March 2012

King Peggy Brings Hope to an African Village

King Peggy with village elders in OtuamKing Peggy with village elders in Otuam

King Peggy with village elders in Otuam

King Peggy walked with village elders during a harvest festival in Otuam.

In 2008, Peggy Bartels got a phone call in the middle of the night. It was from her cousin from the small fishing village of Otuam. Otuam is in the African country of Ghana. He told her that she had been chosen as the new leader of Otuam. Bartels is the first woman to be leader of this village. Her new title is Nana Amuah-Afenyi VI, but she is better known as King Peggy. Nana means “king” in an African language.

When Bartels became King Peggy, she was living in Maryland. She was working at Ghana’s embassy, or government office, in Washington, D.C. Bartels has been a United States citizen since 1997. She grew up in a city in Ghana called Cape Coast, but her family was from Otuam. Her uncle was the village’s leader before her. Bartels still lives in Maryland and works in Washington, D.C. She takes care of her responsibilities in Otuam over the phone and on trips to Ghana. Village elders, or leaders, help run the village when she is not there.

King Peggy’s goal is to improve people’s lives in Otuam. She has started a community bank account so the money made from fishing is used fairly. She is also working to build a high school. King Peggy is asking people in the United States to help raise money for Otuam. She is also sharing her village’s traditions with other Americans. King Peggy has even written a book about her inspiring story.

Image credit: ©Jane Hahn/Getty Images

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Question 1
What does “nana” mean?





 
Question 2
Where does King Peggy work when she is not in Otuam?






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