Afrihyia pa!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

I can’t believe the date, when I write it. It really doesn’t feel like Christmas. I did watch some Xmas specials on TV the other night which got me in the mood somewhat, but it feels like I am just about to jump into a cyclone from a standstill, to get swept up in the (albeit wonderfully welcome) whirlwind of winter, festivities, and gathering of friends and family. The pace here (except when one is with Fei!) is slow, where times given are approximations and all things are flexible and prone to change with “the flow”.

I woke up a little melancholy today. I was advised to show up at the bus station by 9am where I was finally able to buy a ticket (I was befriended at the bus station by an employee/manger who made certain I got a ticket for the 1pm bus and even took my number down in the event there was room on the 10am. In the meantime I hung out at Oasis Beach (a traveler’s safe haven, bar, restaurant, patio chairs etc.. on the beach right by the castle) with my new buddy, Kwesi, a guide, giving tours at Cape Coast Castle (he actually makes as much as the average teacher!). 

I am now at the airport, in the office of the electrical maintenance manager of the airport (Lawrence Bonsu- Bonsu means “whale” in Twi, by the way- I just found out), a friend of Fei’s who has let me set up to do my last computer work and charge the phone for Fei while I wait. My flight is not for another 5 hours. It was wild to step through the doors and be blasted by air conditioning, Christmas music, so many different faces of different origins… I feel like I have left Africa already almost.

I have called Fei, Samuel and Julianna to say my final farewells and Afrihyia pa (Merry Xmas/Happy New Year). I am now handing over the phone, camera, modem and power adapter to have Lawrence pack and send it back on a plane to Kumasi to Fei (service of what?!).

I sign off my Ghana blog entries here. “Me daase pi” for being interested enough to read my reflections and rantings; I do hope I was not too cynical, critical, or make too many errors or unfair generalizations as an outsider looking in on the culture and people. What a blessing this has been. I do hope this is only the beginning of positive work that can be done through the connections made:

As the International Rotary motto goes: The Building of Community- The Bridging of Continents.

Last link: http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/KokumParkAndCapeCoastLastDaysInGhana?feat=directlink

Castles and Dungeons

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Today I visited the two castles in the area, Cape Coast and Elmina. Elmina (was originally called St. Georges) was built by the Portuguese in 1482 as a trading fort, initially for goods like gold and ivory, but then eventually for slaves. It was then overtaken by the Dutch in 1637 and then sold to the British in 1872, who used it for administrative purposes (their slave housing facility was Cape Coast) as well as for training police and military (local blacks) until Ghana’s liberation in 1957.

As I mentioned, Cape Coast Castle was Britain's slave dungeons as well as, with Elmina, housed, in the upper levels, their administrators (i.e. governors), military men, clergymen (for the Castle's church and even school for the raped slaves mixed children) and any European visitors (most of the wives of those stationed here did not visit due to fear of illness, hence the proclivity to raping slaves). It was astounding to think of the Europeans having "ordinary" lives above, while thousands of slaves were below (and the more rebellious, close by, on the main level, in deadly solitary confinement cells, experiencing slow death lacking food, water, light and air) corralled like cattle in dark dungeons below, wallowing in their own vomit, waste, dead, and the occasional food matter or water thrown in from above through holes in the walls).

I was surprised to hear today (I shouldn't have been though) that the kings of warring regions would kidnap and turn over the opposing region's people as slaves to their allied European trade partners so they served as supporters of the slave trade themselves!

The steep stairwell female slaves were forced down from the dungeons to the corridor to the door of no return

The final corridor and last piece African homeland "soil"

Slaves stepped through this door (or, in Elmina, a slim gap in the wall) to the awaiting ships or boats

It was such a gut wrenching experience both figuratively and literally. The guide for Elmina “pulled no punches”, telling it exactly as it was and the images this brought to my mind were excruciatingly vivid accompanied by the lingering smells in the dungeons, made for an emotional experience. I cannot believe we can do such things to one another and yet, even today similar atrocities are happening. I spoke at length to the guide (who is involved in politics and had interesting views, ending his tour telling us to spread the word and awareness about atrocities such as this) at Cape Coast Castle about Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leon and the Congo about the child soldier and labour issues among others, like the corruption and the pitting of Nigerian against Nigerian over oil. 

The Trade Triangle- slaves to work to create goods for Europe and back again

When you stand back and look at all of the world’s issues, from environmental devastation to conflict, corruption and cruelty through our human ignorance or immaturity, I do fear that we are at a place of “too little too late” with the baby steps of positive initiatives like Adumasa Link, Rotary, Joyce’s Nutri-Health International, environmental conservation and protection projects, those of us who are live according to reducing our environmental impact etc.. The cynical side of me looks at whole countries like Ghana or large industries pumping out toxins into our environment daily and thinking the individual environmental efforts of people, like me, make virtually no difference and the charities like Adumasa Link are necessary because of the lack of support of their own privileged people and ineffective and corrupt governments. What will become of us I wonder? What more devastation will we wreak in the meantime? What of 2012? I had hoped it was the culmination or turning point of our enlightenment as a species, but at times like this, I find myself doubting this possibility. Elephants and giraffes used to roam these areas, monkeys and hundreds of bird species filled the trees, (now relegated to minute patches of reserve land) and now you look around and see only people (and too many children), their garbage, chickens, goats and magpies.Only a few border crossings to the east, there are Nigerians burning their countrymen villages down (and murdering and raping their people) to free the land for oil exploitation (for Shell), and, to the west, child slaves and soldiers being kidnapped from their families. I do have to wonder and do, indeed, find myself doubting our capability to turn this boat around (an appropriate metaphor).

An interesting, uplifting note:  I was walking up the stairs after leaving the female slaves dungeon today at Elmina Castle, feeling very emotional, and found a tiny black feather. I stuck it in my notebook. While at the Cape Coast Castle, in the male slave dungeon, I found a tiny white feather. Hmmm.. Freedom? Unity in diversity? Contrast? Light and dark? I do love the symbolism and the serendipity and, thankfully, this serves to strengthen my tenuous grasp on hope and faith.

Fishermen repairing their nets on Tuesday (rest day)

Now for a little light banter: I noted today that there is no red dust coating everything here, that the packed dirt ground is more of a beige than the red of the Asante region (a geologist could explain I’m sure) and that, I gather, it is not nearly as dry as we are on the Coast. I don’t return home feeling like I am caked with dirt, which is nice.

My kindly taxi driver drove me to a stand in town after the tours for me to get a cheap bowl of rice and sauce for my supper and I splurged and bought myself a beer (Gulder) at the Lodge’s bar before heading up to my room for a quiet dinner and drink. 

By the way, they speak Fanti here, which is quite similar to Twi, but not exact. I also find that most people speak English here and well, compared to those in Kumasi, again, another example of the impact of this being a port city, greatly impacted by its long-standing history of trade with the Europeans.

Tomorrow I will most likely go to Kakum National Park (far larger than those I've visited thus far at 350km2) about 45 minutes north of here and then spend late afternoon and early evening hanging out at a recommended beach, listen and maybe dance to some African drumming, amid a holiday kind of beach frolic atmosphere… oh yeah. Nice way to spend my last day. Thursday I will sleep in, take my time getting organized, maybe take a walk on the beach and then take an afternoon bus to Accra.

Link to pictures:  http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/ElminaAndCapeCoastCastles?feat=directlink

Goodbye Kumasi, Hello Cape Coast

Eating fufu communal style with Julianna as my farewell meal Saturday

 
Monday, December 20, 2010

I am in Cape Coast (in the “Central Region” of Ghana, right on the Gulf of Guinea , one of the main port cities and slave trade sites of the Dutch, Portuguese and English)! It's original/aboriginal name is Oguaa, but everyone seems to refer to it by its colonial name now. Although there are definite similarities between here and Kumasi, the “feel” here is completely different: it feels far more relaxed, and is obviously more affluent (due to it being a port, it has been a hub for centuries and where Ghana’s real commerce and trade began, slowly spreading North, and, to this day, making the northern regions the most impoverished), there are more white folks walking about and, because they are not such an anomaly, I haven’t felt the harassed, overly conspicuous feeling I have had thus far during my time here when venturing out.

I arrived this morning and somewhere around 7:30 am. I left Kumasi at 4am. Fei was kind enough to come pick me up and give me a lift, along with his daughter Irene. They, in true Ghana style, had been up since 11pm, at an all night church service that had gone on from mid-day Sunday. 

Kumasi Market (when not busy!)

Earlier that day on Sunday, I had joined Fei, his wife Agnes and Irene to their church for the English service at 7am (they do not sleep here very much!). I actually spoke in front of the large congregation and church officials thanking the church for supporting my visit (the church’s district minister had given me a letter of invitation which enabled me to get a Visa to come to Ghana). After church we had done some last-minute erranding, checked out where Agnes works (I am even more impressed by her now) at the dauntingly huge and congested market (the second largest Africa I think), lunch out and then they took me to the Ashanti museum (actually Asante in Twi).

Asante symbol

The Asante palace was the first palace of the king of the Asante people, built by the British as a means of apology, if I am remembering the history correctly. It sits on the property of the present day palace where the current king lives (who is well loved for his educational fund, being an advocate for education for all children in the country). It was very well organized and quite wild to be walking through a piece of their fascinating history.  Apparently the British exiled the king to the Seychelles, after he refused to turn over their sacred “Golden Stool” and wouldn’t pay the money (tithe) apparently owed to them for taking over the area (go figure). The British, after a change of leadership, “revoked” (for lack of the right word) his exile eventually allowing him to return, 20 or so years later and offered him the palace, but he refused, until he was able to pay the tithe, such that they were no longer in debt to the British. Smart and classy!

Me with the Queen who led a fight against the British

Anyway, all this to say that after a long day out, Fei and Agnes dropped me off at the guest house and then returned home to rest. Fei slept for a few hours, got up and went to the all might service until it was time to come pick me up! During this time, I did my final packing with the help of my two “daughter”, Martha and Elisabeth. Oh yes, Fei and I stopped in to visit the grandmother on our way back to the guest house that afternoon, to ensure there was no confusion like Friday night, to tell her that Elisabeth was invited to come by the guest house to say goodbye to me. Fei was also to speak to the woman about supporting her granddaughter and to put in some good words for Elisabeth, but, unfortunately, he didn’t. 

It was sad series of goodbyes, with the girls, and with Samuel and Abaah.  The girls, especially, because of their situation, Elisabeth with her unhappy home life, so wanting to achieve and yet so unsupported , and Martha, such a smart girl in many ways but a struggling one too (she has strong ties to one of her aunts, siblings and grandmother, but lost her mother). I also discovered that Marta is almost illiterate! I asked her to write a thank you card for Fei,  for taking us to Monkey Village and Kintampo Waterfalls, and, when she struggled to write it in English, I said she could write it in Twi and she couldn’t even write “Me daase”  (thank you) in Twi! How has she made it to grade 6? What will become of her?! I told both girls to be sisters to one another; Elisabeth to help Martha with her schooling, especially reading and writing, and Martha, to be there for Elisabeth who feels so alone. I also enlisted Samuel to be the big brother for the girls and maybe see his role as a teacher too. I told him that maybe this is why he was there, not only to be a student, but to be a teacher to struggling ones like Martha.

Samuel and I said goodbye a few times, both finding it hard. I do hope I can support him from home. He is such a giver, a lover, a hard worker and so capable.  I will do what I can for him from home, helping with school fees, getting him extra resources for school and then, eventually, give him this computer when I buy a replacement.

Julianna's motley crew of teenagers

I also went over to Julianna’s to say goodbye to her and her crew of teenagers  (Nana, her son, Emmanel her adopted grandson, the daughter of her “sister”- who lives with her - home from boarding school and 3 other girls who also staying there over the holidays). 

I then returned back to the guest house for an early bedtime as I was to be up by 2:30 am and I had been feeling sick all evening. I think I reacted to the soup Fei and I had shared at lunch. I had it “coming out both ends”  eventually and was worried I wouldn’t be able to make the trip to Cape Coast. As it turned out, I could and didn’t have to ask the driver to pull over to let me throw up. I still feel a little battle fatigued, tender tummy and all, but after a smooth bus ride and having a wonderful nice older taxi driver take care of me and my very heavy valise, I arrived safely and swiftly to Saana Lodge where I will be for the next 3 days. The lodge is clean, a little run-down in the usual telltale places, like the halls, stairwells, bathroom and shower, but, I can’t complain. Everyone is so friendly and I can see, and even hear, the ocean from my wee balcony! I even have a TV in the room, on which I watched – after no TV for 6 weeks- “The Untouchables”, still one of my favourite movies, this morning before conking out for 4 hours). There seems to be a government conference going on here, with many important looking vehicles in the parking lot and many well dressed men walking about. 

Thank goodness for Western Union. I am ashamed to say that I realized, after being so careful 2 weeks ago to set aside the American money to pay for this room, that I was short. I don’t know how I managed it, maybe somehow mistaking a 20 for a 50 (American money kind of screws with my head, like the drawings on stoves for which dial works which element…) It was kind of funny actually, the situation I was in. I had figured out last week that I could probably use Western Union to send myself money using my credit card (which is helpful, considering there is no way to take money out here on a credit card and no one accepts credit cards). I had some credit left on my Zain modem to use the internet, but just low enough to make me uneasy. The internet is slow with these things and it took me forever to load the right pages to even get the information on how to set it up. I feared I might run out of credit before the transaction was complete, if I did it online, so I decided to do the transaction over the phone (I found out about this while on the site today).  This too was an ordeal, and especially stressful as I didn’t know how quickly the credits on my phone would be eaten up, being out on hold transferred here and there… besides the fact that the reception was horrendous and I kept having to ask the representatives to repeat themselves. I ended up pacing back and forth, waiting for a final transfer for an identity check, which, once begun, had stresses of its own. I was asked 5 questions about myself, which ranged from easy to answer ones like my social insurance number, my age and then ones which stumped me: Calgary addresses in the 90s! I told the man that I had moved 8 to 10 times in the 90s and could scarcely remember the addresses! This, on top of worrying about running out of credits and having his words garbled on the other end so much that he threatened we could not continue (I pleaded my case and we persevered), I was “beside myself” as they say. Anyway, it was all well and good. I needn’t have worried. The credit on the phone seemed almost unaffected (because it was an 1-800 number?) and I somehow got the right answers to the questions about myself!

I called my trusty Manuel, the cab driver, who drove me into town to the Western Union (oh yeah- money within 45 minutes! It took longer AT the bank, standing in line), to top up my cell phone and my Zain Modem, as well as to get me a bumper sticker for my car, through a maze of dirt streets between all manner of automotive stores and repair facilities, metal being hammered, cars on their sides being worked on, strewn car parts, men standing about, chatting or looking under open hoods…

 Having said this, though, the downtown here seems to be, unlike Kumasi, rather quiet during the day, building up into the evening apparently, and much smaller then congested, sprawling Kumasi.  There are a few wide roads which seem to skirt the downtown which, unlike Kumasi, are almost entirely devoid of the characteristic potholes, market stalls or signboards, and which have planted flowering trees and shrubs along the medians. It was a pleasure to drive around today, unlike in Kumasi, which I would return from exhausted and feeling filthy. 

Cape Coast has its pollution, though, don’t get me wrong, seeing mounds of smoldering trash and smelling the burned oil-fuel mixture of car exhausts, and it does have its garbage, both much less though it seems overall.

I walked down to the beach this afternoon and was disgusted by the mounds of garbage along the high tide line. I cannot help but think how this impacts the ocean life, with fish, turtles and mammals swallowing plastic bags and such. I had an image of these creatures being buffeted by layers of floating sandals, plastic bottles, bowls, and bags as they swim… ugh! It is at such times that I wonder if we really are going to be able to “turn this boat” around, as I our destructive, polluting, devastating ways, to save the health and balance of our precious, tenuous natural environments? 

On a happy note, Fei, Julianna and Samuel have all called today to check in. It will be interesting as we all get back to our own lives, this intense past 6 weeks will soon be relegated to memory as do all such things, no matter how poignant, perception-shifting or even life changing they are. 

I can’t believe that I am as exhausted as I am. The sickness and last night’s schedule have impacted me considerably. It feels great to be on my own time now. I can sleep as I need, taking my time to write my blogs, read, whatever. It is fun to feel like a backpacking traveler again and I am so glad I was encouraged to spend some time on the coast by a friend, Angela, who did a nursing practicum in Accra several years ago. This is a wonderful way to end my time here. This morning I sat on the balcony, mirthfully eating my peanut butter (spread with a nail file for want of a knife) and Asante bananas on pieces of bread I tore from the loaf I brought with me. I hope to go to Elmina Castle tomorrow to check out the dungeon and other slave-trade and colonialization-related historical relics; it will be emotional as I still cannot fathom how we could enslave one another and I imagine the fear, sorrow and anger those people must have felt being ripped away from their villages, their families…

Martha at Kintampo

Mona Monkey

The links to the pictures of my last few days are below (including Friday’s excursion to a Monkey Sanctuary and Kintampo Waterfalls with Julianna, Fei, Marth and Samuel) just at the border of Ghana’s Northern region (the architecture is somewhat different etc..). The roads were just horrendous far (we traveled on a main transport thoroughfare connecting Burkina Faso and the North of Ghana to the South, which the trucks have just destroyed) and the traveling distance long, as well as horrible late-night stand-still traffic in Kumasi, making for a very long day, but it was worth it.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cACwhDDJWrpymYiuwskoZw?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/KumasiDepartureAndCapeCoastArrival?feat=directlink 

Orphans, Saints and Farewells

Thursday, December 16, 2010

I’m not sure where to begin. First, a few tidbits:

 Kindergarten has only recently become mandatory, hence, many children only began in grade 1, which is in Twi, with English as a subject, which explains why the grade 5 and 6s’ grasp of English is so precarious.

Vocab: adding “oo” to a word, adds emphasis. i.e. “bra-oo” + come quickly; or me daase oo: “thank you so much”

Loan interest rates here range from 30-50%!! Do you believe it?! No wonder so few people take out loans and why most houses are “works in progress” for years and years.

Now, down to summarizing the events of yesterday and today. These two days have been emotional and impactful, to say the least, and I am, yet again, at the end of a day, tired, needing to go to bed to rise early (5am) and feeling like I need to write down at least a little while my memories and reflections are still fresh.

Yesterday, I attended a Kumasi East Rotary Club meeting. It was jovial yet reverant, project focused yet included animated banter, singing, raffling, happy cedis, and, as always, included visitor presentations. I was very impressed. I spoke about my experiences and gave a heartfelt thank you to the club members for so openly welcoming me into their meetings and even dinner with their District Governor. I also received a Kumasi East bannerette on behalf of the Mont Tremblant club and, more specifically, my brother, Mark, their outgoing president, who would have been here in my place if he could have, and without whom this trip would not have been possible.

The link to these pictures is:  

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/LastRotaryClubMeeting?feat=directlink

After our usual running around, Prince and I headed out of town to Ejusi. Here there is a boarding school started by a veterinarian doctor (a saint as far as I’m concerned). She had asked Fei about orphan children (often due to HIV/Aids) in the communities, knowing the work he had been doing with Rotary and Adumasa Link.  Together, they  gathered 27 orphans and this woman houses, feeds and educates them at her own cost, seeking out private donations and support to sustain the school. She is a saint. I saw children who were well cared for and who were a tight-knit group, full of spirit and caring for each other. I also saw dilapidated and destroyed buildings (one building had its roof completely ripped off from a storm, the present one for Kindergarten to grade 2 has gaping holes in the walls or no walls at all, simply frames etc..), with inadequate furnishings (not enough chairs for students, KG-grade 1 no desks whatsoever, no teachers desks in some classes). There has obviously been some financial support as a new Junior School had been built (how it is completed or furnished I can’t say as we ran out of time and daylight), which needs a second floor to house the Kindergarten and primary classes.

The dorms are basic and seem to be adequate, but lack an essential element: bug/bed nets! Fei thinks the rotary may have some they can donate, if not he hopes they may be able to arrange for this. In this area this is absolutely essential with malaria rampant. 

Another cause for concern was their well. The children have to haul water from a 30-40 foot well with buckets on rope, no safety rail or anything. Fei suggests an electric pump and a tower to mount a tank as has been done in many of their communities, so that they have gravity-fed water, accessible by turning a tap. This might also enable better latrine and bathhouse facilities as these, too, are in dire need of upgrading.

It is amazing to meet the people who somehow create something out of almost nothing. The owner, Joyce, was not there unfortunately, but the two live-in house parents, Marcus and Madam Bruce, were there. Madam Bruce is actually the headmistress and mother (another saint) to all 27 children, living with them, cooking for them, caring for them when they fall sick etc.. She makes about $75 a month! She was able to give us a “run down” of the situation, the term costs per child (school fees, supplies, food etc..) and then organized for us to take pictures of each of the children for a sponsorship program.  Fei and I had spoken on our drive back from Domeabra about this school and the children, as well as other orphans in the Adumasa school community (Elisabeth, who I have befriended, being one of them). I thought we could create a sponsorship candidate list for children without parents, and in financial need which I could then have when I return home to link people who want to help with the legitimate, authentic means to do so. The costs are really quite minimal, made especially lower with the value of our currency to theirs.

I realize the time is getting on, I am tired, and I need to get to bed. I am afraid I will not do justice to the experience as a result. It was powerful to say the least. It is incredible to see how the children’s faces light up at the slightest attention and they laugh at the slightest provocation. They are survivors and are rolling with what life has given them, seemingly unaware of the hurdles they are overcoming daily.

Fei had arrived with a huge bag of the trimmings from his church’s host/eucharist which they received happily. We didn’t end up bringing other food with us, as Fei thought that the school was vacating for holidays the next day.  It turned out not all of them were and that they had no more food, so I was happy to give Madam Bruce 50 cedis, knowing it would be well spent.  

Link to these pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/HarvardRoyalLearningCentre?feat=directlink

Today was a different sort of emotional. I went to a teacher Xmas luncheon not really realizing that this was a farewell to all of them. I was honoured by kind words and even presents. We did two official presentations: one was of the Mont Tremblant bannerette which just arrived in the mail (it took 3 weeks by airmail), I presented to Fei on my brother Mark's behalf; and the other of the multifunction printer Mom and Ron donated. Here I said goodbye to Ben and Emmanuel, the two IT teachers I have been working so closely with to get the computer lab up and running. It was sad to say goodbye to many of the teachers today, exchanging contact information, knowing that I may never see any of them again. The irony of such an experience, that it is intense and yet fleeting.

Link to these pictures:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/GhanaTeacherXmasLuncheonAndFarewell?feat=directlink

Elisabeth

I had a visit with Elisabeth this afternoon and we had dinner together. Elisabeth is one of my students who has struggled like Samuel to continue her schooling, having a gap in her education due to family issues (her mother died and her father went into a serious depression; subsequently he is an absent parent and she is living with her rather emotionally abusive grandmother in an unhappy household). She is back at school, at age 15 in grade 9. She is a gentle, loving, bright girl and I would adopt her if I could. She wants to be a doctor someday and I do hope this is possible for her. I know I have written about her before. She left here tonight (I gave her some small gifts as well as stationary and supplies to be able to write me)and went home to be insulted by her grandmother, saying that she was lying having visited me and that she had been with a man. I know this because Elisabeth called and asked that I speak to her neighbor, who speaks English. I straightened out that issue, but then, it seems, there might be an issue with our corresponding (they don’t want me sending her letters), so I will communicate through the school.  I spoke to Julianna about it and she explained that she has experienced this before and it is the fear of those who are illiterate and lacking education, fearing and being jealous of others who strive to be educated.  She also thinks the grandmother is becoming senile. Whatever it is, it is a poisonous environment for Elisabeth as, here, elders are respected, and as her grandmother speaks badly about her, she will be believed and hold sway on how Elisabeth is seen and treated. Poor girl. I didn’t know what to tell her tonight, apart from affirming her and telling her that peace and love are from within, not without and “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”… this is the sort of thing that makes it so hard to leave. I do hope I am able to stay in touch with her from home and know that at least I can support her from there. I have also explained the situation to Martha, Samuel and even Ben, the night custodian, as well as Julianna, asking that they watch out for her. I will also speak to Fei again as she is on our sponsorship candidate list.

I must end on a happy note: Martha, Samuel, Julianna, Fei and I are going to the Monkey Village tomorrow and Akaah Waterfalls. I am excited for me and especially for Martha and Samuel, to see another part of their country they have yet to experience.

NOTE: This may be my final entry while still in Africa as the broadband internet system is EXPENSIVE. The credits get eaten up in no time. I don’t know how anyone here can afford it. I may upload the last of my pictures with a summation while I am in Cape Coast next week, but will have to wait and see if I can afford to “top up” my credits.  Otherwise, I will simply write my daily logs in Word each day and simply post them and the pictures when I return home where we can pay a reasonable annual or monthly internet fee!

Krakosua and Domeabra

Tuesday,December 14, 2010

Cacoa drying

I am not sure I can effectively communicate the experience I had today. Suffice it to say that I visited remote villages: Krakosua and Domeabra, both being over 3 hours from Kumasi. The drive today was gorgeous, with such wild land and farms (coco especially) surrounding us, the tall grasses lining the roads, trees cooling the air appreciably, driving over bridges of running streams and creeks, small roadside schools, children in their colourful school uniforms. 

Krakusoa, all of about 10 dilapidated houses and a small school, was our first stop, but the last on a tiny, wretchedly washed out path of a road.  The rotary club of Kumasi East and Cornwall have partnered up to install a water well with hand pump, which I got to try out today, as well as the building of (private funds through the Canadian Rotary club contacts) and finishing/furnishing of a clinic to serve the area, which I also visited. We dropped off some electrical wiring there today for the workers at the end of the week. The Rotary is paying for a young girl from the village to do her nurse practitioner training at a town not too far away so that she may “man” the clinic, along with the town’s midwife. We visited the teacher training college, but missed seeing the young nursing student, unfortunately.

In Krakosua I was offered one woman’s son, and the old shaman (the midwife’s husband), whose session with a patient I interrupted with my visit, his wife pushing aside the lace curtain “door” of his workspace: he was sitting on a carpet of a tiny room, which smelled of incense, and as I bent down to shake his hand, I stole a glance at the chalk writing on the floor where he sat and the pencil scribblings on his paper, all of which allowed me to conclude he was a bonafide “witchdoctor” or shaman, which shouldn’t be suprising, given the remote location and lack of medical facilities. I wish I had take a picture of him as he sat there, as it really was like an image from a film or a picture in National Geographic, but I am a little shy with the camera as it can be invasive, not always appreciated, and sets you apart automatically as the foreign observer during times when you are often trying to make connections to people, not create more separation. The shaman came out and joined his wife, Fei and I to show us where the midwife worked and her detailed notes on each of the village children she has brought into the world, including vitamin treatments. Apparently the government some years back decided to offer free midwifery training to female elders of villages, which is how, I gather, this woman came to be trained. Of course their training includes use of naturopathic treatment, local herbs etc.. along with conventional medical procedures, knowing the rudimentary equipment and spare, remote locations within which they will be working as the solely trained individual, responsible for managing childbirth with all its potential complications and management requirements, from breached births,  inducing pregnancy, to performing cesareans. 

Being "offered" to Charles

I told the woman about a friend of mine, Beth, who had been planning to train to be a midwife (now that she is pregnant herself, I am not sure how these plans will be affected) and the woman asked me to tell my friend to come and work with her; she could use the help. Imagine the experience that would be!

Of the day, Beth seemed to get the best offer. Mine were to marry one of the locals and/or to stay and have twins with the old shaman!

On our way coming out from the narrow dirt road from Krakosua, we detoured to visit the small hospital and St. Joseph’s school in Domeabra, run by a group of Catholic nuns from the international Cluny organization/congregation. The rotary clubs of Kumasi East and Sunrise have helped donate a truck and an ambulance to the hospital as well as the furniture and educational supplies to the school. 

The sisters share a home, which was so clean and neat, just like the school, with obviously well planned flowering bushes and trees, many plants, dotting the property, inside and out (they have compound homes here, with a central open area, with no roof, which is actually practical, and, if managed well, as they have, can be beautiful. They even have started a compost program and are using garbage bins so the grounds are kept clean! Mavis and I talked about the issue of garbage and lack of recycling in Ghana. They are really working to do be environmentally responsible, which was hearting to hear as I haven’t come across any such progressive thinkers (or, shall we say, thinkers whose actions reflect positively their philosophy?) here thus far. They also have land on which they grow crops, are building a bakery (and initiative to support the local women), and have their own pigs, both to eat and to sell (they don’t have any independent income and a pig can bring in 50 cedis). 

Sister Pat and Sister Mavis

 I really “clicked” with (she was gentle yet strong, with solid, positive energy, I really liked her), that I felt selfish with all the free will I have, to do what I want, live where I want etc.. They only have 3 weeks off a year holiday and every 3 years can go home to visit family. Mavis had just returned from 6 years in Sierra Leon (she had to learn Creole to teach in their language), happy now to be back in Ghana, close to her family, being from this region herself.

Having visited this school, as well as Krakosua, which has been discussed as possible placements for me, I did think of how different an experience it would have been. On our drive home I noticed a man walking along the road with a rifle over his shoulder. Fei told me that he was a hunter and that they are struggling now as the animals have been over hunted and very scarce. Fei’s father was a hunter and used to regularly bring him game: deer, antelope, rabbit, grasscutters (groundhogs?), but, without control, the animals, anywhere near villages, have been flushed out and killed, which has repercussions I cannot begin to imagine on the ecosystems here, assuming keystone species have been removed and the imbalance that must inevitably occur when whole species are removed from the ecological equation. I had reflected on the fact that I have seen so few animals on my visit and, at least, had expected to see monkeys today, but now, sadly, I know why. At the hands of an ineffective (or overwhelmed?) government, these people who are merely focusing on feeding themselves and providing for the present generations, I cannot imagine how forestry is managed here and where this country will be in another 20 years time, nature conservation or resource management speaking. It’s scary.

I am looking forward to a rotary meeting tomorrow where I will speak about our visits today as well as my time here. After this Fei and I are heading out to visit a veterinary doctor who has started a boarding school for children from the local communities who have lost their parents and have little to no means of being provided for. This woman relies solely on donations t feed, clothe and teach these children (25-30). I will go with plantain, yam, bananas and bread tomorrow with Fei who brings the trimmings from the church Eucharist, which they use to make porridge for their breakfasts. The doctor called today, glad we will be coming, as she said they have no more food for the children at present. Can you imagine?!

Along with my discussions with Fei about creating a list of local children who can use sponsoring from home to support their education, I am also hoping to get a list and information on the children at this school too, along with an idea of what it costs to house, feed and teach a child for a year, so that I can create a means for people back home, who want to support a child, to know what is involved, who the child is and how they might best contribute. I am excited about this idea and hope (trust) that there will be an effective way to organize this. I am thinking community and school presentations might work best. I know how I would have welcomed this opportunity myself in the past, being able to, not only donating to a “charity” that I knew I could trust, but, better yet, knowing the child I was supporting (with Unicef, you never really for sure). If I have learned one thing from my time here is that it is about positive intention in action, along with trust and faith that what is needed will be provided. As Mavis told me, the saying they have in Sierra Leon is “small, small”, meaning you make the efforts a little at a time, with persistence and patience. I like that. That’ll be my motto: “small, small”.

Link to the pictures:  
http://picasaweb.google.com/kpedicelli/VisitToDomeabraAndKrakosua?feat=directlinkt