by Frank Oppong
Let me take a second to introduce myself. My name is Frank Oppong Agyemang. Because I was born on a Saturday, I also have a native name called Kwame. This is a normal practice among most ethnic groups or tribes in Ghana. I was also named after the elder brother of my father, Agyemang. Back home, the name that I respond to is Kwame Agyemang. Though Frank Oppong Agyemang is on all official documents, it is Kwame Agyemang that tells you a lot about who I am. Not only does my name tell you about my tribe but it also tells you I am a warrior, and, in the family, I stand in the shoes of my father’s brother who I was named after. I am simply the “father” to all his children. By culture, they must address like their father, accord me with all respect and treat me like their father.
I am an Akan, specifically an Akwapem. Therefore, my native language is Twi. I also speak other native languages like Ga, Ewe, and Fante, though not fluently. I was born to Mr. George Oppong and Madam Beatrice Georgia. I have three other siblings, 1 elder brother and 2 older sisters. I am the last born of the family but unlike elsewhere where the last born is pampered and showered with gifts, in the family I come from, all the chores and running errands are done by the youngest. There is this funny saying that the elders stop doing chores when younger ones are strong enough to do house chores and other stuff.
In Ghana, the extended family system is well known and practiced. Therefore, the upbringing of a child is the responsibility of the whole community. It is at the naming ceremony of a newborn that the family makes this pronouncement and dedicate the nurturing of a child to everyone. A newborn tastes a drop of water and alcohol. Symbolically, the baby is to be led by truth and the community should correct when the child goes astray. My upbringing was full of joy, engaging and lovely memories. What made it more fun was the playtime we had after school. In Ghana, among so many sports the most popular is soccer. After 4 pm, school children gather on the dusty playground playing oware, ludo, ampe, and so on. These are all local games that are so popular among kids in Ghana.
Education
Everyone in my family has had some form of education. “legends” say my maternal uncles were so brilliant in their hay days that they were so popular in their districts and occupied positions in school. When I asked why they could not further their education despite being intelligent, apparently, my grandfather had no money to take them further. They proudly went through secondary cycle education which they so selling firewood to support themselves and pay for their fees. Due to this, my mother and her other siblings vowed to provide their children to attain academic achievement that they could not.
I had my basic education in a government school called Nsawam S.D.A primary and Junior high school at a small town called Nsawam in the Eastern region of Ghana. This town is well known for its big markets on Mondays and Thursdays where all surrounding villages came to buy and sell. Not only is the town a hub for the sweet turkey tail and bread or fried yam but it is house the medium Prison. I then gained admission to Accra Academy in 2006 which is in the capital city of Ghana to pursue the General Arts program with concentration in Literature, Government, and Music. I took a gap year in 2010 to work as a basic schoolteacher before going back to school in 2011. I was admitted to the Bachelor of Science program in Psychology at the university of Cape Coast which I graduated among the top 10% with a Second-Class upper division. I later went back to school for my masters in Measurement and Evaluation in 2019 and graduated in 2022. In August 2022, I moved to the United States to pursue a PhD in Educational Research and Evaluation. Not so amazing in a way, I understood and a good command of the English language prior to moving to the United States. Since Ghana is a former colony of the United Kingdom, the country has a lot of this modeled after them. Therefore, right from Kindergarten to the tertiary level, English not Twi, Ewe, or any other native language is used as the medium of instruction.
In summer 2023, I joined Worldstrides Envision as an advisor to introduce American kids to the field of medicine and the various careers they can pursue.
Things I miss.
In this section, I will talk about a few things I miss back in Ghana, living in the United States as a foreign student. In no order, I must admit I miss the scorching sun. Ghana is part of the sub-Saharan region therefore we enjoy the sun all year long. Generally, the weather is warm. That means we can go out at any time wearing any casual dress without necessarily getting worried about rainfall, snow, or even cold weather. Absolutely no need for jackets and heavy clothing.
The food is certainly what I miss. Generally, Ghanaians love their food spicy and served hot. This in sharp contrast is different from most American cuisine. Regardless of how hot the food may be, we eat with our hands, specifically the right hand after wash. We love to taste salt in everything. Also, I will forever yearn for the evenings we used to gather around a lighted candle, lantern, or by the fireside listening to “ananse” stories (folklore). We took turns sharing stories, jokes, and anything we knew about our family. Not only was this a way to pass knowledge to younger generations but a way to teach our rich culture and help instill creativity in us. I also miss the Christmas eves where we spend time in the hut kids in the house build with palm branches on our compound. We made the hut fancy decorating it with flashlights. In those days, we drummed, sung, and danced. How I wish…
To be continued…
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I enjoyed reading this Frank, well done and all the best. I can’t wait to read more