“Today is a beautiful day,” Grandpa said as Musa joined him at the venue.
“What’s so special about today, grandpa?” Musa asked.
“Today, we remember Young Kwame,” he replied.
“Who is young Kwame?” He asked.
“A long time ago,” grandpa Kosamu started narrating:
***
There was a severe famine in Chief Mushili’s area. People did not have food to feed their families. Most adults had no money to buy food because they were not going for work. There were fewer jobs in all the chiefdom. The chief had told his son, Kosamu to help him find a solution to the problems in the chiefdom.
“My son, you will be the next chief,” the Chief said, “You need to find a solution to these problems the chiefdom is going through.”
Kosamu did not know what to do. As he sat on the rock near the river, a number of hungry people approached him and cried out to him.
“Help us, future chief!”
Kosamu felt very bad because he did not have anything to give them. On that day he decided to look for a way to solve the problems in the chiefdom. Mateyo, a friend at school came to him and said
“Kosamu, I have heard of a young prince who can help our chiefdom,”
“Who is he?” he asked.
“I am told he is Kwame.”
“Where is he from?”
“He is from a chiefdom called Ghana,” Mateyo said, “It’s a beautiful place. The place is also called the Gold Coast and the people are sometimes called the beautiful black stars.”
“What is so special about this Kwame?”
“He has helped his chiefdom to be one of the best in Africa,” Mateyo said.
“Let’s write a letter then, to invite him here.”
“That’s a great idea,” Mateyo said, “our people say ‘a problem shared is a problem solved.’ He will help us to solve the problem.”
***
Young Kwame arrived in Mushili chiefdom to joyous celebrations. People were happy that a solution to their problems had come. After arriving where people in the chiefdom had gathered, Young Kwame was asked as to what the people could do to make their lives better.
“My name is Kwame,” he said, “I am the next chief of Ghana chiefdom.” “The solution to your problems in this chiefdom is to plant trees.”
“mmmmmmmmmmmmmm,” the people murmured. “How are trees going to help us?”
“A lot,” Kwame said, “Each parent should plant fifty trees for each of their children. These trees will be harvested after twenty years.”
“After twenty years, the trees will be harvested and be sold as logs, some will be processed into timber, some into paper and others, into medicine.”
The people were quite now and listening to the wise Young Kwame.
“A number of industries will be set up here to process timber, paper and manufacturing medicine,” Kwame said. “Some people will be transporting finished goods to the market.” “When industries will be set-up, all the people will be employed and they will have money to buy food,” Kwame continued.
When he finished talking, all the people just clapped and wondered how a young person could have all those wise ideas. For twenty years, people in Mushili Chiefdom planted trees. No one was allowed to cut down any tree.
After twenty years, Kosamu who was now the chief set up industries around the chiefdom. He set up industries to process timber, set up industries for making medicine and industries for manufacturing paper. All the people in the chiefdom were employed in different industries.
***
“So, all these industries came as a result of young Kwame’s ideas?” Musa asked.
“Yes, and he told us that if all Africans came together we can develop this continent,” Grandpa Kosamu said, “there is power in sharing knowledge and ideas.”
“So, what is happening today?”
“In honor of Kwame, we are opening this university,” Grandpa Kosamu said, “We want our children to learn how to protect our environment and how to make money from the resources that we have.”
“What is it going to be called?”
“Kwame Nkrumah University,” Grandpa Kosamu said.
Read – Shadowland – A Children’s Story by Stephen A Kube, Cameroon
——-
The Writers Space Africa(WSA) Magazine is published by a team of professionals and downloadable for free. If you would like to support our work, please buy us coffee – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wsamagazine
