EWUDU AND NGMADUMƆ: How Millet Once Saved the Guans and Ga-Adangme.
EWUDU AND NGMADUMƆ: How Millet Once Saved the Guans and Ga-Adangme. By Abeiku Okai (+233) 0249287855 Before maize and cassava arrived with the Europeans and took over Ghanaian kitchens, it was millet that saved lives. To the coastal Guan of Senya and Awutu Breku (Obutu), it is called Ewu. To the Ga-Adangme, it is Ngma. More than a grain, millet was the people’s shield against famine, a teacher of discipline, and a vessel of identity. It fed not only the body but revived the spirit of the people, being woven into festivals, rituals, and the very rhythm of survival. Oral traditions recall a time of devastating famine along the southern coast of Ghana. From the Guan communities of Awutu Breku (Obutu), Senya Beraku, Simpa (Winneba), and Fetu (Cape Coast), to the Ga-Adangme settlements of Accra, hunger stalked the people. In their desperation, elders from the affected communities sought the help of a renowned high priest, Atta Atiɛ Kwesi Kwei, who served at the Akrama Anu (temple...