Amedzofe

3 FEBRUARY 2023

After several days in Accra, I was looking forward to being out in Ghanaian countryside, now to the east of the country. I’d chosen Amedzofe as my destination as it claims to be the highest settlement in the country and lies in the Avatime Hills.

Getting there was always going to be interesting. Firstly, I waited more than an hour for a shared mini bus from Accra. Once out of the city though, the scenery and people made up for the numerous vehicle transitions. I eventually ended up in a shared taxi navigating through a village full of people attending a collection of eight funerals, which eventually transported us up winding mountainside roads to the village.

I ended up at Wisdom’s guest house by chance. Everywhere else was full due to guests visiting for the funerals.

Wisdom, is the manager of a UK based charity which supports the community on Dido island in Lake Volta. Set up by Suzanne Lambert, the charity ensures the fishing community have enough food, medical care and school materials.

The Abusua Guest House, named after Wisdom’s let father, where I stayed, provided one of the income streams for the charity. This proved to be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about village life being completely immersed in Wisdom’s family’s daily routines.

On this first evening, I sat in the porch way watching the first rain I’d seen for 7 months. Various villagers visited during the evening, all bringing their news and requests for advise from Wisdom. It seems that he has a well suited name; the villagers respect his responsible and compassionate nature.