Asofan Seventh Day Adventist Senior Youth Tour Cape Coast, Elimina Castles and Kakum National Park

Asofan SDA Senior Youth at Cape Coast Castle with Tony Boadi - Tour Guide, right. He does the introduction.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church Senior Youth at Asofan in the Ofankor District has visited the Cape Coast, Elimina Slave Castles and the Kakum National Park to learn the history of the slave trade and experience the man made aesthetic canopy walkway.

The move by the Senior Youth was an opportunity to explore, gain new knowledge and experience nature.

The Senor Youth left Accra Sunday November 19, 2023 to the Cape Coast Slave Castle as the first place of the excursion.

Tony Boadi, who took the Senior Youth to tour the Slave Castle said that the Cape Coast Castle was built in 1664 by Africans. A plan initiated by the British.

“During the building process, the Africans were directed by the British what to do. The Africans themselves did not know what they were building. Not knowing they were actually building their traps”, he said.

According to Tony, the Cape Coast Slave Castle is most revered in Africa. It is divided into many parts. There are the male and female dungeons. The governor’s hall, cells, and a church on top of the male dungeon, tunnels, and a ‘Gate of No Return’. Through this gate, slaves were selected and sent abroad on different purposes, either to be sold to other slave masters or for farming purposes, among others.

Inside the Male Dungeon

Tony Boadi again emphasized that the slaves were bought from different West African countries to the Cape Coast castle. Some of these people were brought from Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Togo, Nigeria and others.

“This people were of different languages. The slave business boomed among the West African indigenes who sold their brothers and sisters to the whites for money.

“The business was good that provinces leaders now wanted to get closer to the sea and trade with the Whiteman and created many wars”, he added.

The story of the slave trade is overwhelming. Imagine your own brother catch and sell you to a foreigner because of his interest. These traders did not think of their brother or sister and what might happen to them.

“Some of the slaves were arrested by force because of their stature. The traders, some of them were greedy and selfish because they wanted to have affluence with the British”, he said.

The Senior Youth later left Cape Coast and went to the Elima Slave Castle. It is said to be the biggest castle among all the castles, comparing the Osu and Cape Coast Castles.

Inside the Elimina Slave Castle

The Elimina Slave Castle was built in 1482 by the same Africans, another plan instigated by the Portuguese.

The story at Elimina Slave Castle was not different from that of Cape Coast Slave Castle. The building is also divided into male and female dungeons, a governor’s hall, cells and prisons both of Blacks and Whites, a church now used as gallery of events surrounding activities that happened during the slave trade. There are tunnels, and a ‘Gate of No Return’. This gate is very small that slaves found it difficult to go through and were forced to pass through and get to the ship so that they send them abroad for the White's business.

The events of the Elimina Slave Castle is very sad especially the ‘Gate of No Return’, fat and giant people suffered the most in the gate.

It was said that most of the people bought as slaves were giant, fat and strong but before they will leave to wherever they want to send them to, they have reduced weight. Most people died along the way because of the pressure at the gate. The treatment was bad

The female dungeon has a court where the governor visited often. He stood at the balcony and called the women to come out. The governor makes his selection the one he wants, to come and satisfy his desire. Such woman in chains was released, washed and sent to the reason he came.

A Cell and a Slave chain

The Senior Youth also observed the shackles of chains used to lock the slaves before their transportation to the place they were sending them to.

The cells of the Blacks has no ventilation in the rooms but that of the Whites had windows for ventilation.

The tour raised a lot of emotions by the Senior Youth and other tourists among them.

They complained, looking at how their grandfathers and mothers were treated and brutalized in the castles.

"They were withdrawn their freedoms, expressions and also starved. Improper treatment. No food, or water, and were still in chains as well, what a hell? The imagined.

The Senior Youth after listening to the stories wondered how these stories sound in the ears of current African leaders and the way they are managing the African affairs and welfare because they also visit the castles.

"From colonial slave trade to neo colonial slave trade", they suggested.

Some people died without proper burial. They were thrown into the sea and those ones serving in the interest of their masters were given befitted burial.

Some of the Senior Youth asked, “What does the slave trade even remind Africans of? Did the religion of the Whites come to save and liberate the Black Race or to add more woes to the Black Race, to think and act freely, and know their strength and mission? What Bible were they reading during the slave trade? Did the Whites believe and fear God or the Blacks did themselves evil? Those who did evil things against their brothers and sisters did they have feelings or just for their profit?"

These questions did not get any resonating answers because it is obvious. The Blacks themselves were against each other. The greed and selfishness was high.

After Elimina, the Senior Youth moved on to the Kakum National Park and experienced the artificial canopy walkway.

At the instruction camp for information about Kakum National Park and the Canopy Walkway

From a background information gathered from the tour guide, it was revealed that the canopy walkway was constructed by two (2) Canadian Nationals, Tom and John in 1994 with support from six (6) Ghanaian Nationals. Three are currently engineers there.

From the reception to the canopy walkway is about 250 metres above sea level. It is a steep hill tourists climb before they get to the point tourists received tutorials about the Kakum Park, the canopy walkway, animals and others.

According the tour guide, maintenance service on the canopy walkway happens every six months by three of the Ghanaian Engineers who supported in the construction of the canopy walkway.

These Engineers change the ropes, boards, nets, bolt and nuts, and others things necessary to make sure the canopy walkway is strong, active and fit for purpose.

According to the tour guide, “There are 7 bridges with 6 platforms. The length of the canopy walkway is 350 metres long and the height ranges from 11 to 40 metres above ground”.

There are platforms after each bridge where tourists stand, take photos and admire nature.

There is also an exit point. In case you fear height and do not want to continue, you cross the first bridge and exit on your left by passing on another bridge.

Going straight forward means you have accepted to complete the six bridges and enjoy the platforms.

It was an interesting excursion. It was educative, informative and fun. There was worth of knowledge books cannot contain all.

Join us next time we move to another location.

God bless you.

It is important Brothers and sisters, to explore or change your environment once in a while and learn new ideas, gain new strength and share the feeling of Christ Jesus with others.

Ignatius Awuah Tanoe Blay Report

IG-TECH MEDIA NETWORK

ACCRA.