This is one of
the most unique tourist sites in Ghana; among its peers of castles, and Eco-villages. Part of this is the unique landscape, and part of it is just
experiencing the difficulties that present themselves to these people who have
chosen to live very differently than other people in Ghana. With all the
difficulties these people still have, they have carved a life for themselves
out of this beautiful natural area and are working to preserve it with the help
of visitors and recognition.
This is the story; a long time ago the people of the village lived in Mali and were part of the ancient Empire of Ghana. They had an enemy that continued to harass them and demand their food and resources; they were no longer able to fight so they met with their oracle to try to find a solution. The oracle instructed them to follow the giant snail to a safe place to live. About 40 households made the journey and they first settled in an area of central Ghana which is now the Brong Ahafo region. But this did not last long because they continued to be persuaded by their enemies and so they moved on once again. They followed the snail to where a large river enters the ocean, near modern day Shama on the coast of Ghana. They believed they would be safe here. But once again that did not last long before their foes caught up to them again. This time, the snail took them to a place they would be safe forever, and this is when they took to some rafts and set out onto the Surinam wet lands where they built Nzulezu which means’’ surface of the water’’ in Nzema.
The
town of Nzulezu is a Stilt Village located near a town called Beyin, in the
Jomoro district of the western region of Ghana. . It is a small village,
started over 500 years ago, governed by a village chief and a handful of
village elders. It is supported entirely by stilts made of central wood with a
raffia walkway. An amazing village where life goes on well. Before you get to,
and from Nzulezu, you must travel via canoe from a small dock in the village of
Beyin.
Although the town is very small, with only one
“main street,” there are two churches (Pentecostal and Catholic) that stand
side by side. There is one school, grades K-6 and if the children plan to go
further in their education they must enroll at the public school in Beyin and
commute via canoe every day. The “school yard” consists of four logs, two per
side on the “field”, making up football goals as they stick out of the shallow
areas of the . Their main source of income is agriculture even though they live
on water. They own some land 1 km north of the lake where they grow a variety
of vegetables and fruit which they sell in Beyin and the surrounding areas. There
is also little exposure to the outside world with no television and poor radio
reception.
Unlike some of the sites
in Ghana, visitors going to Nzulezu have a strong chance of actually helping
the people there preserve their unique way of life with the small amounts of
money they are providing for guiding, some crafts and the school. Tourism could
definitely be an alternative to young people leaving to look for better jobs in
the city to never return.
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