Download holidays Religion in ghana

Holidays
January 1
New Year’s Day
March 6
Independence Day
March/April*
Easter
May 25
Africa Day
July 1
Republic Day
December 25
Christmas
*date varies
Religion in Ghana
Roughly 70 percent of Ghanaians are Christian and 15
percent are Muslim. The remaining 15 percent follow
other faiths or have no religious affiliation.
Christians are followers of Jesus, a carpenter and a
Jew from the city of Nazareth in present-day Israel.
Christians believe that Jesus is the only son of God, born
of a virgin woman (Mary) in a stable in Bethlehem. His
story is told in the New Testament of the Christian holy
Muslims are followers of Islam. Islam is an Arabic
word meaning “submission to the will of Allah (God).”
Muslims believe that Allah’s will was revealed to the
prophet Muhammad more than 14 centuries ago
and was captured in the Islamic holy book, the Koran
(Qur’an). Together with the Sunnah, a collection of
sayings attributed to Muhammad, these texts provide
a firm basis for religious and social life for all Muslims,
including rules for diet, dress, hygiene, and more.
Islam is a religion of peace and prayerfulness. A devout
Muslim prays five times daily. If possible, Muslims pray
in a mosque, and on Friday do so with common prayer
and a sermon. Islam also requires that Muslims make
a pilgrimage, called the Hajj, to the holy city of Mecca
at least once in their lifetime. Islamic holidays include
Ramadan, the holiest month of the Muslim calendar,
which commemorates the month in which Muhammad
received the revelations that became the Koran. Eid
al-Fitr is a joyous feast celebrating the end of Ramadan
and the month of fasting. Al-Hijra celebrates the Islamic
New Year.
Additional sources include the CIA World Factbook and State Department websites.
Plan International USA is part of a global organization that works side by side with communities in 50 developing countries to
end the cycle of poverty for children. We develop solutions community by community to ensure long-term sustainability. Our
level of community engagement, long-term outlook, and constant focus on the needs and priorities of children is unique among
international development organizations. Our solutions are designed up-front to be owned by the community for generations to
come, and range from clean water and health-care programs to education projects and child-protection initiatives.
Promising Futures,
Community by Community
Plan International USA
155 Plan Way • Warwick, RI 02886
1-800-556-7918 • planusa.org
ghana
Holidays are very important to your sponsored child
and family. The most important ones have religious or
political significance:
book, the Bible. The Christian symbol—the cross—
reminds the faithful that Jesus died for them, for the
forgiveness of their sins. Christian holidays include
Christmas (December 25), which celebrates the birth of
Jesus; Good Friday (March/April), which commemorates
the death of Jesus on the cross; and Easter (March/
April), the most holy of Christian sacred days, which
celebrates the resurrection of Jesus on the third day
after his death.
Population
Capital City
25 million
Accra
Official Language
English
Per Capita Income
US$1,550/year
Youth Literacy Rate
88% male/83% female
Access to Safe Water
92% urban/80% rural
Under 5 Mortality Rate
72/1,000 live births
Source: The State of the World’s Children 2014 (UNICEF)
Ghana is situated along the coast of West Africa. It is bounded in the north by Burkina
Faso, in the east by Togo, in the west by the Ivory Coast, and in the south by the Atlantic
Ocean. The highest mountain in the country, Mount Afadjato, is found in the Volta
Region, in the east of the country. Temperatures are generally high, with annual averages
ranging from 79ºF at places near the coast to 84ºF in the extreme north. The warmest
months are February and March, while the coolest is August. A single rainy season occurs
in the north and two distinct seasons in the south. The major one occurs between March
and July, reaching its peak in May or June, while the minor one peaks in September and
continues through November.
A Brief History
Better health
Ghanaians trace their historically rich ancestry from
migrating peoples who settled in the region in the
1200s. Despite ethnic clashes, the people of the various
groups co-existed peacefully. In the 1450s, Europeans
began to arrive. The Portuguese were the first to
significantly trade in the region they called “The Gold
Coast.” In 1482, they built a fort at Elmina, despite
the protests of the area chief. In the 1800s, the British
acquired control of the fort. They outlawed slavery,
collected customs, and defeated the Ashanti people
in the Segranti War of 1874. Thereafter, the Gold
Coast became Britain’s most valuable colonial asset in
Africa due to its mineral, cocoa, and timber resources.
Throughout the following years, an extensive struggle
for independence evolved, which culminated on March
6, 1957, when the Gold Coast became one of the first
British colonies in Africa to proclaim its independence.
The country was quickly named the West African
Empire of Ghana. Since this time the government has
been subject to several coups and military regimes. In
1993, a newly elected president was sworn into office
by the general public with democratically held elections.
Plan focuses on childhood-survival activities such as
ensuring that all children under age 5 are vaccinated
against major life-threatening diseases as well as
training parents on reducing the risk of malaria to their
infants.
Plan’s work in Ghana covers four core
areas:
Quality education
Better health
Food security
Creating awareness of child rights
Food security
This program provides farmers in rural communities
with high-yielding seed varieties and facilitates yearround access to water to ensure good, regular harvests.
Creating awareness of child rights
Plan promotes children’s rights and issues affecting
children through media programs, children’s clubs, and
government advocacy. One particular area of focus is
our Universal Birth Registration campaign, which seeks
to ensure that all children are given official identities so
that they can access their rights to social services, such
as health care and education, and be protected against
child labor and trafficking.
Diet and Nutrition
One of Ghana’s traditional dishes is fufu, a mixture of
boiled cassava roots and plantains that are beaten into
a thick mash. This dish is served with a stew called tuo
zavi, which is made of corn and millet and is served as
the main meal.
Quality education
Economic Security
This program focuses on encouraging community
participation in children’s learning. We help provide
child-friendly environments and infrastructure for
effective teaching and learning to take place. In
addition, we provide scholarships to needy children,
enabling them to fulfill their full academic potential
when money is a barrier.
Agriculture and cattle-rearing are the main subsistence
activities of most Ghanaian families. In the cash
economy, cocoa, coconuts, palm oil, and mineral exports
are the main sources of foreign exchange. Because of
its dependence on agricultural exports and the resulting
scarcity of small holdings of farmland, Ghana’s struggle
toward self-sufficiency in food continues. Families have
difficulty growing enough food to feed themselves
because of low agricultural productivity, unpredictable
rains, and insufficient food storage and distribution
systems.
Family Structure
Ghanaians rely on extended families, which include
grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Patrilineal
inheritance and polygamy are widespread among most
ethnic groups in Ghana. However, with one of the few
societies in West Africa that is matrilineal, the Akan
people are unique. They are also the largest ethnic
group in Ghana and are comprised of many distinct
but related groups. Within the rich and diverse cultural
tapestry, ethnic rivalries in Ghana are virtually absent.
Intermarriage between Ghanaians from different ethnic
groups is also common.
Naming Tradition
Ghanaians are very particular about naming customs.
The day a child is born is very important. These are
names given to children born on specific days:
Akwoa/Esi Kwasi (Female/Male)
Sunday Adwoa/Adjp Kwadwo
Monday Abena/Araba Kwabena/Ebo
Tuesday Wednesday Akua/Ekua Kwaku/Abeku
Yaa/Aba Yaw/Kwao
Thursday Friday Afua/Afia Kofi/ Fifi
Saturday Ama Kwame/Ato
This practice is common among the Akan, Nzema, and
Ewe. Most Ghanaian names have meaning and are given
for a special reason.
Language
Although English is the official language in Ghana, most
sponsored children speak Akan, a local language. It is
very likely that you will encounter a language barrier
in communicating with your sponsored child, as the
majority of the children do not know enough English to
write a letter. Those who do not know English will be
assigned to community workers or volunteers who will
explain your letters and help the children compose their
responses.
Here are a few phrases in Akan that you might want
to use in your correspondence with your sponsored
child:
Woho tesen? How are you?
W’awofo ho tesen?
How is your family?
Meda w’ase
Thank you
Maake
Good morning