet
very little is eventually turned over for the
benet of the locals. Mining is the predominant
occupation here. Residents are predominantly
farmers. However, limited access to major
markets and a thriving black market is denying
them of badly needed revenue generated.
The local authority has also contributed to
maintaining the traditional heritage of the
town. The overriding imagery one is greeted
with is the embodiments of Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah. Nkroful is also home to the mystical
River Subre, and it is close to three forest
reserves – Draw River Forest Reserve, Ndumfri
Forest Reserve, and Shelter Forest Reserve
which is situated 83km west of Takoradi, in the
hinterland of Ghana West Coast. The area
around Nkroful is full of natural resources such
as oil palm, coconut palm, cocoa and gold.
Enjoy a tour of Nkroful town, learning about
the way of life of this community of people
from the Nzema ethnic group. Learn about their
economic livelihood activities, as you
experience farming and coconut oil production,
using local methods. If your timing is right, you
may be able to watch traditional funeral rites,
a naming ceremony, a traditional wedding,
treasured dances or other sacred rituals. Also,
for one week between September and
October, you may also be able to partake in
the celebration of the Kundum Festival.
How about a tasty dish of akyeke (moist
tapioca) with tilapia sh and salsa-like pepper
sauce? This and other mouth-watering dishes
abound in Nkroful. Other popular dishes
include fufu (large dumplings made from
pounded cassava and plantain), kenkey
(steamed balls of fermented corn, wrapped in
banana leaves), and banku (boiled balls of
fermented cassava and corn). These starchy
and grainy foods are often served with
delicious sh and vegetable stews and soups.
Every proud Ghanaian and African, for that
matter, must visit Nkroful and its surroundings to
appreciate nature and treat yourself, your
family to pure natural beauty and the unique
culture of these wonderful people.