My New Name and Welcoming Ceremony

July 11, 2010


Today was an amazing day; I had my welcome and naming ceremony. Church was supposed to start at 7:30 am; it started at 9:30. After church, the ceremony began. First the chief and the elders took me outside for prayers and to pour libations of palm wine, apetiche, and water; chanting prayers and then whooping calls and shouts. Then we went back inside and Mawuli says, “Jeanna, go with the women, they are going to dress you.” “What?” “They will dress you in the local cloth.” “Oh, ok.” So there’s about 10-15 old women hugging me and then they start wrapping this woven cloth around me; tugging it tight and tying it; then comes the necklaces and bracelets; all the while they are clapping and singing. It was hilariously funny and embarrassing. Then they give me a staff and Mawuli says, “You will lead the women into the church; they will follow you.” (Only thing I can think of is, “Yeah I got my pimp stick!”)Ok, so into the church we go singing and clapping and me feeling incredibly honored yet incredibly embarrassed.

Pouring of libations. This is a dress I had made :)

Women wrapping me in local cloth.

Leading the women back into church.

shaking hands w chief

Speeches are given and dances are done. Nana (the chief) tells them that I am a new member of the community, a newborn baby in the village of Todome so as the custom I must receive my name. And then he calls my name, “Boala,” (pronounced Bwela) which means, “We like you” in Sekpele. So my name is “Nana Boala the first” because I have been inducted as a Queen Mother…which is a female chief. Yeah, I’m big shit, no not really but honorary. But people were bowing and stuff and it made me really uncomfortable even though I knew they were doing it as an honor. Most of you know how I am about getting attention…so having this whole elaborate ceremony was super uncomfortable but also phenomenally cool to be involved in.

Then the women do a dance and load more jewelry on me and the women’s group presents me with maize and a bag of rice. Then I do my speech to community and Mawuli translates. Then we dance; first me and the women and then the chief dances with me; people put down their cloth for us to dance on…it was funny. I like my chief.

Dancing w chief

I give you Nana Boala the First :)

Prayers are given and then we are done. They were gonna play drums and have everyone dance to my house, but I was trying to leave town by 12; it’s like 1 by now, so that I could get to the training site in Ho before dark. I ended up leaving around 2:30.

So, today was insanely cool and I’m really grateful for all the hard work and thought that the village put into the ceremony. I got to keep 2 of the bracelets and a necklace too which is super cool. Other white lady in the photos is Rhoda, the PC volunteer from the next village over.

My homies in Todome :)

Peace Out,

Boala..that’s me!!