Fuveme, the town engulfed by the sea, the town engulfed by the sea

There was once a vibrant and beautiful fishing town in the Anloga District in the Volta Region known as Fuveme.

The unmatched fishing experience of the men and entrepreneurial ingenuity of the women who worked as fishmongers created wealth in Fuveme, and that was readily evident in the decent houses and social spots in the town.

Today, however, the town Fuveme does not exist any longer.

What started as a feeble threat by the sea to attack the town and retreat after days, turned into a nightmare with persistent tidal invasions which finally claimed all the houses and other structures in town, leaving a very narrow stretch of wasteland which serves no purpose.

That has compelled the people to seek refuge in the nearby communities of Atiteti, Anyanui, Dzita, Woe, Atsito, Fiaxor, Anloga, and Tegbi within the past five years.

The closest resettlement site to what used to be Fuveme is now called by some as “New Fuveme,” where the people live in rickety houses made of coconut fronds, which often collapse under strong winds.

 Livelihood

The situation has taken the livelihood of the people away from them, with no relief in sight, as the uncompassionate sea has now cut through the remaining stretch of the land into the nearby Volta River.

As of Sunday (April 19), the sea was running aggressively into the river, creating a scene like an estuary.

That means river fishing is also ruled out as the salinity from the sea has contaminated the river, killing some of the fish in the river and compelling others to swim upwards.

Concerned about the growing plight of the displaced people of Fuveme, the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, District Chief Executive of Anloga, Sandra Seyram Kpedor, and officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), as well as regional and district commanders of the security agencies, visited the remains of what used to be Fuveme on Sunday (April 19) to see the havoc at first hand.

From what is now the “New Fuveme,” one can still see the old site in the distance and that is, indeed very traumatising for the people, who now are not sure where their next meal will come from.

They are also gripped by fear of an imminent tidal invasion, which could take their make-shift structures away and leave them to their fate.

During a visit to “New Fuveme,” Mr Gunu said his visit followed an earlier call on him by a delegation from the Awoamefia of Anlo, Torgbui Sri III, over the situation at Fuveme, and an instruction to him from President Mahama to visit the place and compile a comprehensive report on the state of affairs at Fuveme for the Presidency.

The chief of Atiteti-Fuveme, Togbi Kotor Adelashi III, described the visit of the regional minister as touching, saying it signified hope for the people.

The Assemblyman of the area, Raphael Agbanavor, said there were close to 1,400 people from Fuveme who were now scattered in the neighbouring communities, seeking refuge.

Now, the only attractive features at what used to be Fuveme are the mangroves, towering coconut trees, and the chilling battle between the sea and the river.

Seeing the sun go down towards the Ada direction, from Fuveme, can also be a fascinating experience.

But all that cannot make up for the loss of Fuveme.