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