Old Brazil House rehabilitated

Accra, Nov. 16, GNA - Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations has held that Ga Mashie played a unique role in the political and economic development of the country. "Ga Mashie has a lot of cultural and historical heritage which are very important for the promotion of tourism and strengthening of relations between us and the African Diaspora".

Mr Asamoah-Boateng said this when he inaugurated a rehabilitated old Brazil House in Ga Mashie in Accra. The house, formally called Warri House, is situated on a cliff overlooking the sea. The House is the cradle of Brazilian returnees who, 170 years ago, crossed the ocean to start a new life, taking advantage of the legendary hospitality of the people of Ga Mashie.

Their history is that of pride, courage and love to rebuild their lives in freedom. Most of them were tailors, and farmers. Mr Asamoah-Boateng said realising the potential of the Ga mashie called for stronger ties with all development partners who were committed to pooling resources together. He said several projects had been lined up under a 2015 old Accra development strategy to restore a number of heritage houses, redevelop the old harbour and impart skills to the unemployed youth in the community.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng said the refurbishment of the House should serve as a unifying point for the descendants of the Tabon people as well as an attraction centre for friends in the Diaspora. "The history of Old Accra is a bridge we necessarily have to recognize, appreciate and use to attract our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora to Ghana".

Mrs Georgina Wood, the Chief Justice, recounted the history of the house and paid tribute to the people who put up the building. She said her great grand father, Maama Nassau, a Brazilian ex-slave, acquired the land. The settlement was later transformed into a modern building around the 1920s with majority of the occupants being relatives.

Mrs Wood noted that with time, tenants outnumbered the family residents due to deaths and as a result posed a major problem to his father, Mr William Lutterodt, who adopted the system 'adapt or perish' to manage the situation.

She said the father saw the offer by the Brazilian government to renovate the house as "timely" and "culturally sound" to tighten the bond between the two countries and therefore released the house for the work to begin after several consultations.

Mrs Wood called on the community to co-operate to make all the other projects under the old Accra plan successful and asked them to make education of their children a priority to enable them take up opportunities that may come out of the plan.

Mr Luis Fernando Serra, Brazilian Ambassador, said the house signalled "a true renaissance" for the Tabons and was a landmark of Jamestown to contribute to the revitalization of the area. He noted that the house had two main features -- it was built by free slaves who wanted to start new life, but unlike castles and forts, it did not have a door of no return.

Mr Stanley Adjiri-Blankson, Mayor of Accra said the plan sought to enhance the Ga Mashie's urban environment by harnessing the tourism potentials to stimulate local economic development. "An important approach to achieve this aim is to conserve and restore historical features and train tour guides to send tourists round these historical locations", he added.

Mr Adjiri-Blankson lauded the Brazilian government for the financial assistance to the project and said it was a reflection of its commitment to enhance not only historical ties but also to improve the livelihood of Ga Mashie.