‘And the people are talking’….is the sermon preached at St Theresa’s Catholic Church on Resurrection Sunday. This church is the only lighted enclave on the Island of Miegyinla literally. This captivating sermon of the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, light and darkness, hopelessness and Hope was preached by the venerable Rev Adjei Bisa. He is the leader of Forerunners for Christ, the Charity Foundation which paved the way for our privileged service at Miegyina, the Grey Island of Nzema.
Miegyinla means ‘we rest here’, in the Nzema language literally. It was so named by the Nzema Chief,Awula Ackah 1. He took a rest there with his royal entourage when the colonialists were persecuting him. Unfortunately, as typical of human history, Aquila Ackah was betrayed by some of the locals, leading to his capture. He was subsequently sent to the Cape Coast Castle where he committed suicide, rather than yield to the diabolical colonial plan. May he rest well with the Great Ancestors!
Almost everything about Miegyinla is unusual. Same theme runs through its history, through proximity to its eco system. A vintage myriad of paradoxes is an apt descriptive phrase. To give rest to the overload of the Amazule area is interesting. And to subsequently same to all manner of people, both within and from without, Miegyinla must be possessive of some pearl of qualities in its elements.
The only church and mission house on this seemingly dark island is equally embedded in an uncommon history. Both it’s architecture and history are deeply interesting. Its design and material content can seamlessly fit into the religious enclave of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and University of Ghana for example. Not only is the church delivering spiritual light, but also a physical one. It’s the only lighted area in Miegyinla.
Again, in its vintage paradoxical theme, though catholic, it was not founded nor constructed by the Catholic Church. It is also manned by the Mother Priest who both founded and constructed it. She is popularly known as Aunty Mary, a coincidental reference to the biblical and catholic Mary. She literally got the structure built by transporting materials from outside the island, sack by sack, block by block in canoes when the pathless Bush was inaccessible by motorbikes!
Her word is that she got the vision in a dream and subsequently set off from her Takoradi base in search of the location. It was Miegyinla that she apparently found the location for the dream vision. She settled right away in the thick shelterless bush of darkness. Brick by brick, she has defied all odds to release the light from the darkness! Presently, it is still the only lighted spot in the whole village, powered by a generator.
The light story also has an interesting twist. The village on its Easter side, separated by a mangrove river, Eze, and that of its southern border before the Gulf of Guinea, are both connected to the National Grid. The larger Amazule River which accommodates the world famous Nzulezu Stilt Settlement is Miegyinla‘a western border. The southern frontal plains is actually part of the Amazule River but occasionally dries up.
This makes it possible for accessibility during the dry season. It must be mentioned that the very Toyota Four Wheel among other three cars used on this occasion of annual service visits, is the very first car that ever entered Miegyinla! Compounding the vintage character of Miegyinla is Beyin on the south, it’s eastern neighbor and Nzulezu on the west are on the world digital map. Miegyinla doesn’t feature!
The only two classroom block by the church has thankfully given way to a relatively modern three classroom structure. Gratefully, Forerunners for Christ have furniture ready to be transported from Accra. Teachers though, both professional and national service persons are still a challenge for obvious reasons.
This situation compels a number of enthusiastic pupils to cross the surrounding rivers by canoes to neighboring communities for school daily. Positively and surprisingly, a great number of the people are literate in one, two or all three of Nzema, Twi or English. Also worth noting is every one of the people near a Christian or English name, except for one little four year old beautiful girl, Akasha. Indeed Miegyinla is not an everyday community!
The Chief’s Palace is a rather depressing spectacle. A simple four legged shed with dried palm leaves as roofing. It is here that the Chief, a most pleasant personality, sits with his aged mother from morning to evening throughout the week. There is no health post! This situation made it fertile for a quack medical attendant to inject the Chief with some unknown content. It was to cure a swollen on his toe. It ended up getting the big toe and two others amputated! Quite happily mosquitos are manageable in prevalence. A bit more prevalent rather are tsetse flies. The report of our last visit was the resultant rampant slumber on the grounds. Observation these past weekend was a way positive issue.
But clearly the most disturbing spectacle all through our visit, and throughout the village, is the story known by everyone as The Oldlady. Across from the shed palace of the Chief is a house with a few rooms. The first room which doesn’t escape attention has its whole side wall in a pathetic state. It is virtually a net of sticks with all the mud and cement off. The scorching sun and rain freely flows in like it does through every open space. Yet in this room, or rather space, houses the Old Lady, definitely hovering around a century old. She doesn’t walk. How she baths is not known. Her excreta though is sadly present in her wallless abode.
It was understood her daughter is the occupant of a two room block opposite her not fit for kraal abode. Next to the Old Lady’s room is apparently her brother’s room, with the most sophisticated furniture seen in the dark side of the village! Strangely, on our early morning house to house prayers for individual households, this brother was the only one who asked for prayers for development and prosperity for the whole community! His greatest and visibly anguishing wish is at least for light to be connected to the village in his lifetime! He reiterated same at the afternoon durbar with the chiefs and elders of Miegyinla.
Again, gratefully, Forerunners has secured a wheel chair for the Old Lady. Also, any moment from now, the Old Lady’s wall will be reconstructed and paid for by Forerunners for Christ.
This Old Lady’s story, is particularly striking and of serious concern. This is because her story animates that of Africa. Most Blacks have in the darkness of despair, degenerated into pathetically plagued bunch of individualists. Others are also nauseatingly, retrogressively and unrepentantly focused on the betterment of other continents. This gross negligence of responsibility can only be a feature of the six thousand demon plagues!
In the midst of the stark dark reality of Miegyinla though, is an awesome Hope! A Hope beyond the charity of donations, of books, clothing, shelter and other assorted materials. This Hope is rooted in the Economic Viability of this potential exotic pearl of an island!
The vision is to project Miegyinla to feed into the evolving hospitality, tourism, energy, and larger industrial sub sector. Pointers of the proximity of this economic generation are Maaha and other resorts, Atuabo Gas and others barely four kilometers from Miegyinla.
The larger Oil and Agro Industrial sector of the Western Region is also graduating on the progressive projections. Bottled Natural Water, Organic Food (both crop and livestock), Honey, Mushrooms and other projected Green House produce et al are concretely shaping the Golden Hope for Miegyinla.
Perhaps, the energies needed to power the Hope for Miegyinla is evidenced in the inspirational attitudes of Miegyinla’s core young lads. Unassuming thoughtfulness of Paul, the infectious vibrancy and probing eyes of Prince, the serviceable humility of Vida and Rachel, and the current generation of Junior Secondary School Students. These are the fundamental manifestations of Miegyinla’s Hope.
All these came through the canoe rides, the mentoring sessions, the church services, film shows, and the awesome confidence and lovely cooperation and support demonstrated throughout our Easter program on the island.
Akasha, the darling four year old intelligent girl, with a beautiful smile and natural warm affection
makes comprehension of the Enigmatic Hope very easy. Akasha literally cleans up on her own initiative even before we are done making refuse! The general moral integrity of the Miegyinla is one of their unconscious assets. Miegyinla Hope Project is possible because they have demonstrated in diverse ways that they are not only receivers, but givers as well. They are soaking the goodness to refine it for the world!
The meeting in Takoradi with the Visionary Regional Minister on our way back is most assuring. With his firm support for the Miegyinla Hope Project, it May be that Hope will manifest into Reality earlier than generally projected……And the people will be talking….this time about Miegyinla with awe!
By Yaw Nkunim, Field Team Member, Forerunners for Christ.
