KWAHU EASTER FESTIVAL: A TIME TO BOOST THE LOCAL ECONOMY
In the heart of Ghana’s Eastern Region lies Kwahu, a vibrant community known for its natural beauty and cultural richness. Yet, beyond its picturesque landscapes and vibrant traditions, Kwahu offers an exhilarating adventure that takes you soaring high above the majestic peaks of the Kwahu Mountains. Paragliding, a unique experience that blends tradition with adrenaline, beckons thrill-seekers to explore the skies amidst the stunning backdrop of Kwahu.
Among the rolling hills and lush valleys, Easter blossoms into a vibrant tapestry of joy, celebration, and boundless adventure. As the sun rises over the horizon, casting its golden glow upon the landscape, the spirit of Easter infuses every corner with rhythm of music and laughter. Easter in Kwahu is not merely a holiday, but a place where tradition dances harmoniously with exhilaration.
Kwahu is known for its natural landscape. Photo Credit: Mice Ghana
As travelers venture beyond the bustling cityscapes, they are welcomed into a realm where time seems to stand still, and every corner reveals a tale of resilience, community spirit, and the sheer magnificence of the land.
Video Credit: Adom FM – The Multimedia Group
The three-day Easter observance in Kwahu has become one of the most celebrated festivals in Ghana, far exceeding any other festivals in terms of popularity and participation. But one would ask, what is so special about the celebration in Kwahu that brings the whole country to a standstill during this period?
The Town on the Mountains.
My journey to Kwahu, a Twi-speaking Akan group in the Eastern Region of Ghana, fortress begins from a town called Kwahu Jejeti which share boundary with Akyem Jejeti which is about a three-hour drive from the outskirts of Accra and approximately 140.9 km in distance. It lies midway in the road journey from Accra to Kumasi and serves as the gateway to a cluster of smaller towns set within the hills. Although it does not have a lake or identical weather fauna, the mountainous profile resembles the Italian region overlooking Lago di Garda in Lombardy or the surroundings of Interlaken in Switzerland, with winding roads uphill towards Beatenberg. An aerial view of portions of the Allegheny Plateau in the United States provides another good description of Kwahu.
Photo Credit: thebftonline.com
Temperatures may trail the normal readings for Accra and other cities of Ghana by up to 3 points at daytime and drop further at night, making the weather in Kwahu relatively cooler and more pleasant. The Afram River, a 100-kilometer river in Ghana, collects the major drainage of the Plateau from Sekyere; one of the forty-three districts in Ashanti Region of Ghana, through to Kwahu as a tributary to join the Volta Lake.
Photo credit: Adom Online
“Cocoa Season” in Kwahu.
“Cocoa Season”, a Ghanaian expression for making extra income out of a situation or event is best described by the vendors offering various services and products at the Kwahu Easter Festival. The celebration serves as a lucrative platform for traders to showcase their products, expand their customer base, and maximize their sales potential and contribute to the economic prosperity of the region.
Engaging with Dakoa, a food vendor and an indigene of Kwahu, she explains that Easter at Kwahu is her season to boost double sales: “Easter at Kwahu is always a cocoa season for me. The sales I make from selling food during the festive season is three times more than what I make from my business on a yearly basis, and what my husband makes in 6 months.” She continues: “We do not sleep; we sell throughout the night till day break. This is what I use to support my husband who is a peasant farmer, and put in payment towards the tuition fee for our three beautiful daughters”.
She believes that the role of a woman should not only be limited to the kitchen. “I did not go to school; instead, I was told that my role as a woman is performed in the kitchen. But when I see these visitors, particularly females, and what they have accomplished, I said to myself that I will do everything possible to grant my girls the opportunity to pursue academic heights” – she said. She added that “I will encourage everyone to come to Kwahu during the Easter holidays, take a break from work, meet new people and make money”.
Easter is “Cocoa Season” at Kwahu. Photo Credit: citinewsroom
Atta, a taxi driver at Kwahu narrates that he also makes a lot of money with his business. “I am a taxi driver, due to the large number of people that visit during Easter, my patronage is so high and I make lots of money which I do not make on a daily basis. Business is good and I have also established contacts with some of these travelers where I help them book hotels ahead of time. Many of these hoteliers increase their rates due to the festivities. I get to book the hotels ahead of time before it is increased and get a commission from it as well”.
The increase in visitations to Kwahu has also been spurred on by growth in the tourism related enterprises. The past ten years has seen the emergence of a number of hotels including Rock City, a 300-room 4 Star Hotel at Kwahu Nkwatia, Freedom Hills Hotel at Nkwatia, Modak Royal Hotel at Pepease, Rojo Hotel at Nkawkaw, Wags Hotel at Obomeng, Ohene Nana Klassic at Mpraeso, Nyarkoa Ba Nyarko Royal Hotel, a 3-star hotel at Obo, among others.
Rock City Hotel, a 300-room 4 Star Hotel at Kwahu Nkwatia. Photo Credit: travelnoire
Easter Celebration.
In 2005, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Creative Arts under the leadership of the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, launched the Kwahu Paragliding Festival, as part of the activities to take place during the Easter festivities on the mountain every year. The paragliding event has popularized the Kwahu Easter Holidays and placed Kwahu on the international tourist map welcoming people from all walks of life visit Kwahu during Easter.
Kwahu Paragliding. Photo credit: gbcghanaonline.com
The area is endowed with a variety of tourist attractions, some of which are the prominent escarpment revealing horizontal beds of sandstones. The several high points, particularly the summit of Odweanoma Mountain, offers a panoramic view of many places like the Oworobong, Butuase and Oku-Abena waterfalls; the impressive rock structures of Kotoso and Amartey, and the famous Buruku inselberg rock near Kwahu Tafo: the luxuriant forest at the foothills of the Kwahu mountains and several traditional grooves.
Butuase Waterfall – Kwahu Tafo. Photo credit: tortoisepath.com
The Kwahu Plateau, a 260km (160m) long plateau in southern Ghana. It consists of the uplifted southern edge of the Volta River Basin. It forms the main watershed of Ghana, separating rivers in the Volta River system from rivers in the western half of Ghana which flows into the Atlantic Ocean (Birim, Pra, Ankobra).
Kwahu Plateau is 260 square kilometres long, stretching along the entire Kwahu area to the Nkwakaw township. Photo Credit: @ymalhi
Other attractions include the bracing climate of the plateau region; the historic sites such as the Ramseyer Centre at Abetifi.
Conclusion.
Tourism serves as a catalyst for driving positive change, economic growth, improving the overall well-being of people whiles showcasing the rich cultural diversity of community and a nation at large.
Kwahu Easter celebrations have gone beyond the gathering of the people to among other things have socio-economic impact on the community. From job creation, income generation for locals of the area, infrastructural development, and ultimately the projection of the image of the area as the festival has become one of the biggest gatherings of revelers in the country, drawing people from all walks of life, nationally and internationally.
Leave a Reply