An immersive two week professional development experience in Ghana for K-12 educators to deepen their knowledge of African culture and its impact on the world, and to explore their pedagogical competencies.
If we pay close attention to our lives and our responsibilities towards each other, we will understand that we are all witness trees to the historical, emotional, poignant and consequential happenings around us.
My father once told me “Tete wo bi kã.” or “The past has something to say.” This is an ancient Akan proverb that reminds us of the value of foundations and new beginnings. We chose the name of our institute to echo this proverb and to stress the wisdom that witnessing brings to learning.
In Ghanaian traditional communities, land belongs to everyone and is protected by chiefs and family heads, but family land is demarcated often by trees, rocks, river banks etc. These are recognized as “witnesses.” So Witness Trees, for example, not only define territories, but also sustain stories and family folklore. They mark the beginnings of settlements, witnessed events like wars and famine, transactions, and history. They function as timekeepers, and also shed light on the past. Witness trees pass on life and identity from generation to generation.
The Witness Tree Institute of Ghana believes that each participant in its program, by experiencing and reflecting on far reaching historical events, traditions and the rich culture of Ghana, becomes “a witness tree.”
- Tete Cobblah
