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.

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.