Location
Abutia - Kloe is located 15km from Ho the capital of the Volta region in Ghana, about 3 hours drive from Accra the capital of Ghana. A map is provided at the bottom of this page with Abutia - Kole being located on the north-west fringe, the author believes, of the Kalapka Game Reserve. There is a paved road to the village but it is not shown on Google Maps despite some of the roads shown being unpaved and as far dirt roads go, extremely average would be a kind description for some sections.
Ho Municipality
Agriculture employs 65% of residents in the population with minimal use of technologies. A description of the agriculture sector and problems faced in the HO District can be found here.
Economic issues and government sponsored development projects can be found here.
Some information on the educational sector can be found here but the figures on dropout rates seem rather low because the overall dropout rate for Abutia - Kole is estimated at 70%. Perhaps the figures are weighted heavily to attendance in Ho, the capital of the volta region, with the figures from the smaller surrounding villages of the municipality having little effect.
Volta Region
The Volta region occupies the South-Eastern portion of Ghana and is famous for being the first region in Africa to achieve British decolonisation under the guidance of Kwame Nkrumah. Nkrumah, educated in the United States and considered the “ Father of African Nationalism”(1) was the first to help fulfill the dream of a free and independent African nation.
(1) Kwame Nkrumah, The Father of African Nationalism, David Birmingham, Ohio University Press, rev. 1990
Some statistics of Abutia - Kloe
Population: 2,300
Total number of houses: 317
Total number of households: 495
Average household size: 4.7
from http://www.ghanadistricts.com/pdfs/Ho_Demographic_.pdf
A short history of Abutia Kloe
The following comes from the E.P Church Abutia Centenary Celebration Programme, 28, Nov, 1999
Like all other Ewes, the people of Abutia have their roots at Notsie in the Republic of Togo where they bore the name “Yoveawo.” History has it that the forebears of Abutia were noted for their longevity. They were therefore referred to as people who were reluctant or detested going into the graves Hence “Yove” (Ewe). Following the great exodus from Notsie that led to the fall of the Kingdom of Fia Agorkoli the people of Abutia first settled briefly at Ketu, Towledu and Agbenutodzi. They later moved down the valley following persistent complaints from the womenfolk about the tedious trip up and down the mountain to fetch water. “We are fed up with going down-hill.” (Abua didi ti ame) from which came the derivative “Abutia.”
Down-hill from Agbenutodzi the group broke into three. The people of Kloe detached themselves to settle at Aveganu known as “Kloenu.” They later moved on to Butodome formerly known and called “Kpezadome” where they experienced two consecutive fire disasters. They then moved on to Afexoe but finally have settled at the present sites of Kloe town, which is the Headquarters of the Abutia Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The other two groups also finally got to Agove and Teti sites where they have settled till today. It is also a fact that Fodome in the Hohoe District of the Volta region is a section of Abutia people. The history of Fodome group’s migration from their ancestral brothers and sisters at Abutia follows: Foli, a renowned hunter, the first son of the leader of the original Abutia group returned from a hunting expedition to note that his father had sacrificed his junior brother for a ritual to establish chieftain black-stool. He, in anger fled from his father’s home to settle on one of his hunting grounds now known and called Fodome.
Years later, upon the news of Foli’s death, many of the Abutia people traveled to his funeral “Foli Dome.” They found the land at Fodome very attractive, and therefore decided to remain there. That group was therefore named by the Abutia as “Foli’s funeral people” (Folidome people.) This name has gradually grown to become Fodome. people of Abutia and Fodome are one and the same ethnic people from a common root. They share common customs and traditions and accordingly exchange visits during ceremonies to this day. Currently, Abutia shares common borders with Adaklu, Awudome, Sokode, Mafi and Peki. Due to the vastness of the Abutia land possessions coupled with the hospitality of the people, a great number of immigrant farmers; mostly from neighboring Ewe lands, are attracted to the place. The original three towns have therefore now increased to well over a dozen communities. Little farmsteads still continue to develop. The people of Abutia have been God-fearing long before the advent of Christianity in their area. This belief in a superior deity made them worship little gods from which their streams and towns derive their names. The major fetishes roods the area re: Kpaya at Teti; Kansia or Tra at Agove; Holove at Kloe while Asuo Tandoh which is worshiped by the pagans of Abutia. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church has been the sole Christina Denomination in the area all these years. So firm is the church in the area that it has come to be accepted as part of the hierarchy of Teplice. Festivals of the church are therefore for all and it is not uncommon to see leading fetish priests and traditional heads playing significant roles.
