"Clerk's Annual Report for 1896"

A number of ex-pupils of the Worawora School are now apprentices to craftsmen. One problem in schoolwork is, of course, language. Even in Worawora the neople say they do not understand Akwapim Twi as well as Akim or Asante, and Clerk, though an Akwapim, wishes that it had been one of the other dialects which had been used for the basis of written Twi. In other schools the children speak a different language altogether, and have to be taken through the first year syllabus in two years in order to be taught Twi. In Gyasekan Clerk has had to warn Teacher Ruben against succumbing to the temptation to teach the children parrot-fashion under these circumstances. The Worawora community increased by 7 in the year (to 28) with one exclusion. There are 42 catechumens. On the whole Clerk seems happy with the life of the community, though he had some trouble gaining obedience from the youths and a catechumen had to be excluded also, for sexual offences. The Gyasekan community stands at 30, with 6 catechumens. Several youths have lapsed during the year on account of not being able to find wives. The Christians are distributed among three villages - the two Gyasekans, and Bowuri. In the second part of the year especially their long journeys in pursuit of the rubber trade caused difficulties. Guamang – 25 Christians and 10 catechumens – the Christians mostly unmarried young men faced by some opposition on the part of their parents. Clerk is anxious about their marriage prospects, and the difficulties connected thereto. Borada - one member, 3 catechumens. There had been difficulties with the chief earlier in the year when a priest of Atonko was converted - this has now smoothed itself out, partly through intervention of the German official in Agome, to whom Clerk had appealed to explain the limitations on his religious rulings.

18.01.1897

18.01.1897

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