Within the Ghanaian village of Mafi Dove, childbirth isn’t just discouraged; it’s forbidden. For generations, ladies depart their houses in labour, typically in insufferable ache, to ship their infants exterior the village. The reason being that the folks of Mafi Dove consider that giving delivery on their land offends the gods and defiles their sacred soil.
The Origin of the Taboo
Mafi Dove lies in Ghana’s North Tongu District within the Volta Area, a peaceable settlement of about 2,000 residents surrounded by farmland and forest. Its folks hint the prohibition again centuries to the village’s founder and forefather, Togbe Gbewofia Akiti.
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In response to Reageant Kwame Tsiditse Gbenua XIV, Custodian of Mafi Dove, Akiti as soon as killed a buffalo whereas exploring new territory.
After the hunt, a spirit appeared in human kind and advised Akiti he had slain its beloved pet. The spirit, generally known as Gbe, forgave him however demanded that he and his descendants worship it beneath three sacred guidelines:
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No childbirth on the land
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No burials on the land
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No rearing of animals
Akiti agreed, and people commandments grew to become the muse of Mafi Dove’s id. Mr. Osa, one of many village elders, defined it this manner:
Any land the place blood is shed, whether or not human or animal, is unclean. The spirit gave us this rule so we might reside in peace. That’s why nobody fights or kills right here. You may sleep on the road and nothing will occur to you.
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For pregnant ladies, this sacred peace usually brings concern. As soon as they strategy their due date, they have to depart the village, typically days/weeks upfront, to ship in close by communities resembling Adidome, the district capital. When labour comes, they’re rushed out by motorcycle over tough, bumpy roads for practically ten minutes. In Mafi Dove, vehicles are uncommon, and emergency medical assist is minimal.
If a girl by chance provides delivery in Mafi Dove, a ritual should be carried out to cleanse the land and shield the kid, in line with Mr. Osa.
You have to report it instantly. In the event you disguise it, you possibly can lose the child, or the kid could also be born with abnormalities.
Solely after the child’s umbilical wire falls off, symbolising separation from delivery, can the mom and youngster return residence.
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Mafi Dove Cemetery
Simply as childbirth is banned, so too is burial. Mafi Dove residents are usually not buried throughout the village. As an alternative, they’ve a cemetery situated past the neighborhood’s borders, the place all deceased residents are laid to relaxation. To the folks, this preserves the land’s purity and maintains its standing as holy floor.
Kwame Tsiditse Gbenua XIV, the neighborhood’s custodian says it this manner:
No lifeless physique is allowed on this land. In the event you bury somebody right here, the land turns into unclean and the spirit forbids it.
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Will It Ever Change?
Over time, Mafi Dove’s ladies have suffered harmful issues from travelling in labour. The scenario grew so regarding that Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Youngsters, and Social Safety intervened. In collaboration with the native meeting, they constructed a well being centre on the outskirts of the neighborhood.
The Mafi Dove Well being Centre now serves the two,000 residents, however challenges stay. Frank Afomanya, the doctor assistant, says the clinic has no medical doctors, so in instances of emergencies, they must switch the pregnant girl to a bigger hospital, they usually haven’t any car accessible.
“We have now no physician, few medicine, and restricted gear. If there’s a referral, there’s no car to take the affected person. The street is dangerous, and utilizing motorbikes for pregnant ladies is dangerous.
Whereas most residents settle for the taboo as a part of their id, youthful ladies are beginning to query it. Nonetheless, elders like Mr. Osa insist that the principles are divine, not man-made.
This isn’t one thing an individual created… Even the courts have dominated in our favour. No chief or trendy authorities can change what the gods established.
And so, in Mafi Dove, infants are nonetheless born on the outskirts of city, moms nonetheless make the painful journey to the labour room, and the village stays a sacred land untouched by delivery or burial.
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