Ghana Has Obama Fever!

This song can be heard on a daily basis blasting from shops, internet cafes, tro tros or restaurant/bars




A local bar named after Obama and a bookmark made from traditional weaving (Kente)

What's next?

Now that I have 5 days on my own, I am planning out the next steps in my search for school sites.

I would like to find a small town further outside of the city that doesn't have any school at all. There are supposedly a number of such towns but finding them without a car will be difficult. I am negotiating with one of the Internet Cafe workers (Ken) to secure a scooter for me to rent. He said I could buy one for about $200 but I would rather not spend that much money especially if I will only be using it for the next two and a half weeks. A scooter would also give me a lot more freedom here because I wouldn't have to rely on others to get me from place to place.

This is the type of town I would like to find.

One is the loneliest number

Well Amy left last night so it is just me now. I have spent a lot of time here alone in past years but it was especially nice to have a friend from home to talk to and bounce ideas off of.

Currently Charles' car is down and out. There were a couple problems with it. First the starter went out and then the transmission box lost a seal so it is losing fluid. This all happened yesterday so we were in a rush to find another mode of transportation so that we could make the haul to the airport for Amy. We ended up taking a taxi all the way to the airport and back from Kasoa. We opted out of taking a tro tro because of time constraints and the fact that Amy had just showered. If we had taken a tro tro we would be crammed in like sardines and therefore, so much for a shower. With about 24hrs in a plane, starting out sweaty and dirty would not be pleasant.

Now I have 5 days till Nathaniel arrives.

One thing about coming to Ghana is it makes me LOVE Oregon even more.

Oregon
vs

Ghana

Kokrobite

Saturday Seth and I took Kobe out to the beach with us. Charles had a tour to run for the day and Becky was working, so he would have been home alone. It was good to have him along and Seth says Kobe probably hasn't been to the beach since the last visit, a year ago. Getting there was a bit of a challenge and required 2 tro tros and a taxi. Once you arrive though, you can find a private palm shack to rent for the day. The shacks sit right on the beach and provide plenty of shade along with some basic benches and a table. Locals wander by with food and drinks every so often and we were able to buy some bananas and peanuts to add to the minerals (sodas) we had brought in a cooler.



It was almost impossible to get Kobe out of the water to have some food. He could have spent all day in the ocean. I don't blame him! It's so warm here. The water was perfect, warmer than Hawaii but plenty refreshing after a long trip in the sun. We met a man named Johnson who is a structural engineer and he spent some of the afternoon with us. Seth and I did our best to teach him and Kobe how to float on their backs. Kobe was definitely wary of getting very deep in the water and had a death grip on Seth's neck. Showing Johnson was easier and he at least got the feel for it, even if he hasn't quite gotten it down yet. Swimming is not a skill that is taught here so both of the guys were impressed that both Seth and I could swim. They kept reprimanding us for how far out in the water we went. It's true that the current is pretty strong, but once you figure out the wave pattern it's perfectly manageable. Also there were sandbars some distance out from the shore, so even if it seemed far, we were only in up to our hips. That said, if I didn't feel confident in my swimming skills and know to follow the shore rather than fight the tide, it would be easy to be intimidated by the water. The waves are similar in size to those on the Oregon coast.



The unfortunate thing was in all our aquatic merriment, we lost track of our shack. Although we were trying to keep an eye on it someone managed to slip off with some of my money and my sun glasses. It could have been worse - they didn't take it all and they left my camera and ipod. It was still frustrating though because it could have been helped and I've spent the last few days glaring at the sun. Luckily I have a visor with me and only a couple days remaining in the trip, so my funds should make the duration.

Even with this frustration though, I would love to spend another day on the beach. It was so relaxing and nice to be able to spend some time in the water. Even better was to see Kobe let his guard down and have some fun with us. I'm glad he was able to come along without his parents. Meeting Johnson could be helpful as well - hard to build a school without an engineer!

Road Rules

Let me take this opportunity to describe ground transport in Ghana. If you're lucky enough to have a car, you're probably not lucky enough to have one with air conditioning. Even the car we rented for our tour had problems. The AC died by the time we got to Kumasi and the car itself threatened to die along with it as we sat in bumper to bumper traffic. With windows rolled down you risk black lung from all the exhaust!

None of the cars I have been in have had back seat belts and only one of them was I able to dig out from under the seat. Even if seat belts were available, no one would use them. This means that I've spent days flying down 2 lane, potholed roads without a seat belt. Imagine me bouncing around the back seat as we weave between dump trucks and road debris. Worse is that there isn't much attention paid to right of way or general driving precautions. Tro tros are flying on and off the shoulder, honking their horns all the way, bikes are teetering along the edges. Add this to the pedestrian traffic and you have a high likelihood of injury. It's simply a matter of time and I hope I'm well free of Ghana before my time comes. Everyone remember now, road rules are there for our safety!!! It's never been more evident to me.



The tro tros are really quite a wonder. These are privately owned vans which run up and down the main roads transporting people to and fro for relatively little. What that means though is that service is a bit hit and miss. The vans are packed to the gills with people, small children and any number of personal items. The drivers have set up extra seats in the general aisles, so when you need to exit at your stop, half the van has to unload in front of you and then reload once you're off. Each tro tro has a driver and a mate. The mate is the person you interact with. He calls out the stops, wrangles passengers and baggage and collects the money. If you're not careful (and particularly if you look like you might not know what you're doing - like me) they will tell you the price is double the actual. Usually another friendly passenger will correct them and make sure you're not overpaying. There are far more people looking out for us than trying to take advantage. Another highlight of the road is the display of religious fervor. Most taxis and tro tros have a few words of wisdom pasted on their back window. I've enjoyed looking out for new variations.



The last piece of info on ground transport I'll share is how awesome the taxis are. They're considerably more expensive than the mass transit of the tro tro system, but they will take ANYTHING. I have seen taxis brimming with one passenger and 7,000 eggs or pineapples pouring out the windows. No kidding. FULL of pineapples! At home we get dirty looks if you try and take too many items home from IKEA.



In short, getting from point A to B is a wild ride.

Kakum/Cape Coast

Day three we left Kumasi early and drove south to Kakum National Park. This park hosts the much publicized canopy walkway. The suspension bridge spans 7 trees and gives you a clear view of the surrounding forest. Green as far as the eye can see. They were working on one of the platforms, so we were only able to see the first 5 stretches but it was very cool to be so far up and walking on a little ladder. Of course we were in a rain forest so we were sopping wet from the humidity by the time we were through. Charles gave us a bit of information about the forest saying that the animals stay very hidden. As it was only recently established as a National Park there have been some issues with local farmers hunting in the forest for food, or what they call bush meat. So the animals stay hidden during the day. Many of the plants are used for herbal remedies but are now protected from harvest. Hopefully over the next few years the animals will feel safer and begin to return in larger numbers. On our way out I did spot a tree full of weaver birds and got a fairly good shot of on building his nest. We also saw one lime green snake and many butterflies. Then we were BACK IN THE CAR for another hour or so before we hit Cape Coast.





Our night in Cape Coast was much like that in Kumasi. We ate dinner at the hotel, sampled some kenke (another doughy substance) and swam in the pool. Note: drinking anything but beer is EXPENSIVE. Stick with the local brews Star and Stone and you'll be better off.



The following morning we hit two coastal towns, Elmina and then Cape Coast. We left to see Elmina first, as we wanted to see the fishermen in their boats before they all headed out for the day. The fishermen village was CRAZY. Packed with people and wooden boats flying flags of all colors. The boatmen can choose their own flags, so you will often see Jamaican, South African, American, French and original flags flying, regardless of the fact all the boats are Ghanaian. Along the streets the women sell the fish and crabs which are so fresh, they're still breathing. You can't help but feel sorry for them in the sun. Elmina is home to one of the main castles and has a rich Dutch and British heritage. There are a lot of colonial era buildings in various states of decay and apparently the Dutch government will subsidize any Ghanaian building owner making renovations. In fact, they will pay up to 80% of the costs!



Both the Elmina and Cape Coast castles are painted white with blue shutters, which belies their history as defense mechanisms and trading grounds. While they were used for many years in the trade of spices, gold and other goods, they are most famous for their role in the slave trade. By the time we got to Cape Coast castle I was beginning to feel the heat and a bit of nausea. Unfortunately the first stop on the tour of the castle are the male dungeons. All I could think as we looked into the entrance (a big black hole going into the ground) was "I don't want to go in there, I don't want to go down there". You can imagine what a captured native would have felt. Many of them were marched south from other territories, hundreds of miles, so were exhausted and traumatized. Split from their families they were crammed into unventilated dungeons for up to 6 weeks waiting transport over the Atlantic ocean. Africans who had never seen the ocean were faced with months on the water during their voyage and some committed suicide if they could manage it. What Seth and I both found interesting though was that the United States actually imported far fewer slaves than other regions such as the Bahamas, Central and South America. It's surprising as the history and impact of slavery is such an important part us US curriculum. We studied it every year for as long as I can remember.

If you follow the tunnels from the dungeons to the beach where the slaves were loaded onto boats you pass through "the door of no return". Hundreds of years ago you would be confronted with dozens of row boats being filled with captives to be taken out to the ships off the coast. A wild sight I'm sure. Now you can barely make out the sand for how many fishing boats have been pulled ashore. Nets, fishing baskets, flags and people mill about creating a vibrant scene. It's a very obvious contrast and one that hit home for both of us. The castles are a huge draw for many people searching for their roots in Africa and are frequently visited. If you turn around and walk back through the door you will see it has been symbolically named "the door of return", welcoming the sons and daughters of Africa back home.

There is no escape

I was hoping to come to Ghana and be able to take a break from the political world for at least just a few weeks. Turns out I was wrong.

Ghana is closing in on their presidential elections that will be held on December 7th. There are posters, billboards, commercials, traveling announcements and rallies going on every day! The election is coming down to three presidential candidates.

Professor Atta Mills is running on the New Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket. The NDC was in power during the Clinton years when their party leader, JJ Rawlings, took over the country in a "non-violent" coup. They are trying to make a comeback and are pointing many a finger at the current party in control even though they had plenty of corruption of their own 8 years ago. Atta Mills was the vice president to Rawlings and this will be his third time running for president ('00, '04, '08) Third times a charm?




Nana Akufo Addo is the nominee for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). This is the party currently in power here and he fought his way through a 17 way fight in the primary. He may have a leg up in terms of campaign infrastructure but the economy in Ghana, like the rest of the world, is not doing well right now (better than most African countries but still worse than a few years ago). The party is also having some problems with awarding big importing contracts to family members and has focused on imports rather than building Ghana from within.


Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom is running under the Convention People’s Party (CPP). He was thought of as a long shot a year ago but is very well respected. He has preformed very well in the last few debates and is building momentum. The CPP is the original political party here in Ghana and was in power when the country gained its independence in 1957. His platform is one of free and compulsory education through high school, putting more taxes on imports to help develop the country's infrastructure/economy and to clean up the environment which thus far has been ignored. Needless to say, this is my man. I don't have a good enough feel for the environment here to say who might be ahead and there are no credible polls either. We will just have to wait until Dec. 7th.


So much for my vacation away from politics...

Ashanti

On day two of the big tour we headed out of Accra to Kumasi. Kumasi is the capital of the Ashanti region and the seat of the Ashanti King. The city is a cultural center for the nation and according to Charles, was never conquered by the colonists who landed along the coast. It is another 5 hour drive to the north and we made an early start picking up food along the way. Doughnuts were the order of the day! Several toasty and windblown hours later (windows down!) we took a quick drive through the city and out towards the three main crafting villages.

The first stop was at the village of Bonwire, one of the original "stools" of the kente weaving. Kente is recognizable by the colorful geometric designs which the men weave on large looms. The resulting cloth is beautiful and understandably expensive.

Calabash tree

Next we traveled a short distance to see Adinkra cloth being printed. Adinkra hosts a collection of symbols representing traditional parables or lessons. It is generally a monochromatic dye stamped onto woven Kente or cotton fabrics. The dye is made from the bark of the babie tree which is crushed and then boiled down to a thick tar. The artists then use stamps made from calabash to print the patterns. I tried my hand at it and also watched as an expert produced the same designs using silk screening as an alternative method for the very large designs.

Adinkra silk screening

Calabash stamps

After a quick trip and some clever bargaining in the wood carving village we were off to see Paco, Charles' older son, at his high school back in Kumansi. He was not expecting visitors and was very excited and surprised to see both Charles and Seth. He was grinning ear to ear the entire visit.

I have to say most of the time over this day was spent in the back of the car, peering out the window. There is much to see along the roadway as that is the main source of commerce once outside of the large population centers. You can find all sorts of food and drink along with charcoal and other staples. Along with the vendors there is a constant stream of children in various school uniforms making the trek from their home villages to the nearest school. Some schools are several miles away and the children have to leave very early to make the walk. Seth and I are beginning to think it may be more worthwhile for Framework to establish a new school in one of these rural areas rather than attempt to replace an existing structure. A smaller school could be built (meaning funds could be spread around) and it would address an immediate need.

Volta Region

We've just returned from several days on tour, the first of which we spent in the Volta Region, which is to the east of Accra. The region is much more rural than the Central and Greater Accra regions and it was nice to get out of the city and see some of the smaller villages. We left very early in the morning, 4:30am, in an attempt to make the 5 hour drive before the monkeys retreated from the mid-day sun. It was a long hot trip, but certainly worthwhile.

We arrived at Tafi Atome around 10am but were lucky to find a family of Mona monkeys who had not gone too far into the forrest. Our guide, Emmanuel, was able to call them to us. The monkeys are traditionally sacred and are well cared for by the villagers of Tafi Atome. The small community has received some assistance from the UN and is becoming an eco-tourism destination. Though we did not see any other tourists, we know that there was a Dutch group that came through a day or so before and lodged in the small guest house which is available. The morning being the best time to see the monkeys, it is reccommended that you stay over night. Emmanuel told us that the monkeys, of which there are 4 resident families, regularly come into the village during the morning for fruit distributed by the community and then head for the shadows the rest of the day.





The family we we encountered was made up of about 15 monkeys, the only "true" Mona monkeys in Ghana (there are several other branches of the species). They were very pretty and ranged in size from a large house cat down to kitten, as their ages varied. They are black, white and gray and disctinguishable from their relatives by white disks on their hips. We were not able to see the male head of the family but could hear him calling just out of site. We had brought bananas and as soon as we offered them out, the monkeys would jump down from the trees and clobber whichever hand held the food. They were very fast but very careful. They watched us closely and ran bck to the trees as soon as they had a good mouthful of fruit. There was one little guy in particular who spent a lot of time with us, sitting on his haunches and looking back and forth between Seth and myself. They have such human faces and seem so friendly, that it's easy to see why some people think they would make good pets. I have to say we jokingly contemplated sneaking one back with us! It may seem like they were quite tame but they were wary and would not let you touch them. That said, they were not shy about taking the food and would take an entire banana if you didn't hold on very tight. They have tiny little fingers that grab onto your hands and peel the bananas lickety split. We fed them two bunches of bananas and I'm sure they were stuffed to the gills by the end.

After Tafi Atome we drove to Lake Volta to see the dam. The dam stems the flow of the Volta River, creating what it currently the largest man-made lake in the world. It's long and skinny and runs most of the length of the country. The power plant attached to the dam supplies the majority of the power to the country, with small supplemental plants further up the river. You could see the lines heading out in all directions; east to Togo, west to Cape Coast and Elmina and further north towards Kumasi and the Northern Region. If you are in the area on the right day there is a ferry that you can take up the lake to a small island and spend the day, complete with a live band and lunch. It would have been very nice to stay along the lakefront and take advantage of this, but there is only so much you can do in one trip!

Week 1 Pictures

Ghana loves Obama! When we meet a new person and they learn we are Americans they exclaim, "Obama! Hey!". This shot of Charles' car is proof of global Obama mania.



Zappo is up and running and has been full everytime we stop by. Ghana is ripe for investments. Zappo at least will be keeping Ghanaian money in Ghana.



Smoked fish in the Kasoa market place, where you can find just about anything...but sunglasses.



Araba and Anti Aba, Charles and Becky's neices. They just take a little warming up and then they're climbing all over you!



Anti Aba is four but is as tall as her older sister and much more outgoing.



Children who gathered around at the local school volleyball tournement.




Becky teaching Amy how to cook banku, which is a bit like sourdough. It's harder than you think!

Day to day Impressions

We have now been in the Kasoa area for 5 days of relaxation. It has given me time to absorb the culture and activities of every day life. Charles has been kind enough to pick us up from the hotel every morning and make sure that we are cared for through dinner each evening. We have spent a good amount of time at his new home, which he is just in the process of completing. The family moved in about a month ago and are still unpacking. Charles says that the entire process of building a house is a 5 to 10 year ordeal. In the first year, you buy the land. In the second year you build the foundation. In the third year you build up to window level, and so forth. Currently they just have to install the septic system and paint the exterior. Of course Charles has many projects in mind and has already started an extensive garden, including popo (papaya), mango, garden eggs (egg plant), cassava and plantains.

It is a good plan to have so much food so close at hand. We have made good use of it on several evenings. One of the most entertaining things for me is to watch Rebecca, Charles' wife, prepare dinner over a charcoal stove out on the porch. She begins almost as soon as she gets home from work and manages to prepare what seems like several meals throughout the evening. So far we have enjoyed peanut soup, palava sauce, and a delicious stew she makes with tomatoes, ginger, onions and tuna. We also eat a lot of plantains and chicken, followed by popo for desert. Last night I watched Becky make the palava sauce, which is a lot like a noncreamy spinach sauce. It is made with smoked fish, which we bought at the market the other day, and it was served over yams.

The children in the family have been another source of enjoyment for us. The other evening Charles' brother Ato brought his girls over for the evening. Anti Aba is 4 and Araba is 6. They are very giggly and silly little girls and you can tell that they are very happy. Kobe is 13 and a bit more reserved, but has been very helpful in showing us around the neighborhood and doing chores around the house. He also has a neighbor friend, named Fi, who has been spending a lot of time at the house while his parents are out during the day. Fi is 9 and a tiny little guy. Seth and I are making friends with him and wish we could take him back to the States with us. He and Kobe have good fun sneaking up on us and playing games. Today the boys found a snake in the yard and caused a frenzy daring each other to get near it.

All in all it has been a fairly quiet week. Yesterday Seth and I ventured out to the local "spot" or bar, for a Star beer. Star is brewed nearby in Kumasi and was a tasty cool lager. Good for a hot day. Drinking is not looked upon highly here, as they are a very religious country, but apparently it is forgiven of obrunis (white men). Today we went to church with Charles. It is certainly a big event and everyone wears their best clothes. It was much like some of the large gospel churches in the Southern States, with a lot of singing and clapping and revelry.

After church we spent some time at home and then Seth and I caught a trotro into Zappo to send some emails. The trotro are large vans that drive up and down the main road taking people from one end of town to another. You just jam yourself in there and hope you don't fall out, but it is better than walking very far in the sun. Walking around town Seth and I are greeted by everyone we pass. Ghanaians are very welcoming people and generally smile and call out a greeting or "Hey Obruni!". One woman, Jenna, who we met in a shop, asked if she could call me her friend and said that Seth and I should come to her party and asked where she could reach us. The children are very curious, though some are a bit tentative. They tend to be torn between curiosity and nerves. Eventually you can generally win them over with a couple familiar words and a big smile. Its been fun.

Tomorrow we leave early for the Volta region, where we will visit the monkey sanctuary and Lake Volta. It will be a long day, but it will be nice to get out of the city.

The hunt for a school begins

We started our hunt for schools in desperate need for reconstruction around the Kasoa area here in Ghana. Charles said he knew of a few around the area so we decided to start with those.

The first school we looked at was once built by a mining company that was using the area to extract granite for export. The area is called Fete Kekrebe, it is near the town of Fete so the meaning of the name is "little Fete". This school was by far in the best shape. There were some major problems with it like holes in the walls and broken roofing sheets but it just wasn't in dire enough condition to be the next school for Framework International to build/rebuild. One of the interesting things however was that the floor of the school was made up of crushed granite and cement! It kills me to see crushed up granite for as expensive as it is in the US, but I guess you use what you have...





The second school we looked at was the best, or "worst" school that we saw today. It is called Zion Primary and Nursery school. It was very similar to the school in Amanfro before we reconstructed it. It has dirt floors and no solid walls to keep out the wind or rain. The worst part of the school is the Kindergarten "KG" classrooms which are not classrooms at all. The school has constructed a network of sticks and branches that hold up palm branches that make up the roof of the school. This is the classroom designated for KG 1 and 2 because they are considered the least important. So the youngest and most vulnerable have to learn their ABCs outside.







The third school we looked at was a mix. They have a primary school as well as a junior high. Both of those schools are well built and fully sheltered but like the previous school, the KG classes bear the worst conditions. The KG portion of this school was in the same condition as the main Zion building.



All of these schools are "community schools" which means they were built by the community members but are staffed by government teachers and therefore the education is free.

I look forward to searching for more schools next week. I wish we could build them all, but because we have to start somewhere, I want to make sure the one we choose will have the greatest impact.

The Ghana Expedition> Day 2

Seth and I are here in Kasoa, Ghana doing some field work for Framework International. As this is Seth's fourth visit and my first, we are combining work with pleasure. We will be here in town for the next few days, visiting friends and checking on the internet cafe, Zappo, which Seth set up last year. We are depending on our friend and local tour leader, Charles, for transportation and introductions, but everyone who knows Seth from his previous visits are very excited to see him and welcome him back to town.

We arrived a day and a half ago and are getting accustomed to the environment. It is certainly hot, but it's not as bad as I expected. The humidity is more noticeable. We are just above the equator, off the coast of West Africa. Luckily it has been breezy and last night there was a big rainstorm that cleared the air a bit. When the sun came up this morning though, it just steamed the moisture out of the ground.

Yesterday we visited the Amanfro school (Linfield Primary, depending on who you ask) which Seth and Charles built. It's a nice solid school with 6 rooms and small patio area. They are still working on building the washroom and are hoping to add a veranda for the students to study during the heat of the day. Charles told us that Amanfro is the only school where lunch is served to the children dependably, though it is supposed to be available at all the public schools. It's very lucky that they have been able to maintain that service, as nearly 500 students attend the school.

We also stopped by Mary Star of the Sea, the private school where Seth taught fourth grade and where Charles' son, Kobe attends. It is much larger, with a gated entrance. It's very nice and recently received the ranking of #19 of the best private schools in the country. I believe there are over 300. The head mistress is very proud of the achievement.

Today we will do some more exploring around town and tomorrow we plan to visit the funeral for Charles' aunt in his hometown.