Bi Nka Bi Council of Elders

Nana Amadoma Anan Bediako has been an active part of the Akan community in America since the late1970s. She is a Nana Asuo Gyebi Okomfo, trained by the late Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu I. In 1977, Amadoma became a part of a cadre of midwives who were trained by the late Nana Aba Nson Osunyomi Afolabi Sarpong. Years later she was advised by Nana Asuo Gyebi to study birth work in Ghana, as well as in the United States. She trained and graduated as a Nana Esi Okomfo in Ghana. She was trained by two Nana Esi Akomfo, the late Nana Ayie and Nana Aba, with the support of Nana Kodia Ababio and Nana Yaw Yirenkyi Opare Gyebi I.

When Nana Amadoma retired from her position as a Teacher and Librarian for the New York City public school system, she became certified in a number of birth-related occupations. She is currently a Childbirth Educator, Lactation Counselor, Birth Doula and Birth Doula Trainer. She has also worked as a Dancing thru Pregnancy instructor and an infant massage instructor. She has trained and mentored doulas for a number of community organizations. She is honored to help increase the number of birth workers for at-risk and underserved families. In August of 2018, Nana Amadoma traveled to Tanzania, East Africa to train doulas and Birth Companions for the Thamini Uhai organization. She has offered labor and birth support for over 100 births and has trained more than 200 birth support doulas. Much of Nana Amadoma’s work as an Okomfo has been birth related, but she has also performed naming ceremonies, weddings and funeral rites, in addition to offering shrine consultations.

As a result of her work as narrator for the Dinizulu dance company, Nana Amadoma became a professional storyteller. She has been referred to as a “Cultural Wordsmith.”  She has worked with all ages as a Teaching Artist, sharing African-centered crafts, and facilitating workshops in storytelling and African songs and games.

Nana Amadoma is the proud mother of two adult daughters, who are both health professionals. She has one energetic granddaughter and several “bonus” daughters (through marriage) and grandchildren. She is honored to have been chosen to serve on the Council of Elders.

Nana Ama Nsia Agiriwah Willock is a first generation American child of Jamaican parentage.  Her upbringing included a strong sense of the values and customs of Caribbean culture and service to the community.  In doing so, she has served the community as an Akomfo, entrepreneur and educator.

Nana Ama Nsia, a graduate of the class of 1986 under the tutelage of the late great Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu I, is a priest to Nana Asuo Gyebi.  She has dedicated her life to his work in addition to promoting how we see ourselves in America from an African world view.  On one of her last visits to America, Nana Oparebea gave her the family name Agiriwah.  It’s meaning was explained as “a place of refuge” which captured her life’s work since her home exemplified that for many in her community.

She is one of the founding members of Banafo Bosumfie and began Banafoba in order to promote traditional ideas about African culture to our children.  This later blossomed into the Akoben Youth Collective Inc. which was able to serve more children within the diaspora.  In addition to her role as an Akomfo, Nana Ama Nsia began teaching tradition and culture classes in 2008 in order to introduce the culture to the general community at large.

She currently serves as a founding member on the Advisory Council of the Spicewood Foundation located in Warnerville, NY. One of the primary goals of the foundation is to define and determine how this land can be developed to serve the needs of the Akom community. She also serves on the distinguished Akom Kese Board where her role includes youth development and education.

Her priesthood and family is most important to Nana Ama Nsia.  She is married to Simon Willock and through their combined families is the proud mother of eleven children which includes both naturally born and adopted children.  However, this does not include the numerous children from the community that they raised in their home.  Together they build, and she says this is easy when you marry your best friend!

As an entrepreneur, her children’s line of African print clothing, G. K. Fashions, was featured in Essence Magazine and sold in Macy’s Department store in New York City.  She has written an AMA series of children’s books.  Both endeavors honored the lives of her late children G. Kwesi and Ama Opokuwa who passed at very early ages.

Nana Ama Nsia holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Medgar Evers College, a Master of Science Degree in Special Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Brooklyn College.  With over 30 years of service as an educator, she began her career at the Bosum Dzemawodzi Day School.  She is now an Assistant Principal in District 20 where she runs her school’s Annex, The Early Childhood Developmental Center, which she built from inception.  She is fondly known by her school community as “the people whisperer”. Nana Ama works as a member of the Brooklyn UFT Parent Outreach Committee which empowers parents and students to gain access to services within the Department of Education.

According to the wisdom of the elders, obi nnim a, obi Kyere.  If someone does not know, someone teaches.   Nana Ama Nsia is that teacher and lives her life by teaching by example.

Nana Kofi Asinor Boakye is the Okomfo Panyin (Senior Priest) of the Obosum, Nana Obo Kwesi. He is a founding member of the Washington, DC Bosumfie of the Bosum Dzemawodzi and the second person in America to be given the position of Obrafo (Executioner). Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu I initiated Nana Boakye into the priesthood in 1972.

As Obrafo Panyin Nana Boakye assisted Nana Yao Kimati Opare Dinizulu, Omanhene of the Akan in America and Osofo of the Akonedi Shrine in America with matters of state and the work of the shrines including the training of akomfo. Nana Boakye serves as a member of the Washington, DC Council of Elders and as a mentor for the Black Male Initiative at the University of Maryland College Park where he has conducted rites of passage for its members. Nana poured libation at the 2012, Prayer Vigil for Peace at the Washington Monument, the sunrise prayers for the Million Man March and at the 40th Anniversary of the March on Washington.

Nana Kwabena Brown (aka William A. Brown) is the founder and chief priest of Temple of Nyame. He is the last living founding member of Shrines established by Nana Akua Obarebea, mother of Akans in America. He grew up in the streets of NYC before moving to Washington, DC. Nana was heavily influenced by his mother who first introduced him to Nana Yao Opare Dinizulu, considered by many to be the Father of Akan Culture in America. For Nana Kwabena Brown, this relation became the foundation for learning and developing an understanding of African principals of spirituality. Since that time Nana Kwabena Brown has studied with many different spiritualists in an effort to understand the Black man’s relationship with God. He continues to support the original mission on Nana Akua Oparebea of recapturing lost family stolen from Africa. In the Washington, DC area and abroad he is known as man of principal and integrity.

Nana Kwabena is a fully initiated and trained Priest of Traditional African Religion in the Guan- Akan traditions of Larteh and Techiman, Ghana West Africa and the Ewe traditions of the Volta area and Togo West Africa. He is a fully trained and functioning African traditional healer who has been practicing in Washington D.C. forty years. He is a licensed clergyman.

Nana Obrafohene Olakwesu Kwaw Vital (aka, Johnathan D. Vital, Ph.D.) has been a practitioner within the Akom spiritual tradition for over 25 years. His initial interest in African traditional religion and cultural systems began in his early adulthood while studying with the brothers and sisters of the Ka Het-Heru Ka Ra brotherhood and sisterhood organization on the campus of Tuskegee University. Nana Obrafohene Kwaw went on to eventually be initiated as an obrafo to the obosum Nana Asuo Gyebi within the Akom tradition through the Akan Spiritual United Order (ASUO). He currently has his own shrine house (i.e., the Asuo Gyebi Ahemfi) together with Okomfo Ama Oparebea to whom he has been married for over 20 years. Nana Obrafo Kwaw was enstooled as Obrafohene in 2003 by the Elders of the Nana Asuo Gyebi Shrine in Kubease- Akuapem, Larteh, Ghana West Africa. In addition, Nana Obrafohene Kwaw is an obosumfo to Tigare. He has three children who are being raised within the akom spiritual culture.

Within the professional setting, Nana Obrafohene/Dr. Johnathan Vital is a clinical neuropsychologist who provides various forms of mental health services. While he has expertise in conducting neuropsychological evaluations, assessing brain behavior relationship impairments, he is also proficient at various forms of psychological evaluations, psychotherapy, and therapeutic counseling services. In addition, Dr. Vital is a Certified Clinical Sex Offender Treatment Specialist.

Okomfo Payin Nana Serwaa Oparebea’s spiritual journey began; while living in Hawaii, I heard a voice speak in my head, “go back home; it is where you will find answers to your spiritual questions.” I had searched for a spiritual home, and God said your rebirth starts in the town you were born. It is where I met my lifetime teacher Okomfohemma Nana Oparebea Bekoe.

How did I get to where I am today?  These incidents help shaped me into who I am today.

• Start with the first time meeting the Great -Okomfohemma Nana Akua Oparebeah. She is an icon in the community, and I can say it was an honor to be in her
• First Akan Durbar with the Circle of Light Society at Howard University in WDC. Seeing people in African clothing linked together as ‘One’ community was fantastic, and I remember being so proud that I was among
• General Initiation into the Circle of Light I was thrilled. I know that I am again on the right path as I entered the priesthood, trained for three years, and graduated as a Traditional Priest to Nana Asuo Gyebi.
• After graduation, we traveled to Larteh, Ghana, West Africa. The compound felt ancient and revered. I returned to a place of my people.

I entered the “Sacred Order of Akom” led by the knowledge and the wisdom teachings of Okomfohemma Nana Oparebea Bekoe, Okomfo Payin Nana Nsia Dennis, Akomfo in America and Ghana. I am thankful and appreciative of my teachers, Insamanfo, Nana Asuo Gyebi, Nana Esi, Nana Adade Kofi, Nana Sankofa, Nana Boafo, Nana Bediako, and Spiritual Helpers provided guidance and protection. They continue to walk with me.

“One person does not Akom alone,”

Okomfo Payin Nana Serwaa Oparebea