To think just a few days ago, my value for the essence of learning my mother tongue, the Ewe language was just a miniature one. A day at one of the towns in the Volta region has taught me that it is of great value to know my way around the language.
In spite of the feeling of not belonging to a place, because everyone around me could speak the language, and of course, being cast out of conversations immediately the English language is being switched to the local dialect, my days spent in Keta Town were magical.
The folks were willing to share stories of the town, as well as its lagoons and forts.
A visit to the Keta Lagoon, also called Anlo-Keta lagoon, showed flood plains and mangrove swamps, which form the Keta Lagoon site.
There are seasonal inflow of sea water during high tides from the Gulf of Guinea and regular inflow of rivers. The rivers which drain into the lagoon include the Aka, the Tordzi River and Belikpa stream which enter the lagoon from the north. The lagoon is surrounded by many settlements. The towns include Anloga, Woe, Keta and Kedzi to the south, Aborlove Nolopi, Anyako and Anlo Afiadenyigba to the north, Kodzi, Alakple and Tregui to the west and Denu and Adina to the east.
This lagoon got its name and prominence from the settlement of Anlo- Ewes but more especially from the town Keta.
According to legend, the ancestors of Keta Town migrated from Notsie in central Togoland in the mid-seventeenth century. They then settled at Anloga and then established several small settlements around the shores of the Keta Lagoon.
Speaking to a few of the residents, they said that there used to be schools and ancestral homes where the lagoon can now be found. But over the years, the lagoon has washed over and destroyed these ancestral homes. All that is left as evidence of these homes existing, once upon a time, is the folktales of the people of the Keta Town.
Moreso, another theory suggests that there could be coastal rivers which have dried up leaving behind large ponds. This is evidenced by the remains of oyster shells, that are deposited at various spots in towns to the northern side of the lagoon. Another theory indicates that during the ice age, these spots were the remains of the ice which melted due to rise in temperature, leaving behind a fresh lagoon. The infiltration of sea water made it saline.
Located in the Keta Lagoon is an island called Seva. By 2010, it had a population of 300 people with a terrain elevation of 43 metres above sea level. It has social amenities such as the school run by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Potable water is available. It is linked to the mainland by a road to Konu. Other islands include Dudu, with no human habitation and Netsivi Kpota, where there are coconut trees.
In periods of flooding, the entire settlements would move out of their homes. To stop the flooding and the coastal erosion, attempts were made during the colonial period without success. In 1963, Aryee, an officer in charge of the Public Works Department at the Keta District took the initiative and cut a canal from the lagoon to the sea. This was known as Aryee Canal. He and the ground on which he was standing was swept away by a huge flood and it turned out that his plan had done more harm than good. The Keta Sea Defence project has however, created a canal between the lagoon and the sea so that over flooding water can go through the canal into the sea.
The lagoon and its Ramsar site contribute significantly to the economic well being of the people. They provide the livelihood through fishing and boat transportation from Keta to Anyako and Afiadenyigba.
If you have ever heard the saying, ” Ewes produce the best salt in Ghana “, it is evidently true. Salt winning is common in Keta, in years when there is low rainfall. Producing salt from the saline waters of the Keta Lagoon were unknown until 1702 because the people did not have the technology to do it. Salt production has gradually developed among the people. During the harmartan season of November to February, the shallower parts of the lagoon close to Adina, Afiadenyigba and Anyako get evaporated especially during years when the rainfall is low. Salt crystal is formed from sodium chloride which is available naturally in the area. The men make enclosures around the salty water to stop any fresh water from flowing into it. These crystals grow larger and are then mined or collected mostly by the women. This natural resource brings a lot of revenue to the people.
Coconut trees also abound close to the coastal areas from which coconut oil is extracted. An opportunity also exists for turning aquatic reeds harvested by women into bags, mats and other handicrafts that will provide alternative livelihoods to generate income especially for women.
The practitioners of the traditional Anlo belief system have a strong spiritual attachment to the lagoon. It is believed that the lagoon has gods who must be worshiped if the people wish to get abundant catch. One of the gods is called ‘Gbele’ where the people of Anlo Afiadenyigba once every year perform some rituals for the lagoon. At times, a live cow is deposited in the lagoon so that there could be a bumper harvest.
On many occasions, children get drowned while swimming and people get missing during fishing expeditions, with most of these accidents being attributed to spiritual forces.
In 1983, the leader of the Apostolic Revelation Society, the late Apostle C.N.K Wovenu, was invited to pray for increase in the waters of the lagoon since the lagoon was almost dried up because of the dry weather that year. After the prayers, fishermen were instructed not to fish on Sundays in the lagoon.
Although some fishermen attribute declining catches to social-spiritual causes such as conflict in the community or as punishment from the gods, more fishermen are aware of the increased fishing effort as a cause for declining catches. Some of these fishermen are migrating to other parts of the country and outside Ghana to continue with fishing.
Upon visiting the lagoon however, it looked deserted, with the huts built on the lagoon barely standing firm. It was a sad sight to behold, seeing how beautiful the place is. Speaking to one of the folks in the town, he said, “The place has been closed down for a while now. A young boy died in the lagoon in 2020 or so, and since then, operations have been stopped. We hope that it will be operated again, because the huts are gradually getting destroyed”.
Waking up on the morning of 25th June, 2021, the only word I knew in my mother-tongue (Ewe) was the greeting and response; now, I can proudly say I am slowly yet steadily getting closer to my roots.
This is a beautiful scenery away from the hustle the streets of Accra offer. Be sure to plan a day out to Keta Town and you won’t regret it.
SOURCES: http://africaimports.com/anlo-ewe-people-group.asp
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/315645/Keta
https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/567
PC: GhanaWeb
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