We have been in the middle of the newest deceased seasons, along with most of the breathing I feel including I’m inhaling sandpaper. We are supposed for the Gambaga, a tiny town from the East Mamprusi region, in which we’ll go to a notorious camp-one of the half dozen in the region-home to as much as a hundred women who was in fact shed out-by their loved ones and you may organizations once becoming accused of witchcraft.
not, work isn’t as as simple we thought: No one is permitted to visit the witches with no permission from the latest Gambaga Rana, the local head. I direct on chief’s palace, where we wait and you may wait.
He assures us the witches do not have efforts while they are located in the brand new go camping. The main got all of them away, even though they alive here, they can not harm people with their wonders.
Despite being a generally Religious and you may seriously religious nation-into the 2013, the fresh Profit-Gallup Around the world ‘Religion and you can Atheism Index’ keeps announced Ghana because the really spiritual nation worldwide, that have 96 per cent of its population declaring by themselves given that spiritual-the combination from values it’s possible to pick the world was fantastic. Brand new Northern region collects a particularly colourful combination of Christians, Muslims and you can Animists. The fresh spectacle out-of churches, mosques and you can sacrificial pagan altars, sometimes all in the same quick community, try dizzying.
Just what all these have as a common factor, regardless if, ‘s the faith in the witchcraft. Within the Ghana, one can possibly think black miracle about the misfortune: dying, condition, alcoholism, mental disease (an improperly know procedure), a bad harvest, otherwise loss of animals. Females, from this point from examine, are simple needs-especially earlier of these or widows who are not covered by boys any more, or people that show an identical partner.
The brand new witch camp is not as isolated from Gambaga whenever i asked. It is inside the middle of the town, among the home of the relaxed populace of village. That isn’t in the middle of a wall, neither is it protected at all. It’s just a timeless north Ghanaian town, a beneficial labyrinth out-of round adobe home with thatched roofs, the sporadic timber hut, guinea fowl, and you may goats roaming free inside the homes.
Eventually, a tall man appears and brings up themselves given that chief’s member, and you may shows you he could be escorting you in the village
We are almost instantly noticed by the a small grouping of barefoot children, most of the curious and you may lively. However, other than him or her, the newest community seems empty. It entails a little while to begin with watching the latest faces of your greatest witches, initially peeking away from at the rear of window and you can dirt fences, following allowed united states politely and carrying-on with their day-after-day errands. He could be shy however, invest in getting shoot, some of them even providing myself a slight look. Many are older, and many has actually stayed in the new witch go camping for over 30 years. It deserted the husbands and you may lead kids together with them. In the place of most women in Africa, they do not have every other men within lifetime nevertheless guys he is raising themselves.
So we go homeward to possess check outs, but we do not remain there
Brand new witches’ representative, brand new earliest witch throughout the town in addition to their frontrunner, matches me having a suspicious lookup, however, agrees to speak in my opinion. Away from the woman I learn that in fact he is able to go when they such as for instance, however, which they favor to not ever (unless of course their families inquire about http://www.datingmentor.org/nepal-chat-rooms the return), fearing this new responses of your own area: “The family visit us. In the event the our very own some one come right here, requesting me to go back domestic, i do. If you don’t, we stay in this new camp. Right here, we are safer, and we also is 100 % free.”