Akpakpa
The meaning and philosophical significance of Akpakpa
Akpakpa is the Ga word for “pawpaw.” The symbol depicts a pawpaw being held by two hands, one above and the other below. If they don’t hold the fruit properly and it falls, it will crush on the floor and cannot be recovered.
The symbol can also be thought of as depicting two people helping each other to move an object upwards. While one is pushing from the bottom, the other pulls from the top.
The symbol has the following meanings:
One meaning is that it pays to help one another to achieve our goals.
The symbol is often compared to women. Here the idea is that just as the pawpaw is delicate and needs to be taken care of and preserved, so is the woman. Older women are thus tasked to raise younger women to be productive members of the society. If care is not taken in their upbringing, they are likely to go astray and, once the go astray, it is nearly impossible to bring them back on track.
Additionally, the symbol is a reminder to married women that they are meant to play their motherly roles. So, even though men have responsibilities at home, women have the primary duty of ensuring that the home is well-organized and the children are raised properly. When they fail to play their roles, it is difficult to recover from the harm caused.
