Nii Kwartey Owoo

Voices of youth from Crossing Borders and Ghana Community Radio Network youth advocacy project

Nii is the founder of JT Live Radio in Jamestown. The CR initiative sprung out of cultural activities and started broadcasting online approximately 2 years ago.

JT Live does not yet have its own frequency, but being located in Accra gives certain advantages in terms of internet access, so the radio has been active in making use of various social media.
 
JT Live has its own facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jtliveradioghana/, its own website as well as accessible podcasts thru  https://soundcloud.com/jtliveradioghana
 
At the age of 27 Nii takes on a lot of responsibility. He has been officially assigned as the family member responsible for carrying family traditions into future generations.

His position is therefore not to think of himself, but of his family and community first, Besides his family obligations and position as director of JT Live, Nii is also president of the newly elected GCRN youth board.
 
We meet Nii outside the historical Jamestown Lighthouse, and right next door we find the art centre, where JT Live and other cultural activities are located.

Departing from the art centre, Nii takes on a guided tour around his hood.  We visit neighborhoods and houses, and Nii introduces us to the two brothers Steve and Napoleon.
 
They both have an ambition of becoming musicians, and they demonstrate their guitar skills for us on the spot. Inside their house they also have a mill to grind flour.

As a 'Jamestowner', it is a better strategy to stand on more than one leg, and most people rely on a variety of income sources. Nii has recorded music with several local aspiring musicians, and he underlines that they all have interesting stories that deserve to be documented. 
 
As we walk around Nii explains about the various historical and contemporary institutions and houses we are passing, from the lighthouse to the former slave owner buildings, schools and markets. "People have a strong sense of belonging in Jamestown", Nii explains. "If you want to frighten people, just tell them that you are from Jamestown.
 
If you come out of Jamestown successfully, it means you have gone thru a lot of things". According to Nii the whole story of slavery and the slave trade has got a lot of different faces and views. Some families benefitted, and those were ashamed when historical facts were later revealed.  
 
Inside one of the former slave houses, there is a stunning view of the fishermen's harbour. A strong history is hidden in the walls. The house is constructed with the same kind of architecture that you can find in the Cape Coast and Elmina castles.

From the ground floor staircases mount to balconies, that surround the square courtyard. This is where the slaves were kept for the master to inspect them from above.
 
On our way we run into one of the members from Nii's dance troop. He is currently recovering from an injury, and Nii explains that they all contributed to his hospital bill, but until now the money is still kept aside. Nii and his dance and music troop usually perform for the whole of Jamestown.
 
Recently they were part of organising a Jamestown festival, with dance performances free of charge for anyone interested. The main content of the performances was to show what those who are currently old went thru when they were young, and thereby inspire the younger generations to know more about their own culture and help them see what they have lost.  
 
People often approach Nii and say that they want him to take them thru trainings or cultural work, but with the limited logistics of the dance and music troop and JT Live Radio, it is hard to follow up on all requests.

Generally there is a lack of recreational spaces in Jamestown. If you want to go and sit outside, the only common space you might find is in front of someone's shop.
 
Nii explains that people are usually eager to know more about the ideas and work of JT Live, but somewhere along the line their commitment drops, often because they need to prioritize more breadwinning activities.
 
 "A man has to survive" makes sense to everyone in Jamestown. JT Live is a social enterprise, and income from cultural jobs is used to pay for CR activities such as training of community members on how to be citizen journalists. Nii admits that when work stops coming in, the activities can't move further.
 
Most of the people in Jamestown are fishermen, but some also grow tomatoes and veggies for sale in the local market. On our walk we encounter a representative from the slum dwellers in Jamestown.
 
Nii tells that they have got in touch with JT Live, to voice their concerns. During the ebola crisis, they were very affected since the government has been pushing them to live on a smaller and smaller area.

JT Live went to the slum dwellers to ask them how they consider the CR initiative, and they were very supportive. In general it seems as if JT Live has a lot of local back-up.
 
The story about JT Live Radio is closely connected to Jamestown, where the strong historical legacy is alive and present. The keeping and shipping of tens of thousands of slaves across the ocean is a part of everyday Jamestown conscience.
 
JT Live's work and activities takes inspiration from and is strongly coloured by Jamestown people and their experiences. JT Live therefore plays an important role, when it comes to mobilizing the local community, and especially the youth in o to fight to combat injustices, pollution, crime and addiction.

People in Jamestown are aware of their life on the edge, but they are committed to continue fighting for their rights to exist and live on their own land.  

Text by Runa Midtvåge