Wikimedia volunteers from Ghana’s various Wikimedian communities have urged Ghanaians to give traditional names derived from their languages extra consideration while shaping their identities.
Traditional names are increasingly diminishing in some communities, according to the Kusaal, Dagbani, Gurune, Dagare, Moore, Fante, Twi, and Ewe Wikimedia editors who attended the Ghanaian Wikimedia languages mini conference in Tamale.
Mr. Michael Awimbilla, a member of the Kusaal Wikimedia Community, initially drew attention to the need for editors to re-examine their naming practices and make changes to ensure that their children would not face the same injustice of not being given traditional names..
“It’s unfortunate that some people’s names can’t be easily identified as to where they’re coming from. All three or four names are foreign, with no traces of where they came from,” Mr. Awimbilla said.
The event participants agreed that names and identities characterize a group of individuals and are a modern reflection of how people feel about themselves in the current world.
He thinks it is essential for Ghanaians from all walks of life to make it a requirement to give their children names in their native language.
But one thing that stood out was ensuring that the names given to children had a positive connotation that will reflect in their life.
Abigail Afi Gbadago of the Ghanaian Pidgin Wikimedia Community cited herself as an example, having both Akan and Ewe names on both sides of her parents, which signify her identity and culture.
“It’s high time we use our local names rather than white people’s names so that we don’t lose our culture,” she said.
Mothers are close to their children, and in Abigail’s case, her mother spoke Ghanaian languages to her, which helped her comprehend the basics of different dialects rather than knowing nothing at all.
African names often have fascinating stories behind them. Parents take many factors into consideration when choosing a name for their child, from the time or day of birth to the circumstances at the time of delivery. No matter what ethnic group the person belongs to, these native names give insight into the life of the individual.
Fuseini Musah, co-leader of the Kusaal Wikimedia Community, underlined that Arabic names are not Islamic or Muslim, and that Muslims should evaluate how they name their children to reflect where they came from.
Approximately 60 Wikimedians from nine different Ghanaian language communities participated in a mini conference to address the digital divide that prevents some people from accessing the internet due to language barriers. These language communities included Kusaal, Ewe, Dagare, Twi, Dagbani, Ghanaian Pidgin, Gurune, Fante, and Moore.
The two-day conference which ended on Sunday, May 14, 2023 gave participants the opportunity to brainstorm on how to better distinguish language platforms and learn from others what has worked and what has not worked.