How does one preserve the remnants of a native settlement that is destined to be forgotten, especially when single-use buildings without any space for the development of integration are being organized and constructed?
In an age where rapid urbanization and (r)urban sprawl has become the normalized fitting of Accra’s
urban fabric, the unyielding act of archiving the continuity of shrinking neighborhoods has become more prevalent than ever. To Be Forgotten? does just that, by capturing the growing complexity of migration-related spatial references and the growing heterogeneity of urban Accra. Its aims is to investigate the transitory alteration of the Abotsiman landscape by mapping the different life cycles of place-making through linguistic and photographic forms.
As a point of departure, the project takes the relationship between Accra’s (r)urban phenomenon and the informal communities that nestle in between and on the periphery. This relationship is addressed
through a multi-disciplinary approach, fusing together three interrelated qualitative methods: cognitive mapping, walking interviews, and photography. In showing works that address the boundaries between the native settlement and the larger estates, it opens up conversations on the multiplicity of experiences and histories of Abotsiman, thus forging a new dialectic exchange.
As a collection of sorts, To Be Forgotten? exists as a preface to a growing catalog that contextualizes the spatial narratives of Abotsiman; all whilst providing historical access to elements that have notably shaped the spatial experience of this particular community in East Legon. The resulting documentation does not shy away from the indwelling character of the Abotsiman settlement but rather contributes a new layer of urbanity through the stories shared by its settlers.
Quotes:
“This is going on documentation, so we need to speak exactly how things are.”
Current (R)urban Dilemmas
“The land in the city is becoming extinct and so people are moving to more fertile spaces. In the Abotsiman village, people sell their land to buy farmland outside of Accra.”
“The problem with farming in Abotsiman is the access to land. The land here in Abotsiman is not rich, it’s spoiled. This is not the ideal place to grow crops like this, the land is not fertile. Without farming I can’t do anything.”
“The growth of these large buildings have taken away the rural nature of Abotsiman. For our people, the Eastern Region is the new migration destination, that is why the people of Abotsiman need to sell their land in order to buy farmland elsewhere. There‘s no place for us here anymore”
Migration + History of Abotsiman
“In the olden days, it was believed that the Aburi people were the only people close to the coast. But
when they saw the Gas coming from the far east from Nigeria, they were scared, and so they ran up into the mountain range and watched them from above. The Ga people were so many and they were fast! So by default, the Aburi people called them ants [NKRAN], tiger ants.”
“The present Abotsiman village is a part of the La community down by the coast. Although the distance is far, the La people do not recognize it as if they have crossed a border — this is their zone, their land, their territory.”
“The settlement of Abotsiman dates back to the late 1800s. Pastoralists and nomads from the North would graze their cattle in this area. This area was once all bush! Nothing else. People rarely settled here. But our grandfather Nii Adjei Tsuru decided to settle here in Abotsiman to farm and create a community for his relatives who were living in La. The old mud house you see on the main road is the first building created in our town and was built entirely by the hands of my grandfather, Nii Adjei. To this day, it stands.”
“When you look at the map, you see that the Eastern Region and Greater Accra are neighbors, so by default, the next migrational pattern of the GA people is towards those fertile lands. The whole village doesn‘t migrate at once. The process starts as this — a family or two brothers might sell land in the Accra city and then move to the hinterlands to start a small farming process. You will hardly meet a community migrating in mass to relocate and settle elsewhere. Those were the olden days. People do things alone now.
Urbanization in Accra
“After independence, a lot of Ghanaian people fled the country due to political instability. However, once we entered the age of democracy, some of those people returned, and when they returned they returned with capital, investing in places like East Legon and Abotsiman.”
“Since the late 90s, the migrational movements of elites have occurred, but right now it is on the rise. There’s no place for the GA people to farm in Accra. Their lands are now used for western infrastructural things. They are forced to leave their environment.”
Land in Africa (In regards to the leasing agreement in Ghana. Land is never sold for life, but only leased on contracted terms ranging from 50-99 years)
“You know in Africa we don‘t play with land. Land is our soul.”
“An African man with his land, you don‘t play. He is not a rich man, but the land is all he has.”
“The land is the spirit of an African.”
Fertile Migration
“As times go on, things are getting more difficult in the city. Everything is so expensive. So if you can’t keep up, you go to the outskirts, where things are less competitive and easier.”
“There’s pressure here in Accra. The Abotsiman migrants who have fled the city to move towards more fertile lands are not losing out. If anything, they are moving to areas in which the financial caliber is maintained. The cost of living in Accra is high and so they do not have access to many necessities such as hospitals, schools, etc. So when they relocate to the Eastern Region and so on, the health and education systems are more affordable and in their caliber to access and maintain.“
Future of Abotsiman
“The Abotsiman village is the only place we can call our own in East Legon, it’s a statement. All the other land we owned was sold through our fathers and uncles. The only threat to the community is the younger generation. If our leaders and elders die, the younger generation will sell our land. They don‘t see the value — they are being sucked indirectly from their own land.”
Demarcation + Architecture
“People are building walls and demarcating their land, not solely due to the threat of foreigners but from their neighbors. It’s a statement — I know what is mine.”
“The mud structure was the original building in the community before cement blocks. So when you see mud homes in the community, you know that these buildings have been there for ages, you know that this is where the natives reside. It dates back. We are the indigenous people of this town. It is our indigenous architecture.
Preservation
“Another way of recording our history outside of writing is through folk tales, this is how they are preserving it.”
“Before this community vanishes, we have to take a picture and preserv”