Nzulezo - Stilt Village

 All the time we have been in Africa we have been hearing about the "stilt village". The stilt village is Nzulezo, the “Village on water” in Ghana's Western Region.500 people live in this village on the water. The vice chief told us that the original people were from Mali and were chased by their enemies across Mali, through Cameroon and into Ghana over the course of forty years. They were trying to protect their golden stool and were lead to this place by a god in the form of a snail. The tribe has lived on the water for five hundred years.

 We got to the village in this motorized canoe. The locals paddle. It takes about an hour to paddle to the village.

We wore life jackets though we were told the water was so shallow we could stand up if we capsized in most parts of the canal. We went with several other senior missionaries, the Pecks and the Kirkhams.

 These kids gave it their best to beat the Obrunies.

 This fellow has clearly spent a lot of time paddling.

 Welcome to Nzulezo.

The building on the left is under reconstruction. The pilings have to be replaced every five to seven years.

 This neighborhood is probably cooler in the hot weather.

 From time to time a building collapses. Garbage floats underneath the buildings.

 This is the school.

There are various trades in the village.

"Who came to see me?"

The residents are friendly. 

 Hanging out with my buddies.

All Ghanaian school children wear uniforms.

The cones on the left are fish traps. At the end of the block are cooking pots.

The trip to Nzulezo was worth the seven hour drive, each way. It gave us a view of a way of life which has changed very little in hundreds of years.