By Desmond Tinana
In an exciting twist to their annual end-of-year celebrations, the Nunya Village entrepreneurs hiked the majestic Adaklu Mountain to celebrate the Christmas festivities. The initiative, organized by the Friends of Adaklu (FOA), aimed to celebrate both the festive period and the fitness of the youth involved in the program.
Unlike the usual parties filled with food, music, and dance, the hike offered the participants a chance to connect with their community’s natural treasure—the Adaklu Mountain—and stay physically active as they prepare for the upcoming year.
“Normally at the end of the year, we have a party for them where they eat, dance, and have fun. But this year, we decided to hike our own Adaklu Mountain, so that they’ll have a feel of the treasure they have, which is the mountain, and be fit and healthy for our activities in 2025,” said Madam Stella Kudah, the Country Director of FOA. The hike was not just a fun getaway but a way to inspire a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty of their surroundings and to instill the importance of health and fitness in their daily lives.
The Nunya Village entrepreneurs are a unique group—students from Adaklu who are being trained for free in a range of crafts, such as bead-making, mat weaving, Kente weaving, pottery, and other artistic forms. The Nunya Village entrepreneurship center, created by FOA, aims to equip these young individuals with marketable skills that will allow them to earn a living while remaining within their community. Madam Kudah explained that this training provides an alternative path to success for the youth, allowing them to tap into their cultural heritage and make a living through their craft.
“After school, the children come to the center to learn how to create arts and crafts like clay beads, calabash beads, glass beads, cane beads, and weaving Kente, local mats, and baskets,” she said. “These items are often sold to locals, tourists, and foreigners who visit Ghana and the village, providing the children with an income.”
Madam Kudah proudly spoke of the center’s capacity to not only serve the local community but also to supply its products to other regions within Ghana and even abroad. Nunya Village which has established a connection with a school in California, which regularly orders items from the center for its festive activities, helping raise funds. “If you see any of our products online and want to have any, reach out to us on any of our social media platforms, and we’ll deliver it to you,” Madam Kudah encouraged.
The center has plans to further expand its reach and is open to working with individuals who have specialized skills to join the training efforts in Adaklu. The call for collaboration is part of FOA’s mission to continue growing and evolving, ensuring that the youth in the village can develop the skills they need to thrive.
Looking ahead to 2025, Madam Kudah mentioned that FOA has ambitious plans for Nunya Village. The center, which is currently under construction, is set to be completed by April next year. The new facilities will feature dedicated spaces for different crafts, ensuring that each craft has its own designated area for production and display. Additionally, there will be workshop spaces where both locals and visitors can learn various skills, with children teaching these workshops.
“We want to create a fully operational village next year, where people can come and experience the work we’re doing here,” said Madam Kudah. The center also plans to welcome some volunteers from outside Ghana, who will have the opportunity to learn from the youth at the center.
Nunya Village entrepreneurs are not just producing items for sale; they are also learning how to use recycled materials from their surroundings to create consumable products. This approach not only teaches the importance of sustainability but also ensures that the youth can generate income without relying on external resources.
“We are training them to use recycled materials around the community to produce consumable items,” Madam Kudah noted. “They don’t have to go to the big cities to become successful. They can be successful right here in their communities and feed their families.”
In addition to expanding its craft-making initiatives, FOA has plans to introduce new activities for the village in 2025. These include irrigation farming, wood carving, building a painting center, and even cooking and drumming sessions. These initiatives aim to diversify the skills being taught at Nunya Village and provide the youth with a broader range of opportunities to explore.
Madam Kudah is particularly excited about the introduction of irrigation farming, which she believes will help the community become more self-sufficient by enhancing local agriculture.
One of the more creative and unique aspects of the expansion plan is the introduction of a “mirror wall.” According to Madam Kudah, before visitors enter the village, they will be greeted by this wall, which will “speak to you,” offering a personalized experience. The wall will serve as a symbol of the transformation the village is undergoing, as it moves from a humble craft center to a fully integrated and dynamic community.
As the center grows and evolves, Madam Kudah makes a heartfelt plea for people to support the youth’s efforts. “We’re training them to use what they have around them to create something of value,” she said. “These children have the potential to make a real impact, and with the right support, they can help transform their community and the lives of those around them.”
The hike up Adaklu Mountain was just the beginning of a year full of promise for the youth of Nunya Village. With the expansion of the entrepreneurship center and the diverse opportunities on the horizon, Nunya Village is poised to become a beacon of creativity, self-sufficiency, and success in the heart of Adaklu.