GARPLAY, Nimba – Saturday, April 18 was a joyful and colorful morning for the women of Garplay in Twan River District as they gathered at the home of Oretha Yormie to celebrate the birth of Yormie’s newborn daughter.
Women sing and dance at the home of Yormie. Photo Credit:Â Arrington Ballah
In accordance with the tradition among the Dan and other local ethnic groups, the women were each seen carrying a bundle of firewood on their heads.
Upon arriving at the home of Yormie, the women paraded for several minutes, then dropped the firewood one at a time in a pile. Yormie joined the parade and they continued for hours.
“We are very happy today to celebrate with our friend [who] has given birth to a girl,†one of the women, Esther Wheyee said. “Our parents did the same during their days and we have to continue it and our children will take after us,†she added.
Yormie and her newborn baby. Photo: Arrington Ballah
The women each presented L$1000 (US$12) to Yormie as their contribution. The gift is commonly referred to as “soap money” as it is intended for the purchase of soaps to wash the baby’s clothes.
Yormie thanked the women for their kindness and love for her family they showed with their presence and gift.
The bottle of cane juice that Yormie presented to the group of women. Photo Credit: Arrington Ballah
Yormie then presented a bottle of cane juice, a local alcoholic beverage made of distilled sugar cane, to the women who were continuously dancing and singing traditional songs.
The great-grandfather of the baby, Peter Yormie, was also present. He expressed gratitude to the women for dedicating their time, noting that the women could have chosen to go on their farms to do their usual activities.
“This is our tradition,” he said. “We came and met our forefathers doing this. We must do it and teach our children to do it. Let the tradition live on.â€
Featured image courtesy of Gbatemah Senah
This is absolutely wonderful news from the warm heart of Africa! Bushchicken, keep the good news coming! In the midst of endless waves of African migrants washing off dead and alive on Europe’s coasts-confused world leaders with no creative solutions to tackle the root causes of worldwide political violence, poverty and corruption, people still eat, sleep, cultivate the fields and yes, mothers still have babies and people still dance to celebrate new life! Dance? yes-dance! With each live birth, mothers are literally being ‘delivered’ from the high risk of maternal mortality that continues to plague Africa-despite the riches of gold, diamonds, Iron ore and crude oil! So yes, every baby born is yet another reason not just to dance and celebrate life but also to keep fighting for the greater common good, peaceful co-existence, equal opportunities, justice and participatory democracy. Let’s keep up the ‘good fight’ and at the end, good inevitably triumphs over evil-greed-selfishness-violence that drives people from their warm and beautiful homelands to inhospitable environments on frigid shores. Great job Ballah!!!
We the people of Nimba are know For traditions.Our women practice tradition.for the men, we practice tradition mostly In the presence of Palm warm Or cane juice. In short,five stars For the Nimbian women. As for me since we alcholically practice tradition I give three stars.
Bravo to u all mamas Nimba