GHEI

THE VILLAGE OF HUMJIBRE

OVERVIEW

Location: Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District, Western Region, Ghana

Humjibre is a medium-sized village with a population around 4,500. It is the fourth largest village in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai District, and is located approximately 3 hours by local transport from the nearest city, Kumasi. The majority of people believe in Christianity or Animist faiths. The main earners of foreign exchange in the area are extraction of minerals such as gold, bauxite and manganese, timber, and cocoa.

The population relies heavily on their small-scale farms to produce crops such as cocoa, oil palm, yams, plantains and cassava. Production output, however, is low and because most of the focus is placed on cash crops, especially cocoa, growing food crops is neglected. As a result the area is wrought with severe malnutrition. Children's diets are almost entirely made up of starches.

Although cocoa is the main income generator, most people in Humjibre must find alternative livelihood strategies to get them through the period between harvests. Like people all over the world, people in Humjibre work hard to make ends meet and some small businesses include household soap production, pito brewing, baking, shoemaking, hairdressing, seamstressing etc. Despite this, poverty, as defined by the UN as living on less than $1 per day, is prevalent.

The village has two nursery schools, three primary schools, one middle school, one clinic, eleven churches, three operating boreholes for pumping potable water, partial electric connection and one paved road.

The people of Humjibre suffer disproportionately from health problems such as malaria, anemia, hypertension, malnutrition and child birth complications. A high child birth rate has led to the usual economic, social and health problems, as well as increased pressure on the environment.

Humjibre is situated on the tropical rainforest edge. Land is cleared by a process of slash and burn. There is seasonally high rainfall (May-Sept) but problems resulting from deforestation have meant that many older villagers say that rainfall has decreased during their lifetime. Overhunting of large birds and game in the nearby forest have led to the virtual absence of protein in people’s diets.

PEOPLE

There are many stories told among the people of Humjibre outlining their past and the origin of the village. A few are included below:

Humjibre literally translated means "a place of rest." In ancient times, the village was part of a well-traveled route to the coast. Travelers heading to the coast usually stopped overnight to rest in Humjibre, where they would always find a reliable source of water and a warm welcome from the people there. So the village gradually acquired the name Humjibre.

Before the village was founded, around 150 years ago, the people formed part of a group of Sefwis constantly on the move because of the intertribal wars of the time. This large group settled at a place near Sefwi Bekwai called Asono Mmiensa, meaning Three Elephants. One day a hunter found a pool of water that came from a hill. The water was so cool and refreshing that the hunter reported this to his divisional chief. After inspection, it was widely concluded this water source could be sufficient all year round, so they moved and settled near this water source under the leadership of Nana Anyimadu. The water still runs from the hills and provides the community with cool, refreshing drinking water. A large tract of forest vegetation has been reserved to serve as protective cover for the water. Because of the constant harassment they were always on the defensive and became vexed in warfare. They fought alongside the Ashantis on several occasions. One such brave chief who was revered by the Ashantis was called Nana Kofi Twum.

Another hunter killed an elephant in those days and found, in the bowel of the elephant, a deity. This deity became the peoples’ God of war and was worshipped until recent times. Legend and living testimony speak of several instances when this god helped them to win wars or protected them from dangerous situations. In time of war, this God formed a protective shield of cloud, so thick that the enemy could not see them. They saw and shot at the enemy until the enemy was conquered. Even to this day, the bravery and militancy of the people is such that they are a security unto themselves and will not tolerate any form of social misdeed irrespective of whether the culprit is from the community or not.

Humjibre holds the traditional post of Krontihene meaning Defense chief, in the traditional area or paramountcy. Whenever there was a vacancy at the paramountcy, the Humjibre chief assumed temporary responsibility as paramount chief.

Every year the people celebrate “Yam” festival. That is when chieftaincy regalia and ornaments are displayed. Chiefs and the people dress in rich traditional cloths. Chiefs are carried in palanquins amid drumming and dancing and feasting. Yam festival is observed to usher in the New Year and to thank God for the previous harvest.
DAILY LIFE

An interview with Ibrahim Mensah, age 15

"I wake up at six o'clock in the morning. I fetch two buckets of water. On the Saturdays I wash my school uniform. And Sundays I go to Church. Monday I fetch water and I brush my teeth and then I bath. And I clean my shoes with polish. For breakfast I eat rice and beans. At 7.45 I go to school. I help to sweep the compound around the school. Classes begin at 8.15. We study Maths, English, Social Studies, Vocational Studies, Ghanaian Language, Religious, Agriculture, General Science, and Technical Skills.

When it is 10.35, we go to break. We play football. Some people go and buy food. And when it is 10.50, it is break over. We go and learn. Then school finishes at 2.10, but Form 2 and Form 3 have extra classes until 3.20. We come home. When we come home we cook yam or plantains or cassava or rice or cocoa yam, with stew or soup. When we finish eating we go and fetch water .Then we play football, or we play lude - we take a small stone and put it in a hole, one hole contains four stones, and we play it with two people. In the evening, they cook plantains and cassava, and we pound this in a big mortar with a pestle, to make fufu. We eat fufu with soup.

After eating, we send our grandmother food. When we come home, we learn. We take our bath and after that we sleep, at about 8 o' clock. Three of us share a room, I, my brother and my friend's brother. I sleep on a mat. Before we are sleeping, we open a radio, and listen. That is all."