A man who has been living in Langley, B.C. for the past three years is getting ready to be made chief of his tribe in Ghana. And he’ll be bringing along a huge load of gifts from his Canadian friends.
Eric Manu, 32, moved to B.C. in 2012 after marrying a Canadian woman he met in Ghana. He has been working in White Rock ever since as a landscaper.
But his uncle, who had served as chief of the tribe, died two years ago, placing Manu next in line for the honour. Now, he’s about to take over leadership of the 6,000-person tribe in the Ashanti region of Ghana, bringing along his Canadian wife.
Manu is looking forward to his role but says he is nervous about the coronation ceremony, which will involve a huge crowd and the slaughtering of a cow and sheep.
“I feel great; I also feel a bit nervous because it’s a huge ceremony, and I wasn’t expecting this to happen,” he told CTV Vancouver.
“It’s a big deal in my culture, a traditional culture.”
Manu says he is also nervous to be working with all the sub-chiefs under him, many of whom are older than him. But he says he is part of his people and it is his duty to lead them.
Most of the people in his village are miners or farmers of cash crops, such as cocoa and plantain, Manu says. One of his missions as their new leader will be to discourage urban migration so that young people in his village want to stay to work in the trades.
“They forget about education so they can hustle in the city," he said. "So I will encourage and motivate the students and youth to be more creative about education and trade work.”
Manu added: “… Africans look down on these trade jobs… everybody wants to work in an office. That is really costing the people.”
When Manu’s employer at The Landscape Consultants, Susan Watson, found out about his career change, she decided to attend his coronation as well. But not wanting to arrive empty-handed, she has helped Manu organize a donation drive.
The plan now is to arrive with a large shipping container filled with donated computers, sewing machines, clothes, shoes, books, and bicycles. Clothing is expensive there, so bringing the families clothes and shoes will be helpful.
“It is something that is really going to put a big smile on their faces,” Manu said.
The pair has also started a charity called “To the Moon and Back Foundation,” that will help other communities in Ghana. The eventual aim is to build a library and computer centres in villages around Ghana.
“The children, they are learning about this technology but they have never seen a computer before. The teachers are drawing a picture of a mouse on a blackboard,” he said.
“This will be a very inspirational gift to the people.”
With files from CTV Vancouver
