Amandla
Volume 9 Issue 12
Bonwire comes to Staten
Island...on wheels
Kofi Marfo (left) and Nana Adu Bofour weave kente in Staten Island like they used to do at
Strange Disease Killing Local
Bonwire
Industry in Ghana
by Kofi Ayim
For almost 80 years the local co-
conut industry in Ghana has been
plagued with a strange disease that
scientists have been unable to diag-
nose. The once thriving
coconut/copra business – from
40,000 hectares of cultivation in
1960 to 24,371.36 hectares in 2009 -
in the Volta, Western and Central
parts of Ghana is gradually being
decimated by a rare strain of virus
called the Lethal Yellow Disease
(LYD) or locally Cape St. Paul Wilt
Disease (CSPWD).
First detected at Woe near Cape St.
Paul in the Volta Region in 1932,
and spotted at Cape Three Points,
Western Region in 1964 and at
Ayensudu near Komenda, Central
Region in 1988, this malignant “co-
conut cancer” can be dormant for
decades, and reappear with a sudden
profusion. It has the ability to
“jump” tens of kilometers to afflict
other healthy (coconut) trees. In a
given area, the disease can affect
several trees, but leave others un-
scathed. For unknown reasons, LYD
has never been able to penetrate into
the forest belts, choosing rather to
AfriMETRO
Honors
Prominent
Africans at
New York
Gala
By Pamela Appea
AfriMETRO, a nonprofit and profes-
sional networking association and
New York University’s Wagner Stu-
dents Alliance for Africa hosted a
973-419-0073 / 973-731-1339 An African Community Newspaper December 15, 2010 - January 16, 2011
Wilted coconut trees, a common sight on Ghana’s coastal belt
linger on the coastal areas.
Its vector (carrier) is undetermined
and there is no known treatment yet.
It is however, not limited to Ghana,
and exists with marked differences
in other coconut growing areas of
West Africa and the Caribbean.
The debilitating effect of the disease a form and shape of a typical electric mitted from tree to tree. Unfortu-
blackens the tree and initially ren-
Holiday Gala and “Golden Jubilee”
on December 8 at NYU’s Kimmel
Center in the East Village, attended
by more than 125 participants. The
gala was a fundraiser for global liter-
acy; honoring several community
heroes that have devoted significant
time and energy to Africa and the
African Diaspora community includ-
ing essential causes such as literacy,
maternal health and human rights.
“This year has been a particularly
exciting year for AfriMETRO,” said
founder Folake K. Ayoola who the
day after the Golden Jubilee NYC
event was on route to Houston,
Texas for another professional gala
Founded October 2003
by Kofi Ayim
Kente, the intricate multicolored apparel
that is exclusively associated with
Ghana’s culture and symbolic pride of
many Africans born outside Africa has
now come to Staten Island, New York to
stay. The interest in the first ever “live”
kente weaving demonstration in a 2005
Cultural Diversity Program organized
by Wagner College of Staten Island
seemed to be dying out when Samuel
Owusu Sekyere a Ghanaian community
leader, chanced upon a family of kente
weavers - Nana Adu Bofour, Oti Kegya
and Kofi Marfo – from the ancestral
home of indigenous kente, Bonwire, in
the Ashanti Region. The board member
of the Staten Island Immigrant Council
and Vice president of the Ghanaian As-
sociation of Staten Island liaised on be-
half of his group with Chris J. Mule a
folklorist and Deputy Director of the
Council of the Arts & Humanities for
Staten Island (COASI), and in collabo-
ration with the Newhouse Center for
WAABA –Weaving Unity between Bon­
Contemporary Art, created the “AK­
wire and Staten Island” exhibition. The
problem of acquiring a traditional loom
was resolved when David Ricciardi an
artist and carpenter with input from the
three weavers redesigned and con-
structed a collapsible and portable loom
complete with rolling wheels. Given the
fact that indigenous looms are station-
ary, observers believe this innovation is
probably the first of its kind in the
world.
The devastation of this
subsistence economy in af-
fected coastal areas of
Ghana has driven several
families into poverty and
negatively influenced qual-
ity of life. It is conserva-
tively estimated that loss
of income from the cash
crop hovers around
GH¢62,200 per year or
$43,034.6.
The Government of Ghana
has employed several miti-
gating factors to stem the
diabolical spread of the
disease. A joint France-
Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire proj-
ect was initiated in 1981.
The research found out
that the viral disease at-
tacks plasma in coconuts.
The World Bank and the
European Union in 1991
ders its palm and leaves profusely and 1993 respectively funded the re-
yellow and then brown, forcing pre- search on the vector disease. And
mature dropping of (coconut) pods again in 1997 France partnered
and branches in the process. In retro- Ghana in a 5-year intervention pro-
spect, a hitherto blooming and pro- gram to revamp the industry. So far
ductive coconut tree would be
none of the scientific projects was
stripped off its nutrients and assume
able to nail how the disease is trans-
or telephone pole.
and event.
“AfriMETRO’s work is important in
the community because we are one
of the very few organizations in the
tri-state area with African profes-
sionals and “friends of Africa” fo-
cused on building a new positive
image of Africa and Africans. We do
this by organizing business, charita-
ble and professional networking
events that inform, educate, em-
power, and celebrate Africa and
Africans. Our history is grounded in
the spirit of collaboration and com-
Continued on page 9
munity, Ms. Ayoola said.
In an interview Chris Mule opined that
it is prudent for Staten Island to cele-
brate cultural diversity to meet the
needs and challenges of its growing
mixed heritage. He pointed out that it is
important for homogenous cultures to
reconnect with their identity and also to
teach and share the history and culture
with one another, especially the younger
generation.
Making kente, like unique trades re-
quires elaborate dexterity and long
hours of sitting. It takes between two to
four days to weave the most basic and
simple cloth. Complex ones with geo-
metrical patterns and designs could take
up to three months or more for a 10
hour a day work. The strips of woven
cloths are sewn together into rectangu-
lar shapes. Authentic kente cloth is not
mass manufactured. Every woven kente
cloth – from strips of college graduation
to ceremonial gowns of academic pom-
posity and flowing clerical gowns – is
baptized with a name. The name, usu-
ally proverbial, reflects socio economic
or religious tendencies in an environ-
ment. So the next time you see someone
wearing kente, inquire of its name.
The AKWAABA Weaving Unity exhibit
runs from November 6 to April 3 2011
at the spacious and sprawling Snug Har-
bor complex, Staten Island. All events
are free and open to the public Tuesday
through Sunday. For more information
contact Chris Mule at 718 447-3329 x
1006 or Sam Owusu Sekyere at 347
409-7618.
nately, international funding and
grants have dried up.
The government of Ghana is now
exploiting innovative ways that
came out of research projects to re-
vive the industry. Hybrids of the
Vanuatu Tall and Pumilla Green
Dwarf as well as Vantum Tall and
Malayan Yellow Dwarf that have
been known to be tolerant to the dis-
ease are being replanted on fertile
lands. Thus far, an area of about
1,300 hectares has been replanted
and a total of 1006 hectares of exist-
ing coconut farms that belong to
some 367 farmers in 29 communities
were fertilized from 2000 to 2002.
Stakeholders hope government finds
funds for more research to alleviate
the plight of coconut growers as was
done during the period of the Akate
cocoa disease. Until that happens the
destiny of a whole chunk of coconut
farmers would be at the mercy of
Providence for survival.
Varieties of coconut (Sri Lanka –
Ceylon - types, Malayan Dwarf and
West African Tall) were introduced
in south-eastern Ghana as an estate
Source: Ministry of Food & Agricul­
crop in the early 1920s.
ture, Ghana
Actor Gbenga
Akinnagbe (right)
poses with an
admirer. The actor
was among a num-
ber of celebrities
who were at the
Gala