Fayette County Economic Development Director

By Ryan Carter

If you could have a discussion with any fictional character who would it be?

I guess it will be Chadwick Boseman, a movie character in “Black Panther” and others. I like him because of his role and effortless portrayal of African history, especially about African kings in the past. I am kind of like an “antique” person and to see the past in the telling of a story makes me like him. His possession of breathtaking powers shows strength, an educational piece of courage and enthusiasm.

What is your favorite local eatery and what is your favorite dish from there?

My favorite local eatery is Donato’s and it is definitely pepperoni pizza.

Where is your hometown and how would you describe it?

My hometown is Navrongo, Ghana. Navrongo is a town and the capital of Kassena-Nankani District in the Upper East Region of north Ghana. The town as of 2012 had a settlement population of 27,306 people. Navrongo was founded around 1740 and is important for many reasons. During the 19th century, the town became an important staging post on the Sahel caravan route. At the beginning of the 20th century the British established a base at Navrongo. The town is also known for religious (Catholic) history. It is known to be the first location in Northern Ghana for the first Catholic Cathedral (Our Lady of Seven Sorrows) and Grotto built by a Catholic mission in 1906. It was built with mud, also called “Mud Cathedral” by the White Fathers, a French group made up of French Canadians. Also, the first ever solar plant in Ghana was located in Navrongo with a capacity of 2 Megawatts. Our economy is Subsistence level agriculture and the main economic occupation of people of Navrongo. We also rear of goats, sheep, livestock and cattle.

What is your favorite community event and why?

My favorite community event is the Scarecrow Festival because it is free to attend and I get to see famous country musicians — I love country music. More seriously, the festival brings the community together and instills a sense of community pride, heritage and knowledge of our past history. Economically it brings the best of our community residents out on the streets, attracts visitors, which stimulates the growth of tourism and other businesses in a town or region. Socially, it fosters community pride, teaches people new things and lets us see those we haven’t seen for a long time, and more importantly it strengthens relationships.

What do you love most about your community?

It is like the kind of place where I grew up, “rural,” with its unique traditions of quietness, loveliness and acceptance. But this “ruralness” is different from my definition of rural and experience. My neighbors are awesome! I love the schools, especially the sports — the rivalry between Miami Trace and Washington Court House.

Salt Magazine

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