EDITOR’S LENS: Kweku Ananse the hero

AS a nation, we often find ourselves looking outward for inspiration, idolising foreign characters and heroes while neglecting our rich cultural heritage.

This phenomenon is particularly evident among our youth who take a lot of pride in foreign materials and domination, and are more likely to know about Superman than our beloved Ananse, the wise spider trickster in our folklore.

At a ceremony to announce winners of its Script Bank Project recently, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Film Authority (NFA), Juliet Asante, suggested the need for Ghana to be deliberate about promoting its heroes and characters.

She explained that it was time for us to reclaim our cultural identity and promote our own heroes, starting with the cunning and wise spider trickster, Kweku Ananse.

She lamented how Ghanaian children were more familiar with foreign characters than Kweku Ananse, a character deeply rooted in our folklore. Graphic Showbiz couldn't agree more.

Interestingly, a number of people have expressed divergent opinions, arguing that Ananse is not a good role model because of his cunning and trickster character.

As Ms Asante said in her presentation, it behoves us as a nation to project Ananse in a positive light despite the intense negativity about his cunning nature.

Graphic Showbiz believes Ananse is more than just a character; he embodies the values of wisdom and resourcefulness that are essential for our youth to emulate.

There’s a way we can put him in a positive light to empower young people with a sense of pride and identity in their cultural heritage

By promoting Kweku Ananse as a hero, we can provide our young people with a positive role model who reflects our cultural heritage and values.

Graphic Showbiz is certain this is not only important for preserving our cultural identity but also for empowering our youth with a sense of pride and belonging.

Let not this be another Kweku Ananse story, let’s take action now.