The Anufo of Togo and Ghana

Transcription

1 People and Language Detail Report Profile Year: 1994 Language Name: Anufo ISO Language Code: cko Primary Religion: Tribal Religion Disciples (Matt 28.19): 2% The Anufo of Togo and Ghana The Anufo trace their roots to an area in present-day Cote d'ivoire which they call Anou or Ano. Hence they refer to themselves and their language as Anufo "people of Anu". It appears that migrations in the early 1700's brought together Mande horsemen and their malams from the North and Akan peoples from the East. Together with the indigenous Ndenyi people, they were amalgamated into one people with a mixed language and culture. In the mid 1700's, a small band of mercenaries left Ano to assist the chiefs of the Gonja and Mamprusi peoples in present day Ghana. The band consisted of Mande horsemen, Akan musket-toting foot soldiers, and some Muslim scholar amulet-makers (Kirby 1986:34). These groups provided the basis for a society divided into three classes or estates: Nobles, commoners and Muslims... Eventually, the small army established a camp on the shores of the Oti river where the town of Mango in Togo stands today. Since they were warriors and not farmers, they made their living by conducting raids into the farming communities around them. This provided them with wives and slaves as well as foodstuffs and livestock. (Holman 1990:9-12) Eventually the people settled in the surrounding farming communities, and assimilation took place. The Anufo in Ghana currently inhabit an area of savannah grassland in the north eastern part of Ghana. The soil is poor, but the main occupation of the people is farming. Communal labor is still called for many tasks between men and women. Markets in the area follow a six day cycle, and they provide social interaction as well as economic activity. People bring their local produce to sell in order to buy such things as soup ingredients (women) or bicycle parts (young men). It is a patrilineal society. Churches: 38 Scripture Status (Matt 28.20): Portions of Scripture Population (date): 61,700

2 Have They Heard The Gospel? Call Themselves Christian (%) 4% Believe In Jesus As God & Only Savior (%) 2% Prophet/Good Man, But Not God's Son (%) 35% Believe In The Local Traditional Religion (%) 55% Have Not Heard Who Jesus is (%) 70% Number Of Pastors 6 Number Of Missionaries Working 17 Number Of Communities 133 Comment (Number Communities) Number Of Churches 38 Is The Word Of God Translated? Translation Medium Any Hinderance To Scripture Distribution? Forms Of Gospel Presentation Available (Summary) What Kind Of Missionaries Are Needed? Population All Countries 20 villages in Togo and 113 in Ghana The gospel of Mark was finished and dedicated on March the 24th Some portions of Scripture have been printed in the Anufo language. Written with 1 cassette of bits of Mark and songs. in Ghana. In Togo, there is no known hindrance except a lack of reading skills. Nothing World Population For This People 61,700 Profile Summary Yes, assistance from outsiders is necessary, because there are so few Anufo Christians. Muslims have become more aggressive in proselytizing. Recently when a Catholic church was built the Muslims responded by building a mosque up to that point the priest was not aware of any Muslims in the village. To varying degrees, Ghanaian Anufo are evangelized and starting new churches. Countries Where People Group Lives Country Name Country Name Togo Ghana Geography & Environment Location Country Ecosystem Type Geological Type Elevation North Eastern Ghana; 120 miles to Tamale; 500 miles from the ocean. Ghana Savannahs Plains Latitude N 11 Climate Comments (Geography & Environment) less than 100 feet Rainy season from June to September is hot and humid; dry season from October to May varies from hot and humid to hot and dry. Temperatures range from 75 to 110 Fahrenheit (24-43 Celsius). There is Desertification Language & Linguistics Comment (Language) Alternate Language Names Attitude Towards Mother Tongue Other Mother Tongues Of This Group Comment (On Other Mother Tongues) Linguistically Related Languages Comments (Related Languages) Because the Anufo migrated from Cote d'ivoire, their language is an Akan language. It is not related to any of the surrounding languages. It is a linguistic island. Chokosi, Chakosi (Ghana), Tchokossi (Togo). Very receptive ENGLISH Up to 20% speak one or more other languages. These other languages could be Dagbani, Konkomba, Hausa, Bimoba and. SEHWI Sehwi (Ghana), Baoule (Cote d'ivoire) and Anyi are all related languages.

3 Neighboring Languages Literacy Adult Literacy Percentage 15% Literacy Attitude Active Literacy Program Publications In Vernacular 30 Comment (Literacy) Economics Subsistence Type KONKOMBA Somewhat receptive Yes Average Annual Income 100 $ Occupation Income Sources Products / Crafts Trade Partners Modernization / Utilities Literacy was begun by an EP church missionary in the 1960's, but it died off when he left. It was begun again under the auspices of the GILLBT in 1987, and is still going on. Agriculturalists Farming Town people trade. Cotton may be grown as a cash crop. Women spin cotton. A certain group of men weave cotton into strips of cloth. Men rear animals and fowls and sell them when they need something, such as a bicycle. Men may sell some of their farm produce. Women grow beans, groundnuts, okra, hot peppers for sale. Village women may sell farm produce and firewood. Village men may weave baskets, mats, grass for thatch for sale. Village men may sell poles for roofing. Young men may repair bicycles. Women may brew pito, the local beer made from guinea corn, for sale. Women buy fish from the Ewe fishermen and sell it in the local market. Hand-woven cotton cloth ; utilitarian baskets and mats ; handles for hoes and digging implements; clay water pots, cooking pots, eating dishes; calabashes. Some clans have learned trades such as black smithing or weaving, and many families have one or more women who sell food or goods at local markets. Other people groups (Dagombas Konkombas and Bimobas); some of it is sent to city markets. Community Development Health Care (Quality) Comment (Health Care) Diet (Quality) Comment (Diet) Water (Quality) Comment (Water) Shelter Description Energy/Fuel (Quality) Comment (Energy) Clothing Poor There is a family planning clinic and health clinic in Chereponi and Wenchiki. There are trained traditional birth attendants in some villages. Action Aid is trying to support the work of the clinics. Fair Staple foods are guinea corn, millet, maize, fonio, yams. Supplementary foods are groundnuts, beans, fish, but very little meat. Fair Chereponi has a dam which never dries up. It also has three boreholes provided by the Catholic Church and the Church of Christ/World Vision. These two groups have also provided boreholes to about 15 villages. In addition, the EP Church has helped some villages with earthen dams and hand dug wells. Action Aid is now also helping with more hand dug wells. Their homes are round mud walled structures with straw roofs. They form a compound of several huts encircling a walled courtyard having one main opening. Rectangular houses are becoming more popular. These are made with cement walls and corrugated metal roofing whenever affordable replacing mud and straw. There is no electricity available in the area (except the solar power used by the Catholic Mission, GILLBT and Action Aid). Most people use firewood for fuel. Some also use charcoal at times. Traditional dress for a man is a smock made out of strips of locally woven cotton. Traditional dress for woman is gathered skirt or a cloth wrapped around, also made out of strips of locally woven cloth, with a blouse. Women may also wear the traditional Ghanaian dress of a matching top, long skirt, and cloth which wraps around. Many people, however, wear second-hand clothing imported from the west for everyday activities.

4 Transportation Most men have bicycles. Most women walk. Market trucks are usually available for travel outside. A bus comes daily from Tamale to Chereponi. Infant Mortality Rate 40% before 10 Life Expectancy 45 to 55 Leading Cause Of Death Comment (Community Development) Society & Culture Family Structures Neighbor Relations Authority / Rule Social Habits/Groupings Cultural Change Pace Identification With National Culture Self Image Judicial / Punishment System Celebrations Recreations Art Forms Media Local Language Broadcasting Attitude To Outsiders Attitude To Change History Of People Group Youth Labor and tasks (6-12 year olds) Youth Problems (Teens) Youth Greatest Needs (teens) Malaria A new development organization called Action Aid, based in Britain, has recently begun work in the area. They are trying to co-ordinate the work of various agencies in cooperation with local people to develop the area. A family consists of brothers and their wives. The eldest brother is usually the head of the household. Cordial. Each village has a chief who settles disputes among his people. Two royal families alternate in providing candidates from which the paramount chief is chosen after the death of the ruling chief. The Anufo people fall into one of three classes: nobles, Muslim scholars, and commoners. A family compound consists of a man, at least one wife and the children. Grown sons may remain with their wives in the same compound or add onto it. Older parents who cannot live on their own also join the household. Brothers may continue to live together or make their own compounds nearby. Medium Integrated Prestigious The chiefs judge cases of theft, land disputes, matrimonial problems, accusations of witchcraft, and fighting. Village heads may be able to settle some of these problems themselves, but if it becomes complicated they will refer it to the chiefs. They celebrate first fruits festivals beginning with celebrations of the harvesting of Yam, at the end of July or August. Harvest of Fonio takes place in August or September. A number of festivals follow the Islamic calendar, such as Ramadan. The Muslim month of fasting called Sungali, and another festival called the Kurubi festival. Many young men and boys like to play football (but not all villages). Men and boys also like to play a board game. Young girls may dance "bambati" in the evenings. Boys in the villages may wrestle. Dances, songs; weaving of baskets, fans, cloth; carving of hoe handles, mortar and pestles, drums. The GILLBT literacy project has recently started a newspaper, but it is not yet widely distributed. Somewhat receptive Indifferent The Anufo people, better known to outsiders as the Tchokossi people, came to Togo nearly 250 years ago, from eastern Ivory Coast. According to legend, young men from the Ano region went into Ghana accompanied by their Muslim advisors, where they helped quell uprisings. They later established camp on the banks of the Oti River, in what is now Togo. From that base, they raided neighboring peoples until colonial times when the Anufo became subsistence farmers. In the past the Anufo people lost part of their land when it was converted into part of a game reserve. Recently parts of the game park were opened for resettlement. Many Anufo have returned and refounded their villages in the area. Boys farm. Boys aged 8-12 may herd cows. Girls go for water and firewood, do housework, cook, care for their younger brothers and sisters. Parents say they need their children to help in the house or with farming, so they don't want to send them to school. Parents may not have enough money to pay school fees. Smoking of marijuana is a temptation. Many young people don't have any skills besides farming or housework, and not much opportunity for vocational training. Education and/or vocational training.

5 Education Primary Schools 35 Primary School Enrollment 2200 Percent Of Eligible Students Enrolled 2 Teacher To Pupil Ratio 45 Language Of Instruction Early Years Language Of Textbooks Early Years Language Of Instruction Later Years Language Of Textbooks Later Years Number Of Schools > 90% Homogeneous 25 Comment (Education) Church Growth Reached Status Comment (Church Growth) Religion & Response Religious Practices & Ceremonies Attitude To Christianity Attitude To Religious Change Resistance / Receptivity Religious Analogies & Bridges Spiritual Climate And Openness Comment (Religion) The language used in schools is initially Anufo and, but as the children get older it is just. In 1995 the GILLBT literacy project, in cooperation with the local Ghana Education Service, began a pilot project to introduce Anufo literacy in the first 33 years of primary school. Engaged Work has begun on site - the RC church is engaged in village evangelism work as well as some development work; the Church of Christ is also; EP church, Church of Pentecost and AOG all have churches in the area. There is now one church for every four villages. Relationships with a variety of spirits are maintained usually through shrines. The custodians of most shrines are the eldest of the most senior group of males. A funeral is normally conducted in two stages. The first stage begins from the day of burial and lasts seven days. The second stage ("big funeral") occurs one or more years later and is usually combined with the funerals of other relatives in order to economize on food and drink for the guests. The pouring of a libation during the funeral is believed to release the spirit of the deceased to return to the place of the ancestors, hence the singular importance of funerals in the society. There is a naming and circumcision ceremony, usually on the eighth day after birth, at which facial and body marks are cut. The child may be named after an ancestor who is believed to have been re-incarnated in the child. Indifferent Somewhat receptive The church has made very little impact on the Anufo, and they maintain their Islamic or traditional religions to this day. Some of the younger generation is more open to Christianity. They understand the idea of making a sacrifice to mediate between a person and a spirit. The ancestors intercede on their behalf to God. Many people are open to religious changes, but the tendency is towards Islam and not Christianity. Some of those who have become Muslims would like to become Christians, but fear persecution. Most of the Anufo who practice Islam still carry on their traditional religious practices. Recommended Approaches Live with the people, show them by deed and from the Word of God that Jesus is real and he has power over all spirits. Current Needs Freedom from hunger - crops are often poor and insufficient. Freedom from poverty - there is often a real shortage of money. Freedom from the fear of witches, spirits and death. Items For Prayer Anufo Christian leaders to be delivered from temptation to sin, and to lead a life that shows the people that Jesus is real. Anufo Christians to be in positions of leadership. Converts still dependent on their parents, to make a stand for Christ. Those hearing the Gospel to make a commitment to Christ. Pray Christians will be delivered from fear of witchcraft, spirits, death, etc. Pray for local Christians to support the Church financially. Community development to alleviate hunger, water shortages, poor education and poverty. Pray for a lasting peace between neighboring tribes. History Of Christianity In Group

6 Year Began 1960 By Whom Significant Events Scripture Available Scripture Form Of Scripture Available Scripture Use Comment (Scripture) Comment (Scripture) Other Forms Of Gospel Available: Literature Other Forms Of Gospel Available: Recordings Other Forms Of Gospel Available: Film/Videos Other Forms Of Gospel Available: Radio Assemblies of God In the 1960's, work was begun by the Rev. Al Krass under the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He involved local people in the program of village evangelism, positive preaching, training of indigenous leaders, a short catechumenate, literacy, Bible translation and community development. A mass movement to Christ began, but it was cut short when Rev. Krass left and the EP Church failed to support the work. Portions Printed and Audio Majority of churches They have Mark s Gospel, some liturgy, and a three-year cycle lectionary available to them. A Scripture in use program is being carried on by the GILLBT project. All of the churches are cooperating in reviewing the translated Scriptures, reading them in the churches, and using them in Bible studies and teaching where appropriate. Yes Yes No No Missions and Churches Roman Catholic Church Year Started 1961 Number Of Adherents 200 Number Of Expatriate Workers 2 Number Of Local Workers 1 Number Of Workers Using Local Language 4 Evangelical Presbyterian Church Other Other Year Started 1961 Number Of Adherents 240 Number Of Local Workers 4 Church of Christ Year Started 1984 Number Of Adherents 120 Number Of Local Workers 1

7 Assemblies of God Evangelism Evangelism Year Started 1960 Number Of Adherents 80 Number Of Local Workers 1 Number Of Workers Using Local Language 1 Pentecostal Year Started 1981 Number Of Adherents 50 Number Of Local Workers 2 Number Of Workers Using Local Language 2 Christian Literature And Media Status Literature Available Audio Recordings Available Films Available Radio Programs Available Videos Available Audio Visual Available One audio cassette tape with readings from the Gospel of Mark and Anufo songs based upon the readings.