With over 40 percent of men still reluctant to talk to anyone about their mental health, Akuse’s ecology, with its laidback tree-lined avenues and greenery, may just have the tonic for healing men’s emotional well-being and psychological resilience.
Known prominently for its agricultural activities, Akuse, situated in the Lower Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region between Tema and Akosombo along the Volta Lake, contributes significantly to the region’s economy.
Its location near the Volta makes it an important area for irrigation and farming, serving as a local hub for trade and commerce. The town’s infrastructure and community are influenced by the role it plays in supporting the nearby Kpong Hydro Generation Plant – the Kpong Dam – and associated industries managed by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
But more than that, Akuse’s claim to fame must be that cluster of timeless buildings that tell the story of Ghana’s energy revolution.
A fenced residential neighbourhood with bungalows for their senior staff , as well as buildings for administrative offices along with such support facilities like a clubhouse, clinic and staff schools, all part of the self-contained VRA community built around these original colonial quarters and laid out in a well-planned town structure which comprises the famous VRA enclave.
Silent witnesses to Ghana’s hydro legacy, the colonial bungalows of Akuse – designed and built in classic British colonial architectural style, featuring wide verandahs, high ceilings and large windows – were all crafted to provide natural cooling in the tropical climate.
As you may know, it was the British colonial administration that initially identified the Volta River basin as a valuable resource for irrigation, navigation and early power generation. Thus, British engineers, district officers and technical staff stationed in Akuse, needing comfortable housing, gave rise to the colonial bungalows that still stand today.
Characterised by undulated terrain with elevations of up to 600 metres above sea level, Akuse is now a fast-growing community thanks to a number of companies operating from the area today. But, there’s something about Akuse which may not be immediately apparent – an ambient environment suited to attracting wellness tourism!
Hushed, and a bit more discreet than its neighbouring ‘Lake District’ enclave of Akosombo, there’s one hospitality offering that’s tucked away in the landscaped green plains here known as the Volta Residences which provides exquisite contemporary accommodation. It has an awe-inspiring vista and the perfect backdrop in aiding mental health restoration.
Burnt out planning activities in the lead-up to the final obsequies of a late uncle recently, PaJohn Dadson, looking to destress after observing the One Week rites, zoomed up the Accra – Akosombo route, branching off at the Akuse junction, and headed down the tree-lined avenue to take up a couple of days residence at the Volta Residences on the VRA estate in the therapeutic town of Akuse. Here’s his report.
Once the driver manoeuvres and gets through the Ashiaman stretch of the traffic bottleneck along the Tema to Akosombo road, I settle back in my seat in the rear of the car and let out a big sigh. I have on my earphones, on full blast.
I have set on repeat ,two songs, both new tunes recently released by the sensational Black Sheriff, affectionately known as Blacko. As we drive past the entrance to the Shai Hills Resource Reserve – a protected national park under the management of the Ghana Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, I hear Blacko’s melodic voice succinctly recounting how I currently feel. The rhythm moves me, as does Blacko’s syncopated voice singing;
“Ah so it goes
Ah so it goes…
See this life is a lonely road
Everyday hustle for the dough
I’m on the road
Put my body, mind and my soul
That’s why me I head to the top
Cause man I’ve been working.”
My eyes are closed and I allow these lyrics, as deeply as they mean to me in this moment, to take flight in my head, and I feel myself floating on a bed of clouds.
It is at points like these that I feel a need to give a ‘shout out’ to all the men going through one thing or another, with no one to turn to, to talk to, because this world erroneously teaches us males to mask our emotions. I don’t admit it either, not even to myself; how my emotional well-being these days is not intact.
Truth be told, though, all humans have a degree of resilience to the challenges of their mental state of affairs at any time. I have growing concerns about the sciatic pain in my lower back and legs which continues to hamper my ability to function regularly. This has been increasingly affecting me negatively lately.
These days, it is important to let up on the stress, particularly of city living, anytime you feel the strain creeping in. It is very useful for one’s state of mental well-being. As my buddy Kwami often says: “Not all mad people are walking around naked!”
It should be noted that the moment you find yourself going round in circles, when you keep returning to a thought that you are unable to settle and move on, is the moment you must acknowledge that you are “burnt out”! That’s the time to press the refresh button, and seek out your calming energy. Mine is forest. And also, water.
The final stretch of road leading to Akuse, with a line of trees on either side of the avenue causing a long canopy along the road is always such a pleasant drive, immediately bringing me calm. Presently, Blacko’s ‘Sacrifice’, from his latest ‘Iron Boy’ album, has just started playing for the umpteenth time since starting this trip. Just as we make the bend to the clearing before the entrance gate to the Volta Residence’s Garden Lodge car park, Blacko’s voice registers again, singing this part of the second song on rotation;
“I’m tryna put you in designers
Fly you to Bahamas, Maldives, Jamaica
Take you everywhere I go
Show you Mama Afrika from Ghana to Bafana
So send a likkle prayer (send a likkle prayer).”
Oh, indeed, how I love to show you our beautiful beloved country Ghana! As I step out of the car, I immediately notice the defined architectural form and structure of the building, with its clean lines and visual relationship within the confines of the space it is built.
This one is designed in a typical motel style, with the rooms arranged in a long block, the frontage decorated with a pretty green garden with a few blossomed flowers in front of a fence of long vertical planks, giving the place a lovely aura and aesthetics.
It is simply delightful to look at, and only one word comes to mind as I survey the setting: every thing about the Volta Residence says cute; and I am thinking how come I have not heard about this place until recently when my buddy Bobbie mentioned it, as I intimated that I was looking for a new getaway to retreat to.
Owned and operated by VRA’s hospitality arm, it is mostly fully booked during the week, housing guests from such organisations as GIZ, GIS, Gridco, the Ministries of Energy and Agriculture, Banana Farms, Huis Africa, Construmart Africa, Legacy Girls’, JICAS, SNV Nederland, US Embassy, USAID, Asadtek and the VRA Academy – all of whom come to the VRA training facility in the enclave. On the weekends, it is prepped ready for the rest of us to come and hideaway!
Admittedly, the hotel could do with more facilities, like a swimming pool and other sports amenities. Maybe, even a crazy golf pitch – also known as minigolf or “putt-putt”, where focus is solely on the putting aspect of its parent game with the aim of scoring the lowest number of points! That would certainly draw in a discerning crowd to fill in during the low weekend periods.
But, on a curious note, for the 48 hours that I am here at a time I want to be off grid, I couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate place for my restorative retreat.
The rooms here at the Garden Lodge are primed sufficiently with a double bed, cozy sofa, television and fridge. And more than ample storage! Then, there’s the bathroom. I think the bathroom is the most appealing of everything that this place offers. It is giving modern luxe, with the whole place so well maintained and comfortable.
There’s another section of the housing a short drive away, the Residences, which has its own reception, too, like here and a number of 3-bedroom apartment bungalows! These are near the main beautiful colonial buildings! There is a kitchen and very large living room to boot! So very ideal for a family getaway.
I read somewhere the other day that “you can’t charge a premium if you look like everyone else”. Branding is what determines the gap.
Volta Residences doesn’t look like everyone else. It is a most descent place with a manicured lawn and garden. There is a loud quiet here; and though set in a clearing, it is in a subtle forest with woodlands nearby. Not to mention the expansive Volta river a minute drive, a few if you walk, away!
Just 48 hours of my calming energies and I am rebooted, ready for the next bout and grind of modern city living!
