Virtues in African Stories (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781665521475)

Kwame Afadzi Insaidoo grew up in the rural areas of his native country, Ghana in West Africa. During his formative years Kwame spent most of his time among the elders of his little village of Koodum near Akwasiho in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Here traditional elders narrated oral stories, folktales, chieftaincy rites, proverbs, village lore's, and other mythologies of local clans and tribes to the youngsters during the numerous moonlight nights. Most of the village traditional elders including many grand mothers and fathers, together with the chiefs and elders narrated or retold most of the ancient African stories and emphasized the virtues and morals implicit in them. Kwame's maternal grandfather, Nana Akwasi Agyekum, who was a traditional chief of the area spent many years educating young Kwame on various traditional and cultural rites, mythology and chieftaincy customs of their clan and tribe. Kwame travelled to Missouri when he was awarded Missouri State University's International academic scholarship in 1976. Here as President of Association of International students, and leader of African students on campus, Kwame further pursued his interest and curiosity in virtues and morals in African traditional stories by collecting folktales, proverbs and other mythologies from interested African students from Nigeria, Cameroons, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Liberia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gambia and others attending the university. In 1978 Kwame co-authored a collection of African folktales: "Anansi and Other African Trickster Tales," with a renowned Folklorist and English Professor, Dr. Donald Holliday at Missouri State University. In 1978 Kwame became a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, Economic Honor Society in Missouri and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics in 1979. In addition to his interest and passion for African traditions and culture, Kwame later pursued his graduate studies at New York University in International Relations. He worked as a schoolteacher in New York City and later as a community organizer in Harlem, New York. Kwame has written many books about African affairs including: Moral Lessons in African Folktales, Volumes 1, 2 & 3.