Ewes rally behind Richard Sky’s Afevia Challenge on social media

April 2020 has seen Ewe culture displayed on social media in Ghana following a challenge put forth by Citi FM broadcaster Richard Dela Sky.

He started the Afevia Challenge as an educational tool to improve sensitisation on the novel coronavirus in the Ewe language.

Scores of Ewe speakers from different generations jumped on the trend by posting videos of themselves singing in the language, sharing ewe proverbs and offering some education on the prevention of the novel coronavirus.

The challenge was met warmly by Ewes, who hail from the Volta and Oti Regions, as they indulged in a sense of shared nostalgia.

As part of the challenge, Richard Dela Sky, who set the terms of the trend in a video of his own on April 11, shared some proverbs of his own followed by some singing in the Akpalu tradition whilst sitting with a towel around his neck in what is viewed as an Ewe stereotype.

His first video also included some education on the novel coronavirus and how to stay safe from it.

Like most challenges on social media, participants were also encouraged to challenge other Ewe speakers.

“I felt that there was a yawning communication gap in terms of pushing critical and timeous information about Covid-19 to the people of Volta origin in a language many can easily understand.”

“So the idea is to use the diverse culture of our people as both a force of attraction and a tool to reach them with complex but essential messages about Covid-19 in ways they can easily relate to, fully comprehend and positively act upon,” Richard Dela Sky explained.

Sky also wanted to highlight the diversity in Ghana and showcase Ewe culture to the world and hopes the challenge has inspired “persons from the various clans who for one reason or another shy away from their Ewe identity to rethink their positions.”

He has been receiving entries for the challenge on Facebook and WhatsApp and there will be a “modest prize” for the entry which is  “deemed by his or her peers – and above all judges – as the most authentic and persuasive Covid-19 Communication effort that blends culture and life-saving Public Health messages into a piece to easily admire.”

To further highlight Ghana’s rich diversity and expand the linguistic scope of the coronavirus sensitisation, Richard Dela Sky hopes other cultures start similar challenges of their own.

“As my senior Ben Dotsei Malor has said in a recently published article, I agree fully that the #AfeviaChallenge, when replicated in the other major Ghanaian languages, can serve as a powerful and efficient communication tool in winning the fight against Covid-19.”

“Eventually, it is expected that the #AfeviaChallenge will become an annual event celebrating or campaigning for various causes,” he concluded.

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