Ghanaian Student Shares The Culture And Memories From The Country At The Center Of Her Heart

“Mema wo akwaaba,” Rachel Naa Anyema Clottey said, welcoming students into the International Student Center. 

The phrase means “welcome” in Twi, the language of the Ashanti kingdom of Ghana that Clottey calls home. 

At the International Student Center’s (ISC) Lunch and Learn: Ghana event, students ate rice water, Nkatie Cake (a candy made of peanuts and coconut sugar) and other traditional Ghanese dishes Clottey prepared for the event.

With plates full, students sat down to learn about Clottey’s homeland of Ghana, including its geography, history, government, culture and food. She also shared her journey from Ghana to Liberty. 

Clottey was born into a missionary family who relocated to Kenya. However, her parents decided to send her to live in Ghana with her grandparents.

“My parents wanted me to experience my culture—to learn exactly where I come from, to know the language of my people and to know where my bloodline goes back in history,” Clottey said.

English is the official language of Ghana, the most widely spoken languages are Fante, Ga, Ewe and Akan (also known as Twi), the language Clottey speaks. Clottey’s family claimed she had the “gift of languages” because of her knack for understanding the more complex, proverbial speech of the older Ashanti people as well as the other languages she heard. 

“I grew up in Kenya speaking Swahili, then in Ghana speaking Twi, understanding Fante, speaking English and learning French,” Clottey said. 

As a small child, Clottey was frequently misunderstood because she would speak all those languages at once.

Clottey gave a demonstration of a traditional Ashanti dance called “Adowa.” She then sang along to a popular Ghanaian gospel song, “Oye,” which celebrates the goodness of God. The music demonstrated the “swing” which fills Ghanaian music with rich expression and passion.

When Clottey came to the United States in 2013, she experienced a bit of culture shock when she entered the classroom for the first time. 

“In Ghana, the teacher walks in, and you stand up and say, ‘Good morning, teacher, how are you doing today?’ and they say, ‘Good, thank you, sit down,’ Clottey said. “My first day in school here, I did that, and the other students were like, ‘Is she okay?’” 

In her effort to adapt to the American way of life, Clottey “dropped” her culture for about three years, trying to understand American behavior.

“The one thing that made me revert back to being fully Ghanaian and appreciative of my culture was when I met a Ghanaian who said a common word that anyone from Ghana would understand on the spot, and I did not get it,” Clottey said. “Then I decided, ‘Okay, I am straying away from my culture. I need to go back.’” 

To remind her of home, Clottey filled her house with items from her culture. She brought to America her books of other languages, her Ghanaian clothing, shoes and keepsake jewelry bestowed to her from her grandmother.

“It’s the only gold I have,” Clottey said. “I keep it in a box and never touch it, but sometimes when I miss my grandma, I go look at it…to remind me of her goodness in my life.” 

Liberty’s ISC is one of the primary reasons Clottey decided to come to Liberty, along with the school’s Christian values and resources for guiding students in their walk with Christ. Clottey calls the ISC her “home away from home” and a place where she also gets to learn about other cultures.

While it can be hard at times living and studying in a difference culture, Clottey motivates herself by remembering her ultimate goal: to go back home, help her people and heal division between Ghanaian tribes. Clottey is studying international business and hopes to develop the economy and international relations of Ghana as a diplomat or business woman.

“My people are suffering way too much, and it hurts my heart to see them suffer…We are taught to identify by our tribal association, but Ghana is my first association. I want to help my people, and that is my motivation,” Clottey said.

Kacey Martin is a Feature Reporter.