Prepare to be amazed...

Ghana, I miss you. <3, Me.

2009-08-08T23:19:00.003-05:00

The NYT has a fine little article on Ghana in its' travel section.
"As an English-speaking country with abundant natural gifts and an appealing culture, Ghana draws international tourists who not only want to explore its dark past in the days of the slave trade, but also desire a joyous African experience."

It has been interesting watching some of the press since Mr. O paid a visit last month.
Let's see what's to come.

In other news... I'm working on my final field internship application to potentially return to Ghana and continue my work at the school. Who knows where I might be in 6 months? Exciting? Yes. Nerve wrecking? A little bit.

Natural African Beauty

2009-07-20T22:20:00.000-05:00

Check out BBC’s excellent slideshow highlighting “Natural African Beauty.”

A beauty pageant in Côte d’Ivoire (also known as Ivory Coast) strikes back against the dangerous processing of skin bleaching and its underlying doctrine: that only White is beautiful. A song commissioned for the competition sings: “African women, don’t lighten your skin. It’s a gift from God.”

Speaking from my very limited time and experience working with youth in West Africa this is so painfully accurate.

Women across the world are bombarded by unrealistic images of beauty. I lead workshops on body image and self esteem for girls in Central Texas from ages 10-18 years. At some point in the session I always ask the girls to describe a "beautiful woman" as they see in the media.

Without fail she is described first and foremost as being thin or skinny and tall. She has long blond-hair and blue eyes. She has no freckles or scars or blemishes. She has long legs that seem to shine. And, it pretty much goes without saying that she is white. But, for good measure I always ask the girls what is the race of this "beautiful woman." It does not matter if there is not a single Caucasian female in the class, the ideal image of beauty is White. Thus, it is not surprising to me that increased globalization in West Africa, among other places, is that we see an increase in girls and women trying to bleach their skin or starve themselves. As our twisted, unrealistic ideals of beauty are exported, womens' self esteem and pride plummets.

Until 2001, a black African woman was never crowned as Miss World. Many ethnic groups in West and Central Africa consider bigger women to be beautiful—but these women were considered “fat” by Western standards. However, the Nigerian “Most Beautiful Girl” judges used the tactic of sending a skinny contestant to compete for the Miss World crown. Agbani Darego won, and is now a national hero. While older Nigerians find her unattractive, younger girls see her as a role model. According to the article, Nigerian films and music are now praising slim girls, and women are increasingly dieting and exercising.

Andrea Falkenhagen, a student at UW-Madison, put it finely:

"These examples of the Western ideal woman being exported to other parts of the world are alarming. Such images will no doubt tear at women’s self-esteem in Africa every bit as much as they do in the United States. As more and more women do not eat because they fear being ugly or unwanted, a new type of violence will permeate their lives. Some feminists refer to women who have starved or manipulated their bodies to conform to the ideal as “beauty survivors.” Such women must deal with the physical effects such as osteoporosis, malnutrition or surgery scars. They also face some of the same symptoms of battery or rape survivors—difficulty having personal boundaries, disconnection from their own sense of body, difficulty believing in their own decision-making ability, emotional distance and lowered self-esteem.

In addition, concerns about weight and appearances will only serve to distract and hinder women from fighting for things they really need. In the United States, as well as abroad, women face discrimination, violence, a lack of health care, child care and education, just to name a few. All these forms of oppression are connected, and they are all more important than the size of a waistline [or shade of skin]. For this reason, it is imperative to challenge these negative images about women’s natural bodies whether they occur in the media, on the street or in conversations with friends."

[emphasis mine]

Day 20: Accra

2009-06-15T22:26:00.000-05:00

I haven’t really partied much on this trip, but I definitely tied on a good one last night and didn’t head to bed until 1 or 2AM. I felt it this morning in my pounding head so I took advantage of the “study day” to sleep in. I lounged around in my room until lunch time. After lunch a group of students went to the beach – which is probably where I should have went – but instead I stayed in to work on our papers. Our papers and presentations are due by 12midnight tonight and we give our formal presentation to the community tomorrow. Today was a busy work day with intermittent breaks to take a walk, get some pineapple juice, and attempt to buy a dress from a street seller (her price was too high and she wouldn’t negotiate).

As the time is winding down, I am becoming very reflective about my experience here – what it has meant, what I have learned, how I have grown. I know most of the learning will probably happen long after I have left, but I always try to over-analyze and process. I wish I would stop that and just be in the moment. Be here, in Ghana, for the next 6 days. Our final trip to Kumasi should be a good time and, along the way, we will be visiting a couple different villages and village projects. I am looking forward to that and to learning more – the sponge that I am.

I am also starting to look forward to my next trip – London, Paris, Belgium, and Amsterdam, here I come! (And, maybe Berlin, Prague, Munich, and Manchester if I can swing it!)

Day 19: Accra

2009-06-14T22:25:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe I leave here in a week. Me and change, while we’re old friends, don’t quite get along. In some ways I feel I am just finally getting settled and into a groove and don’t want to leave. In other ways I feel I am getting restless and am ready for the next chapter. Ghana was my “work” trip. Since my project is over and I accomplished what I set out to do I feel lost in my purpose for being here now. I guess I could just have fun??

After all of our hard-work, we still have a stupid paper to write! Our group needs to compose 12-15 pages and give a presentation on Tuesday as our final project before heading off to Kumasi for 3 nights. I spent a large portion of today working on that. It was nice, actually. One of my Ghanaian friends came over and we watched the futbol game. He sat yelling at the TV while I alternately typed and watched the game. It reminded me very much of undergrad and dorm life. Not that I miss that, but it was a nice adult-like flashback.

Afterwards we went for a walk to get some fresh air and later stopped at a local eatery for a drink. We had a great conversation about everything under the sun – family, upbringing, education, future, culture. We are very similar in many ways – both are first-generation college students who have worked hard as hell to get to where we are today and we both have younger siblings whom take care of (physically and/or emotionally). We both had drama in our homes as children and had a parent who suffered from mental illness. The effects on us seemed similar – we became hard working, dedicated, stubborn, motivated people who would not take “No” for an answer. Similarly, we became hard on ourselves and put pressure on ourselves to succeed. Failure was a motivating fear because we never wanted “those people” (who didn’t want to see us succeed) to be right or win. We wouldn’t allow losing wagers to be placed on us. I admire in him the strength and perseverance. Even now, he is looking to study in the States and is working very hard to learn more information and determine what it takes. It is not often that I meet someone who I believe matches my hard work and determination to make things happen. I rarely feel that someone works as hard as I do, but I feel it with him. It is interesting how I have to go to the other side of my world to meet someone whom I can relate with so well in that regard.

Later in the night, Miss K., our hostel mistress threw us a party! Since we will be out of town the later part of the week and most of us leave on Sunday or Monday, she wanted to have a bash to send us off. She is so sweet! She has been incredible at accommodating a large group, cooking for us, and generally being loving and motherly. She always greets us with a smile and a warm welcome. Again, the warmth here is unrivaled. We pushed back the chairs on the back patio and she had a DJ playing jams. Luckily it was a cooler night and there was a perfect breeze to help keep us not so sweaty as we danced the night away.

Day 18: Accra, Depression Circle

2009-06-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

Same moon, same sky, and same me wherever I go. I was hoping that my depression would stay behind in Austin and let me enjoy my vacation. It appears, however, that it wanted to come along on this trip. I spent much of today in bed – reading, journaling, listening to music, and generally feeling sad/blah. I felt bad for “wasting” a day on my trip, but I needed to honor where I was today. This week has been pretty emotionally charged and, in many ways, today felt like the end of semester crash. All I have been thinking about, planning for, exciting over just ended. I do not do well with ends, ever. Also, I know I need downtime and quiet time to replenish and rehydrate. Traveling with 40 people has not afforded me much alone time. While I partly feel I ‘wasted’ a day – I know I did what I needed to do to take care of myself today. And, ultimately, that is what I am striving to learn – how to take care of myself no matter where I am. Practice, practice. Practice makes perfect, yes?

Day 17: Ashaiman SHS

2009-06-12T23:43:00.000-05:00

This morning was chaotic. We arrived to the school early, as requested, to begin our morning assembly. Since today is the last day, they wanted us to end early because they had planned a recognition ceremony for us in the afternoon!  Well, as usual, we hurried up to wait. Headmaster was in a meeting but needed to meet with us before assembly. Finally, about an hour later he was able to see us. Basically he just wanted to welcome us for our final day and tell us of the ceremony they had planned for later. He also wanted to be sure we would finish our work by lunch. This did not fit with what I had scheduled for the day – I wanted to meet with the peer consulate group again and we had more one-on-one counseling sessions. However, the Headmaster calls the shots so we adjusted. I was disappointed because I did not get a chance to meet with the group again and I had promised them we would discuss some of their questions and concerns today. I had planned on helping them to identify the mission, goals, and purpose of their group along with providing basic mediation skills. I will give the information and training manual to the counselor and hope it reaches the students properly. ::sigh::

The wrap-up theme for the week was “Exploring Options - Post secondary options.” Two of our co-workers who are Ghanaian led this section since they know more about the educational system here than do we. They provided information on university and other college options as well as military options. As is usually the case with seminars like this – some students were extremely engaged, taking notes, and asking questions while others were passing notes, reading other material, or flat out sleeping. Teenagers are so similar, no matter their background or placement on this globe.

In the afternoon was the special ceremony recognizing our work this week and seeing off the student teachers. I did not want such an elaborate honoring for us. It almost felt as if we were stealing the thunder from the student teachers because we were the “Special friends from the U.S.” I definitely appreciate the gratitude; it just felt awkward. One of my friends told me not to worry; he told me that “this is how we show our thanks in Ghana.” There is a belief that if you do not appropriately thank or honor someone who has helped you that you will not again receive help (sounds religious or spiritual to me). At any rate, it was a really sweet gesture and we very much appreciated it.

This event was complete with drinks and appetizers, including the casual octopus kebab.  Not only were we honored and thanked publically, but we were each given gifts. We each received a large, framed “Citation.” A Citation is equivalent to a certificate in the States. The Citation reads:
“You arrived in Ghana-West Africa on 26th May, 2009 and first visited Ashaiman Senior High School on Monday, 1st June, 2009 to acquaint yourself with the environment and to put yourself in good shape of the task ahead. Subsequently, from Monday, 8th June to Friday, 12th June 2009, you together with other members of your three-member team took turns to share with the staff and students of the above-mentioned school your rich experiences in the field for social work particularly on issues concerning: “Expressing Myself,” “Positive Self-Talk,” “Leadership Heroes”, Goal Setting” ‘SMART’, and “Future Planning.” You also held daily counseling sessions with individual students who needed help. You also proved yourself a good mixer and exuded the spirit of voluntarism and selflessness. Lesson learned from your one week interaction with the ASHAISEC community will go down memory lane, especially for being the 1st Batch of Americans to willingly choose ASHAISEC for such an exercise. Thus for the above achievement and others which are yet to manifest; and selfless services to humanity, the Board of Governors, Parent-Teacher Association, Headmaster, Staff, and Students of Ashaiman Senior High School present to you this citation. Thank you. God richly Bless You.”

This, alone, brought tears to my eyes. I feel what we did was so simple and non-impactful, and to receive such a heartfelt recognition and token of appreciation really moved me. In the States you would never get such a large thank you for such a small task. I really love that about this culture – the people are soooo warm and loving and friendly. They are so genuinely interested in you, as a person, as a part of humanity. I have been incredibly well received in ways I would have never expected. I love the warmth I am surrounded by here. It makes my heart ache, truly.

Along with our Citation, we each received a wrapped gift which I was told included “something African for you to wear.” When I got home and opened the gift, it was a traditional dress complete with headscarf. I tried it on and I think I look a bit silly but it was incredibly thoughtful. I am not sure where I will wear this in the States, but I will definitely sport my super ab-fab new wear proudly. I really am so appreciative, it is beyond words. I had already cried when I said goodbye to the kids and several of them told me they didn’t want me to leave, they would miss me, and I had changed their lives. And then to be so positively received by the administration was mind bending. I wish schools in the States would be so appreciative of support services. I wish.
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Feeling like a ball of emotional turmoil (from a week well-done, mixed feelings of sadness, excitement, pride, and guilt) I did what most people do on Fridays at 5PM – I had an ice cold beer. I sat outside and talked with some of my Ghanaian friends. One of my friends, Gl., asked why American men have hair under their arms. I explained to her that in the US this is seen as “manly” and that hardly no men shave their underarms. She seemed appalled – “but what about the odor” she exclaimed? I asked about women and what the shave. Gi quickly chimed in “we do not shave our legs, but we shave everything else. Yes, everything.” She is usually such a soft spoken, modest, demure type of woman so I burst out laughing with her description, which included a proper hand motion demonstrating where “everything” was located. So, we had a cross cultural discussion about hair, cultural standards of beauty, and masculinity and femininity. It was really interesting to think about. Most of the arguments I have been making for or against shaving and hair is that it should be practical. Underarm hair catches sweat and increases odor – maybe shaving that is practical. Similarly for pubic hair. Leg hair, on the other hand?! What does it disturb, on a woman, other than her perceived beauty by the hegemonic society? Does my leg hair or lack there of really matter to anyone other than myself? It is not, inherently, “gross,” “disgusting,” or “wrong.” And, I argue how much of shaving legs is really a “preference.” We all have been so forced into gendered roles and boxes that we rarely have an opportunity to question or explore. How can you prefer something if you have not experienced the other? That’s like saying I prefer corn when it’s the only vegetable I have ever hard. That’s not a preference, it’s a lack of options. Having been exploring and testing gendered roles and boundaries for quite some time now, I found it reinforcing to have this conversation with two beautiful women and two beautiful men. :)

Day 16: Ashaiman SHS

2009-06-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

Since several students expressed difficulty with academic learning, such as remembering what they had read and concentrating on a task at a hand, we integrated these issues into our curriculum for the week. The theme for today was “Skills for Success – Learning to study more effectively. Since I had done more of the preparation and leading for the first days, my co-facilitators took charge on this one (plus, it is more inline with what they study – both are earning their Ph.D. in Education). That meant I had more of a chance to interact one-on-one with students and help facilitate dialogue. The students were quite restless today – they seemed anxious and disinterest in the material. Understandably so, as learning study skills is not usually too fun. And, admittedly, the curriculum could have been more engaging. Live and learn. All in all, we provided an overview of effective time management skills, practiced note taking, and identified supports and challenges to concentration. Even though the students were restless and resistant, I have to know that at least one student learned something today. Each day, that is my ultimate goal – to affect the life of just one person. I feel I have done that every day (regardless of my unrelenting inner voice telling me nothing I do is enough...ugh).

The afternoon was my opportunity to meet with the Peer Consulate. The original plan was to lead a “Train-the-Trainer” workshop but, as with most things thus far, the plan was rearranged at the last minute. Instead, I co-facilitated a focus group with the 28 students (15 female, 13 male) who serve as volunteer peer counselors. Essentially, these are the leaders of the school and all volunteer for the role of “peer counselors.”

We began with asking each participant why s/he is interested in the peer counseling program and several themes surfaced, such as noticing a need for mentorship and counseling their peers; a desire to assist peers with their struggles; an opportunity to develop and/or enhance personal leadership skills; and a desire to improve their school and community. It seemed obvious that most of them wanted to “help” and some even connected this to their future career interests, such as counseling or ministry.

We asked the group to speak as spokespersons to help us identify the issues among the student body as they see it. The main themes were: fear of speaking up in class (shyness, afraid to make mistakes and/or be made fun of), lack of adult mentorship, and a feeling of being unloved or underappreciated. It was also stated that teachers humiliate the students; often saying telling them that what they have to say is “nonsense” (which, obviously wouldn’t be much help for those who wish to speak out in class). Also, it was pointed out by several females in the group that the male teachers are “too friendly” with female students. (I later asked one young woman to explain what that meant. She said the male teachers play favorites with a group of girls and will spend much of their time flirting with those girls. I asked if she knew of anyone being romantically or sexually involved and she said no. Here’s to hoping…)

To try and identify positive and successful coping mechanisms, we inquired of the strengths of the students. They identified several strengths within themselves to draw upon in overcoming the above obstacles, including: self confidence, belief in God or faith, practice in socializing, encouragement from friends, remaining goal-oriented, boldness, determination, counseling and guidance from a few Pastors and teachers, realizing one’s humanity and unity with others in that regard, parenting, close relationships and sharing, admiring and learning from those who are confident and speak out. Time and time again the impact of a positive adult – a parent, mentor, priest, or other important person – was listed as having been integral in helping them to cope with situations. This reminded me very much of what I know about resiliency and the influencing factors to resilient human beings. Those ideals seem to be applicable in this culture as well.

We also wanted to better understand what they like about the school, how the school is supporting them, and what the school can continue to do. The students identified the strengths within the institution that already adds to overcoming the above obstacles, such as providing positive reinforcement for Class Prefects and in academic competition, encouraging groups (such as morning devotions), assisting in arranging study groups, offering clubs and sports, some teacher’s lectures, and providing social opportunities for youth

They had much more to say, however, about where the school needs improvement. Suggestions from them directly include:
• Organize more social time for students to feel comfortable around each other
• Form study groups and peer teaching models
• Obtain better facilities (furniture, science equipment, computers, etc.)
• Encouragement from teachers: more positive reinforcement than negative, discontinue favoritism, more support for students who are struggling
• Train teachers to learn how to reach students at their level
• Encourage teachers to be more patient with students and give the students a chance to think of answers
• Place students into groups based on career goals and focus more heavily on more relevant courses
• Provide individual and group counseling/therapy
• Monthly forums for students to voice concerns
• Scholarships to help with financial burden of attending school
• Offer experiential education or provide more real-life examples to help with teaching and explanation of material
• Implement a Newspaper reading club to help with English and keep students up to date on current affairs

I was impressed with the critical thinking involved in the list. The students knew what they wanted and what would help them. I am thinking how this list might compare to a student group in the US – better lunches, add soda machines, more school dances – and am humbled. Most of these students so genuinely want to learn. They work harder to complete a high school education than many do to complete their college education. They have many more barriers to overcome – financial, personal, and societal. It is inspiring and overwhelming to think about all they do to succeed.

In effort to empower youth and help them to use their voices and be agents of change, we asked them what they could do to create change in the school. The group identified options in which other students can contribute to a better learning environment, such as forming study groups; study, complete readings and some of the learning before class so it will be easier in class; fully prepare for each class; compete with each other (healthy competition for success); and attend classes on time and not participate in truancy. How responsible! Again, most college freshman I know are not doing these tasks consistently. While it can be seen as an unfortunate struggle that the students must work so hard; I see the strength and resiliency these students have and know they will be better off in their futures for learning how to work hard.

The results will be submitted to the Headmaster and Asst. Headmaster. I will include the following recommendations:
1. Expand counseling services, individually and group
2. Train teachers to utilize more positive than negative reinforcement
3. Encourage a professional environment, and address the issue of how male teachers are treating female students
4. Provide monthly meetings for students to voice their concerns and follow up on all possible suggestions
5. Develop a newspaper (or other) reading club
6. Assist in the formation of study groups

Obviously I would recommend scholarships and any other financial aid, but it is not feasible at this point. They school is very aware of the financial status of its students and is working to improve those circumstances. Unfortunately, secondary education is not government subsidized so money is tight all around. This, I believe, also contributes to the poor quality of teaching. The teachers, I am sure, are underpaid and overworked. They are managing 70 student classrooms and lack basic teaching materials. It is an extremely challenging situation for everyone. Instead, I want to focus on more tangible suggestions that could possible be implemented with little cost other than time and energy.

The day ended with me feeling pretty good. It was nice to actually get a chance to sit with a small group of students and allow them to speak. I do not believe that students’ or youths’ voices are typically heard in this community. They were hesitant to talk at first but eventually opened up and had lots to say. These kids are incredibly intelligent, motivated, and driven. I know they can do amazing things and I would love to see them flourish with some adult support. I keep thinking, in the back of my mind, that I could transform this group if I had some more time to work with them. And that voice keeps saying, “you can…in January…final field.” Shhh, voice. Not yet…

On the way home from work a couple interesting things occurred. First, I purchased some material from a woman on the side of the road. I saw her carrying fabric on her head and said I wanted to get some. Next thing I know, my friend had invited her into our van and we drove while I picked out material. Nothing like drive through (or drive while) shopping. I got 4 yards for 12 cedis. That’s a great deal, since it is usually around 20cedis for 4 yards! I must find a tailor now to make me another dress. I want to buy all the dresses here. And the jewelry. And the art. And the musical instruments. And, and, and… And I’m out of suitcase room already! I simply must come back again.

Second, I engaged in an interesting conversation with one of my Ghanaian male friends about male-female relations. Most all of the men whom I have met are still virgins. Most of them are around 25ish. Now, if I were in the States, I would think they were all bullshitting, but here – no, I believe them. It is largely engrained in the culture to wait until marriage. Some people will ‘date’ for one or two years before ever even kissing. Kissing! Some women will make a man pursue her for one year before even deciding to go on A date with him – one date, to dinner perhaps, and there is no special dessert.

Now, my Western frame of reference is…flabbergasted. Coming from such an oversexed culture, I have been very interested in these having these conversations. Today I learned that in courting, a man “must stand the test of time” by pursuing a woman. My friend compared this process to a piece of electrical equipment, my digital camera, to be exact. He said “just like your camera, we must prove our durability, reliability, and resiliency. You want a camera that will stand the test of time, don’t you?” Well, yes, but how do I know if it stands the test of time if I don’t ever USE it? If I leave it at home in its case, how do I know how it functions, what its strengths and weaknesses are? How do I know if I have the best camera for me if I don’t try several different cameras during my life? It might be a simple, silly analogy, but it really made me think. I doubt I’ll be taking a lifetime vow of chastity but it helped me to question our culture’s obsession with sex, sexuality, and the body (especially ideals of beauty). My friend broke it down and said “a partner who is for real doesn’t need physicality. They want someone with whom to share their days and feelings – for better or worse, richer and poorer.” It made me see a different view of “man.” In the States I have never heard a man say this. Men are “by nature,” as the argument goes, “hardwired for sex.” They “need” it because that’s the way “they are.” Bull. Here is an entire group of men, attractive men I might add (the no kissing rule is a shame!) who value connection on an emotional and spiritual level over physicality. Holy cow, who knew. Aren’t only “women the emotional ones?”
Learning about a different culture is so eye opening. Being here has helped me to question myself, my values, and my experiences in a new light. It has really helped me to open my mind and stretch my abilities.

One more day at Ashaiman. I am quite sad, actually. I will miss those kids...

Day 15: Ashaiman SHS

2009-06-10T17:19:00.000-05:00

When we first began our work here I had asked the Headmaster if there was any way to meet with the boys and girls separately to discuss the issues that are most relevant to them. He had seemed resistant at first; I believe because he wanted to be sure all students were reached. It is obvious now that we are reaching all of the students. Yesterday the school counselor informed us that we would be leading group discussions with the boys and girls separately, of course in large assembly format. She wanted us to talk with the girls about their health and “womanly concerns.” She gave one example of a girl who was confused about why there was discharge “down there.” She is also concerned of girls who are having pressures of “sexual immorality.” I confirmed that she wanted us to talk about women’s health and sexuality. As for the boys, she wanted us to talk about drug abuse. Now, I know boys and girls face different concerns growing up, but girls do not get pregnant on their own. It takes semen AND an egg to make a baby…

We began our morning with Worship. Every Wednesday the school has worship first thing. (I have been to church more this week than I have been in nearly the past 10 years). The Worship was high energy and actually woke me up a bit. They had the school choir singing and a few students playing drums, percussion, and keyboard. One male student served as director of the choir while another lead the entire group in songs. A female student sang back up vocals and played some percussion. Teachers and students alike danced and sang and praised. I may not be religious, but it was definitely high energy. Then a Pastor said his part which focused mostly on staying focused on God and making time for Him in your studies. The Pastor told the students they must make time to study the Bible because if they do not make time for the Lord, the Lord will not have time for them. I am glad the students and community have a strong faith that helps to support them; however, I also know many of the students cannot pass their academic coursework because they do not have time to study due to work duties. One girl talked with me today and she awakes at 4AM to begin her day – she completes her morning chores, sells goods on the side of the road and then arrives to school at 7AM for classes. At the end of the day she must again sell before returning home to help cook dinner for her family. She has no time to study or to relax/play as is – is studying the Bible really the best for her right now? Maybe so if it gives her strength and determination to persevere but I struggle to see that benefit. It feels that the staff is so removed from the real needs of the students. At the end of Worship, the Pastor told them they must make contributions to Offering. He lectured them that if they do not give their bounty they will not receive from the Lord. It went as far as “If you give 1 peswa, you will receive 100,000 cedis. If you give nothing, you will receive nothing.” Again, I have had students who do not have money for breakfast or lunch and sometimes they do not have dinner. If they do have money, I would rather them eat food to nourish their brains and bodies than contribute to Offering. I question if The Lord really wants people to starve before He ‘rewards’ them. I do not believe in the necessity of suffering. The Pastor even quoted a story from the Bible about someone who was hungry or starving but they still gave their bounty. This was very emotionally charged for me. Again, my cultural humility is being tested quite a bit…

Following Worship, oddly enough, was our sex talk with the girls and boys. I worked with the girls group. I began by introducing the topic for today and told them this was going to be a safe space for them to ask any and all of the questions they might have about their menses, sex, relationships, their body changes, etc. To help get a sense of the questions they had, we gave them slips of paper to write down their questions and collected the questions. My colleagues were nervous about the topic and talking about sex in a cultural appropriate way so I began the discussion. With all due respect, Ghanaian culture, I will be giving these girls accurate health information concerning their bodies. Going into this I informed my colleagues I would be saying the words penis and vagina; I would be talking about safe sex and how to protect yourself (and the benefits of abstinence); and I would not turn away any question – no matter how complex or challenging it might be to answer. These girls (and boys and all humans) have a right to know about their bodies and sexuality. The deserve answers to their questions so that they may make informed choices about their bodies and futures.

With that, we had about 150 slips turned in with questions ranging from “what causes menses, why is it irregular, why does it hurt in my abdomen” to “what is sex, what is a virgin, if I kiss a boy am I still a virgin” to “is it OK for a man to beat his wife.” We also had questions such as “is it illegal to have a boyfriend,” “how can I control the white liquid coming out of my vagina” and “why does semen come out of my vagina if I am a virgin.” These girls range in age from 14-19 and clearly do not have even a rudimentary understanding of their bodies. I tried to answer themes of questions as best as I could. I felt very sad that they have not been provided with this education. They are so lost and confused. I wonder the affects of such strong religion in this culture which seems to prevent the children from receiving any education around sexual health. The only answer is to wait until marriage (which, by the way, proposals are commonplace. To be married does not mean you know one another or have dated or are in love. Many girls asked how to stop men from proposing to them and wondered why men were noticing them more lately. Men. Not boys.). We also had a question about sexual abuse and if you can say no to someone who wants to have sex with you. We gave a complete answer about the right to your body, to say no, to change your mind and how they do not owe anyone their body or access to it no matter what (for example, many aunties and uncles are paying for their education and the uncles want something in return). The counselor then got on the microphone to reiterate the importance of telling her if this was happening so they could be counseled. She said “If you do not tell someone you will have a horrible life, you will not get married and you will be not have children and you will not lead a happy life.” WTF?!?!?! Meanwhile, at this time, the boys were talking about how to stay in school and get into University and to avoid drugs. I have been so frustrated with the sexist ideals of responsibility and have really struggled to remain cultural humble and curious. I am doing my best to respect the cultural norms while still providing accurate information. I made myself available after our forum for individual questions. A couple girls came and asked questions about sex and pregnancy and how they might know if they are pregnant. Innocent questions. I wish I could be here longer and lead several small groups for students around sexuality and sexual health.

Later, during my individual counseling session a girl told me about being molested at the age of 6. She had never told anyone before and she wanted to know if she was still a virgin and if she would still be able to marry and have children. I wish I could do more for her. There is no one to report it to, no one to tell who can help this girl. I felt so helpless in that situation. Luckily, she is no longer in that unsafe situation, but she is feeling obvious after affects. She began talking about this because she said she feels nervous around men and boys and does not like to be alone with them or close to them. She asked if this was normal. She does not wish to talk to her mother (that was my first approach since family is the foundation of everything here) nor anyone else. She said she wants to just forget about it and move on with her life. I have to respect that that is where she is right now and it wouldn’t be safe for me to bring all of this up with her to have no follow up. I felt so incredibly inadequate and useless. At least I was there for her to have a safe space, free of judgment to share what she needed to share and get accurate health information. I hope she is able to tell someone someday and work through it.

On an upswing, during our break, a student I talked with yesterday came up to me with great news – he was able to accomplish one of his goals today (we had set two goals yesterday and he reached one this morning). He was so excited and the huge smile on his face was heart warming. He couldn’t wait to tell me how it went. He was bright, smiley, and cheery and said I had inspired him and he wished I could be with him always. I told him how incredibly proud I was of him for working on his goal today and told him I would always be with him. He will always have our conversation and the skills I helped him to learn and that he can carry those with him wherever he goes in the future. He also has my email address and said he will write. (Most all of the students ask for your address or email – I am not sure how many will actually write)

I also hung out with a group of girls in the courtyard during lunch. We took pictures and had a great time posing and laughing and being silly. They love the cameras, that’s for sure!

Today’s curriculum was a follow up to yesterday’s goal setting. Today we broke it down into more specific steps to achieving your goal(s) and identified those people who are in your support system, or your circle of support. I was quite impressed with the students’ abilities to think critically and identify steps to reach their goals. Students have big goals – to be the first female President, to be the Minister of Women and Children Affairs, to be “the biggest lawyer Ghana has ever seen,” to travel the world and write books, and to be “the next Obama.” Many students had sense of what it takes to enter a certain field – extra math/science or study social sciences. They knew they would need to have a practicum, conduct research, and seek mentors. It is so inspiring to hear the students’ goals and dreams and help them to identify ways to get there. I hope at least one student learns something from this week that they take forward with them and use in the future – whether it is goal setting, problem solving, or social skills – I hope there is something they can find that is useful.

Tomorrow I am training the youth consulate group on facilitation skills so they can become facilitators of these seminars. I have created a 20 page manual for them and am leading a 2-hour training. I am still determining the best way to integrate photo journalism into the project… I hope it all goes smoothly. This week has been so rewarding in so many ways. I know I will not want to leave come Friday – which is just right around the corner. I can’t believe I only have another 10 days left in Ghana. The time has flown by.

Day 14: Ashaiman Secondary High School

2009-06-09T17:53:00.000-05:00

We left our hostel bright and early at 6:55AM today. I am not a morning person. At all. It takes about an hour to fight traffic to get to our school (it would only take 15-20 minutes max otherwise) so we have to leave with ample time. Grr.

Our meeting with the Headmaster this morning was full of praise for our work yesterday. He is very happy with our work here and even wants to give us an office. The Program Director from UT asked if I would be interested in coming back here for my final internship placement next January…we shall see what unfolds. At any rate, we have a plethora of support from the school. As such, we made a proposal to divide the students into smaller groups today. Instead of working with 300 students for 1 hour 20 minutes, we wanted to try 2 sessions for 40 minutes each with 150 students with the hope that they would have more opportunities for interaction.

Today’s topic was “Reaching for the stars: Goal Setting.” We began with sharing “what I want to be when I grow up.” Each facilitator shared what we wanted to be when we were in secondary school (me = psychologist) and then we asked the students to share with us what they want to be. Many students are interested in nursing, lawyer, business, and journalism/broadcasting. Other interests I heard were veterinarian, soldier, police woman, football player, actor, musician, and pastor. We then moved into an activity to help students map out their current path, the bridge to their goals, and the challenges and support they have in front of them. Taking a piece of paper folded into 3rds horizontally, they wrote “path” on the left side, “bridge” in the middle, and “goal(s)” on the right side. The path represents where they are now – they may be on a straight road, a curvy road, or there may be a fork in the road. The bridge represents what they need to cross to get to their goals on the other side, but underneath the bridge lurks sharks and other challenges. You don’t want to fall off of the bridge because these things might hurt you. These are the challenges. Most of the challenges shared by the students to reaching their goals include financial troubles, broken homes, lack of advice and guidance, unsupportive parents, academic problems, drugs, teen pregnancy/sexual misconduct, and peer pressure. Above and on the bridge are the people or things that will help carry you to the other side. What were most shared were determination, hard work, and perseverance. I thought it was interesting that the biggest challenges were structural and the biggest supports were individualistic. Our curriculum for tomorrow builds off of this seminar.

We went off to individual counseling for the last hour of the day. Today I had two clients, both dealing with friendship issues and social skills (shyness). I approached this from a solution focused, empowerment direction. I had students identify times when they did not feel shy or when it was less scary to speak up. After identifying those times and what was different in those situations we were able to identify what they might need to do in the future. With both clients we mapped out two task items for the week in working towards their goals. I reminded them they can use our goal setting workshops as tools in solving their own problems in the future. I also reminded them that they are strong and smart and capable of solving problems; they know what is best for them and have their own answers. I hope something I said is helpful. I am glad that I know something about solution focused brief therapy because that is coming in handy right about now. Social work school has taught me something.

Tonight has been spent planning and prepping, catching up on my writing, and trying to relax. I forget how draining long days are…but the work is so rewarding. I can’t even believe this is all happening right now. I feel so honored and so lucky to be a part of it. I know I am learning and growing in so many ways that I cannot even yet see, feel, or begin to process. Writing is helpful, but I really think a lot of this will not hit until I am back in the States. I am trying to just savor each moment and offer as much as I can. I am trying to have a connection with every student while I am here – even if it is a smile or a greeting, I hope to give a piece of myself to each of them. I am so inspired by their hope, dreams, dedication, and determination. I hope to take a small piece from each of them with me as well. In some ways I never, ever imagined myself here, in a place like this, doing this work; yet, in other ways it feels so perfectly natural for me to be here and this is exactly what I imagined myself doing.

Day 13: Ashaiman Secondary High School, Ashaiman

2009-06-08T22:52:00.000-05:00

The long awaited youth empowerment program at Ashaiman Secondary High School officially is up and running and I am happy to report that day 1 was a huge success! We were so warmly received by the school’s administration and are fortunate to have their support 110%. Our day began with a meeting with the Headmaster and Asst. Headmaster to present our proposal for the week. But, first, we needed to print our proposal which proved to be quite a task in and of itself. They have one computer for all of the administration (which the secretary uses) and one small photocopier. I was humbled to see how much trouble it was to make 9 copies of the proposed plan.

We proposed leading workshops in different classrooms each period every day this week. Knowing there are 14 classrooms and 4 of us, we knew it would be a challenge, (especially since some classes have up to 70 students per period) but we were up for the challenge. The topics we proposed leading were: identity exploration, addressing your inner critic, leadership, and goal setting (two-part session). The Administration liked our ideas, but they wanted to be sure we reached ALL students. They proposed we have two daily assemblies with Form 1 (first year) and Form 2 (second year) students (Form 3 students recently completed their studies and are not present during the summer months). For clarification, I asked how many students would be in each assembly – oh, ‘just’ 300 or so. Our program quickly morphed from working with small(-er) groups to leading large scale assemblies. We adapted and made some adjustments to our curriculum for the day (Who am I? Exploring your identity). The Asst. Headmaster, upon the change of plans, quickly moved into action. He informed us they have a PA system they would set up and left the room. At 10:55AM, Form 1 students were rallied, all 300+ of them, in the assembly hall.

When we entered the hall, what was formerly an empty room was now full with 300 desks, a podium, a large moveable chalkboard, a table (with a white table cloth accented by the fake flowers in a vase in the center) and chairs. The PA system was up and running, from the help of a couple students and we were ready to go. It was amazing how quickly it all came together, especially since when we entered in the morning, about 1 ½ hours earlier this was not at all our plan. I cannot believe how well we were received and how quickly the administration adapted and responded for the students. The Asst. Headmaster is adamant that the students’ need this program and he wanted to be sure we reached each and every student. As such, the students will not be in class for two periods (one block) every day this week. This, compared to what I know from working with administration in the US, is crazy – they would not be as happy to give up their students’ classroom time for week-long assemblies on identity and development.

I was pretty nervous to lead the assemblies. I am fairly confident of my abilities in working with adolescents, especially girls, but a mixed gender group of 300 was pretty intimidating. I started out by saying “Maakye” (“Good morning” in Twi) with blank stares which I took as normal for teenagers at 11AM on a June Monday. The Asst. Headmaster apparently did not believe this was appropriate and took the mic from my hands. I was waiting for what he would say when he said “Do you realize she was speaking Twi? She just greeted you.” He handed back the mic and I again said “Maakye” and was greeted with uproarious laughter from all 300 students. I’m guessing my accent was a little off? I tried.

The activity today focused on identities and how people see us. We began with a short sharing of “something you don’t know about me…” Students were prompted to share something we might not know about them by looking at them. Most students shared their future goals or dreams (mainly career-related), such as “I want to be a nurse/football player/doctor.” A couple students shared their favorite colors or where they are from. It was fun to finally interact with the students and learn a bit about them. They are mostly so demure, so shy and quiet – and so respectful. Our next activity was drawing a mountain. From a distance when you look at a mountain you can only see the top part – you cannot see what is at the bottom of the mountain – are there people? A village? Animals? To see what is at the base of the mountain you must move closer. This is the same with people. From the outside we only see the tip of the mountain; we must get closer to people, get to know them better, ask them questions to see what is really underneath. Using this metaphor we drew a mountain and identified things on the top of the mountain for them (body shape/size, hair color, skin color, face) and those underneath (religion, personality). They then drew their own mountains highlighting what aspects of themselves were at the top of the mountain or underneath the horizon. The second activity (which we did not get to with Form 1 groups) was to based on a poem from a curriculum I work with in the States. It is called “Just Because” and is originally written by Esther Kamkar, a woman born in Iran in 1947 who now lives in the US. She often feels that people judge her by what they see on the outside, but do not really know her.

Just because I was born in Iran,
I am not a belly dancer
I am not a fortune teller
I am not a camel rider.
I am a poet.

Just because I am a woman,
I do not like diamonds
I do not love to shop
I do not worship credit cards
I love to play with clay

Just because I am a Jew,
I do not make a fortune
I do not hate Arabs
I do not believe in “an eye for an eye”
I remember and give refuge

Just because I am a mother
I am not regretful
I am not a martyr
I am not a fixer
I am a free spirit.

After sharing this poem with the students, they wrote their own Just Because poems. We had a few students volunteer to share their poems with the group and they were amazing!! One student talked about “Just because I am poor, I am not lazy, I am not unmotivated…I am a village boy” and there was an uproar of support for him. One student shared “Just because I am fat…Doesn’t mean I can’t dance…Doesn’t mean I can’t stand out…Doesn’t mean I can’t be beautiful…Doesn’t mean I can’t be respected. I am fat-tabulous and happy.” There was also great applause and cheering in support of her. I was so personally touched by her poem – because 1. As a fat girl, I can relate so much to her words. 2. I hate when teen girls have to struggle with weight concerns. It’s so stupid and mean. And 3. I hoped there was a part of the world where I could go that was protected from the fat=bad bullshit but from westernization Ghanaian women and girls are now receiving these message as well. It breaks my heart to hear, yet she inspired me so much to remember my own beauty and to be FATTABULOUS. I recorded her reading her poem for future inspiration 

Upon completion of our group assemblies we rushed off to do our individual counseling sessions. Another unforeseen need and addition to our program was the offering of individual counseling for the students. They have one school counselor for all 1000+ students. We created ¼ slip forms to hand out to interested students. They filled out their name, form (grade), program, and issue to be addressed and turned them in to us. We had no idea that over 300 students would turn in forms! After sorting through the Form 1 forms we noticed categories of concerns: financial, academic, future planning/goal setting, medical, and general (social skills, family concerns). For today we addressed the general concerns since they were the least amount. We were given a classroom for the 5 of us to counsel. We arranged the 10 desks into pairs and tried to give as much a space as possible between the paired tables. I learned a lot today about being a resourceful social worker. I saw one student who was concerned about pressure she is getting from her family to work or else she doesn’t know how to pay school fees. She fears she cannot work during the week because she must study many hours. Her mother is telling her she is lazy since she doesn’t want to work. Since I only have one 45 minute session with this student I chose to use an empowerment model and focus on how to provide her with problem solving and decision making skills. Together, we brainstormed a list of possible solutions to her situation and did pros and cons. Once she narrowed down her top choices we discussed possible challenges she may face and ways she may address those challenges. We identified first steps for her to take in moving towards her goal. I hope this was helpful for her. I am not so much a quick fix type person; I would rather get to know the client and develop a relationship with them. In this context, however, I am more solution and empowerment focused. All I can do is my best over this week…

After our long day we did some planning and prep work for the week, ate a quick dinner and I am heading to bed soon. I need a good night’s rest for tomorrow

Day 12: Tema Wedding

2009-06-07T22:51:00.000-05:00

I went to the wedding today in Tema. I expected it to be more interesting, but really it was very similar to any wedding in the States. This was a more modern wedding – held in a church with the bride and groom in a white dress and tux. The church service lasted almost 3 hours and was stocked full of talk of God, Jesus, and gays-are-bad. I have such a hard time in religious settings, even despite cultural humility. I try really really hard but I just don’t have much patience for the –isms. The reception followed at an outdoor garden. Many of the traditional wedding customs with which I am familiar were in place – the head table, popping of champagne, toasting, best man and maid of honor speeches, etc. We sat in round tables and were served a delicious buffet of red red, fried rice, plantains, fish, chicken, fufu, and goat soup (which I did try. Yes, I have officially eaten goat. It tastes like pork to me).

After returning from church I spent the rest of the day with my group planning for our project tomorrow. Our project starts tomorrow! I am so excited to meet the students and get a chance to know them. It is difficult being here for only one week but I hope we can make some sort of difference, no matter how large or small. Even if we are just planting seeds, I hope someone else will water them and make sure they have sun so they grow to be strong and healthy.

Day 11: Accra Artist Market

2009-06-06T22:49:00.001-05:00

Yet another early morning. Breakfast was at 8AM and we left for the Artist Market at 9AM. I’m tired, but I don’t want to miss a thing! The Artist Market, I’ve heard, can be very overwhelming. It is similar to a flea market with several stands in a small space. The difference being the selling technique. These sellers are quite aggressive. They will grab your hand and try to pull you into their shop, they will follow you through the market and try to sell to you and if you so much as look at an item or touch something they will basically put it on you saying “it’s yours.” (But, it really isn’t because when I walked away with it and said “thanks!” they weren’t too happy. Who knew?!) Also, as in many developing nations, the norm is to haggle for prices. Being an obroni (white, tourist) I will always get quoted a higher price – sometimes a ridiculously higher price. You have to barter and haggle to get to the price at which you’re comfortable buying. I’m not much of a fan of this process. At any rate, I ended up with some wood carvings, a drum, a dress, 2 bags, a shirt, and loads of jewelry. I keep telling myself some of it is gifts…I just don’t know which items because I want it all for me!

When I came out of the market, I was looking for my bus and realized I had been left! Luckily, another bus from our program had just rolled up so I caught a ride back with them. We drove the Accra Main Square to purchase some other items and it was a crazy madhouse. Tons of people everywhere – on the street, on the sidewalk, in the street. People selling everything from Raid roach killer to tennis shoes to kebabs. There wasn’t anything I have ever needed in my life that wasn’t for sale on that street. After an hour there we headed back to the hostel.

I went for a walk with a friend here and decided to get my hair braided. We walked past a woman in a field who was doing hair and asked her if she could do my hair and how much. Yes, and 7 cedis. I choose a brownish-red weave and sat down. Three hours later I now have me some fancy braids. I like to fit into the culture I’m in. Plus I am going to a wedding tomorrow and I wanted to have something ‘fancy’-ish for it. Woo!

I enjoyed a later dinner and made plans to go out dancing. Plans were foiled and I ended up hanging out in my room again chatting it up – which is OK because tomorrow I have to be up early, again. The wedding is during church service so we must leave by 9AM. Wish I could have one day to sleep… I guess I can do that back in Austin. For now there is fun to be had and experiences to experience.

Day 10: Cape Coast

2009-06-05T23:17:00.000-05:00

I had ambitious plans to wake up at 5AM today and watch the sunrise over the ocean. When my alarm went off, I laughed, snoozed, and returned to sleep. Around 7:30 I awoke and did yoga on my porch looking into the ocean. The life. After breakfast we loaded our buses to head to Kakum National Park. No sooner had we parked and paid when a torrential downpour began. Kakum is a rainforest, so some rain is to be expected, but this was crazy style rain. We decided to eat lunch on site and hope the rain ended. Shortly afterwards a bamboo band rolled up in the rain and began setting up for a performance. Our Program Director is pretty amazing and just pulled this out for us. It was a full ensemble, dancing and drumming troupe who performed for an hour. It was amazing! All of the instruments they were playing were made of solid bamboo – the only additions being metal pieces for connection. In perfect timing, our food was ready as they finished and the rain slowed down to a light drizzle. After some kebobs, I ventured into the rainforest. A short uphill hike led us to the canopy tour. We walked 7 canopy bridges and it was breathtakingly beautiful. I remember from Costa Rica just how beautiful the rainforest is from that high…Kakum did not disappoint. Wet and tired, I completed all 7 and headed back to load up the bus and head home. It was a long drive home with 35 wet people crammed closely together. I put on my headphones and zoned out. Back at the hostel I took a lukewarm shower, had a light snack and just hung out with my roomie and some friends. It is nice to be back with the group.

Day 9: Cape Coast

2009-06-04T23:46:00.000-05:00

After 3 ½ hours crammed tight in the backseat of a Mercedes (you know how I roll), I thankfully made it to Cape Coast and was able to catch up with the group. We began our day with a tour of the Slave River – the final bathing place for the slaves after they walked for weeks or months from the Northern Region of Ghana and neighboring countries, such as Burkina Faso to Cape Coast to be traded or sold. On site they have built a memorial wall for those who have returned to Ghana after the Diaspora and/or other supporters. The site was touching in a way, trying to imagine the walk folks took and the conditions in which they endured. But, this was clearly a tourist centre. I do not believe there is historical evidence of this being “The” Slave River or bathing site; rather it is a lake with a story. At any rate, the guide gave a good speech which personalized the experience and helped drive home the reality of the history of slavery.

Next stop was the long awaited Cape Coast slave castle. This fortress, castle, dungeon is a true historical building over 200 years old. From the outside it is a beautiful white structure. It looks like a traditional castle. Inside, however, there are dungeons, a holding cell, and cannons. We began with an entrance into the male dungeon. This was a three room concrete cellar with one small window in each room. Guards stood by with rifles in the windows to keep order. Over 1000 men were held at a time and were held for up to 6 weeks. Men were fed twice daily. They ate, slept, and defecated in this same space. A small gutter existed, but archeologists have found evidence that fecal matter and waste reached up to 4 feet tall. Appalling. Despicable.

The female dungeon was even smaller, just two rooms, and held both women and children. The two rooms only had one small window which was also guarded. Women were kept nude and were used by traders and guards as desired. A woman’s “saving grace” was to become pregnant from one of the British men. She would then be freed. The risk was too great to try and sell or transfer a pregnant woman. In the Cape Coast area now there are many people who have last names such as “Stephenson” or “Robertson” – this, quite literally, means the child is the son of Stephan or Robert. (Why do I know no Stephendaughters?)

Near by was a holding cell. This cell was a small, narrow room where rebels were locked up. This room contained no windows and when the door was closed there was no oxygen coming in. They closed it for a minute while we were in there. It did take my breath away – not only the lack of oxygen, but the heat, the closeness to everyone, the lack of light. It was scary – and I knew what was happening and that it would end quickly. I cannot imagine what it was like to be taken from your country by force or manipulation, shackled and forced to walk for sometimes 3-4 months and then be kept in a dungeon for 6 weeks all for no apparent reason. Most of these people were just minding their own business before being taken away and enslaved. I just do not understand humans.

The final piece the enslaved people saw was a big black door labeled “The Door of No Return.” This is the final door where men, women, and children walked away from their homes. The door opens to the harbor where they were loaded on ships to sail to far away, never heard of places. It is such a beautiful sight to behold – the ocean, the rocks, the people. It is difficult to imagine such atrocities happening at this very spot, this very beautiful, breathtaking spot. I had such mixed emotions of everything. I just kept touching the walls in the dungeons and feeling connected to the thousands of hands who touched those same walls. To those who slept and wept on the cement floors I was walking on. To those who lost their lives there. To those who lost their souls there. I could feel that energy transferring through me and into me and it was overwhelming. At several points I cried, but mostly I ached deep inside my heart, in my soul. The fear and pain those people had to feel…

After this journey we visited the upstairs of the palace. This is where the governor resided, where church services were offered, and where slaves were sold. The upstairs of the castle had hard wood floors and many black shuttered windows. They had a beautiful view of the ocean. He sure had nice living arrangements up above people who were lying in their own feces, crying out for their mothers, their fathers, their Lord. The room where slaves were auctioned and sold was also beautiful – a large ballroom with wooden floors and multiple windows opening up to the ocean front.

It is an indescribable feeling to be in that space, to process how much went on there. How many lives were forever changed and how the world was forever changed. I just kept thinking of how many people passed throw there before. My brothers and sisters in humanity. That could have been me or my ancestors, but it wasn’t. Why not? What kept the Swedes or Germans from being enslaved? Why Africans? Why do we continue to abuse Africans and African Americans and other brown people? WHY?! If there is a Goddess, God, Higher Power, Universal Energy, something, anything – WHY does she/he/it allow things like that to happen? Why do we continue the genocide? Why aren’t we, as humans, learning from our mistakes? Why is Wal-Mart enslaving people and getting away with it? In fact, most big businesses are getting away with this, in one form or another. Why aren’t more people in an uproar?!?! We may not be as overt about our shackles these days, but they’re definitely still on. Look at our prisons and detention facilities – are we not still enslaving a particular population today? How did the US just sit and watch the Holocaust? Apartheid? Darfur? How am I involved? Am I a part of the solution? I have always felt that if you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem. I’m realizing though, that I’m part of the problem no matter what, but how can I reduce my emissions? Am I doing enough? Should I, could I be doing more? What is that? Where is that?

After the castles we returned to our beachfront cottages for an afternoon of relaxation. How do I go from all of this intensity to ‘fun time’? It is difficult for me to switch like that. I found myself a nice quiet spot on the beach to journal and think and just watch and listen to the waves. I allowed myself to feel the waves of emotions and thoughts passing through me… I cried. I cried for the past, the present, the future. I cried over all of the ugliness and beauty surrounding me simultaneously.

After ample time of decompressing I joined some friends in the warm, warm ocean water and played in the sand and relaxed. Some beer or wine would’ve been nice, but I’m still taking it easy from my tummy. Instead I gave myself an all-natural, organic sand and sea salt full body scrub. :) I love silky smooth skin. I retired to my room to shower and get ready for our evening and very much enjoyed the hot shower. I had an amazing evening. Enjoyed some red red for dinner, an amazing drum show and performance, practiced my African dancing (my Beyonce is still pretty weak, but I’m working on it), and capped out with a bonfire on the beach. All in all, a great way to wind down after an intense day. It’s crazy that it is so beautiful here when its’ history is so ugly.

Days 7 & 8: Nyaho Medical Centre, Accra

2009-06-03T17:51:00.001-05:00

I woke up Tuesday morning writhing in pain. I had THE. WORST. abdominal pains I have ever, ever had in all of my life. I began vomiting around 7:45AM. I made my best feeble attempt to get down to breakfast to grab a piece of toast to try to choke down my malaria medication. Thinking this was just the malaria kicking in full force, I tried to self soothe and remind myself that it’s just running its course. The Asst. PD caught wind of my vomiting and came to my room to check on me where I was strewn across the bathroom floor crying. She told me we were going back to the hospital immediately. I resisted, again, (I hate medics and I am just so stubborn) and she pretty much was like “tough luck.” About 2 minutes later the diarrhea began back up and then the sweats kicked in and I was ready to go. I continued to lie on the floor alternating ends on the toilet. They called for a car to take me to the Centre which took about an hour because traffic is horrendous (similar to Chicago rush hour, no joke, for those familiar). By that time, I felt disoriented and semi-conscious. I thought I was going to die. Obviously I live since I am writing this, but really, I was begging for the Universe to take me away. I felt miserable.

We got to the hospital where they wheeled me into a room (I could not walk by this point, I could hardly stand) and, again, took my blood pressure and temperature. Then I had to wait to see the doctor. I was in a waiting room with about five other people. I am crying, throwing up in a bag, pouring sweat – a real sight to behold. Finally I got in to see the doctor and he asked what was wrong. “ummm, well Dr. it appears I’m THROWING UP MY BRAINS!” I tried to communicate, but the Asst. PD had to help me. He had me lie down on the table and pressed on my stomach to which I yelled out in pain. He said, “ohh yes, you have a stomach infection.” I asked if I had malaria and he said “ohhh, no!” I told him the Dr. from last night said I had malaria and he looked at me like I was crazy – “It is too early for you to have malaria, plus you are taking your [malaria medication].” Awesome, so no malaria. At this point I didn’t care wtf I had…I just wanted to die and be done with it. They got me into a room hooked up to an IV. I was still throwing up and crying. Not soon enough they came to give me a shots in the butt – one for pain, one as an antibiotic – with an old school needle that was as big as my head. MISERABLE, I was. Luckily I fell asleep for a short time.

This continued for the next 10 hours or so. I would wake up every hour or so and start vomiting again (or have diarrhea) and crying out in pain. They’d make me tough it out for awhile and finally would do the shot thing again. It sucked. I was in a room with three other patients, the TVs were blaring, the lights were all on, and people were walking all around. Not much privacy and not much discern for the pain I was in. IT was very frustrating. The last things you want when you’re that sick are people around, noise, and light.

I finally stopped throwing up after about 13 hours. I had a couple bites of mashed potatoes for dinner and finished a bottle of water. I asked for another bottle of water to which they kindly informed me they only provide the first one for free – you have to get your own water after that. Luckily, I had Gifti, one of our amazing program staff, with me so she got me some water and apple juice. Seriously – you only get one water?!?

Our Head PD came to check on me and when she learned of the conditions she was pissed. I had not actually been tested for anything (no blood, urine, or fecal tests) and they had already misdiagnosed me once. She was not happy. She was on the phone with our international health insurance trying to figure out what to do. She wanted to transfer me to a different hospital in town and there was talk, for a brief time, of getting me air evacuated out of the country to France. I have not yet been to France, but am planning on going in a few weeks – I’d rather go on different terms. Mostly she was concerned and upset and trying to get stuff done. Not having many advocate for me as a child, I really appreciated it.  Everything was slowing down by this point so we decided to let me sleep it off.

I slept off and on overnight getting up every few hours for a bathroom visit. It’s a process when you’re carting around that damn IV carrier with you everywhere you go. The power went off and some point so we had to sleep without the air conditioning and it was not the most comfortable of situations. By 9AM I finally stopped with the diarrhea. They kept pumping me with saline and antibiotics. The Asst. PD came to visit around noon and started to push for me to get discharged. They were hesitant, but I wanted to go. Plus, I missed the slave castles this morning in Cape Coast and really want to go for tomorrow’s excursions. I was awake more today and caught an episode of Friends on the TV (they have TV, but you only get one water) and watched a lot of the local version of MTV (when MTV was actually the music television channel). I even heard some Enya on a commercial and caught part of Beauty and the Beast (it looked like a holiday version?). The doctors, nurses, and my roommates (and all of their visitors) were all so very nice and sweet and concerned and loving. Nurse Elizabeth was my favorite – she was so maternal and sweet and just when she would look into my eyes I felt better. No matter where you are, humans can be truly wonderful people who care about you just because you are a living, breathing human. I love that genuine, real connection with people.

By 4PM (Wednesday) I was finally discharged. I came back to the hostel tonight to find we had no electricity or water. I have officially sat in my own filth for 3 days – I am so sexy. I had a few bites of rice for dinner (still no appetite) and am about to shower and get to bed so I can awake for our 5AM departure (Thursday) to Cape Coast to catch up with the group. I will have missed the tour of the Elmina Slave Fortress World Heritage Monument under UNESCO, but will see the Slave River and the Cape Coast Slave Fortress. There will also be a nice dinner with "cultural entertainment" tomorrow night. Friday morning we travel to Kakum National Park for the ethnobotantical trail and eco-tourism lecture. I am glad I get to go. What a journey.

Traveling sure is fun, but it definitely isn’t all rainbows and puppies, that’s for darn sure.

Day 6: Ashaiman Secondary High School

2009-06-01T23:48:00.000-05:00

“Ashaiman Secondary High School: Modernization calls for change”

After months of imagining what Ashaiman Secondary High School (ASHS) might look like and developing a program in my mind of ways to work with the student population, it all finally came to fruition today when we met with the Headmaster of ASHS, Emmanuel Fiemawhle and Assistant Headmaster III (of Social Welfare), Michael K. Gbologah. ASHS is a 3-year private school (the Government currently requires 3 years of secondary education). Students apply for admission to ASHS in their final year of primary school and are accepted into one of four subject specific programmes: Agricultural Sciences (Horticulture, Fisheries), Visual Arts (Graphic design), Home Economics (Clothing & Textiles, Food & Nutrition, Management & Living), and General Arts (choose 3 from: History, Geography, Economics, Government, Literature, Christian Religious Studies, Music, or Language: French, Twi, Ga/Dengme, Ewe). All students complete core coursework all three years in English, Mathematics, Integrated Sciences, Social Sciences, and Physical Education. Of the programmes offered, General Arts accepts the largest class of 155 students; followed by Agriculture of 90 students; Visual Arts and Home Economics both accept 45 students each year. Because space is limited, programmes can be competitive.

The school was formed in 1991 with two teachers, thirty students and offered two programmes: Agricultural Science and Vocational Studies (which consisted of Home Economics and Visual Arts). Land was obtained from the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation. I am not sure if it was government mandated, donated, or purchased, but I believe it may have been government related. Because the land was then full of motor mechanics, the first set of students spent much of their time removing abandoned scraps and generally cleaning up the space. Obviously, students did not complete normal academic work during this time. Also, classrooms did not have yet have furniture. The only complete structure on the building at that time is the current Science classroom. The current main classroom block of four rooms was then being constructed.

The two teachers, anxious to get started with academic work, went to the local community seeking furniture for the classrooms. Various tribal unions donated benches and planks which were then places on piles of cement blocks to serve as classroom tables and chairs. This worked, temporarily, though students were getting hurt when the benches or planks would drop. Ouch!

The school has grown rapidly over the past 15+ years and now consists of four main classroom blocks. Classrooms are open aired, but covered with a tin roof. Classrooms do not have overhead light and rely on the sunlight. Most rooms have desks and a chalkboard, however some rooms are overcrowded. As many as 70 students may be in one class at a time. The school has over 1000 students, 48 teaching staff, and 21 non-teaching staff (administrative, cleaning, security). There is a canteen on site where students may purchase food for breakfast and/or lunch.

A typical day for an ASHS student is as follows:

7AM: Arrive to compound. Tidy up classrooms, stair cases and immediate surroundings of school.
7:25 – 7:40AM: Morning Assembly on Mondays and Fridays
7:35 – 8:15AM: Worship on Wednesdays
8:25 – 9:45AM: Class Session I
9:45 – 10:15AM: Morning Break. Canteen open and some students eat a snack or breakfast
10:15 – 11:35AM: Class Session II
11:35 – 12:55PM: Class Session III
12:55 – 1:15PM: Afternoon Break. Canteen open.
1:15 – 2:35PM: Class Session IV
2:35PM: Day ends and students may leave for the day.
2:45 – 4:05PM: OPTIONAL Class Session V which most students stay at school for the extra learning. (It is not tutoring for remedial students; it is an extra class option in which most students willingly participate)

There are several rules that students must follow that were surprising to me. Girls, for example are not allowed to perm, press, blow, or have her hair chemically treated. No hair accessories such as ribbons, combs or clips are allowed. No make up, including nail polish, is permitted nor is jewelry, such as bangles, chains, rings, or beads allowed. Boys cannot blow or wear their hair bushy and a beard or moustaches is ‘strictly forbidden.’ Boys are also not allowed to wear chains, rings, or caps. Neither boys nor girls are allowed to wear “dark goggles,” which I assume are sunglasses. Severe consequences are in place for various offenses. In most cases, the first offense results in a warning or suspension and second offense is dismissal. Exceptions include sexual misconduct, assault of staff, pregnancy or abortion which results in immediate withdrawal or dismissal. I wonder how rules around sexuality are administered. Are boys dismissed if they impregnate a girl (which should fall under sexual misconduct)?

In many ways, walking on this compound today reminded me of stories from my grandmother of her experiences in school – single classrooms, corporal punishment, gendered practices. It feels like I am in a movie in the 1940s sometimes.

The school is still in need of basic infrastructure for their students. The science lab needs tables, chairs, and basic teaching/learning materials (for example, there are no beakers, no periodical table of elements, etc.). The visual arts department needs a working space (with overhead light), drafting tables (or other appropriate spaces for creating arts), and a darkroom where screens could be developed and reproduced. The math department needs teaching/learning materials (workbooks, multiplication tables, etc.), calculators, and graphing sheets. The social science department needs classrooms, geography materials (maps, globes), and teaching/learning materials (updated textbooks). The agriculture department needs fencing for land, teaching/learning materials, and reference books.

Despite the challenges and needs of the school, several students go on to pass final examinations and gain admission to the Universities, Nursing Training Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges, and Polytechnics. Despite not having a field for training, ASHS male and female students and teams have won local sports competitions in cross country running and volleyball.

For our programme, the Headmaster would like for us to work with both boys and girls focusing on goal setting and reaching your goals. He said many of the students struggle with determination and motivation. My group (3-5 of us) will be going into every classroom for a little over an hour to lead these workshops. I will also provide training for the Peer Consulate group who can carry on these workshops. I will develop a curriculum and training manual they can use in the future. I am also going to work on setting up a pen-pal program for students. My colleagues will work more directly with staff to provide training and consultation. In addition, he requested our assistance with website development and gathering needed supplies and materials. We have a lot on our plate!

We had a late lunch at Agbamami Restaurant in Tema where I tried to have some soup and salad. I had not been feeling very well most of the day. I still was pretty achy and tired and had another sweating spell. Over the past couple of days I have been having sweating spells where I just start pouring sweat, even if I am in air conditioning. Strange. I thought some soup or a light lunch might help. It really didn’t.

Later in the evening, we went to a fancy dinner at The African Regent which dubs its’ self as the “Afropolitan.” We had a full buffet with options ranging from Mediterranean to local cuisine. Tonight was supposed to be our working dinner planning time for our projects. Unfortunately our Headmaster could not make it. I was so hungry but did not have an appetite. I tried to get down a piece of bread before having my first round of diarrhea. Shortly after I had another sweating spell. I had talked with one of my colleagues about how I was feeling – she became concerned and told our PD who then informed me I needed to go to the hospital because I may have malaria. Awesome.

Reluctantly I went to the local hospital, Nyaho Medical Centre. The hospital reminds me of a military type facility. All white, older looking buildings. The lobby is outdoors (covered, but hot and sticky). I filled out a one-page intake form and was ushered to another waiting room where a nurse took my blood pressure and temperature (with an old school thermometer that she dried off with a napkin before sticking under my armpit). After that I was called into the Doctor’s office. The Dr. asked what my symptoms were; I told him. His diagnosis: beginning signs of malaria. I didn’t think malaria could show up so soon, but he said it could show up as early as 3 days to 1 week. I have been here 6 days today…so, I, of all people, apparently managed to get myself bitten by THE malaria mosquito basically upon arrival. Awesome. I was given a prescription of Artrin and sent on my way. All in all, the cost of the visit with prescription was 39 cedis (about $28). Good deal. I’m going to rest tonight and hope I am better tomorrow. They want me to stay home and rest, but I really do not want to miss tomorrow’s lectures: Indigenous Religions, Spirit World, and Ancestors; and Ancient & Contemporary Art. I am so stubborn sometimes.

Day 5: Aburi Gardens

2009-05-31T22:46:00.000-05:00

Today’s journey took us through the rolling hills outside of Accra up the mountain to the Aburi Gardens. Along the way were some of the most beautiful, I mean Bea-U-Ti-Ful views of Accra. It reminded me in many ways of the sights of the Hill Country or the beauty of over-looking the water at the Oasis. Along the way we stopped in a quaint little town known for its wood working magic. I picked up a few pieces that may serve as gifts for friends or may go on my bookshelf. We shall see. I did my first bit of haggling, too. I hate haggling, but you have to do it here. I have a friend who told me he witnessed a piece of art start at 140 cedis be negotiated down to 7 cedis (equivalent of going from $100 to $5!). I struggle with that feeling of “well, I have more” or “I can afford” (even if I am a ‘poor student’ poverty is relative). I do know, though, I have a certain price I am comfortable paying for pieces. I can walk away getting a wee bit ripped off and be OK with it because I know I am directly supporting the manufacturer - unlike buying items in the States when The Man is just taking my money. I digress…

On the way to Aburi we also passed the home and recording studio of Rita Marley – Bob’s widow. A dreaded man was hand painting a mural outside of her home. Sweet.
In Aburi we visited the gardens. I learned a bit about local vegetation, but mostly I sweated. It was hot, very very hot.

We returned to the hostel for the evening to enjoy some down time. A seamstress came to our site and I got measured for a dress and a shirt. I chose my own fabric and designs. Now, *that’s* the way it’s supposed to be. I wonder if I can find a local seamstress in the states and have all of my clothing hand-made. I would love to a) buy local and b) have clothing in my style and my size. My dress should be ready by Friday so I can wear it to the wedding on Saturday, whoo!

I am super tired from this trip and am taking the opportunity of free time tonight to just rest and relax. I’m feeling a bit run-down, sort of achy and tired in general. Hopefully I’ll be rested for tomorrow’s big day at the school! I am so excited to finally see our project site and talk with the Headmaster about our program! I hope it all comes together as we imagined :)

Day 4: Accra & Tema, Ghana

2009-05-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

What a day! Visited the National Museum, Kwame Nkrumah monument and the local town of Tema. I am exhausted – physically, mentally, and emotionally drained.

The National Museum is chocked full of various artifacts and recreations of Ghanaian, West African, and African history. It seemed to me to be quite large, by Ghanaian standards (two stories, 5 large rooms). Downstairs was information pertaining to Ghana: puberty and mating rituals (mostly tribal traditions of the indigenous peoples); musical and dancing traditions, including sample instruments (drums, xylophone, horns); the role of children in the family; woodwork and textiles (including descriptions of meetings of differing carvings, symbols, designs, and patterns and sample loom). The upstairs had more original artifacts from other West African countries including skulls, art, jewelry and traditional tribal adornments.

The most impactful piece of the museum for me pertained to the slave trade. Tucked away towards the back of the museum is a dark hallway with glass cases of information about slave trade. Many original artifacts have been preserved, including accounting records for the buying and selling of people. These ledgers did not list slaves by name, of course, rather they listed as items purchased: 1m, 3w, 3b, 2g, 1c (m=man, w=woman, b=boy, g=girl, c=child, non gender specific). It was sickening to see people reduced to items like this. AND, it was sickening imagining what tasks people were assigned …especially when only 1c (b/g) was purchased. What was this child forced to do? How often were these children (and adults, but especially children) purchased for sexual satisfaction? Reading these slips made my stomach turned. It is a very chilling feeling. A piece of wood from one of the ships read three words only: “Peace and love.” Original shackles and chains used on the boats as well as branding sticks were also on display. There are not words to describe how it felt for me to see these items – I cannot even begin to imagine what it might be like to see these items for those who are direct descendants of Africa. Chilling is the best word. Nauseating works too. Intense. The final piece was a door labeled “The Door of No Return.” This dark tunnel led out of the museum to daylight for me, but I know where it led for so many other people in history…
Next week we are visiting two slave ‘castles’ in Elmina/Cape Coast. I am nervous about those experiences… it is all so in your face. I am privileged to never have had to feel sooo deeply and intensely about this topic before. I am both anxious and terrified of that experience. I am so angry that slavery happened – angry that humans are capable of such atrocities. Angry that similar atrocities are still happening today and so many stand by, ignorant, and do nothing. What should I be doing? What can I do (physically and emotionally)? What is the best approach, for me, in addressing global social injustice, war, and strife??? Am I doing enough? Is there such a thing as “enough”? If so, what is it?

The Kwame Nkrumah monument and museum was less emotionally charged, yet equally informative and engaging. This man is the shit. He is everywhere in Accra and people, for the most part, loved him. As the first President of course he will forever remain a famous political figure in Ghanaian history and on top of it he did so much good for the country. I have to learn more about how and why he was overthrown or lost power. This monument stands at the exact location where President Nkrumah declared Ghana’s independence in 1957, directly across the street from the old Parliament. In front of his monument are statues of men drumming and blowing horns as a reincarnation of those who were playing music for the festive welcoming ceremony. His body rests in a tower behind the statue that represents a tree and a sword down so he is forever resting under the tree. Behind the monumental statue and tower is another statue – an older statue of Nkrumah that had been vandalized by rebels. It has no head, one arm, and a gash in the back of one knee. The statue stands today as a political statement of “you can’t take me down.” There was a one room museum in back with some photos of President Nkrumah (taken with various political world leaders) as well as copies of the several books he has written. At the gift shop I made my first Ghanaian non-food/drink purchase: a beautiful set of hand glazed bowls (3 for 9 cedis, or about $6.50 total) and a wallet (2 cedis, or about $1.50).

After lunch at Ange Hill Restaurant a group of us headed to Tema (which I previously learned was “the only well planned city in Ghana”) with K, our Assistant Program Director. K. was born and raised in Tema as a little boy and is now finishing his Ph.D. at UT-Austin. He was kind enough to take us to his hometown, introduce us to his family and an important mentor of his, share his homes with us (mom and dad are divorced), show us his schools, and take us to a funeral of a community member.

Our first stop was at K.’s childhood home where his mother still lives to pick up his 2 ½ y.o. daughter The houses are all very small and close together with goats, chickens, and dogs roaming freely in the neighborhood. A heap of trash was piled outside. K. made a point of informing us of the changes to Tema since he was growing up. He said there is now much more trash and disrespect in the community. When he was a child, he recalled, the city was cleaner and people had more commitment to maintaining the community. His mother’s home was quite small and extremely warm as they do not have air conditioning. I believe they spend much of their time outdoors. His cousin was there cooking something delicious smelling in the kitchen. Mom came out to greet us; she was obviously shy and sweet. Acesi was quite shy, and probably overwhelmed by 25 new faces, as well.

Next stop was to one of K.’s key mentors growing up, Mr. Ofori-Nyako and his wife. Now a retired architect, Mr. Ofori-Nyako was the first City Planner for Tema. Essentially, he was *the One* who made Tema “the only well planned city.” He briefly shared his experiences working for the city as well as his views of how the city has changed. Having heard his wife is a teacher in the Ashaiman community where I will be completing my project, I snuck into the living room to strike up a conversation with her about her thoughts on the girls’ empowerment program and the key needs of the girls. She said the largest concern for girls is staying school and one of the largest preventable barriers to girls completing their studies is teen pregnancy. As such, she talks a lot with the girls about sexuality, menses, and the importance of waiting to have sexual relations with boys because “the boys leave you and it is hard to provide for your child.” (Sound familiar?) Many of the street children, she said, have no fathers or no one to provide for them. She doesn’t believe that talking about sex is bad. “The parents are too busy at home to talk about it with them, so someone at school has to.” Maybe she can run the world??  They invited the group back next Saturday for a community wedding! I hope (and believe, who am I? Obama?) that we will be able to attend. It should work out…

Following the visit with Mr. and Mrs. Ofori-Nyako, we walked a few blocks to K.’s father’s home. I was carrying Acesi, so I lagged back a bit and her and I pointed at dogs and trees and chit-chatted in 2 ½ y.o. English/Twi/Ga. We both knew about the same amount of Twi/Ga so it worked out well. Acesi really took well to me and several others were jealous that she let me hold her first. It’s just a magical touch I have…  I love kids!

Afterwards we headed over to the funeral. I felt a little uncomfortable crashing a funeral, but K. assured me it was OK. Since he grew up in this community, I trust knows better than do I. We walked through a long alley (which was lined on both sides with trash, and we passed a man who was peeing on the wall as we all walked by. I am not sure if this is common behavior?) and arrived at K.’s secondary school where the funeral was being held in the back area. We walked in to about 200 people sitting in chairs under four ‘gazebo’ type tents (making a square) dressed in dark colors (reds, greens, and black are worn if the deceased was under 80. White is worn for someone who passes after age 80 as a sign of respect for the long, full life they lead.). The tent nearest to our left when we walked in consisted of the family of the deceased. After K. went and greeted the family they welcomed us to participate. As the family members sat, we walked through in a greeting line and shook the hands of each person. We did not say anything (such as “I’m sorry for your lost”), but shook hands and smiled. The feeling was not somber, but was celebratory. A large, framed picture of the deceased man sat in front of the family. We were then invited to take a seat. K. did not want to do this as his plan was originally to just stop by, observe, and leave. I was not comfortable with that voyeuristic approach (even though he swore it would be fine!). I am glad we sat and participated until the made a formal greeting to us on the loud speaker (they had an emcee and a sound system). Ugh!! Hello, Americans! K. said this was an honor to be greeted and this is how the family shows thanks. It felt odd, like we were stealing the attention away from their ceremony. Maybe that’s self-centered? I try to just trust in K. and remain open to all of the experiences. The family then got up and came over to us and shook our hands in a receiving line sort of way. Again, no exchanges of words other than Akwaaba, or welcome, were shared. To then show our thanks, we collected cedis to make a donation to the family which is customary. The funeral is a very costly endeavor and the community makes donations to help off-set costs. We sat for about 20 minutes as a band of drummers and trombonists performed music (interesting note, people did not clap at the end of a song. Also different for me.). K. wanted to get moving but was having trouble getting away from all of the obligatory greetings and people to talk to (you know how homecomings can be!) so he asked us to get up in small groups and start heading towards our van. But, we were all distracted. As we left the tents we walked across a field where about 50-100 kids were playing. And, they wanted to play with the obronis, or foreigners. They were certainly not shy about coming up to us to play. I was immediately mauled by a group of about 10. They were very intrigued by the digital cameras and wanted to take pictures. First I took pictures of them, and then they wanted to take pictures. I shared the camera and let them take pictures and they were having a blast making funny faces and being silly. Again, I found myself carrying around two little kids as they were tugging on my legs. I am such a softie sometimes 

By this time we had stayed about an hour longer than intended and K. had to round us up for the van. As I was walking away one sweet girl, Julianna, 12 y.o., came up to me and asked for my phone number because she wanted to keep in contact. Instead I gave her my address and told her to write. I hope she does. (She didn’t know her address so I couldn’t get that to start the pen-pal friendship). I asked what she would write to me about – she said “school.” She wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

Sad to go we said goodbye to the kids (some of who started crying ) and headed off. A few of the group members were also crying I think because of the stark poverty the saw. While I noticed, of course, the conditions, I did not see it as “poor.” In the faces of the adults and children I saw love, happiness, and joy. Simple life does not equal bad. The simple joy of playing soccer in a field or jumping in a puddle does not mean someone is destitute. I acknowledge the poverty and challenges of the community just as I acknowledge that from this community comes great people, strong people, resilient people. While K. was able to ‘make it’ does not mean everyone else will, nor does it mean they should “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” It does, however, speak volumes to me of the strength, determination, and abilities of humans – all across the globe.

We departed for a quick driving tour of the rest of Tema, particularly the industrial area. Tema is one of two main ports in Ghana (the other is Takoradi). The port employs over 50% of the town’s people. They export goods from all over the country, but especially fish, cement, and chocolate for the local community. After dropping off Acedi, we headed back to Accra for dinner at the mall. Apparently the mall is the place to be on Saturday nights. Women were dressed to the 9’s here. I had a light sandwich and did some reading in a café. It was nice to decompress and process the day.

Later… (duh, duh, duhmm)

The shit hath hit thy fan. Finally. After several days of feeling isolated, disconnected, and alone on the seriousness of our experience, we finally had a group discussion (four hours of sitting in a circle) of race, class, and ethnocentrism. Some people had strong reactions to the experience in Tema and the things they saw and felt. We finally had a space to process some of this – and it was ugly. It seems that many folks who are on this trip have not had a chance to educate themselves about the realities and effects of poverty, especially the racial implications. Having had years of training in this area, I had been feeling very irritated since arriving. I have overheard conversations and comments that just reek of ignorance and covert racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. Many of the white people in the group have not yet formed a racial identity of their own (and probably have not thought about their ‘race’ beyond ‘white’). Unacknowledged privilege galore.

I have been stewing for a few days over these issues and had a sufficient amount of anger in me already. So, when I heard complaints from white, upper-class women about feeling “segregated,” “attacked,” and “excluded,” I became outraged. I stood up and made a statement (that was, a few complained, apparently, “aggressive,”) about my frustrations, including a bold point of how this is quite possibly one of the first times they have ever felt some of those feelings of exclusion that people of color feel All.The.Time., especially in White America. The white privilege continued with ideas of “but, I didn’t do,” “it’s not my fault,” and “why am I being treated this way?” Hmmm, where have I heard comments like this before?! My patience for folks on this trip who have not explored their identities is low. I respect that we are all at different places on the spectrum, however, I inaccurately assumed that folks were more prepared for a trip of this nature. After 3.5 hours, I was running very low on patience. After one of the black women begged and pleaded with white students to “give her this opportunity” I about became ill. The parallels of a black person pleading with a white person in the heart of the origins of slavery … “Please, Master, let me…” rang so strong in my mind. I stood up after her speech and gave a white privilege and ally speech. I stood as a white person to say people of color do not need my, or ANY white person’s permission. I (again, “aggressively,” I guess) called people out and suggested that if they really want to connect that they do less talking and more listening. Don’t take it personal – it’s not about YOU (for once). Don’t expect people of color to be your tools for education – educate yourself. Seek out information on your own. LISTEN. Read. Ask questions, respectfully. Few people seemed to like what I had to say…but I had to say it.
I refuse to stand by and do nothing and let others to fight alone.
I refuse to leave it be and pretend it’s not my issue as well.

As long as one is oppressed, we are all oppressed.

Day 3: Accra, Ghana

2009-05-29T20:40:00.005-05:00

Today has consisted of:
• Morning lecture from Dr. Stephen Ayidiya, Professor of Social Work at University of Accra-Legon and former member of Parliament (1993-1996), on the history of social work in Ghana
• Visit to WEB Dubois Museum
• Afternoon lecture from Dr. Michael Willams, Aya Centre, on Panafricanism
• Welcome dinner celebration at Chez Afrique

HISTORY OF SOCIAL WORK IN GHANA
I learned a ton from the morning lecture with Dr. Ayidiya!

Effects of colonization
Before the 1800s, Ghana was comprised of small entities or independent peoples through W. Africa until the British colonized the country (French colonized countries to the sides of Ghana throughout West Africa). The area now known as Ghana had been a colony for 100+ years as “The Gold Coast.” The Gold Coast colony was comprised of the Southern part (along coast, including Accra and Elmina), Ashanti (mid-range) and the Northern part (above the Volta River, historically connected with Northern Africa). The transatlantic trade of people (slaves) and material goods brought purchasable goods from the Northern region; Gold Coast residents served as brokers of this trade. The North was to be kept as workers for gold mining on the western part of present-day Ghana’s gold coast and cocoa farms. This is largely responsible for the stark inequalities (poverty, child labor, sex trade, discrimination against women, etc.) seen today in Northern Ghana. After gaining independence in 1957 (just 50 years ago!), few families and children traveled from Ghana’s North to the Southern Gold Coast for education and development. Dr. Ayidiya, for example, belongs to one of these families; he is first generation to obtain an education.

Establishing social service structure
Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah (whose name is EVERYWHERE around here), first addressed agriculture issues with cocoa and food crops which are main area of production for income and foreign exchange (and sustenance). President Nkrumah established the Community Development section of the Department of Social Welfare to create basic infrastructure for the country relating to:
- Development and establishment of schools (the physical creation and building of schools)
- Construction of roads (in 1970s) for trade routes and travel
- Public health initiatives, especially disease of cocoa and water sanitation
- Mass education campaigns – through villages night school was made available for adults who never had a chance to go to school to learn to read and write
According to Dr. Ayidiya, the city of Tema (located 10 miles outside of Accra) was the only well-planned city in Ghana.

Social work practice
Initial services were around work with youth and “the destitute.” This included work with juvenile probation and orphans (in orphanages and on the streets). What is known as “Family Services” in the States looks very different and is not very common or strong in Ghana. Here, as in many areas of the world, the nuclear family is not predominant. External family is relied on heavily even still today. Special areas of concern are for single mothers (especially widowed women) and child labor (often coming from single mother homes as a result of lacking education and stable income). Women tend to lack resources and access to education and jobs.
Most all social work training happens in the U.S. (post-grad, post-Doc).

Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
Many services and issues today are addressed by international and local NGOs. While some NGOs do good work in the country, many come into various parts of the country with their own agendas rather than working with the people to empower them to find their own solutions. Many NGOs do not focus on capacity building and basically end up taking away valuable resources from the community (water, food, shelter, land).

The neocolonial practice of NGOs is convoluted because many groups are politically based and do not just provide relief or services. Many NGOs are connected to international offices in the U.S. and other parts of the world and seem to have their own agendas in their work and relations in Ghana. NGOs are influencing local and national politics and policies.

Dr. Ayidiya suggests there needs to be more Ghanaian-based NGOs. If NGOs (as they currently exist) were really working, he said, we would not see the problems and poverty that we still see today in the Northern Region. There are as many NGOs as there are families in Northern Ghana, yet this area remains the most poverty-stricken and troubled part of the country. What would really help the area is if these groups were to collaborate instead of all working independently towards the same goal (creating confusion and the duplication of services). This sounds painfully familiar to U.S. practices…
I asked Dr. Ayidiya his thoughts on the use of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) – curious of the implications of this sort of organization. Though not an NGO (in fact, PC works collaboratively with governments to offer services), I remain skeptical of the implementation and integration of PC and PCVs in communities. He believes PC is more aligned with the national values (as set by the Ghanaian Parliament) and has been “good to have,” in his opinion.

Feminist Activism and Women’s Empowerment
Of course I asked his thoughts on this area of social work. His response was not surprising as it seems to be a common criticism of feminist work in the developing world. Often, groups come in to Ghana wanting to tell women their rights (to not be abused, to be gainfully employed, etc.). Obviously, he said, they know violence is not a good thing, but removing a woman from an abusive partner is useless if she cannot survive. Many, if not most, women here still rely on their male partners for financial resources to buy food, clothing and shelter and care for children. If women’s basic needs are not met, it is futile to preach of their ‘human rights.’ The women here are “not stupid. They know their rights. They are balancing for survival.”

This brought up questions for me about our girls empowerment program. What is the most useful information for the girls? So far I have been told to focus on education and health (especially sexual health). When asked about sex education, Dr. Ayidiya said it is a mute point. He seems to believe that “you do not have sex until marriage, so if you are not married, there is nothing to talk about.” Bullshit. We know girls and boys are having premarital sex here and all across the globe and are NOT being educated about it. While not ‘forbidden’ to talk about, it is taboo (he says…). I find it curious that this is coming from a male perspective (albeit not the usual “White Male” perspective of which I am usually bitching). I am skeptical that he can truly speak to the experience of women and girls.

I am still interviewing women and girls to seek more knowledge…

W.E.B. DUBOIS MUSEUM
The Dubois museum is set in his old home where he came to live the final years of his life. Fed up with the States, he returned to Africa in his later years to work on the Panafrican movement (I think? Lots of details…it’s a bit hazy). The museum was quaint- small, by U.S. standards yet quite large by Ghanaian standards (especially within a historical context). Consisting of five+ rooms, we saw the living room, dining room, library, office, and master bedroom as part of our tour. Many of his original books remain in the library and office. The living room is full of art and photographs of notable Ghanaian leaders (with great emphasis on former President Nkrumah). The dining room had an art feature of works by high school students on the meaning of President Nkrumah’s 100 year celebration. The dining room is now used mainly as a meeting room for outside groups. His master bedroom features much of his individual artifacts, including robes from universities he attended and received honorary awards; original journals, ledgers, and degrees; and a tapestry. His bust is centered in the middle of the room. What shocked me the most was these items were not locked! While behind a glass case, you could open the case and physically touch these items. I did not get a chance to ask our guide about this practice. I am curious as to the reasoning for not having things locked, especially since the cases had locks on them.

Dubois and his wife are both buried on site. A tour was also given of a worship room outside, but it was too hot for me inside the small space so I missed pieces of that lecture. I did, however, catch a piece about the wood carvings on sitting stools. Each stool in the circular room has a different symbol and meaning, such as “I return to my God,” or “Unity.” I took pictures on a couple of the stools.

PANAFRICANISM and PANAFRICAN MOVEMENT
I am not a history buff. In fact, I mostly despise history, despite knowing its’ extreme importance and relevance in understanding how we got here today and to prevent repeating mistakes. However, I have always struggled to follow timelines and remember dates and facts. Maybe I am more of a big picture thinker?
Anyway, Professor Williams gave a brief (I do mean brief – approx. 45 minutes. We were running late, as usual. “Ghanaian time.”) lecture on Panafricanism. Since I struggled to follow along with everything, I can offer an overview of the tidbits I picked up.
Panafricanism is the movement to unite Africa and the African people. The entire basis is unity. Throughout time, Africans have been separated – through force, slavery, war, and other tragedies. The boundaries of countries were randomly decided by colonizers in strategic ways. For example, the lines of small countries such as Togo were set by French colonizers to prevent or limit trade. These arbitrary lines have created much conflict throughout Africa (Sudan, anyone?) and contributes to the systematic destruction of African peoples.
If Africa was to UNITE, it would be one hell of force! It would be a much stronger powerhouse capable of competing and thriving in today’s world. Africa is rich in materials (this continent has so many natural resources of value; think: oil and gold = $$$$$). The unity of Africa would lead to a United States of Africa (a new and improved U.S.A. perhaps?).

Benefits of African Unity (AU)
- Combination of resources and wealth (oil, gold and other metals, cocoa)
- Increased capital by pooling money and resources (“we could stop begging!”
- Market (“Why do you think China is so rich?”)
- Common currency (makes for ease of travel and exchange)
- Central planning and division of labor (development, especially)
- Settle water disputes (who owns what river/lake; clean water for all)
- Power and strength in #s (negotiation, protection against invasion/sezing)

Challenges to African Unity (AU)
- Inter- and intra- ethnic, religious, and political conflicts
- Regional borders and conflict
- Vested interest of other nations in the current system (I doubt the States want Africa to be a world leader or powerhouse)
- Lack of basic infrastructure, i.e. ROADS (inter- and intra-)
- Weak economies; low GDP/GNP

I am interested in learning much more about Panafricanism. Some suggested readings include:
Africa Must Unite by Kwame Nkrumah
King Leopold by Mark Twain
Black Livingston (author?)

I am also interested in researching the vested interest of other nations in keeping Africa separated (“You gotta keep ‘em separated!” Name that tune…). Professor Williams posed a question concerning the EU. What, exactly, does the EU export? What do they offer the world? He pointed out that they basically import everything. How might the world economy look different if Africa started demanding (and receiving) fair treatment in the world market?

CHEZ AFRIQUE CELEBRATION
After being here for three days we had our official welcome dinner today! Our Ghanaian peers joined us for our first authentic Ghanaian meal at Professor Williams’ wife’s restaurant, Chez Afrique (“She’s a freak” … she’s super freaky, now…). We all dressed up (the best travelers can – a dress and Tevas for me) for our night on the town. Chez Afrique has a beautiful outdoor seating area and features a live band on Fridays. It felt very Austin-esque to be sitting under the stars enjoying a Star beer and listening to live music. It makes me happy to have similar experiences on the other side of the globe. =)

I sat at a table with Gloria, a student at UAL studying sociology and Arabic. Not only did she help me order my dinner, but she was a great conversationalist! I loved getting to know her better – we have a lot in common. She shared with us her history growing up and experiences at University. We were able to talk about sociology and theories (so cool, I know). AND, she read the Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High as a little girl. How interesting?! (And, while I am delighted we shared similar stories growing up, I have also thought about the implication of those characters potentially serving as her role models growing up. Where were her role models? Girls who looked liked her and had similar experiences as her?)

For dinner I went with the Banku and Tilapia with Hot Pepper Sauce and a snail kebob. Banku is made from milled corn mixed with Cassava and stirred with water until it makes a round ball of paste. Two and a half hours later we still had not received my meal. After Gloria complained on our behalf (the benefits of hanging with locals), we finally got our plates. First we were served a large bowl of hot water to clean our hands in preparation for the meal Banku is traditionally eaten by hand (right hand only, because the left hand is seen as dirty). Bless my little adventurous heart, the fish came out full with the eye and tail and scales. I really struggle with eating meat off of the bone as is and I really cannot do carcass on my plate. I tried my best to be in the moment and give it a fair try. I succeeded, I think. At the least, I did not throw up. That is success to me. And, my snail kebab never did showed up, thankfully. I had enough adventure with my food for one night.

I did a little dancing on the cramped dance floor. The music was great and the people were feeling it, but I really wasn’t. Exhausted and tired as all heck, I retired early for the evening. We begin again tomorrow bright and early at 8AM and this girl needs her beauty rest.

Day 2: Accra, Ghana

2009-05-28T16:03:00.000-05:00

My day began sharply at 8:15AM when a friend called our room to notify us that we were going to be left by the buses if we didn’t get our arses downstairs asap. It turns out neither my roommate nor I heard our alarms and we had slept through breakfast. I threw on one of my cotton dresses and out the door I went. As with many things here in Ghana, it was a hurry up and wait situation…the buses were running late. People here run on what they refer to as ‘Ghanaian time’ – which means about 30-90 minutes AFTER the originally set time. It’s nice in times like this morning when your jet lag is in full force.

Today marked the official beginning of our program! We began at The University of Accra – Legon (UAL) which is about a 5-10 minute drive from our hostel, if traffic is smooth. Upon entering the University, two signs greeted us along with several white, drab-looking buildings with red dirt roads. Our first lecture was held in a lecture hall in the School of Social Work. The School of Social Work, not surprisingly is not the nicest building on-campus. In fact, it is not its own building, per say, rather it is several annex buildings cornered together with a quad area in the middle and a small patio area to the side. The morning lectures were perfunctory welcomes from our PD, our UAL advisor, and one of our local guides. We received some general background and cultural information about Africa, Ghana, and Accra and a list of Do’s and Don’ts for our behavior (including several warnings to not get drunk, since one lady who did “got raped” and it “might not have happened had she not been drinking and been aware of her surroundings.” Ahhh, victim blaming, gotta love it! Yep, the speaker is a man). After a brief lesson in Twi (thank you, or ‘medase!’) we had an opportunity to meet with our Ghanaian peers. Each group has been matched with a student from the University who will serve as our liaison to our agencies as well as our cultural guide on this experience. Our guide is a recent graduate who is completing his mandatory year of service with the Ghanaian government. How cool! I can’t wait til the US catches on to the benefits of domestic servitude (NOT only military service). One last quick lecture and then we took a driving tour of the University.

I took many pictures of campus through my glass window. I really wish we could have gone for a walk on-campus. Again, since there are 40 of us, I guess it is not ideal? At any rate, UAL has about 28,000 students. Many students live on campus (in non air conditioned dorms. Think Houston in the summer type heat. If that is meaningless, think 90 degrees, 90% humidity. Ugh) and walk 45-40 minutes to get to their classes. There are several majors of study offered and a few of the buildings I saw included Business, Social Work, Nursing, Archeology, and African Studies. They have post-graduate programs (I assume this is similar to a Masters?) in Communication and Law and also have a Medical School. In fact, our UAL advisor told us that Ghana is one of the leading African countries in producing doctors. Many of their medical students leave Ghana and go to Europe or Asia where they can make more money. It is even to a point where European and Asian people are requesting Ghanaians to stop coming because they are allegedly stealing jobs from local medical students. I thought that was pretty cool. Go Ghana doctors! Woo! Maybe they can specialize in reproductive health or something…

We took a stop at the University bookstore where I picked up a copy of The Emancipation of Women: An African Perspective by Florence Abena Dolphyne, former Chair[person] of the Ghana National Council on Women and Development. It highlights what she believes women’s emancipation means to women in Africa, including how it relates to traditional beliefs and practices. Seems like a good read and, again, will provide some context to my work here.

Our next stop was for lunch at Monarch Hotel. A similar buffet menu was offered: fish, chicken, spaghetti and meat sauce, French fries, rice, fried plantains, cabbage salad, and some delicious local ice cream for dessert! Mmmmm, it was so creamy and delicious with just a hint of vanilla and maybe some nutmeg (?). So good.

We loaded back up on our buses to head out for our driving tour of Accra. We began in East Legon, where we are staying and passed through Airport Centre. This is where you will find upscale homes (equal to $100-200K USD) and “larger life.” At this point, I was not yet able to tell that it was a wealthier section of town – that came later. We passed a new addition in the East Legon section: HOTEL OBAMA (they sure love Obama here! I saw shirts with Obama’s face on them and several of his books for sale in the mall. Later, we saw a man passing by proudly sporting his Obama shirt).

Accra is divided by the Akon people which make up most of the population and include the Ashanit, Afani, Asanti, and Aguapimp. A small fraction of the Accra population is comprised of the Agha, the indigineous people. There are noticeable class differences between the groups – particularly the Akon and Agha.

Driving out of East Legon, we headed into downtown Accra. On the way we passed the home to the current President, John Atta Mills (our equivalent to the White House) which is a cool pointed space looking sort of building. We passed Black Square, the main town square where big rallies, speakers, and other events are held. Prior to the celebration of Ghana’s 50 years of independence a few years back, the visit by former President Bill Clinton brought in the largest crowd (Our guide said Clinton was loved and that is why so many came out to see him. Bush, however, was not greeted so kindly. Go figure.) We also passed the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, another highly trafficked space. Kwame Nkrumah was the reigning president before John Atta Mills and it seems that people LOVED him. I’ll have to ask some more questions and/or do some research to see why his crap doesn’t stink. Really, the love him.

Saw several of the political buildings (which we will be visiting and being greeted by the Assembly next week). Stopped for a potty break at a restaurant along the Atlantic Ocean which had a beautiful view…as long as you didn’t look too far to the right where the indigenous people are living and working. We ended up getting a closer look at this poverty when we passed Jamestown where many of the indigenous peoples live and work; it was intense. They live in tiny huts just big enough for sleep. Everything else, including cooking, must be done outdoors because there is such a lack of space. It is quite a sight to see and take in. The next place we went to, “Sodom & Gamur” is the most economically disadvantaged area I have ever seen. Houses were on stilts in the middle of what appeared to be the dump. Literally, piles upon piles of trash were within meters of where these people live. And, the smell was atrocious. Our guide said this is where many children end up who migrate from northern Ghana and other rural areas looking for work. The children, who are uneducated and vulnerable, often end up living here, working for less than 50 cents a day and frequently end up in sex work or slave trade. :( Sad stuff.

Finally, we drove through the Lima community which is primarily Muslim and immigrants from Niger, Senegal, and other West African countries. Interestingly enough, this, our guide said, is known as the “least safe” part of Accra with the most social struggles. Does Ghana have negative attitudes towards Islam? Do they hold similar ideals concerning immigrants as the US? (There was another time when he mentioned, “it is mostly the Nigerians” who commit crimes in Ghana.) Hmmm…

Other cool/random things I saw:
• A restaurant called McBonalds. With a ‘B”
• A sign on a wall saying “No urinating on wall” with a price listed afterwards. Do they charge to pee on the wall? Is even urinating not free anymore?!?!
• Goats meander freely all over the place…even on the side of a 4 lane road. They generally do not disrupt traffic or bother anyone, it’s just a sight to see 20 goats walking alongside your van.

While I am glad we had an opportunity to see the city (which is quite large and sprawling), I wish we were given a chance to walk around more and interact with people. I felt like I was on a driving tour through the zoo. I took several pictures even though I felt extremely awkward about it. I mean, here I am, my white privileged American self being driven around in an air-conditioned van gawking and snapping photos of these people. I have really grappled with my feelings around this experience all night. It just doesn’t seem right… I am hoping for more genuine interaction within the community.

Tomorrow we have lectures all day followed by our official Welcome Dinner Celebration at Chez Afrique restaurant and nightclub. Sound it out…what’d you come up with? ;)

Day 1: East Legon, Accra, Ghana

2009-05-27T17:55:00.000-05:00

After a long, full day of traveling I was rather happy to finally land on Ghanaian soil and arrive at our hostel. We have pretty fine accommodations – including wireless internet (1 hour/day) and air conditioning. (I’m sharing a room with fellow MSSW student and we seem to get along quite nicely thus far. She traveled to Amsterdam before arriving in Ghana so I’ve been enjoying lots of what she has to share and looking forward to that trip!) I enjoyed a late dinner of fish, rice, and plantains; took a quick (cold) shower; and headed off to bed. Having not been able to sleep much on the second flight I was painfully tired, had a piercing headache and just needed to rest.

I had a fitful night’s sleep and awoke at 7AM Ghanaian time (2AM CST). I tossed and turned to try to get back to sleep before the hammering began around 8AM. At the point, I gave up, awoke, did some yoga and unpacked a bit. Since the program was technically not scheduled to start until Thursday (28.05.09) we did not receive breakfast and lunch was not until 12noon. I enjoyed the down time and tried to just let my body rest.
Lunch was rather surprising. It was a buffet with options of spaghetti with meat sauce, tuna salad and chicken salad sandwiches, French fries, and plantains. Huh?! Is this Ghanaian food?!? No. Sure isn’t. As it turns out, our Program Director (PD) requested our hostel provide us with American food for the first few days so we can “ease into things” and to “reduce culture shock.” I would rather jump right in, personally, but since there are 30some other students I guess I have to follow along…

Another sometimes challenging part of traveling with a large group through an organized (a term I will be using loosely, as this is a pilot program and many things are not exactly organized…) trip is that occasionally you find yourself in strange settings that you would usually not do if you were traveling along. For instance, my first destination on my first day in Africa would most likely not be to be to the Accra Mall, a westernized shopping centre. Nope, sure wouldn’t be. I, in fact, avoid most malls like the plague even when in the States. Alas, I found myself in a bus headed to the Accra Mall where we spent the afternoon. It reminded me of what we did when I worked with a camp – take the kids someplace where they can entertain themselves for a few hours so we can have a break, i.e. don’t have to plan anything. The other caveat – since we had not yet received an ‘orientation’ we were instructed to not wander off on our own due to safety and security concerns. Like 30some oboronis (Twi word for “tourist,” loosely used as an equivalent to ‘American’) walking around the mall doesn’t draw attention to such…

So, since were stuck at the Mall for three hours (yes, 3 hours – I can’t spend that much time at a mall in the US for goodness sake!) I decided to make the best of. So, I struck up some conversations with some local girls who were wandering around the mall with sashes (think Girl Scouts or Ms. America style) that read “Healthy and Beauty Fair.” I stopped to talk with two young women to see what they were up to. These amazing young women were talking about cervical cancer and educating the community (men and women) about the importance of prevention, education, and testing. Since these ladies seemed to resemble my idea of how an ‘empowered’ woman in Ghana might appear, I asked them if I could ask some questions. I explained our project and asked what they thought were the most important issues facing girls here. One 23 year old female said education was most important. “Girls do not have the same opportunities here as boys,” she said. She said it is hard for girls to get an education because it is expensive. Another 20 year old female, who is currently working to save money for college to become an Accountant, said there are many distractions for a girl who is trying to become educated. Among the biggest distractions she mentioned smoking, drinking, sex, and ‘the lesbianic cults.” Hmmm, what? Lesbianic cults – where do those women hang out?? ;)
I asked more about this and could not really get any more information. She just kept repeating that the lesbians were a ‘big problem’ and that girls needed to stay away from lesbians. I asked what was wrong with lesbians. She said that “they make you do bad things. They are smoking and doing other bad things.” Note to self: investigate these smoking lesbians. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful – they sound pretty dangerous.
After talking with these girls I wandered down a bit more to where three adult women sat at a table also providing information about cervical cancer. I also asked if I could speak with them about my project.

These women are AMAZING!! They were amazingly helpful and had a wealth of information to share. They are professionals with a public health initiative through the Lady Pharmacists Association of Ghana (LAPAG). I spent close to an hour talking with Adjoah, Pamela, and Mekua. They listed the main concerns/threats for girls as:
1. Education: It is the only way out of poverty. Girls must focus on a goal. Support at home and individual determination helps.
2. Health, especially Reproductive Health: Girls receive NO health or sexual education (that’s even worse than Texas!). As such, there are high rates of STDS, specifically gonorrhea. They also talked of “candidasi” – which I need to look up. They didn’t know the English equivalent for this word. But, apparently it’s BAD! There is a high teenage pregnancy rate and many abortions; however, since abortion is illegal in this country, many back-alley abortions take place and girls often die as a result from hemorrhaging or other complications. (thank you, Roe V. Wade) Also, neonatal care is painfully lacking.
3. Violence against women: Including domestic violence, sexual violence, and teen dating violence. Mekua said these issues are very taboo to talk about; however, throughout Accra I saw billboards promoting the report and end of DV. I guess that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s OK to talk about (similar in the states…)
4. Career Guidance: Many of the girls have no idea what opportunities are available to them or how to get there. Adjoah suggested focusing more on this (and Education) since the other two areas are so heated and controversial.

I am really thankful that they took time to talk with me and share their opinions. It was amazing to be sitting in their space sharing with them many of the same concerns about women and girls. It doesn’t matter where we are we live “Under the Man,” as Pamela put it. Pamela was quite the outspoken one. I asked them how they were able to get to where they are today since it sounds like girls have so many extra challenges facing them. They each said dedication on their behalf and support from their parents. They were fortunate to come from homes that encouraged the girl-child as much as the boy-child. I asked if it was difficult to be a strong, outspoken woman in their society and they all quickly nodded in agreement that yes, it was difficult. They spoke of the extra work they have to do, as women. Pamela said “I have three full-time jobs: my work, my husband, and my kids.” Ugh.

I really wanted to ask them if they identified as feminists. I know many places in the world reject the word ‘feminist’ as it is often connected to images of white, upper-class US women projecting their values and opinions on women of color, lower-class, and international women. I did not want to threaten the relationship I was forging with them so I avoided the questions; however, I am very curious. We all exchanged e-mail addresses and I hope to keep in touch. Pamela told me, as I was walking away, “You better email us!!” I assured her I will. 

Feeling high after this bonding experience I went to a quiet place to journal: the food court. Yes, every mall has a food court, right? And it’s complete with crappy pizza joints, Chinese food, and tacos. Even in Ghana. At least it was outside. I found a table to sit and journal.

It was neat to hear their perspectives and how so much of what they said troubles girls in Ghana parallels the experiences of US girls. In Ghana, it is magnified by poverty and severe lack of available resources. Also, cultural norms differ greatly which affects the plight of women. I love how quickly the four of us were able to connect, even if briefly, around our mutual concern for girls and women.

Talking with these women brought up many feelings for me about my feminism and my identity. I was thinking about the privilege I have in my work. I try, as much as possible, to acknowledge my privilege and keep it in the forefront of my mind. It can be a struggle, because in so many ways I feel I have been underprivileged. And, while I have certainly had my share of challenges in this journey through life, I still have clean drinking water; a place rest and get clean/use the restroom, and adequate food to eat. Having these resources allows me to pursue my work in girl’s empowerment, focusing on self-esteem and identity. It is a privilege. While I do not, this time, feel I must sacrifice my own resources (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) for the greater good, I can remain cognizant of my ability to access these resources with relative ease. There is just so much more bouncing around in my head that I am still processing.

Since I had over an hour yet to kill I decided to wander around the bookstore and ended up picking up Mrs. Doctor, by Mercy Ama Anim – a story about a woman from Accra who was born into a poor family and was able to become a doctor. It is a fictional account based loosely on her life. I thought it might be helpful to read before our project.

I still had a bit more time so I wandered around the grocery store which was conveniently located in the mall. Grocery store excursions in other countries are always so neat. It is interesting to see how much things cost, what are the most popular items (determined by the several rows of coconut milk or frying oil), etc. I found that tomatoes cost something like $7USD for four. Red or yellow bell peppers cost over $5 each. I bought a couple liters of bottled water and called it a day.

Upon returning to the hotel, my roommate told me a few people were drinking in one of the guy’s rooms. I joined them and had my first Ghanaian beer: Stone. It’s a lager that states on the can it is: Built to Satisfy and Reward. Lager brewed to be strong and refreshing. It’s a regular old Lager, nothing special. Threw back a couple, grabbed dinner (more fish, rice, and plantains) and hit the hay. My, oh my, I’m tired!!

Thursday officially begins orientation with a visit to the University of Ghana-Legon and a tour of Accra. Looking forward to it!

23.5 hours later...

2009-05-26T18:45:00.003-05:00

I have arrived in Ghana!! I am utterly exhausted and am off to enjoy some delicious shut eye action. zzzzzzz

OMGZ, it's finally here!!!

2009-05-25T13:01:00.001-05:00

Sooo…Have I mentioned that I’m going to Ghana ?!!! J I am beyond excited right now!!

I have been an absolute whirlwind of emotions over the past week. Not only did I total my car a full 10 days before I am set to fly over the ocean (to add injury to insult, it my fault), but I also managed to come down with a sinus infection and bronchitis. The damn Austin allergies will get you every time! I spent 4 of the last 5 days in bed sleeping, pill popping (legally prescribed and used as directed), and generally feeling sorry for myself. Most of my friends were busy this weekend with their own stuff (graduation, family in town, etc.) so I had a full on pity party for myself. I *finally* started to perk up Saturday – just in time to run a few last errands in the pouring rain and lightening storm. It was great. I spent all of today packing, unpacking, repacking and alternating between pure excitement, absolute terror, and about six hundred feelings in between. (Luckily, I am entitled to a “full range of emotions” and to all of my “thoughts and feelings” so I just rode it out J) My dear friends came over to provide solace and, in the process, we rescued a runt cat. (Well, not so much ‘we’ as ‘they’… my friends are all such caretakers. It is sweet, really. )

It is 5:15AM and I sit here awake writing. I am partly staying awake so I can sleep well on the overnight flight tonight ( 8PM – 5AM ). I have completed my to do list:

~~Upload tunes to iPod~~

~~Copy important documents for self and local emergency contacts~~

~~Eat pizza and cake~~

~~Talk to/spend time with important people~~

However, I am mostly awake because I am SO FREAKING EXCITED!!!!

I really cannot believe I am as lucky to go on this trip. I never imagined that I would be afforded an opportunity like this. In many ways I still see myself as a poor, little girl still living in Morris , IL or Mooseheart, afraid I will never make out, afraid I will not get to live my dreams. And, here I am. 27 years old, in one of the greatest cities with more of the greatest friends than any crazy lady could ever wish for… It is a dream come true. I feel so lucky, and honored; yet, I know that I have made this happen. I have worked hard to get to where I am today; to have an opportunity such as this. And, I CAN’T WAIT! =D

For those who do not know, I will be traveling to Ghana in West Africa for four weeks with a summer program through the School of Social Work and Women’s Studies at UT. I will spend three weeks traveling throughout the country to three cities and four villages studying community and social development. We will be looking at the ways the Ghanian people have addressed social issues through governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as community organizing and mobilizing. For the final week, we will be volunteering with various agencies in the community. For my project I am planning to host a week-long girls empowerment program/week for high school girls. From my research I have learned that many of the girls in the Ashaiman community in Accra , the capitol of Ghana , suffer from similar issues as U.S. girls, especially low self esteem, body image, and relationship/sexual struggles. The goal of this program is to provide critical thinking and leadership skills to girls so they may make wise choices and plan for a self-sufficient and educated future. This is my life’s work. This is a dream come true.

With that, I will bid you adieu for now…

Pictures will be uploaded periodically to www.shutterfly.com. I will send that link when it is updated.

That’s all for now!

…‘til next time….

Shalom.