Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Accra (Fides Service)- “The presence of 22 different ethnic groups in our diocese is a problem but it is also a reason for hope for the future” Bishop Philip Naameh of Damongo diocese in northern Ghana told Fides. “It presents a challenge because it means being familiar with 22 different traditions and customs, but it is also a motive for hope because these differences are a source of mutual enrichment” the Bishop said. Faith goes beyond cultural and ethnic barriers helping to unite the people as a nation. But this takes time especially in poor and neglected areas such as Damongo.
“In Damongo illiteracy and unemployment are widespread. For the people the local Church is the reference point and perhaps the only one, since the region is totally neglected by the authorities” Bishop Naameh told Fides. “The people are mainly subsistence farmers and herdsmen. The region is arid because we have only one annual rain season and this leads to disputes over water resources and the little existing fertile land”
“At times these disputes degenerate into real clashes” said Bishop Naameh. “To help prevent violence we have a Catholic Peace Building Centre where tribal chiefs meet and talk about their problems to find a peaceful solution. This is part of a long term effort to spread a mentality of peace based on reciprocal respect and sharing of resources. We built the Centre with the help of funds from universal Church bodies, including the US Catholic Relief Services”.
“I am convinced that the best way to lessen tension between ethnic groups is to solve the problems of illiteracy and unemployment, an explosive mixture in this ethnic context so rich but so fragmented. Another way of helping to promote better relations among the groups is to encourage the teaching of English, the language common to all”.
Damongo was created ten years ago in 1995. “My diocese is the largest in area of the 18 dioceses in Ghana, but from the spiritual and material point of view it is also the poorest. In Damongo, situated in northern Ghana the less developed part, 96% of women and 72% of men are illiterate” the Bishop told Fides. “Besides being an obstacle to development, illiteracy also affects the work of evangelisation. The formation of Catechists is often difficult: many have to be taught to read and write before they can be instructed how to teach the faith. Our main mission is first evangelisation but this is no easy task with tribal tension and such high rates of illiteracy and unemployment.
Damango diocese has an area of 29,000 sq. km and a population of 405,000 including 16,658 Catholics. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 18/2/2005 righe 43 parole 529)
