Heritage month: Beyond the dressings

In recent years, various activities have been organised to commemorate "Ghana Month."

March has been designated for promoting Ghanaian foods, music, clothing, languages and more. Some circles have dubbed it "Heritage Month."

We need to appreciate and present important ideas about the preservation of Ghana's heritage, health consciousness and national pride.

Heritage refers to traditions handed down from the past. It encompasses a heritage of honour, pride and courage, including both tangible items and intangible cultural practices and traditions.

Activities include food bazaars showcasing local cuisines, cultural dances and live music performances.

The media, particularly radio and TV, frequently play "old school" music and showcase performances to celebrate this month.

Churches, corporate bodies and government institutions adorn themselves in cultural attire to commemorate the occasion. The month of March cannot be discussed without mentioning "march past" events that take place at various levels, involving school pupils, market women and other groups.

The impressive drills by security services add a vibrant touch to the day.

Self-reliance

Such moments should encourage us as a people to dispel the notion that Ghana cannot develop without external aid.

We must begin to believe in our capacity for self-reliance, plan effectively, and take action towards achieving this goal. 

It is also important to challenge the stereotype that Ghanaians cannot be punctual.

Our inability to respect the value of time at all levels negatively impacts productivity in education, health care, business and production. We need to eradicate the “Ghana Man Time” mentality from our behaviours and attitudes.

Furthermore, we must clarify that not everything from the West is inherently good.

The older generation—particularly political, religious, traditional leaders and business executives—should inspire the younger generation to hope for, believe in and pursue the "Ghana Dream."

This is a vision where they won't have to endure perilous journeys through deserts to reach Europe or suffer modern slavery in pursuit of a better livelihood.

Agriculture, a pivotal sector of our nation’s economy, should receive significant investment and efforts should be made to make it appealing. It should not be perceived as "punishment" among the youth.

In some instances, junior and senior high students are required to work on school farms as a form of punishment and we need to address this trend.

Additionally, observing March as Ghana Month or Heritage Month can serve to foster patriotism among citizens.

Conscious efforts must be made to help everyone understand and embrace the fact that we are the "drivers" of our own destiny as a country – "sɛ ɔman yi bɛ yɛ yie o, sɛ ɛnnyɛ yie o, efiri yɛn". To wit, whether this nation will progress or not depends on you and me.

Lastly, promoting the arts, entertainment and hospitality industries is critical for our national development.

Preserving our heritage while simultaneously destroying our natural assets is ironic.

Our collective efforts to root out illegal activities that undermine the preservation of natural resources need to be intensified.

Water bodies, marine life, forests, land and minerals must be protected.

Health, language

Heritage Month should also intentionally focus on the health consciousness of Ghanaians.

In the past, walking to farms, fetching water from riversides, engaging in physical activities at community standpipes or wells and eating fresh fruits from trees kept people active.

Today, with modernisation, lifestyles have changed significantly.

However, we must be intentional about maintaining our health.

Our taste for high-calorie drinks, alcohol consumption and processed foods needs re-evaluation.

In discussing Heritage Month, we should also implement the use of Ghanaian languages at the basic level of education as research suggests that this approach is beneficial.

We should go beyond simply adorning ourselves in Ghanaian attire and displaying local cuisines.

Collectively, we need to revisit positive Ghanaian values, dispel erroneous beliefs among the masses, particularly children and youth, and encourage the principle of growing what we eat and vice versa. 

We must foster patriotism, promote Ghanaian arts, entertainment and the hospitality industry, preserve our natural resources and pursue a path of self-reliance.

Governments should reduce their reliance on tokens, gifts and grants from the West, America and Asia.

By being prudent with our resources, Ghana can develop.

Observation of Ghana Month (also Heritage Month) should prompt us to reflect on the patriotic song:

Ma ɔman yi mu nsɛm nnyɛ wo ahiasɛm
Na dwen ho anɔpa, awia ne abrɛ nyinaa
Sɛ wobɔ mpae a kae Ghana
Sufrɛ wo nyankopɔn fa Ghana hyɛ no nsa
Ɛno na wo yɛ ɔman ba pa
Ɛno na wowɔ ɔdɔ
Ɔdɔ ma wo man
Ɛno ara na yɛre hwehwɛ
Ɔdɔ ma wo man
Ɛno ara na ehia
                                                                                                                                                        
The writer is a child worker & etiquette coach.
E-mail: amoakoseyrichard90@gmail.com