Gizaa-Gundaa; The Community With An Entrance Gate

When the Chief of the Gizaa-Gundaa community in the Kumbungu District, Sabog-Naa John Mahama Yabdoo, set out to build an entrance gate for the community, many were surprised about it.

His motive was only to ensure easy identification of the community, but the structure has now made the community very popular, with many now referring to it as the “community with an entrance gate”.

It is very rare to see a whole community with an entrance gate in the country. Places mostly seen with such gates are tertiary and senior high schools, hospitals, hotels and estates, popularly referred to as gated communities.

The structure solely funded by the chief is built on the main road leading to the community and painted in blue.

Upon entering the community, one is greeted with “Welcome to Gizaa-Gundaa” boldly written on the structure.

Rationale
Explaining the rationale behind the structure, Naa Yabdoo said he decided to make his community look different from others and also attract visitors, particularly development organisations to the area.

Aside from the entrance gate, he indicated that he had also built a mini roundabout and signposts in the centre of the community to beautify and give directions to the key institutions such as schools, clinics, palace and churches.

“So I decided to spend about GH¢10,000 to construct an entrance to the community. My early decision was to do it in a way that we can have an entrance door and it can be locked and opened to check the movement of people into the community.

“Though I haven’t been able to fix the gate yet, it is something I will do soon and I will also put up other relevant landmark features,” he stated.

Amenities
Gizaa-Gundaa is a twin community with a population of about 2000, per the 2021 Population and Housing Census. The community lacks basic social amenities such as potable water and school infrastructure.

The chief, therefore, appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to come to their aid by providing them with social amenities that are lacking in the community, including potable water and classroom blocks.

A development worker, Adam Rashid, who was undertaking a project in the area told the Daily Graphic that “in fact, the chief is doing very well for the community; his vision is very clear and with a little support he will reposition the community.”

A resident, Abdul-Latif Baba, also said the structures put up by the chief had beautified the community and made it unique in the entire district.

Source: Graphic Online