Have you ever heard of Bukom? Nope, me neither until I met my friend Cephas at the airport in Nambia during my layover from Cape town to Accra. He's a boxing matchmaker in Accra and convinced me that you haven't been to Bukom, you haven't seen the heart of Accra. Although I may have never heard of the small area in Usher Town, ask any local and they'll tell you Bukom is well-known for breeding Ghana's best boxers, including those lucky enough to gain international recognition such as Joshua Clottey and Azumah Nelson. Considering I previously spent 6 weeks in Accra and had never heard of Bukom, I was game to see what its all about.
Bukom is a small community nestled in the historic colonial districts of Jamestown and Ushertown in Accra. It's quite evident you've reached Bukom when you begin to see billboards advertising upcoming matches and faces of local boxers. There were several of Joshua Clottey including the one in the photo at the beginning of this post. The pride in Bukom's boxing legacy is undeniable, as my friend eagerly pointed out the house Joshua Clottey grew up in as we strolled through the community. Maybe more so because it was a national holiday (I don't remember what the holiday celebrated), but the streets were vibrant with kids playing football, people cooking, and just hanging out with friends and family as local Ghanaians tend to do best. I walked hesitantly into the middle of the commotion - definitely the only 'white lady' in sight. Always slightly guarded to whip out my camera and snap ignorant photos without approval, I just hung out and tried to blend in... if at all possible. However, Cephas encouraged me to 'snap a photo' of the kids playing football, and then wanted to take a photo of me. Whoops - I was instantly swarmed! | |
Locals love 'white ladies'. Locals love cameras. hence this photo.
   Excited to tour me around his hometown, Cephas guided me through the Usher Fort slave castle. While I had already visited the Elmina slave castle in Cape Coast, the Usher Fort castle is apparently older. However, its unfortunate that the Usher Fort castle isn't well kept nor officially operated to give official tours. Luckily I had a friend to show me around. While we still gave a 'donation' to someone monitoring the door, it would be nice to see Usher Fort operated as a tourist site, not only because it would be a great source of income and jobs for the local economy, but its important for Accra visitors to learn about the slave castle's history. |
Scenes from the Usher Town fort -
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| Behind bars... |
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| Eerie symmetry |
I am so thankful for a genuine tour of the Jamestown/Usher Town area of old Accra. If there's one trait I pride myself on, its the fact to absorb without judgement. Rather than compare and/or judge the people I was lucky enough to meet, I thank them endlessly for opening me into their home, exposing me to their everyday life, and welcoming me into their family.
Bukom Banku, one of Ghana's well-known local boxers.
They made me. Hilarious, isn't it?
My friend Cephas and I. Thanks for showing me around your hometown!
One of the many boxing gyms located in Bukom. I forget the name of the gym, but it was located to the right of the Usher Town fort entrance. With no roof, it was a lovely outdoor space. I just sat and watched them train for a while.
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