Wikimedians from Ghana's several Wikimedian groups have asked Ghanaians to take particular care while deciding on traditional names drawn from their native tongues.
According to the Kusaal, Dagbani, Gurune, Dagare, Moore, Fante, Twi, and Ewe Wikimedia editors who attended the Ghanaian Wikimedia languages mini conference in Tamale, traditional names are vanishing in some areas.
The editors needed to reevaluate their names and make changes to guarantee that their children would not experience the same unfairness of not being granted traditional names, according to Mr. Michael Awimbilla, a member of the Kusaal Wikimedia Community.
"It's sad that some people's names don't immediately convey their origins. The three or four names are all foreign, with no indication of their origin, according to Mr. Awimbilla.
He thinks that Ghanaians of all origins should make it a requirement to name their children in their native dialect.
Participants at the event concurred that names and identities define a group of people and are a contemporary reflection of how people feel about themselves in the present.
Making sure that the names given to children had a positive connotation that would show in their lives stood out as one factor, though.
Abigail Afi Gbadago of the Ghanaian Pidgin Wikimedia Community used herself as an example, noting that she had names that represented her ethnicity and culture on both sides of her parentsAkan and Ewe.
To preserve our culture, she remarked, "it's high time we use our local names rather than the names of white people."
In Abigail's example, her mother spoke to her in Ghanaian languages, which helped her understand the fundamentals of several dialects rather than having no knowledge at all. Mothers are connected to their children.
African traditional names typically have intriguing origin stories. The day or hour of birth as well as the circumstances of the birth have an impact on the names parents pick for their children. These regional names offer a plethora of information about the bearer, regardless of ethnic origin.
Arabic names are not Islamic or Muslim, and Muslims should consider their naming practices, according to Fuseini Musah, co-leader of the Kusaal Wikimedia Community.
Mr. Musah maintains that a Kusaa or Dagomba does not require an Arabic name in order to be a practicing Muslim; rather, a name just has to have a significant meaning.
Around 60 Wikimedians from nine communities that speak Ghanaian languages, including the Kusaal, Ewe, Dagare, Twi, Dagbani, Ghanaian Pidgin, Gurune, Fante, and Moore communities, participated in the mini-conference to help close the language barrier-related digital divide.
Participants had the chance to strategize throughout the two-day conference, which came to a close on Sunday, May 14, 2023, about how to better identify language platforms and learn from others about what has and has not succeeded.
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