A tribute to Awara

Many years before selfies were born, there was Awara, the man who immortalised the formative years of many a Nisecan through photography.

Awara was an iconic figure in Nisecan culture in the seventies, eighties and beyond. He was neither a teacher nor an employee of the school. He didn’t even live in Adukrom, but he was very much a part of us.

The great excitement from both girls and boys that often greeted his arrival on a motor bike every Sunday afternoon at Nifa spoke volumes. It was a testament to the important role he played in adding colour and spice to school life.

Even so, some of us failed to appreciate fully his photography skills and how important he was in our lives until we reached adulthood; until we started to reminisce about the good old days at Nifa.

Without Awara, many of the school photos we cherish so much and have shared on this platform a number of times would not have been produced. Indeed, no selfie could have done as much justice to portraying our youthful exuberance, cheekiness and care-free teenage years as Awara’s black-and-white pictures did.

Awara didn’t just take photos; he captured our history and culture on the hill. He immortalised our youth. May his soul rest in perfect peace!

By  Dr Kofi Boafo Ansah