THE AHANTA SYSTEM OF CHILD NURTURING
The customs of the Ahanta people clearly state that the nurturing of children is a collective responsibility of both parents and the entire community. This process begins on the eighth day after the birth of a child with the outdooring ceremony.
As people with a firm belief in the existence of the Supreme Being, the Ahanta officially dedicate the child to God on that day. The ceremony also serves as a Christening and is performed publicly to enable members of the community to bear witness. A key symbolic act is the touching of the child’s tongue with alcohol and water. This is the child’s first moral lesson, teaching truthfulness from the very beginning.
Throughout the developmental stages, the child is raised according to Ahanta cultural values and practices. The Ahanta language is used as the primary medium of communication to ensure the child develops a firm grasp of the mother tongue from the start. Additionally, the child is exposed to other aspects of the culture such as food, mode of dressing, music, games, and other daily activities. This is achieved through the processes of enculturation and socialization.
In Ahanta land, the moral upbringing of a child is not the exclusive duty of biological parents. Any elder in the community has considerable authority over every child. An elder has the right to correct a child found engaging in wrongful acts, issue instructions, and even send a child on errands. In return, a child may seek support from any elder when biological parents are unavailable. This support often comes in the form of food, medicine, and protection.
Within the nuclear family, children are assigned housekeeping roles such as sweeping, washing utensils, doing laundry, and accompanying parents to the market or farm. This is intended to train the child to become a responsible and useful member of society. The nurturing of children in Ahanta land is patterned in a disciplined manner to ensure obedience to parents, elders, and authority. Child delinquency, truancy, and similar behaviors are strongly frowned upon.
The Ahanta, like other ethnic groups, attach great importance to the transition of a child into adulthood. This is especially marked by rites for girls. Beyond the symbolic performance of these rites, a child undergoes an intensive period of mentorship and training. Boys are often mentored to take up the occupations or businesses of their parents, such as farming. Parents who desire their children to pursue academic or vocational paths consult the child on their preferred choice.
As people with strong belief in the spiritual realm, parents also consult traditional religious leaders for approval and guidance. This consultation, known as “Samabrewa” in Ahanta custom, is done to gain insight into the child’s future, predict possible challenges, and identify any malevolent forces. Based on this foreknowledge, the religious leaders offer prayers for prosperity, good health, and a successful marriage.
Customarily, the female child must be ushered into adulthood through the performance of the puberty rite ceremony. Although the processes involved are complex, the Ahanta consider it essential as it is the only acceptable means of recognizing a transitioning girl as a fully-fledged woman in society.
In the performance of the puberty rite, religious leaders of the “Twelve Apostles” (Nankaba) and Tigaare are consulted. The rite is not only seen as a transition but also as a cleansing exercise to purify the girl from all blemishes. It is believed to groom her to meet the standard of a typical Ahanta woman. This rite is so important that if it was not performed during her lifetime, it must be performed even at her deathbed.
CENTRE FOR NATIONAL CULTURE
AHANTA WEST MUNICIPAL