The Passing of Bernard Opoku Mensah

Untold International and the village of Asisiriwa have lost a dear friend and a wise man as Mr. Bernard Opoku Mensah has moved on to the next world.

We first met Opoku Mensah in April of 2015 when Kaitlyn and I visited Asisiriwa for the first time. We were taken there by Professor Kofi Agyekum, who pointed at Opoku Mensah—his relative—and said, “This is the man I think should teach in your center.” This was back when the language arts center called Kasadwini Atenaeɛ was just an idea we were floating before the elders of Asisiriwa to see if there was genuine interest in language arts education in this hilly little community by the lake. Indeed, there was interest and ambition among the elders to equip their children with a better education in both Akan-Twi and English, and it seems that was due in no small part to Opoku Mensah’s legacy.

Bernard Opoku Mensah was born 72 or 73 years ago in Asisiriwa. He attended Nkowi Middle School before proceeding to acquire his GCE O-level certificate in the arts from Konongo Odumase Secondary School. After completing his training to be a professional teacher at the Wesley College in Kumasi in 1975, he taught all over the Bosomtwe District in towns like Amakom, Brodekwano, and Asisiriwa. He finished his career as the headmaster of the Asisiriwa Junior High School. Even in his retirement, he was known as a great teacher, someone who fluently understood both Akan-Twi and English and could impart that knowledge to others.

I still remember Opoku Mensah’s humble, toothy, and confident smile when we asked him if he would be willing and able to teach reading and writing in both Twi and English at Kasadwini Atenaeɛ when it was built. There was no doubt that he could do it—it was a silly question. The real question was whether he would come out of retirement to do it, and the answer was yes.

My favorite memory of Opoku Mensah was sitting with him on the front porch of Prof’s house (where we were staying) and listening to him tell stories. I had heard of oral historians who could recite the myths and histories of their people from memory, but I had never heard it until that day. The man could do it in both languages, and he told us the origin story of Asisiriwa, as well as several other fables from the area. I shudder to think how much knowledge was lost with this great man.

By the time Kasadwini Atenaeɛ was completed, Opoku Mensah’s health had taken a turn for the worse. With regret, he let us know that he needed to back out of teaching at the center and suggested we hire someone younger and full of promise. Opoku Mensah may never have actually taught a lesson at Kasadwini Atenaeɛ, but I like to think that the center actually is his lesson. It’s the legacy of a man who inspired generations of Asisiriwans to pursue learning as a way of life, to not see languages as barriers, to treasure one’s own culture while also looking to the future. Without a doubt, Asisiriwa is a place where children knock on the doors of the library and beg to be let in because of him.

Rest in peace, ɔpanyin. We’ll keep it going.