Independence Day 6th March
From the moment I arrived in Tumu all the children in town have been practicing marching. This is every morning about 8am. They march to the accompaniment of a drum and the march itself is almost a dance, a quick step and their arms swing very high. They also sing a song.
The children who live around me came to visit one Saturday morning and took great pride to show me their marching on my veranda for about half an hour saluting me as they went past me.
All this was in preparation for Independence Day, 6th March, to celebrate independence from Britain in 1957. I tried to find out why marching but no one has been able to give me a full answer, I guess its just tradition.
The day itself was quite an experience. I had been told that it would start about 8:30 so got to the town community centre in plenty of time. Pretty much everyone from Tumu had come to watch and each school had about 50 or so children marching. It was market day too so there was a real buzz about town. A covered stage had been erected for the officials to sit and watch but no other shade was on offer. The day was introduced by a man on a LOUD speaker – I think he forgot to switch it on!!, and was followed by a half hour speech, very short for Ghanaian standards. Then the marching began – 2 hours later they were still marching. Finally the children finished and the local traders joined in. The hairdressers put scissors and combs in their hair, the mechanics carried exhaust pipes, the butchers’ meat cleavers and the seamstresses marched with sewing machines on their heads. They had all been on the Pito (local brew – I have yet to try) all morning, so had a great time, remembering their childhood marches.
Then it finished and we were finally able to find some shade and have a cold drink. It was a fun day and I took some photos, maybe I’ll even be able to post them online sometime…
The children who live around me came to visit one Saturday morning and took great pride to show me their marching on my veranda for about half an hour saluting me as they went past me.
All this was in preparation for Independence Day, 6th March, to celebrate independence from Britain in 1957. I tried to find out why marching but no one has been able to give me a full answer, I guess its just tradition.
The day itself was quite an experience. I had been told that it would start about 8:30 so got to the town community centre in plenty of time. Pretty much everyone from Tumu had come to watch and each school had about 50 or so children marching. It was market day too so there was a real buzz about town. A covered stage had been erected for the officials to sit and watch but no other shade was on offer. The day was introduced by a man on a LOUD speaker – I think he forgot to switch it on!!, and was followed by a half hour speech, very short for Ghanaian standards. Then the marching began – 2 hours later they were still marching. Finally the children finished and the local traders joined in. The hairdressers put scissors and combs in their hair, the mechanics carried exhaust pipes, the butchers’ meat cleavers and the seamstresses marched with sewing machines on their heads. They had all been on the Pito (local brew – I have yet to try) all morning, so had a great time, remembering their childhood marches.
Then it finished and we were finally able to find some shade and have a cold drink. It was a fun day and I took some photos, maybe I’ll even be able to post them online sometime…
posted by Lucy at 10:04 am
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