Illustrated story map, not to scale.
Stop 1
River Benue
From the west comes the River Benue. It carries rich sediments, clay and organic matter from its long journey, which give it a muddy brown colour.
Stop 2
River Katsina-Ala
From the east flows the River Katsina-Ala, with clearer, greener waters, because it carries different sediments, minerals and suspended particles.
Stop 3
Gbajimba
Between the two rivers stands Gbajimba: the settlement at the confluence, where the two rivers meet.
Stop 4
The confluence
Where they meet, the two rivers do not mix at once. They flow side by side for a distance, brown beside green, before they mix.
Stop 5
Why the colours change
Each river carries something different:
- Sediments (clay, silt, sand)
- Minerals and dissolved substances
- Organic matter
- The amount of suspended particles
- Flow speed and turbulence
When they meet, these differences interact. The particles mix and the light reflects differently, creating a new, different colour.
Stop 6
Guma: change
Because of this natural phenomenon of change, the natives called the river at this point Guma. Guma in Tiv means change. The settlement of Gbajimba and the surrounding communities are today known as Guma Local Government Area in Benue State.
- Two different sources.
- One meeting point.
- A new identity.
- A shared destiny.
It is change produced through coming together, not by erasing either river. This is Guma, change. This is our story.
The meeting of two rivers. The birth of a new colour. The meaning of change.
Two rivers
- River Benue carries rich sediments, clay and organic matter from its journey, which give it a muddy brown colour.
- River Katsina-Ala flows with clearer, greener waters, because of different sediments, minerals and suspended particles.
The confluence at Gbajimba
Gbajimba is the settlement at the confluence where the two rivers meet. There the two rivers flow side by side for a distance before they mix. At the confluence they become something new: a different colour from both.
Why the colours change
Each river carries different sediments (clay, silt, sand), minerals and dissolved substances, organic matter and amounts of suspended particles, and flows at a different speed and turbulence. When they meet, these differences interact. The particles mix and the light reflects differently, creating a new, different colour.
From nature to identity
Because of this natural phenomenon of change, the river at this point is called Guma by the natives. Guma in Tiv means change. The settlement of Gbajimba and the surrounding communities are today known as Guma Local Government Area in Benue State.
It is change produced through coming together, not by erasing either river.
The meaning we live
Two different sources. One meeting point. A new identity. A shared destiny. This is Guma, change. This is our story.