Jirapa, Ghana
Encyclopedia
Jirapa is the capital town of the Jirapa/Lambussie District
in the Upper West Region
of Ghana
.
opened a mission station first in Navrongo
in 1906, from which three men were delegated to work in Jirapa in 1929. They were allotted a plot of land by the Jirapa Naa (chief) who allegedly wanted to see whether they would be driven out by evil spirits, or vice versa. Despite early conflicts between converts and the local chiefs, and even the resulting disapproval of the British District Commissioner of Lawra
, the work was given great impetus by the locally famous 'rain event' of 1932 in which rain fell during a severe drought in the Lawra district, only in Jirapa and in nearby villages following prayer for each case. According to government statistics, 42.5% of the population in the district now claim to be Christian, 96.1% of which are Catholic, the remainder being affiliated to either Islam or traditional religion.
, Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II. There is an annual festival called Bong-Ngo in Jirapa for the chiefs and people of the area. It is held in the last week of April and marks the end of the ban on harvesting the fruit of the Dawadawa tree (Parkia Biglobosa) and the beginning of the farming season.
branch of the Niger–Congo language family. The name of the town, written in Dagaare as Gyerebaa, is pronounced roughly as jira-‘baa, and means 'reed-stream', i.e. a stream of reeds.
Jirapa/Lambussie District
The Jirapa/Lambussie District is a district of Ghana in the Upper West Region. The Jirapa/Lambussie District lies in the northwestern corner of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The capital of the district is Jirapa. It shares boundaries to the south with Nadowli District, to the east with Sissala...
in the Upper West Region
Upper West Region
The Upper West Region of Ghana is located in the northwestern corner of the country and is bordered by Burkina Faso to the north. The capital and largest city is Wa. Other towns include Nandom, Daffiema, Jirapa, Kaleo, Nadowli, Lawra and Tumu....
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
Institutions
- The only girls' secondary school in the region, Saint Francis of Assisi Girls' Secondary SchoolSt. Francis Girls' Secondary School JirapaSaint Francis of Assisi Girls' Secondary School is the only girls' secondary school in the Upper West Region of Ghana.It was established by Cardinal Porkuu Dery in 1959. Currently the student population is around 600. It is situated on Wa-Hamile Trunk road, about 2 kilometers away from the main...
, is situated near the town. - Jirapa Senior Secondary Day School.
- St. Joseph’s Hospital in Jirapa is the district hospital. The work was started by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in 1949 as a wound-dressing centre, and was converted to a hospital and adopted by the Catholic Mission of Tamale in 1953. Two training schools originally attached to the hospital are now the autonomous Jirapa Nurses' Training College and Jirapa Midwifery Training College.
- The St. Joseph Orphanage was built in about 2004 by an orphan from Nandom, about 20 miles further north, and who is now resident in Italy. It takes up to 40 newborn orphans from nearby hospitals and looks after them during their early childhood.
- St. Joseph Catholic Church is the oldest Catholic Church in the Upper West Region.
- There is a police station and a district magistrate court.
Religion
There is a very strong Roman Catholic tradition in the Jirapa-Lambussie district. The White FathersWhite Fathers
The missionary society known as "White Fathers" , after their dress, is a Roman Catholic Society of Apostolic Life founded in 1868 by the first Archbishop of Algiers, later Cardinal Lavigerie, as the Missionaries of Our Lady of Africa of Algeria, and is also now known as the Society of the...
opened a mission station first in Navrongo
Navrongo
Navrongo is in Ghana, near its northern border. It is the capital of Kassena-Nankana District – which is within the Upper East Region of Ghana.Navrongo is an important market town, known for its cathedral and its grotto....
in 1906, from which three men were delegated to work in Jirapa in 1929. They were allotted a plot of land by the Jirapa Naa (chief) who allegedly wanted to see whether they would be driven out by evil spirits, or vice versa. Despite early conflicts between converts and the local chiefs, and even the resulting disapproval of the British District Commissioner of Lawra
Lawra
Lawra is a town in Upper West Region, north western Ghana. It is known for its musical instrument manufacture, and for the Kobine harvest festival with important dancing and musical events....
, the work was given great impetus by the locally famous 'rain event' of 1932 in which rain fell during a severe drought in the Lawra district, only in Jirapa and in nearby villages following prayer for each case. According to government statistics, 42.5% of the population in the district now claim to be Christian, 96.1% of which are Catholic, the remainder being affiliated to either Islam or traditional religion.
Culture
The Chief of Jirapa is the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa traditional area, and is at present Peter NanfuriPeter Nanfuri
Peter Tenganabang Nanfuri is the Paramount Chief of the Jirapa Traditional Area with the title Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II. He is a former Inspector General of Police in Ghana.-Early life and education:...
, Naa Ansoleh Ganaa II. There is an annual festival called Bong-Ngo in Jirapa for the chiefs and people of the area. It is held in the last week of April and marks the end of the ban on harvesting the fruit of the Dawadawa tree (Parkia Biglobosa) and the beginning of the farming season.
Language
The local people are called Dagaaba, and speak Dagaare, which is a GurGur languages
The Gur languages, also known as Central Gur, belong to the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 70 languages belonging to this group. They are spoken in Burkina Faso, southern Mali, northeastern Côte d'Ivoire, northern Ghana, northern Togo, northwestern Benin, and southwestern Niger.Like most...
branch of the Niger–Congo language family. The name of the town, written in Dagaare as Gyerebaa, is pronounced roughly as jira-‘baa, and means 'reed-stream', i.e. a stream of reeds.