Executive Director for the National Commission on Culture (NCC), Nana Otuo Owuahene Acheampong, has emphasized the importance of educating children about Ghanaian culture.
He urged teachers and parents to utilize storytelling and folksongs as effective tools for promoting and preserving cultural traditions.
Acheampong highlighted the influential role of storytelling in shaping minds and inspiring individuals. He noted that leaders throughout history have used storytelling to impart knowledge and foster connections among students.
In today’s digital age, social stories have gained immense popularity, with political, social, and business leaders leveraging them to effectively communicate their messages and engage the public.
Expanding on the objective of storytelling and folksongs, Acheampong emphasized the aim of inspiring young individuals and children to utilize their imagination in conveying cultural values.
By encouraging active participation and instilling cultural pride, these traditional forms of expression can motivate individuals to take meaningful actions within their communities.
The Adesa Village storytelling and folksongs school competition in Accra served as a platform to celebrate and showcase the power of storytelling and folksongs in preserving Ghanaian culture and nurturing young talent.
“Is of no doubt that whether we sit in our homes listening to our children tell an interesting story or at school listening to our teachers telling a story or plot twist by using imaginary, such stories have the power to captivate, engage and cause us to think and act accordingly to the norms and traditions of the society,” he added.
Nana Otuo Owuahene Acheampong emphasized the importance of the current generation being well-informed about the world and using that knowledge to tell authentic stories that inspire action. He highlighted the art of folk music as another impactful medium for storytelling in modernized teaching.
Acheampong reiterated that storytelling and folksongs play a crucial role in preserving Ghana’s traditions and cultural heritage. They not only serve as a means of passing down knowledge but also offer valuable insights into various aspects of life. By engaging with these forms of expression, individuals gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of their cultural roots.
In summary, Acheampong emphasized the significance of storytelling and folk music as powerful tools for cultural preservation, education, and inspiring positive change.
He, therefore, encouraged students to showcase their exceptional abilities in order for their parents and teachers to be proud of them.
Madam Alice Alima Kala, Director, Centre for National Culture (CNC), Greater Accra Region, said the emergence of new trends of fashion, foods, other forms of social activities and life styles across the globe had influenced most youth to lose touch with very important practices
of the tradition, value and norms of the culture.
She added that there was the need for awareness creation to educate the youth on the importance and beauty of the Ghanaian culture.
Madam Kala said storytelling by our forefathers was not only to entertain and educate but also to instill moral cultural values into the citizenry.
She said in the quest to rekindle the spirit of storytelling and folksongs, her outfit as part of its mandate organised and inculcated storytelling in children from primary schools to develop hidden talents of the youth and expose young children to the rich Ghanaian culture.
She said, “our main aim and focus as an institution is to promote, develop and sustain cultural and artistic excellence, hence ‘Adesa Village’, to help bring out the fading cultural norms such as riddles, proverbs, music and dance, among others.”