Senya Community Logo and Meaning.

 

Writer/Researcher: Apostle Abeiku Okai

The whole concept and idea of Senya Beraku logo struck a cord in my heart when throughout my research on Senya history, culture and tradition I never saw anything of such for the community. I noticed most of the symbols used by people were arbitrarily chosen and used to fit one's personal purpose for the particular used at the time.

Besides several people began consulting me on what Senya logo is and they had great expectation that I was their last resort. For I noticed that my inability to produce the logo for them caused a great disappointment for them. 

One day in 2016 Ipi Kwa Bentum, the Tufuhene, and some Asafo members picked up a healthy discussion with me on the need for the logo and I remember very well the Ipi charging  me it is needful for me to search  and bring out a logo for the community.

Honestly, just at that moment I saw something like a quick vision of a traditional logo. I drew it on the ground for those around to see. That picture was imprinted in my mind's eye for long but I did not give further attention to it.

Then in 2019 the Member of Parliament of the constituency (Awutu Senya) and Deputy Communication Minister, Hon. Nenyi George Andah, in partnering with the Senya Blue Saturday carnival, called me and asked me if I knew the Senya Beraku logo. It was at that moment I realised the need to do the needful as was in my mind's eye and improve upon the generation I came to meet, as my Economics teacher, Mr. Amos Asante, always told me in school. 

Even though I am a designer I decided to rather consult another youth of Senya Beraku, who is a much better designer and imaginary artiste than me to bring perfectly to life the concept I had seen concerning the logo. This designer, Emmanuel Kwesi Eyiah Brown, gave critical attention to the concept - items and colours I gave him - and came up with the logo as we have it after a few corrections and explanations.

Everybody who saw the logo when I put it on social media was glad and it quickly became useful to several community purposes.

THE FLAG

The Senya Beraku flag concept also came to mind in 2020. And I came up with two designs. Upon seeking the idea of the youth this particular flag was chosen by the majority.

THE COLOURS

The Senya Beraku logo has two dominant colours. One would have thought that because the two major colours of the two Asafo companies are white and red the colours should have been the same.

However, what many people do not know is that both Asafo companies have more colours than just the red and white. I therefore considered several factors before coming up with the Green and Yellow colours for the logo.

THE GREEN

The green colour was in consideration of the youthfulness of the Senya Beraku population, the evergreen vegetation and vast portion of land available and useful for future development. I also took into consideration the vast potential Senya Beraku has for growth and harmony. I also considered the fact that Senya Beraku, like a green tree, has produced fruitful citizens who have been a great blessing and heroes to Ghana and the world as a whole both in the past, now and in the future through the corporate, religious, politics, artistic, academic and business world. 

THE YELLOW

The yellow takes into account the happiness, prosperity, optimism and creativity of the people of Senya Beraku. Even though the community has its own challenges, which have slowed her down in several ways, the people of Senya Beraku are very happy and optimistic people whose fighting spirit never goes down.

Each year the community celebrates the Akumase festival and the celebration is always in commemoration of the prosperity gained from hard work during the farming season.

The prosperity of Senya Beraku cannot be quantified as long as the richness of their culture, tradition, language, values, people and potential to grow and develop is glare for all to see.

THE WHITE CIRCLE 

Around the logo is a white circle. This represents the bond of unity that binds the people of Senya Beraku as one. Even though the community has suffered several consequences from divisions it still stands without argument that the people of Senya Beraku honour their uniqueness and oneness to the point that one legend from the town remarked, "Senya Beraku has a single door from which everyone hails."

Indeed, the Senya Beraku natives are interwoven like a basket with everybody being everybody's family member either paternally or maternally or even both. 

THE TWO PADDLES

The paddle represents the major occupation of the people of Senya Beraku, which is fishing. Farming is also an important occupation of the people but it is not aa commercial as fishing. The fishermen use both big and small canoes with paddle and outboard motors to go fishing. 

THE COCONUT TREE

The coconut tree reveals Senya Beraku as a coastal town. It is well known that coconut is mostly found along the beach. 

Senya Beraku has seven beautiful beaches along the Atlantic ocean that are clean and well kept for occupational and recreational purposes.

 There is a fort in the community built by the Dutch in the 1660s, which became one of the major centers for slave trades in the colonial era. The fort is called 'Fort Good Hope' and for the hope the Dutch had in the community they called it "Village of Good Hope", which became the nickname for Gomoah Fetteh because traditionally and legally as declared by the law court  in 2018 Gomoa, Fetteh is within the Senya Beraku territory.

THE TRADITIONAL STOOL.

The traditional stool represents the traditional authority of the people of Senya Beraku. Thus Senya Beraku has a unique traditional political setting that governs its people. It is a Paramountcy that is independent and autonomous. However, it shares physical, cultural, linguistic and ethnic oneness with the Efutu of Simpa (Winneba) to the west and Awutu of Awutu Breku to the north-east.

There are two contesting families (matrilineal) around the Paramountcy, the Anona and Twidan. Apart from these two families the subchiefs in Senya Beraku are predominantly  patrilineal. 

The Paramount chief is called Odefe, meaning "Ambassador of goodness". 'Ɔdɛ' means good and 'fɛ' means to sell. Thus it is the Paramount chief who sells the goodness, richness and beauty of the community to the outside world. 

THE TWO HANDS

The two hands represent the two asafo companies  of the community. These two companies, traditional called Adu-ebi (warriors).

The first group is called De-ma su Adu-ebi (Eastern Territorial Unit Warriors). Their common name is Tuawo, from the name of the hand rattle (tua), they used during war and celebrations to summon their people. They are the vanguard unit and so they are called the Number One Company. Their major colour is white. They are found in the eastern province of the community.

The second group is called Aye-ma su Adu-ebi (Western Territorial Unit  Warrior). Their common name is Dentiwo, gained from the hand bell (Denti), which they also used during war and celebration to summon their members. They are the rear unit and so are called Number Two Company. Their major colour is red and they are in the western province of the community.

Both companies are charged with the single major responsibility to protect the community and guard its people and property such as the land. 

This is why the two hands are portrayed as guarding hands keeping the red heart.

THE RED HEART.

The Red Heart represents the heart of bravery, energy, strength, power and determination of the people of Senya Beraku. Indeed, the Senya Beraku community is not a community to be taken for granted.

They have a fighting spirit and they resist whoever and whatever that threatens their existence, freedom and will. They are resilient and approach their vision with passion while facing danger with bravery.

Before the warriors were divided into two there was only one warrior called "Ogya", that is fire, headed by a single commander called Ipi. After the division into two the office of two the Su-ipi (unit commanders) were created from the Abakatɔ clan to flank the office of the Ipi (Tufuhene) from the Pretɔ clan. In Senya Beraku all clans are patrilineal while all families (ebusua) are matrilineal.

THE MOTTO

The motto; Love, Unity and Development, has been the major call of all citizens of Senya Beraku to their leaders  throughout the decades. This is conspicuously because despite all potentials and benefits accruing to the community there is still much to be desired in terms of love, unity and development.

The decade long chieftaincy conflict have paralysed the future of the youth and therefore the glaring call to unite and leverage the potential gains of the community must never be trivialise.  

OMA SENYA

Even though officially the community is called Senya Beraku the native call the town Ɔma Senya.

SOWUNYA

Sowunya literally means "Receive Your Heart" or rest. That is also why the two hands are holding and presenting the red heart (receive your heart).

The community is popularly known as a land of rest as according to oral tradition when the ancestors migrated to their present day location they said to one another, "Let us rest here."

CONCLUSION 

I am very much of the opinion that history is an ongoing account of human life and society in the past, the present and the future. Thus we are all a part of history and our contribution today will be the foundation upon which the next generation will be able to build their future. That is the more reason I had to get this work on the logo and some other important traditional art such as the composition of the Senya Beraku lullaby and the Sowunya symbols done. 

One day we shall be remembered as history makers, not history writers. 

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