Ghana, impacting me one experience at a time: CHANGE THE WORLD

Sunday

I wake up confused…ready to hop out of bed and do something…like I was in Accra…but oddly enough I am in a small village tucked away in Ghana.

Morning exploration

Katie and I woke up fairly early to the sounds of kids talking, screaming, and laughing. We pulled out of bed and enjoyed a breakfast of bread and Milo.

We started walking around and ended up playing a bunch of games with the kids. We played this hand game and some tag and the some duck-duck-goose action.

After playing around I wondered up to the library and read many books to different groups of kids. This is when the little girl Anita really struck me as wonderful. She ended up clutching my hand and wanting me to read her favorite books. While I was in the library I felt like I was doing something, like I was meant to be there.

This place needs so many volunteers, but it only has two. I felt horrible not staying for a long commitment because they needed it. Sometimes in Ghana I feel guilty because I want to be here longer and keep doing things where I feel like I am meant to be there.

When the children ate their breakfast of porridge, I felt like I was in one of those Feed Straving Children in Africa commercials. These children don’t receive TONS of food (and neither do MOP kids), but I can’t help to think wow they could eat so much more. I really am in Africa. I have moments everywhere in Ghana where it registers that I am truly in a 3rd world. All I want to do is help…but sometimes I can’t stay long enough.

There was one point at the Orphanage where I wanted to drop everything and stay there for years and really help the school/orphanage. Why do I need a degree when I can help right now. I have had this thought crisis many times throughout college with teaching and volunteering in high poverty. The urge to stop school and help is even more prevalent in Ghana. At Mawuvio’s Outreach Program, I get that feeling DAILY. These kids care about learning so much…I believe they will be the next teachers, doctors, and presidents of Ghana.

Lunch fufu and fried rice and chicken

The school fed us a HUGE LUNCH of all these wonderful things. I felt horrible the entire time eating it though. Why do I deserve these foods over the children? The deserve it twenty times more than I do…but Ghanaian hospitality wins over the situation and I am forced to eat as much as I can because it would be very impolite to not eat all of it.

Saying good-byes

We briefly say goodbye to many of the people. I avoided Anita because our fast love for each other would not be good to break up.

Also to be noted, we were not allowed to take any pictures there. So all I have is a picture of the sign on the junction before the school. I wish I could have recorded these memories through images…but oh well a WAWA moment (West Africa Wins Again…SHOUT OUT TO RACHEL SMITH AND HEATHER NEWELL).

Journey back to Accra

We basically go back to Accra the same way we came except no bead market. It started to rain on the way back and I opened up the tro-tro window wanting to absorb the cold. Oh how I dream for some snow and hot chocolate. The foliage on the way back was breath taking…I am in Africa enjoying the tropical rain forest. So unreal…even though I have been here for a couple months.

Monday and Tuesday MOP

These kids are literally my loves and my life in Ghana. Besides my WONDERFUL international and Ghanaian friends, this is my family in Ghana. These children make me smile and cry all the time. I find myself at night crying myself to sleep at times wanting to give them everything I have and more.

I get urges to quit school and help. But, don’t worry mom and dad…I know I need to stay in school.

I have decided who I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a cross-between a Renee Farewell and a Heather Newell. This is a full force shout out to both of them.

Renee Farewell, she and a native Ghana started Mawuvio’s Outreach Program three years ago in Kissemah Village. She was studying abroad just like me and met this Ghanaian Quami on campus. He told her about his dream to start a school for kids that do not have the money to go to public school. (Families in Ghana have to pay for uniforms and fees throughout school and these families it is already too difficult to put food on the table let alone pay for school fees.) She has been a singled out minority the ENTIRE TIME…get teased, laughed at, and enduring SO MUCH. In my eyes she is to the level of Mother Teresa…no joke! Her passion to help these kids and to find a medium round for these kids to flourish and succeed is so beautiful. They are currently building a new school so the kids do not have to hover under a tree and under a tent canopy to study. She has overcome child abuse and deaths. I admire every aspect of her. She is a beautiful human being and shows how you truly can change the world.

Heather Newell, is one of my really good friends from Hendrix. We played on the hockey team together. She studied abroad in Ghana two years ago. I always had a passion to go to Africa…but she showed me I can go and find my calling as well. She is currently in Rwanda doing the Peace Corps…changing the world. She is teaching English at a school in a rural area. She has already been absorbed into the town and loved by all…including me SO DEEPLY. Every time I receive a letter, email, facebook message, or read her blog I feel like I have received it from someone that is famous…because in my world Heather Newell is beyond any President or Celebrity…she is acting on what I want to do…my dream.

Currently…if I can one day reach either of these potentials…changing the world…it would be a blessing. I want to teach and give people hope. Thank you Heather Newell and Renee Farewell for giving me hope and being my heroines.

The week to WEEKEND full of hockey and CHILDREN

Thursday: Hockey Practice…with promise to play this weekend

So after a delightful hockey practice the day before, I showed up with excitement just glad I get to play around with the ball and stick…I think the correct term would be “field hockey withdrawal”…ya I might be slightly addicted.

We ended up scrimmaging and this time around the boys showed NO mercy to me. The instant I received the ball they were on me like peanut butter on jelly.

After the practice the coach approached me and said he wanted me to play in a match with the NATIONAL HOCKEY TEAM OF GHANA…omgosh THIS IS CRAZY…my first thought was… IS HE CRAZY…I AIN’T THAT GOOD…but apparently the national team is not spectular. So the rest of the night I was hopping around with great excitement. ☺

After that wonderful event I went to one of my friends houses…this man has lived in Ghana for four years and works with a security company. He is Israeli and is VERY FUNNY. He has as much excitement and passion as I do…an odd thing to see now in days…hehehehe ☺ But we ate and relaxed all night his is SUPER HUGE HOUSE…which was a bit creepy to be in.

Friday Mawuvio’s FOOTBALL GAME

It has become a standing tradition for me to play on the white jersey team every Friday at MOP. The older boys (14-15 year-olds) are VERY COMPETITIVE! They treat this event like the world cup…EVERY DANG FRIDAY. I love their undying enthusaisism and passion for wanting to play well and have fun. It is refreshing to see how young a 15 year old can act.

This actually makes me a bit nervous about going back to the States. This summer I am working with 14-16 year olds…and the way they act in the US is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT to here in Ghana.

But…back to MOP…I have seemed to have acquired a crush. One of the boys, Ben, who started at this school when it first started three years ago has an UBBER CRUSH on me. I find it very endearing and cute….ohh junior high and high school.

MOP has become my sanctuary…when I am having a bad day I know if I go to the school the kids will change my mood quiet dramatically. These kids have a passion for learning…that if it could be bottled up and sold to kids around the world…it would help with SO MANY PROBLEMS. I love their undying love…I want to take ALL OF THEM HOME WITH ME!

After this fruitful day at MOP I went to Max Mart and devoured a plate of hummus, pita, and veggies. Oh the glory of eating healthy here once in a blue moon.

Saturday

Women’s National Team and U-21 Team

I woke up very early this morning to go play some hockey. I met one of the boys on the University team so he could take me to the National Hockey Stadium. We hopped onto a tro-tro and got to Accra (tema station). I HAD NO CLUE WHERE THIS HOCKEY FIELD COULD BE…but it is indeed RIGHT NEXT TO TEMA STATION. We walked around a bit of the perimeter and then crossed a gate with HUGE GUARDS WITH GUNS ON THEM…no big deal…I am just an obruni attempting to go play hockey with the NATIONAL TEAM.

We were actually late so I miss playing in the first half, but the coach put me in right away. The girls were very hesitant to pass to me…I don’t blame them…they had NO CLUE WHAT SKILL I DID OR DID NOT HAVE. By the time they felt comfortable with me playing…the game was over. It was really neat to see that my skill level honestly matched up to theirs. The girls warmed up to me once I told them my Ghanaian name “Ama” because they realized I was not here to take their places, but rather just enjoy the sport they love as well.

Since I missed an entire half the University of Ghana coach, which was of course watching the entire game to see how I would do (kinda weird I felt like he was my coach away from home…sorry Ellie…I had no clue what was happening), they asked me to play for a club men’s team. I really did not have time to stay because I needed to meet up with Katie and Avery at 10am to go to the Orphanage…but they literally would NOT LET ME LEAVE. They said it was bad luck for me to cross the field until after this game. oHHH BOY…NOW THAT IS SOME CULTURAL CONFUSION!

So I brushed it off an ended up playing the ENTIRE GAME…because in the first half I scored a goal. The two men’s team had many national players that were amazing!!!! I did feel a bit out of their skill level, but what I did have is knowledge of where to go to be open at different types…which they used a lot. Because I scored a goal the goalie on the opposing team told me, “Ama (my Ghanaian name) I will KILL YOU, I WILL KILL YOU AMA.” And I responded “Dabie, dabie, dabie, dabie”, which is no no no no in Twi. Later though, he lightened up and he said he would let me score a goal if I kissed him…ummm YA RIGHT. Hahahahahahaha

After the match finished everyone adored me…because I was the obruni that managed to score a goal in a men’s game…but I could not stick around…I had to bolt back to go to the Orphanage…sorry Avery and Katie for being so late.

I LITERALLY RAN TO TEMA STATION AND THEN ALL THE WAY UP TO ISH (the hostel I am staying at). I threw on some clothes and was out the door with Avery and Katie in minutes.

Journey to Koforidua

Katie, Avery, and I went to Medina bus station and caught an air-conditioned tro-tro to Koforidua. It was odd to be in A/C…it always is in Ghana. I find myself feeling really sick if I am in it too long.

Bead Market

Once we are in Koforidua (which is a two hour tro-tro ride from Accra) we search the market for directions to the bead market. We end up taking a taxi there…and the bead market only has three stands actually open for business…there are probably 50 stands ready for the chaos of Thursdays (which is the actual bead market day)…we plan on coming back. After we looked through the beads one of the teachers from the Orphanage met us at the bead market and we took a taxi back to the main market in Koforidua. Koforidua is about a fifth of the size of Accra so it was nice to see a city that was not HUGE.
Journey to Baptist School Complex and Orphanage (BASCO)

We hopped on a tro-tro to the junction where the BASCO was at. It was a 45 minute tro-tro ride with BEAUTIFUL scenery. It was a reminder that we are in a rural area…in Africa…in the tropical forest. From the junction we got a taxi to the actual Orphanage.

I honestly do not know how to articulate the orphanage and all that I witnessed. There was so much that went on that I cannot formulate the right words that will do the experience justice…but I will try.

We enter the complex which had about 10 cement buildings…this is VERY COMMON in Ghana. Every building is made from cement because there is no need for insulation…it is TOO HOT…and the cement will last MANY, MANY YEARS. This school/orphanage was in the middle of the forest with beautiful foliage surrounding it. Every time I looked up I felt like I was in a dream.

We received a tour, which included seeing what they building represented. The building consisted of a house for the boys and a house for the girls, classrooms for kindergarten up to high school, a kitchen, and a main gather room where meals were eaten and church was practiced. The rest of the area was just dirt…with one area having bricks for a soccer field (which was currently being used by the high school boys).

After we were shown the volunteer head quarters…which was being occupied by us and two German volunteers who have been here for over 6 months…they are volunteering an entire year here. They both finished high school last year and wanted to give back. The male German is a math teacher and the female German is the nurse and teaches some creative arts classes. It was refreshing to meet these volunteers and just talk about Ghana and compare our experiences. They seemed to enjoy seeing some obruni faces just as much as we did.

We then meandered over to the dirt soccer field and watched the boys play. I stepped in for a bit to play…but was too exhausted from hockey early that day to play for too long. The Orphanage/School seemed to be occupied by many older boys and girls. I was honestly expecting an Annie/Africa cliché but what I got was an entirely different perspective. While watching the game Katie, Avery, and I got eaten alive by these odd bugs. They left a red mark on our skin…but oddly enough they did not itch (except for Katie’s which got swollen the next couple of days…poor Katie ☹). It made me realize that I am in an entirely new environment…it may be still Ghana…but there are new bugs that can take prey on us.

Slowly some of the kids arrived and started talking and playing around with us. Many of them asked how many years we are going to be here…hahaha funny thing is…ya we are only here for a night. They didn’t really understand that response.

There was one girl I fell in love with instantly. Her name was Anita and she just had something about her that stood out. She was 5 years old and just seemed so fascinated with what was going on around her at all times. I wanted to snatch her up and show her the world.

Okay, so BASCO is a boarding and day school where Orphanages and street kids come too. There are other kids where their families pay fees for them to come and other kids in the neighboring areas that come for the daytime. There are over 200 students with about 100 that board. Out of that 100 there are 50 kids that are Orphans. So the dynamic is really interesting with a mix of classes and past experiences in their lives. The school fundraises so that each child after they finish school and then teach at BASCO will go to university one day. This gives all the students motivation to complete and try really hard.

Their English was not as good as Mawuvio’s kids, but I did not understand why that was considering some of them have been to this school for many years.
Dinner and entertainment

After chatting with the kids we were served dinner of rice and veggie stew. It was very tasty. After the meal we played games and chatted with the older girls…which was fun because they were not present at the soccer game. These kids…in the rural area of Ghana give me the passion to teach. I only wish I could teach all of them in this world.

Night FREEZING

We fell asleep REALLY FAST! It was FREEZING OUT THAT NIGHT THOUGH… We were in the middle of the forest…which I guess gets cold at night…what an odd thing to happen, but very refreshing to be cold for once. ☺

To be continued...

Aya Kama kama kama pa pa pa pa day ( A WONDERFUL FABULOUS DAY)

Hockey sur la gazon (field hockey) WITH THE MEN'S UNIVERSITY OF GHANA HOCKEY TEAM!

So as I was walking from a history class that did not happen because of the strike happening at University of Ghana...I was passing the field hockey field...and what do I see???? MEN WITH FIELD HOCKEY STICKS IN THEIR HANDS! I run over to them and ask if they played and if they were about to have practice. They DO PLAY HOCKEY...AND THEY WERE ABOUT TO PRACTICE. I convinced the coach to let me play...AND I DID! It was a very very EPIC EXPERIENCE!

The underestimated me at first putting me on a team that was clearly the better. I scored three goals in a row and then they realized THEY JUST FOUND AN OBRUNI GIRL (white girl) THAT WAS AS GOOD AS THEM! So they started to play as hard as they could against me...but I was still able to score a couple of goals. Then the coach switched up the teams so I was on the bad team to try to make it even.

I was having a blast. It has been several months since I've picked up a stick...IT WAS GLORIOUS! I remembered why I love field hockey so much. I scored a total of 10 goals that practice!

The coach approached me after and said if I appeared out of nowhere a week earlier he would have let me play with them when they go to Nigeria for some matches...they are leaving this Sunday. BUMMER! But he said there is a tournament in May he might be able to take me to...OMGOSH THAT WOULD BE CRAZY COOL! PLAYING IN AFRICA!!!!!!

While playing I noticed their style of play is different. There is less technique and strategy. The game is more about talent and brute force. Most women can't just play off of brute force...because well we don't have as much force as a male...my strategy has always been outrunning the other team...WHICH WAS A CHALLENGE...CONSIDERING HOW OUT OF SHAPE I AM RIGHT NOW! They communicate to each other through hisses and odd vocal sounds...very different than how Hendrix hockey team communicates with shouting...I felt VERY AMERICAN...shouting to let them know I was open.

There was something on the field I felt....that I never have before...a deep connection with the Ghanaians...we had something in common...they we both loved dearly: field hockey. Who knew that I would be able to play with them. Out of everything thus far...this is one of my favorite moments. My chance of connecting through athletes...without getting sick (like what happened while running).

I am going to the practice today and hopefully up until they leave for Nigeria. And then when they get back...maybe a tournament in May?

Another shout out to my hockey team back home...although I am missing the spring season and bonding...I will have hockey stories to tell when I get back! :)

Other than that I officially have had NO CLASSES THIS WEEK. But I have showed up to all of them just incase a professor decides to ignore the strike. Ohh Ghana...I love you dearly!

Yesterday was indeed a Aye kama kama kama pa pa pa pa pa day :) ( WONDERFUL FABULOUS DAY)

The STRIKE

Nothing says University of Ghana like a strike in March...oddly with being half way done with studying abroad here...comes the strike of the lecturers and professors on campus.
Below is a news article briefly talking about the strike.


http://www.africanews.com/site/Ghana_University_lecturers_to_strike/list_messages/34630

So far I haven't had ANY classes this week...but I have to show up to ALL of them in case one of the professors decide to show up.

The professors are on strike because they haven't been paid since last year. Since, in Ghana, everyone has to pay EVERYTHING with cash...not getting paid is a HUGE PROBLEM. If the strike continues for 18 more days...then the semester will end and the international students will be given separate exams to make sure we get the credits for our classes.

This situation is a bit chaotic and odd. There were two strikes earlier in the semester: one with the secretaries of different departments and another with the tec people of the college (the people that set up the power point stuff). Hopefully this strike will stop by next week...but who knows...this is a real TIA MOMENT FO SHOW!

Below are some pictures. :)

Hey now

I am sorry for the late blog post…I have been trying to post when I feel like it and recently I have been living…not blogging ☺

Mawuvio’s Outreach Program
There are a few kiddos that stand out.

Felicia: A 11-year old that is not afraid to hold her own. She mother’s all the little kiddos whenever they run into trouble and her dream is to become the next Ghanaian president. She is in primary one, which is second grade in the United States. Her smile is contagious making me grin every time I see her.

Ben, Dylan, Qq (that’s what I call him cause I can’t say his name), Rubin and Randolf: This is a five pack of boys. Two of the boys, Rubin and Randolf are deaf and are able to communicate to their classmates through figure sign. There attitude is AMAZING. Every time I see them grinning from ear to ear I want to hug them and tell them how proud I am. My ISEP friend, Katie, works with them three times a week because she is able to sign. I get goose bumps every time I see her work with the double R pack (Rubin and Randolf). Randolf is the oldest boy at the school and therefore, even though he’s deaf, EVERYONE listens to him. Rubin is quiet a bit younger, but his light hearted nature and sunny giggle can bring the ENTIRE MOP TO LAUGHTER. Now, Ben Dylan, and Qq are the other oldest boys. They were there for the start of the program. They set the tone for the school: focused…but not afraid to have fun. I play football (American soccer) every Friday with the kids and these three boys are KINGS with trash talking.

Mary: I went with her to Aubri for their independence day and she took all those WONDERFUL pictures. She is EXTREMELY BRIGHT. She is one of the only girls in primary 3 and is about ready to move up to primary 4. She is the MOST DRIVEN 10 YEAR OLD I HAVE EVER MET. I am so proud of her that every time I think of her tears form in my eyes.


I go every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday to the school. On these days I wake up gleefully knowing what I am going to do today will be impactful. Fridays are different than the other two days in that they are Physical Education and movie fun days. I end up playing soccer or some other silly games with the kids. This Friday I CAME UP WITH A GLORIOUS IDEA! The kids should do some races! So we lined up all the kids and had them race each other. They absolutely LOVED IT. So it triggered another idea: A MOP FIELD DAY…someday soon I will be having an AFRICAN FIELD DAY… I am still trying to brainstorm all the events and volunteers. ☺

I also want to go to the beach with some of the kids…because even though they live 10 minutes away…MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER SEEN A BEACH BEFORE.

There is also a circus in town…IS IT CHANCE I AM READING WATER FOR ELEPHANTS AS WELL? So a trip there will be arranged…AND POSSIBLY A PIZZA PARTY and the end of the semester…since many of the kids have never had pizza before…

THINK ABOUT IT MANY OF OUR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES…THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED.

These kids fascinate and amaze me daily.


LAST Weekend’s Adventures:

Trashy Bags

We were introduced to this NGO when we were touring Accra in our first week. I don’t think I talked about the NGO because I was too overwhelmed with information at that point, but this place is AMAZING. So in Ghana EVERYONE drinks out of bagged water. This plastic wrapping is discarded all over Ghana…people dismissing the harm it does. This NGO: Trashy Bags takes these plastic holdings of water discarded and turns them into wonderful bags, purses, and anything else you put your mind to. In my previous picture post I am modeling the fanchoco bag. It is a GREAT ORGAINZATION because it encourages recycling. When people bring these plastic holdings of water they receive money…like some states in the US. This gives an incentive to collect the plastic wrappings and allowing for the organization to encourage recycling, while creating jobs for Ghana. I did several purchases and was fascinated with the organization.

Bead Workshop

Shortly after coming back from Trashy Bags ISEP kiddos headed to a bead workshop that our wonderful coordinator, Teresa, arranged; this workshop was lead by a lady that gave a bead lesson to Michelle Obama and her children…so this lady was VERY VERY AMAZING. All of her knowledge about beads and their significance to Ghanaian culture was refreshing and wondrous. Beads are a VERY VERY critical part of Ghanaian society. Beads were the basis of trading long ago and people celebrated through beads. Beads have different meaning: white (just had a child), white, blue, and red (a healer), black and dark colors (morning), other colorings can mean twins. We got the chance to create our own beaded necklaces. I was really excited to assemble my own necklace with a fruitful amount of vivid and rich beads. We used cornhusk as the string and the end does not require any tying. The beauty of beads in Ghana is is is…well I just can’t think of an appropriate word to describe it other than AMAZING. This was a wonderful way of exploring the culture without traveling outside of Accra.

National Art Center

After the bead workshop, Avery, Katie, and I went to the National Art Center,which had a LARGE ARRAY of merchandise to purchase, while talking to locals. I used this opportunity to practice my Twi and bargain. Ghanaians LOVE LOVE LOVE IT WHEN YOU SPEAK TWI. This is the motivation for me to go and study Twi. Katie and I have got bargaining down…if you are not happy for a price…JUST WALK AWAY.

Max Mart: GLORIOUS

This is considered the obruni store of Ghana. It has some of the American things we miss DEARLY but at a ridiculous price. We enjoyed pita, hummus, and vegetables for dinner…for not a terrible price and got ingredients for no bake cookies…HORRAY. ☺ ONE OF THE things I miss most is baked goods.

Mecola: WITH THE TRO-TRO MOTTO collide

The next day Avery, Katie, and I explored one of the markets we haven’t been to. This market is a bit more chaotic than Madina (the one I have been to many times). Yet, we went on a Sunday, so it was very low key…at least at first. We just went to various shops and meandered. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE TURN…see a motorcycle crash into a 15-passenger van (motto into tro-tro). IT WAS CRAZY. The motorcyclist flew out and his helmet fly off…not staying on his head long enough to break his fall. I see a pool of blood instantly created from his fall and his legs are unnaturally curved backwards. He then comes up immediately from the adrenaline and then falls back down. Crowds of people come from the markets yelling at the tro-tro driver and putting the motto in a taxi to get rushed to a hospital. The crowd was still there after a half hour yelling at the driver (the driver was lucky the crowd did not instantly kill him…they often do). This was a disgusting sight to see. I almost vomited from the situation. The rest of the day the three of us were SUPER careful walking about to make sure we won’t get hurt. Accra really is a dangerous place…especially with transportation…but the easiest thing to do is dismiss the danger to keep going on with our lives.


RUNNING: The Challenge

I HAVE BEEN trying to be a good athlete and run as much as possible…the only problem with this is how I feel changes literally from day to day. I hope to work up to a 30 minute run daily from being sick…but I don’t know if that will be possible…OHHH MALARIA…HOW YOU ALWAYS WILL BE WITH ME.

POST OFFICE ADVENTURES
So my wonderful mother: CARLA CASEWIT…mailed me a package. The processing of getting the package can be REALLY CHALLENGING AT TIMES THOUGH! Avery and I set out on an adventure to get our packages. Our packages were stuck at the post office at circle (one of the main areas of Accra). We got there and gave them our tracking number…then we had to call 6 DIFFERENT NUMBERS…so they could tell us where our package MIGHT be (which “cage it is in”). Then we waited a half hour as they try to find our package…they found both of Avery’s packages but OF COURSE could not find me. So they kept on searching through the loads and LOADS OF PACKAGES…until mine appeared. We then had to open up our packages in front of a security officer, who then assessed how much we should pay the Ghanaian government for the package. LUCKILY Avery bribed them with several candy bars in her package so they reduced our prices. I only had to pay 16 CD (about 10 American dollars) for the package WHICH IS REALLY GOOD. We then made the journey back to the school…and then my 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO MY ROOM…I was SO HAPPY I ALSO PEED IN MY PANTS…THANK YOU MOM FOR THE WONDROUS GUMMY BEARS!!!!! ☺☺

After the post office I SPRINTED OVER TO the iSEP office…because MISS SUSAN was going to take us to her seamstress to have dresses made for her WONDERFUL WEDDING. I got myself measured and handed over a BEAUTIFUL fabric I bought in Kumasi. I AM GOING TO HAVE A GHANAIAN DRESS FOR A GHANAIAN WEDDING!!!! ☺

THE GHANAIAN THING TO DO…get YOUR HAIR BRAIDED ☺

On Thursday, Katie and I decided to get our hair braided. Her wonderful roommate took us to a place…which wanted to charge us WAY OVER THE COST…so then we went to Madina market and found a cute little hair shop. I got my hair braided…ALL NATURAL…and Katie got extensions. WE LOOKED GREAT! It was a bit painful…but I managed to make friends with the ladies doing my hair. We sang songs and they laughed at my attempts to speak in TWi. During our hair braiding a man came a preached at all the ladies. He spoke in Twi the entire time but it was weird getting your hair braided and being preached at. My hair took about 2 hours and Katie’s hair took 5. Luckily MISS KATIE HAS THE HUNGER GAMES…SO I READ THOSE WHILE SHE WAS GETTING HER’S BRAIDED….best books EVER! ☺

After the braiding I officially felt A LOT COOLER AND A LOT MORE GHANAIAN…but not really ☺

ADVENTURES IN AHHHHHHH GHANA

I am sorry for the late blog post…I have been trying to post when I feel like it and recently I have been living…not blogging ☺

Mawuvio’s Outreach Program
There are a few kiddos that stand out.

Felicia: A 11-year old that is not afraid to hold her own. She mother’s all the little kiddos whenever they run into trouble and her dream is to become the next Ghanaian president. She is in primary one, which is second grade in the United States. Her smile is contagious making me grin every time I see her.

Ben, Dylan, Qq (that’s what I call him cause I can’t say his name), Rubin and Randolf: This is a five pack of boys. Two of the boys, Rubin and Randolf are deaf and are able to communicate to their classmates through figure sign. There attitude is AMAZING. Every time I see them grinning from ear to ear I want to hug them and tell them how proud I am. My ISEP friend, Katie, works with them three times a week because she is able to sign. I get goose bumps every time I see her work with the double R pack (Rubin and Randolf). Randolf is the oldest boy at the school and therefore, even though he’s deaf, EVERYONE listens to him. Rubin is quiet a bit younger, but his light hearted nature and sunny giggle can bring the ENTIRE MOP TO LAUGHTER. Now, Ben Dylan, and Qq are the other oldest boys. They were there for the start of the program. They set the tone for the school: focused…but not afraid to have fun. I play football (American soccer) every Friday with the kids and these three boys are KINGS with trash talking.

Mary: I went with her to Aubri for their independence day and she took all those WONDERFUL pictures. She is EXTREMELY BRIGHT. She is one of the only girls in primary 3 and is about ready to move up to primary 4. She is the MOST DRIVEN 10 YEAR OLD I HAVE EVER MET. I am so proud of her that every time I think of her tears form in my eyes.


I go every Monday, Tuesday, and Friday to the school. On these days I wake up gleefully knowing what I am going to do today will be impactful. Fridays are different than the other two days in that they are Physical Education and movie fun days. I end up playing soccer or some other silly games with the kids. This Friday I CAME UP WITH A GLORIOUS IDEA! The kids should do some races! So we lined up all the kids and had them race each other. They absolutely LOVED IT. So it triggered another idea: A MOP FIELD DAY…someday soon I will be having an AFRICAN FIELD DAY… I am still trying to brainstorm all the events and volunteers. ☺

I also want to go to the beach with some of the kids…because even though they live 10 minutes away…MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER SEEN A BEACH BEFORE.

There is also a circus in town…IS IT CHANCE I AM READING WATER FOR ELEPHANTS AS WELL? So a trip there will be arranged…AND POSSIBLY A PIZZA PARTY and the end of the semester…since many of the kids have never had pizza before…

THINK ABOUT IT MANY OF OUR CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES…THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED.

These kids fascinate and amaze me daily.


LAST Weekend’s Adventures:

Trashy Bags

We were introduced to this NGO when we were touring Accra in our first week. I don’t think I talked about the NGO because I was too overwhelmed with information at that point, but this place is AMAZING. So in Ghana EVERYONE drinks out of bagged water. This plastic wrapping is discarded all over Ghana…people dismissing the harm it does. This NGO: Trashy Bags takes these plastic holdings of water discarded and turns them into wonderful bags, purses, and anything else you put your mind to. In my previous picture post I am modeling the fanchoco bag. It is a GREAT ORGAINZATION because it encourages recycling. When people bring these plastic holdings of water they receive money…like some states in the US. This gives an incentive to collect the plastic wrappings and allowing for the organization to encourage recycling, while creating jobs for Ghana. I did several purchases and was fascinated with the organization.

Bead Workshop

Shortly after coming back from Trashy Bags ISEP kiddos headed to a bead workshop that our wonderful coordinator, Teresa, arranged; this workshop was lead by a lady that gave a bead lesson to Michelle Obama and her children…so this lady was VERY VERY AMAZING. All of her knowledge about beads and their significance to Ghanaian culture was refreshing and wondrous. Beads are a VERY VERY critical part of Ghanaian society. Beads were the basis of trading long ago and people celebrated through beads. Beads have different meaning: white (just had a child), white, blue, and red (a healer), black and dark colors (morning), other colorings can mean twins. We got the chance to create our own beaded necklaces. I was really excited to assemble my own necklace with a fruitful amount of vivid and rich beads. We used cornhusk as the string and the end does not require any tying. The beauty of beads in Ghana is is is…well I just can’t think of an appropriate word to describe it other than AMAZING. This was a wonderful way of exploring the culture without traveling outside of Accra.

National Art Center

After the bead workshop, Avery, Katie, and I went to the National Art Center,which had a LARGE ARRAY of merchandise to purchase, while talking to locals. I used this opportunity to practice my Twi and bargain. Ghanaians LOVE LOVE LOVE IT WHEN YOU SPEAK TWI. This is the motivation for me to go and study Twi. Katie and I have got bargaining down…if you are not happy for a price…JUST WALK AWAY.

Max Mart: GLORIOUS

This is considered the obruni store of Ghana. It has some of the American things we miss DEARLY but at a ridiculous price. We enjoyed pita, hummus, and vegetables for dinner…for not a terrible price and got ingredients for no bake cookies…HORRAY. ☺ ONE OF THE things I miss most is baked goods.

Mecola: WITH THE TRO-TRO MOTTO collide

The next day Avery, Katie, and I explored one of the markets we haven’t been to. This market is a bit more chaotic than Madina (the one I have been to many times). Yet, we went on a Sunday, so it was very low key…at least at first. We just went to various shops and meandered. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE TURN…see a motorcycle crash into a 15-passenger van (motto into tro-tro). IT WAS CRAZY. The motorcyclist flew out and his helmet fly off…not staying on his head long enough to break his fall. I see a pool of blood instantly created from his fall and his legs are unnaturally curved backwards. He then comes up immediately from the adrenaline and then falls back down. Crowds of people come from the markets yelling at the tro-tro driver and putting the motto in a taxi to get rushed to a hospital. The crowd was still there after a half hour yelling at the driver (the driver was lucky the crowd did not instantly kill him…they often do). This was a disgusting sight to see. I almost vomited from the situation. The rest of the day the three of us were SUPER careful walking about to make sure we won’t get hurt. Accra really is a dangerous place…especially with transportation…but the easiest thing to do is dismiss the danger to keep going on with our lives.


RUNNING: The Challenge

I HAVE BEEN trying to be a good athlete and run as much as possible…the only problem with this is how I feel changes literally from day to day. I hope to work up to a 30 minute run daily from being sick…but I don’t know if that will be possible…OHHH MALARIA…HOW YOU ALWAYS WILL BE WITH ME.

POST OFFICE ADVENTURES
So my wonderful mother: CARLA CASEWIT…mailed me a package. The processing of getting the package can be REALLY CHALLENGING AT TIMES THOUGH! Avery and I set out on an adventure to get our packages. Our packages were stuck at the post office at circle (one of the main areas of Accra). We got there and gave them our tracking number…then we had to call 6 DIFFERENT NUMBERS…so they could tell us where our package MIGHT be (which “cage it is in”). Then we waited a half hour as they try to find our package…they found both of Avery’s packages but OF COURSE could not find me. So they kept on searching through the loads and LOADS OF PACKAGES…until mine appeared. We then had to open up our packages in front of a security officer, who then assessed how much we should pay the Ghanaian government for the package. LUCKILY Avery bribed them with several candy bars in her package so they reduced our prices. I only had to pay 16 CD (about 10 American dollars) for the package WHICH IS REALLY GOOD. We then made the journey back to the school…and then my 3 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS TO MY ROOM…I was SO HAPPY I ALSO PEED IN MY PANTS…THANK YOU MOM FOR THE WONDROUS GUMMY BEARS!!!!! ☺☺

After the post office I SPRINTED OVER TO the iSEP office…because MISS SUSAN was going to take us to her seamstress to have dresses made for her WONDERFUL WEDDING. I got myself measured and handed over a BEAUTIFUL fabric I bought in Kumasi. I AM GOING TO HAVE A GHANAIAN DRESS FOR A GHANAIAN WEDDING!!!! ☺

THE GHANAIAN THING TO DO…get YOUR HAIR BRAIDED ☺

On Thursday, Katie and I decided to get our hair braided. Her wonderful roommate took us to a place…which wanted to charge us WAY OVER THE COST…so then we went to Madina market and found a cute little hair shop. I got my hair braided…ALL NATURAL…and Katie got extensions. WE LOOKED GREAT! It was a bit painful…but I managed to make friends with the ladies doing my hair. We sang songs and they laughed at my attempts to speak in TWi. During our hair braiding a man came a preached at all the ladies. He spoke in Twi the entire time but it was weird getting your hair braided and being preached at. My hair took about 2 hours and Katie’s hair took 5. Luckily MISS KATIE HAS THE HUNGER GAMES…SO I READ THOSE WHILE SHE WAS GETTING HER’S BRAIDED….best books EVER! ☺

After the braiding I officially felt A LOT COOLER AND A LOT MORE GHANAIAN…but not really ☺

Some pictures

Independence AND classes

The Wonders of Ghana on Independence Day

Independence day in Aburi with the M.O.P. kiddos: March 6, 2012
NEW CAR FOR RENEE
Brendan, Emma, Katie, and I caught a taxi to Kisseman junction (near the school I teach at) and met Renee (the once ISEP student who started this school for disadvantaged youth) in a SMASHING NEW CAR. She got it from one her WONDERFUL donors. We happily got in and went off to Aburi with 5 children from Kisseman, 4 that attend the school.

Gardens: after a windy drive up the mountain we arrive at these WONDEROUS GARDENS, which were PACKED full of people. The entrance was a line of palm trees…something you would see on a Beverly Hills movie. Many of the plants were labeled and described. I got to see a coco tree…WHICH WAS AMAZING.

The music: we wondered through the gardens and ran into a stage with music and dancing going on. Through out the day there were various dance competitions, music jamming, and a spelling bee (which of the words I only knew what one of them meant).
ICE CREAM: during the course of the day we ran into a lady with ice cream on her head. This ice cream was UNLIKE fanchocos…it is like a serburt, but not tarty…rather sweet. This ice cream IS LITERALLY THE BEST ICE CREAM I HAVE HAD HEAR. Apparently it is the local ice cream, unlike fanchocos and fanices. I recommend you FIND AND EAT THIS ICE CREAM IF YOU EVER GO TO GHANA…it is life CHANGING.

Sausage/hotdogs: for a quick lunch ALL OF US had a sausage from a stand grilling them on a charcol fire…this is how bbq is done in Ghana. The sausage tastes like a half sasuage, half hot dog. I HATE hotdogs…but oddly scarfefd this down. 

The world through Mary’s eyes: I gave one of the MOP kiddos my camera for the day. I have many pictures that she took. It was fascinating what pictures she took and her perspective on life. She took A LOT of pictures of trees and of us walking. I took some pictures of her and showed them to her…SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. I think I will try to get some of the pictures printed and give it to her on the last day. SHE WOULD LOVE IT.

Later in the day we found ourselves under a tree…which Brendan climbed (along with another tree) and some of the boys of MOP climbed. Suddenly, 3 MOP kids broke out in a rap and then a song. THEY WERE A SIGHT TO SEE. The just seemed to be loving and living life to the fulliest. Goodness I LOVE ALL OF THEM SO MUCH!

KEEP AWAY…even with a lady selling satches and her child.
We brought a small volley ball with us, which the children kicked around the entire time. Brendan acquired it and then we played keep away: boys vs. girls. It was SO MUCH FUN because the children had a blast (and even I did) at this simple game. With this joy we attracted a bit of a crowd. A lady selling bagged water and her daughter stopped and watched…before we knew it, they joined (Emma involved them by passing to the little girl at first…WAY TO GO EMMA ). At that very moment when we had to strangers playing with us and laughing all the while, I realized: THIS IS WHY I AM IN GHANA…to embrass every moment. I think this experience will stick with me the rest of my life. These simple event mean so much. The mother was actually AMAZING! She could be a linebacker in football (in the US). They ended up leaving and we meandered around a bit more…running into a helicopter and children playing on it (with NO SAFETY RESTRICTIONS MIND YOU).

This day was blissful and WONDEROUS…A very WWA day (Wonderful World of Africa).   HAPPY GHANAIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!






Things I love in Ghana
* RED-RED (fried plantains and a bean stew)
* The song “African Man”…don’t worry when I get back to the states I will play it ALL THE TIME.
* The smiles from Ghanaians when they see I am not so different from them.
* BEING IN THE TROPICS! (I am in a rainforest)
* The markets…you never know what you are going to find. It is kind of like a Big Lots in the United States (shout out to my family and our ritual visits to Big Lots…love you guys)
* The M.O.P. kids. THEY ARE TO DIE FOR!
* The fruit…it is SO FRESH AND TASTY! (pineapple, mango, coconut, and sugar cane)
* The vegetables…REALLY GOOD! (avocadoes, carrots, onions, peppers)
* Plantain chips (almost taste like potato chips)
* Mars bars (they are like milky ways…except better and expensive)
* Fanchocos (frozen chocolate milk), Fanices(frozen milk but basically ice cream), Fandangos (frozen citrus juice)…ALL AMAZING!
* Milo (kind of like hot chocolate except more chocolately)
* Soda (like coca-cola) out of a glass bottle (the coca-cola is literally THE BEST HERE…mom you would LOVE IT)

Things I miss in America
* GUMMY BEARS…OH SO MUCH
* A good steak and a baked potato
* My mom’s frito pie (LOVE YOU MOM)
* The mountains in Colorado
* A good glass of sweet tea from the south (LOVE YOU ARKANSAS)
* OF COURSE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
* CANDY
* CEREAL

What is all the talk about? What do I talk about here? What are the common trends?

Food: we talk about food we miss and food we eat here. This is a VERY COMMON conversation among international students. In fact I will talk about it at least ONCE A DAY!

Poop: we tend to celebrate A LOT WHEN SOMEONE HAD A SOLID poop…no seriously though! It is something to smile about…because it is a rare occasion…sorry about the non-professional manner…but it is the truth!

Toilets…toilet paper…and everything that comes with it: The struggle of Ghanaian bathrooms:

WHEREVER YOU GO…you MUST bring some hand sanitizer and some toilet paper…because YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU WILL END UP. 97 % of bathrooms in Ghana don’t have soap, toilet paper, or paper towels…so you have to come prepared EVERDAY. EVEN IN THE DORMS! In my hostel, I have to bring my soap and toilet paper in the bathroom and then back to my room. This is one detail that can get annoying before you know it…especially if you are sick. It does make you VERY GRATEFUL for the WONDEROUS WORLD OF THE US where the toilet paper AND soap is at your disposal.

In fact, there is ONE washroom (they call bathrooms washrooms here because of the British colonization) on campus that has SOAP, TOILET PAPER, AND PAPER TOWELS…there is a guard protecting the area…but if you are sneaky…you can enjoy the pleasure…yes MANY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CELEBRATE THIS OCCASION! Silly as it sounds…it can truly make one’s day. 

Travel does NOT equal easy access to urinals or toilets out in the BUSH

While traveling so far, the bathrooms are VERY INTERESTING. Urinals in the rural areas consist of a cement slab that you need to pee on…but the problem is it comes right back at you splashing your feet and shoes…I still haven’t master the technique…but asking other Ghanaians how they do it…it seems they haven’t either…all PREFERING THE BUSH (the wilderness) to this messy situation.


SING…SINGING AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS
“She will be loved” Maroon 5
At times when I think everything is getting to me…I go to my room and crank up my itunes. Singing to familiar songs allows me to decompress and connect to my mother land (sorry I just had to say that hahahahaha). The Maroon 5 song just hit me…at the moment it fits how I am feeling.

Getting back into ATTENDING CLASSES AND WALKING: 7th week in Ghana

After being in and out for three weeks, I enjoyed moving around freely this week. I enjoyed walking around campus and having the freedom of doing what I wanted to (aka not being cooped up in ISH all day).

Waiting for a class outside of Central Cafeteria, I spotted a boy…PLAYING FIELD HOCKEY! I sprinted over to him and asked him if I could try out his stick. He has a composite that had an awfully thick grip. I pranced around for a couple minutes satisfied that I got to ACTUALLY PLAY! I was just complaining to one of my friends Liz Lancaster…LOVE YOU…that I couldn’t play…and here I was PLAYING FIELD HOCKEY. I then asked if the boys practice regularly. GUESS WHAT? THEY DO! So every Friday, hopefully, I will be playing field hockey with the men’s University of Ghana field hockey team! THIS LIFTED MY SPIRITS COMPLETELY. Just those couple of moments with the stick reminded me of HOW MUCH I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE FIELD HOCKEY! Who knows, maybe I could bring the Mauwvio’s (now I will refer to them as M.O.P., which is Mawuvio’s Outreach Program) kiddos to play someday?

These little experiences make me love Ghana to the next level!

CLASSES SO FAR:

OHH BOY, SO CLASSES, they are something else completely! I have a professor for two of my history courses…she HAS US READ OUT LOUD FOR THE CLASS EACH WEEK. What? Are we in elementary school playing popcorn? She does this for BOTH OF THE CLASSES. So my perspective of history is a bit tainted…at least I don’t have to do the readings before class…SINCE WE DO THEM IN THE CLASS. I am making a couple of friends in the history courses…which make the class more bearable…some of them Ghanaian …even a guy that DIDN’T ASK FOR MY NUMBER…PROGRESS! The two history courses are Ghana in the 19th and 20th Centuries and Africa 1500-1800.

Other than history courses…there is A LOT OF VARIETY!

Twi: this class I miss A LOT because it intervenes with my dance class…so I end up getting a half to full hour of Twi a week. BUT THIS WEEK I GOT A FULL TWO HOURS! I had the professor, which I LOVE (his name is Kofi), review everything they have learned. My goal is to get down the greetings and the simple talk so I can keep a conversation and impress some Ghanaians.

Sociology: Poverty and Rural Development: this class seems to be DEPRESSING MOST OF THE TIME! There is so much talk about sad disease and death. This last week’s subject was on maternal mortality and frankly I was a little in a downer after the class. Things in the United States I REALLY take for granted…like GREAT HEALTH CARE…isn’t received in Ghana. Yet, many of the Ghanaian in the class…okay the MAJORITY laughed at the situation…why, because they are all fairly immature…or want to deny the reality of the situation. The professor cracks jokes a lot to lighten the mood, but sometimes…the jokes can’t lighten the mood (for me at least). His class is very power point based.

Religion: Islam in Ghana, this class is very fascinating and informative. I enjoy each class period. I did learn a rather hard lesson in this class though, speaking in classes, as an American…just can’t happen. I spoke in this class and EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE TEACHER, laughed at me...OF COURSE I AM NOT GOING TO SPEAK AGAIN…AFTER THAT. Yet, besides the embarrassing moment, I enjoy the discussion of Islam in Ghana. First being in this country I noticed the dominance of Christianity…but as you go further up north there is dominance of Islam. There is one Muslim in the class…and at times she is questioned…a kind of awkward situation to be put in.

Geography: Introduction to Resource Analysis, this class is very informative. The class is a power point based lecture with the professor focused COMPLETELY on the material. I participated once in this class as well…the professor didn’t laugh…but I was still uncomfortable when the class laughed. I have never thought of resources in such an economic perspective…but I very much enjoy it. 

African Dance: I LOVE THIS CLASS. It is hard to motivate myself to want to move and shake every Tuesday and Thursday night…but once I do…I realize why I am in the class. I have officially master one dance…I don’t know how to spell the name, but it involves A BUNCH OF SPINNING and hitting sticks with other sticks. The songs and passion in each dance is refreshing. Each class I learn a bit more about their culture. If only I was a good dance, I would take more dance classes. If I can get someone to film our final…then I will post it on the blog for all to see how neat Ghanaian dancing is. The live drumming and constant song makes for a PERFECT DANCE environment. 

Kumasi: Enlightened about Culture

“CAST AWAY” LADY DANVILLE
You know those days where you pin down the perfect song to describe what’s going. This song is EXACTLY HOW I FEEL.
For some reason I feel like I am casting away to a place: Ghana. I do love it, ever second, but right now I still have a hard time understanding that everyone in the United States is still doing what they do, even though I am not there.

Kumasi Trip
This is the second biggest city in Ghana. It is in the Ashanti region…and is the capital of this region. This is kind of like Denver is the capital of Colorado, but Washington DC is the capital of the US (Accra is the capital of Ghana). The Ashanti people were one of the most dominate tribes in all of West Africa. It was considered, and is still considered, one of the MOST important inner country cities in Ghana. It was the main stopping route for slave trade and is know for its woodcarving, kente cloth, and Ashanti prints.

Traveling there
The VOYAGE TO KUMASI was a flash back. We start by driving through Accra and then into the mountains. The roads in the mountains are VERY poorly built, giving almost everyone on the bus stomachaches. This part of the trip was wondrous because of the foreign climate with the familiarity of MOUNTAINS (or rather Colorado foothills). There are two saying in Ghana I think fit my ups and downs. WWA (What a Wondrous Africa) and TIA (This is Africa (or if I am in a REALLY bad mood TIAB (this is Africa bitches)) really describe the ins and outs of culture shock and awareness. There are stages when I am COMPLETELY WIDE EYED about everything that is going on around me…and there are other times when I AM IGNORING EVERYTHING AROUND ME…and just trying to get to the next thing. Some days walking to class, I break out the ipod and jam to familiar tunes…getting through a down moment. There are other times when I open up and say hello to EVERYONE I pass. The mixture of feeling has to do with where I am going and how I am honestly doing. At this point, traveling to Kumasi, I was wide-eyed absorbing two regions I haven’t been to yet: Eastern Region and Ashanti Region.

RAW CHICKEN…THE BATTLE

After we arrived to Kumasi, we stopped at a restaurant to get some food in our systems. I ordered some chicken and plain rice. When my order came out I hungrily gobbled down my meal…but half way through I DISCOVERED THAT MY CHICKEN WAS COMPLETELY RAW! Yep, that’s right I was eating raw chicken. I told the owner of the restaurant that my chicken was raw and she got furious. All I wanted her to say was sorry and that she will try to double check the meat…this after all A RESTAURANT…not a market, not off the street…but a restaurant. She wanted me to pay 8 CD FOR A RAW MEAL? Well, she walked a way in a huff and didn’t let me pay. The moral is…I will not eat meal while traveling here…cause who knows what happens to the meat…if it is cooked or how it is stored. I became VERY WORRIED. I have been sick twice already from malaria and bacteria…the LAST THING I NEED IS FOOD POSIONING. Luckily I was just exhausted from my recovering bacteria infection and never felt the chicken.

Asante Palace: Manhyia Palace

We stepped off the bus and looked at a building that looked like a very nice house…tropical…but nice. There were peacocks (a symbol of the people for bravery) all around and a fountain with a porcupine (a symbol of the people for toughness when in battle) in it. This place was the previous home to two Ashanti kings. About 10 years ago there was a newly constructed building for the current Ashanti king…which was LITERALLY right next to this building. I was about 300 meters away from the current king of the Ashanti region…SO CRAZY. We watched an informational video about the Ashanti people and then toured the house. This museum was FULL of artifacts and information. Anything that a king touched was valued. There are about 25 chairs in the museum because any chair a king sat on…NOBOBY ELSE would be allowed to sit on it…EVER.

This region…that used to be a HUGE EMPIRE is where Twi originated (this is the language commonly used in Accra and I am auditing a course in it).

Kente Cloth making…a little background:

“Of all the crafts practiced in West Africa, few are more readily identifiable with a particular country than kente cloth with Ghana. Strongly associated with the Ashanti, modern kente is characterized by intricately woven and richly colorful geometric designs, generally dominated by bold shades of yellow, green, blue, orange, and red. However, in its earliest form, before the introduction of exotic fabrics and dyes through trade with the European castles of the coast, kente cloth was somewhat less kaleidoscopic, since white and navy blue were the only available dyes.”

We stepped into the small structure filled with color and weaving structures. There were about 15 weavers ready to sell their pieces. I got the chance of doing a bit of my own weaving. When I was in elementary school we did several weaving projects and this system was very similar to that…other than it was a bit more complex…OKAY WAY MORE COMPLEX.

I REALIZED how different each cloth was…and that each had an entirely different meaning. This culture I am trying to understand, piece by piece, has so many beautiful presents…waiting to be discovered. Sometimes I feel like a detective…finding the new piece of “secret information”.

Adinkra Symbols

There are MANY DIFFERENT Ashanti symbols. All of them have rich and powerful meanings:
“More than 60 different adinkra symbols are in use, each of them signifying a specific tradition or proverb. The most popular of these is the rather Chinese-looking Gye Nyame, symbolizing the omnipotence of God, and is easily recognized since it is depicted on the 100 cedi banknote.”

My favorite symbol…which is temping to get a tattoo in is the “sankofa”, which is a heart-shaped with two whirls inside. This encourages building on ones cultural roots and giving back to society (which is what I want to do for the REST OF MY LIFE, as a teacher).

These symbols are often put on Kente cloth or on fabric. I purchased a purse with “sankofas” ALL over it. The creation of these symbols is through the soaking of tree bark with water for days. Then the water is boiled and finally ready to use. The creation of the liquid is very ritualized. I was able to participate in the creation of the liquid by pounding on it and using the liquid in my own printmaking stamps (on some kente cloth).

The uniqueness and variety in this creation was fascinating. I wanted to stay and absorb the skill in adinkra symbol making. Something on the silly side: a new stamp has been created for OBAMA…funny INDEED!

Woodcarvings
Woodcarvings in Ghana are ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. The rich in colors, the smoothness in the wood, and the pure loveliness of the act all make up the experience of watching someone carve the wood.

We spent the majority of the time with the woodcarving looking at the beautiful creations and deciding which ones we would like to bring home…and then bargain for them.

SHOPPING UNTIL YOU DROP
The idea of commercialism repulses me after being in Ghana for seven weeks. I just can’t imagine wanting things and stuff after seeing so much poverty…and teaching children that endure the poverty. Alas, when in Kumasi, I HAD to buy plenty of souvenirs…because after all how often does one go to the continent of Africa? What helped me swallow the greed, which was knowing these families I was buying from would be using the money to feed and education their children.

Bargaining is something, oddly enough, I am getting a hang of. The trick is to walk away from the person to illustrate how serious you are about the price.

Similarities and differences of Accra to Kumasi

Accra is SO MUCH DIRTIER…the chaos in Accra seems to be to the next level. Yet, this dirt and chaos is what I am familiar with…making Kumasi something NEW AND DIFFERENT. I would like to come back to Kumasi. We were only able to explore their HUGE MARKET for less than an hour…not enough time to absorb the culture…there did seem less people calling us Obruni…because the size of the market was significantly larger.

Hotel

We spent two nights (Friday and Saturday) in the guesthouse at the local university. It was a surreal experience having Air Conditioning on the bus and in our rooms….What is this? America? I had some very odd flashbacks to the past three years of field hockey and ALL THE UNKNOWN HOTELS, traveling through the United States in pursuit of the AMAZING GAME OF FIELD HOCKEY…A SHOUT OUT TO THE FIELD HOCKEY TEAM…which I miss dearly and thought of you lots during this trip. The simple luxuries of AC and hot showers (I had my first hot shower in 7 weeks), catch me off guard…oddly making me want to stay here even longer…I don’t want to go back…EVEN THOUGH I DO MISS PEOPLE SO MUCH!

Traveling back

We headed back with many souvenirs…the bus was crammed to the rim. We all drifted in and out of sleep wanting to be back as soon as possible...traveling back seems to DRAG ON…no matter where you are going…because you just WANT TO BE BACK! Along the way back we stopped on the side of the road and got some traditional pots. These pots many Ghanaians use for eating and crushing many seeds. Collecting these dishes I felt a bit closer to the culture. I hope to create a purely authentic meal for my sister when she visits…so preparation here I come. 

Pictures from Kumasi

Pictures :)