- Akpafu Todzi

- Alavanyo Abeheanse

- Dr. Noamesi

- Gbi-Wegbe

- Gbledi (Afadjato)

- Have

- Kpeve

- Kpledzo

- Leklebi Agbesia

- Liati Wote

- Likpe Todome

- Logba Tota

- Tafi Abuipe

- Tafi Atome

- Wli

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Attractions in Hohoe District > Have

Have

Location

Have is located on the main Accra-Hohoe road, about 40 to 50 km south of Hohoe and a bit north of Kpeve at the southern edge of Hohoe District.

History

The Have are part of the Ewe. Their name means “exceptional”, and among the other Ewes they have the reputation of being very brave, particularly in times of war.

Have experienced a tragic event on the 15th June 1933 which subsequently had a major influence on all community activities. Located at the foot of Mount Weto, the town was devastated by an unprecedented landslide. After a period of incessant rainfall, stones, rocks, trees, food crops, and even palm wine pots were dumped all over the town in a flash flood with a width of about 400m. Miraculously, the Christian school as well as the headmaster’s residence in the centre of the flood were spared, and no human life was lost. After they heard a thunderous and spine-chilling sound around midnight, the ten people in the headmaster’s residence discovered that a swift and muddy “river” now “flowed” along the eastern edge of the building. All the classrooms nearby were full of mud, and one could hardly move about on the compound.

The inhabitants of Have believe that it was only by the grace of God that the aforementioned buildings were not washed away and that most of the debris miraculously stopped short of them as if so directed by some force.

This unprecedented event caused numerous people from nearby villages and even from Accra to visit the Have area and to take part in the restoration efforts. Since then, visitors are coming in high numbers to celebrate the Have Agadevi Festival in the week of the 15th June, as it was later called in praise of God. In fact, the locals call the landslide Mawuena which literally means “gift of God”. After a break of 23 years, the Festival was revived in 2003 in order to play its traditional role as a rallying point and a unifying factor in the affairs of Have, but also to promote tourism in the area.

The Place

Have is part of the Have Traditional Area which consists of seven towns. It has about 4,000 inhabitants, and it is mainly a farming town. The main crops include yam, cassava, plantain, cocoyam, pears, mango, banana, and coconut. Furthermore, several cash crops are planted, such as cocoa, coffee, cola, and oil palms. Settlers from other communities have started fishing activities in the nearby Lake Volta, and several villagers engage in petty trading. The town is further known for its vibrant social life. It has four drumming and dancing groups, two of which have gained national renown and regularly appear on Ghanaian TV.

Regular Tourist Activities

The revival of the Agadevi Festival in 2003 was the starting signal for increased development of Have’s tourism potential. Apart from the Festival as such, the area aims at positioning itself as the leading centre for traditional crafts such as wood and bone carving, kente weaving, pottery, and straw weaving. Have people are famous for their expertise in handicraft production. In fact, more than 80% of the wood- and bone-carvers in Ashanti Region originally come from the Have Traditional Area. They only migrated to the major tourist centres in the search for greater income.

Agbale Koku is one of five bone carvers, and Kofi Affram is one of about 75 wood carvers. For them, carving is a family tradition, and they regularly create new designs. They mainly sell their products to curio sellers from Accra, but they also display some of their crafts for tourists in Have.

Other community activities include education courses in drumming, dancing and cooking. During evenings, storytelling can be organised. This activity was traditionally used as an informal way of education. Elders would narrate animal fables (mostly related to spiders which are considered as very wise animals) that present some kind of moral. For example, they would teach that the villagers should not cheat each other. As drumming is of great importance to the town’s social life, there are several inhabitants who practice the craft of drum making, a great-to-watch process. Visitors are further invited to join in the palm wine and palm oil production.

The area is surrounded by mountains that are covered by thick tropical rainforests. Hiking tours are likely to be organised in the future. Furthermore, a total of six ancestral shrines and caves have been identified for tourism purposes. They include Avui Blabusanga, Kpeyi Totudzudzo, Aveluhoe Afeato, Kpongbotoe Adzofia, and Mianor Anyigbato.

Information For The Visitor

Tourism in Have is not yet well-organised. Visitors are expected to meet with the chief before exploring the towns and the surrounding areas. Many tourists, however, simply stop in order to buy some souvenirs from the local craftsmen. Regular accommodation is not yet available in Have, but several inhabitants have signalled that they would be happy to offer homestay possibilities in their houses. Local food is readily available in some restaurants.

A local entrepreneur and former Chief Executive of the entire Hohoe District, Obed V. Kissiedu, offers tours out of Have. He is particularly eager to develop tourism in his home area and would be glad to mage arrangements for a wide range of activities. His contact details are: Kissov Tours, PO Box 323, Ho; kissovtours@yahoo.com.