So Ghana... and yet, not really

This past weekend provided Jamie and I with a couple of truly Ghanaian experiences that, ironically, reminded us that Ghana really isn't that different from home.

In the past three weeks, Jamie and I have begun to build friendships with many of the teachers here at Manye.  They're sort of the closest thing to peers that we've found: most are young (between 20-25) and are (obviously) interested in education.  Last week, a few of the ones that we're closest to offered to take us into Tema for a night out on the town.  Curious to see what other young people do for fun on weekends, we readily agreed! The night started at an outdoor restaurant/bar called T. Havana's, but after it got dark (and the mosquitos came out in full force) we headed to a night club that had free entry for ladies.  We had a lot of fun at the club, dancing with the teachers, people watching, trying meat pasties for a late-night snack, but the most striking part of the evening was how similar the dance floor was to ones that I've seen in the States.  The girls here were not dressed modestly with thighs covered, as most women we've seen have been; instead, it looked like any club in the US! And most of the music was American -- granted, most songs were at least a few years old, but that just made it easier for us to sing along.

The next day, after church with Madame Emma, we headed into Accra to meet with our potential Twi teacher. We met her at the Accra Mall, and stayed for another couple hours just hanging out -- buying chocolate at the ShopRite and eating it in the Food Court. The center of the food court is a play area for kids -- it's probably one of the only playgrounds in Accra.  On this particular Sunday, it was packed with kids and parents of so many nationalities.  I'm pretty sure the foreigners (non-Ghanaians) greatly outnumbered the locals. I could have just as easily been somewhere in the States or in Europe, wandering around a mall.

These two experiences reminded me that while the cultural differences between Ghana and the US can be striking, the similarities when it comes to entertainment and socializing (especially among the younger generations) are just as important.

Surprise! It's a Public Holiday!

In the Brandt’s Travel Guide to Ghana, which was kindly left here by former volunteers, Jamie and I learned that there are approximately 10 official public holidays in Ghana each year.  However, since our arrival, we’ve experienced two additional ones, which were not mentioned in the guide book.

On Sunday evening, at the house of our favorite neighbor, Irene (this neighbor) informed us that Tuesday (yesterday) was Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday,  and she had heard on Friday that it was a public holiday.  For Ghanaians, Kwame Nkrumah is a combination of George Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Their first president after declaring independence from Britain, Nkrumah was also a proponent of the pan-Africa movement, which still has some followers here in Ghana.

Because of the late notice of the holiday, Jamie and I actually ended up working for most of it.  Some of the teachers asked us if we wanted to go to the beach with them, but as we had already made work commitments we had to ask for a rain check.

Our commitment in the morning was at GIU International Christian Academy, a Korean-owned senior high school (SHS) located nearby in Golf City.  Trying to kill two birds with one stone, Jamie and I decided to skimp money on transportation and learn more of the surrounding neighborhoods by walking there.  After looking at the map they posted on their website and talking with Irene and Dornuki, we figured it would take us about 45 minutes to an hour to get there, so at 9am we left for our 10:30 appointment.  On the way, we actually ran into a student from Manye who offered to walk with us and show us the way.  As 10am came and went, with the school nowhere in sight, we decided to call the school and check the directions.  Trying not to run late, we hopped in a taxi, with the directions to take us to the Golf City Station; to our acute embarrassment, the driver basically retraced our steps from the past half, forcing us to realize that we had basically walked in a big circle and then started heading west towards Accra, instead of north. Oops.

We reached the school around 11am, but luckily meeting times in Ghana are much more fluid than they are in the US. Our conversation with the school’s director was really interesting. Jamie was able to charm him right away by speaking in Korean, so for the first few minutes they just chatted away about our background and what we do, while I smiled and tried to look polite.  Their school is very religious – much more based on Christianity than even Manye.  He talked about the importance of helping students (Ghanaians in general) meet Jesus as their personal savior, and from what we could tell, this was his priority, while education fell in behind that. He was really friendly though, and it was really nice for us to see another school other than Manye.  We decided to enjoy the lovely weather (not a cloud in sight) and navigate our way back to Manye. This time, the walk took just under one hour. But it was one hour in direct sunlight, and Jamie and I could feel the UV rays. (My first sunburn in Ghana – but don’t worry, it’s already almost gone!)

In honor of the holiday, and our slow but growing introduction to Ghanaian food, Irene invited us over for a late lunch.   The best part, from our point of view, is that social events like this count as work (wahoo!) because Jamie and I are trying to get involved in the community.  Irene served T.Z. (pronounced Tee Zed), which actually stands for Tuo Zafi, a very popular Ghanaian dish. It involved mashed corn balls -- kind of like banku or mashed potatoes, depending on your point of reference -- pieces of meat, and a SPICY (I’m going to have a mouth of steel come next August) sauce made from tomatoes, palm oil, red chili peppers, and green leaves that looked/tasted a little like spinach.  Traditionally, Ghanaians eat this with their hands, using the starch to scoop up the sauce, but Irene had kindly provided us with large spoons, which she encouraged us to use. For beverages, her husband served alcohol. This was the first time we’ve been offered booze in Ghana, as Mr. Kabutey doesn’t drink and doesn’t really approve of it.  We were hesitant to accept any of the Johnnie Walker Black Label that he brought out (so classy), but we did accept a local beer that tasted a little like Heineken. The meal was spicy, delicious, and very filling.  We didn’t have room for a real dinner that night, instead snacking on fried plantains and our favorite cabbage salad.

Despite the fact that we ended up working for several hours of the day, the slower pace was a nice break from our busy schedule over the past week.  We went to bed without showering (Madame Emma is in the process of changing the shower curtain) but well-rested and ready for a typical work day in the morning. 

Akwaaba to Manye

The title of this blog means “Welcome to Manye” in Twi, one of the most popular local (but unofficial) languages.  Hopefully this post will give you guys a little insight into what my purpose here in Ghana is, so that future updates will fit into this general picture!

I am happy to report that I am well and truly settled in here in Community 25. It’s actually hard to believe that I haven’t even been here for two weeks; all the basics are becoming routine.   For those of you who aren’t fully aware, I’m working as an Educational Consulting for an NGO called World Partners in Education (WPE for short). WPE is based in the US, but partners with various schools in Ghana to promote quality education, by inspiring informed action.  Basically, I’m here to help one particular school access its own resources and channel them into effective programs.  I’m working (at least temporarily) with a partner, Jamie (fellow Dartmouth ’10) at Manye Foundation School, a local NGO that provides low-cost schooling for children living in and around Community 25 and the Kpone Barrier just outside Tema.  Here's a link show you exactly where I’m living and working: Manye on Google maps

Technically, my position is an unpaid fellowship. Luckily, however we do get some benefits. WPE covered the cost of our flight over to Ghana and is also paying for room and board for us to live in the house of Manye’s headmaster, who is called Mr. Kabutey. Jamie and I are sharing a cozy room (with electrical outlets and our own fan).  Each of us has a set of bunk beds: we sleep on the bottom and have used the top as a makeshift shelf or closet, since we don’t have one. Aside from the bed, the room is equipped with a small laundry line (at least, we’ve turned it into a laundry line) and a small hand mirror on the wall.  We’ve tucked our suitcases into the corners, but are also still using them for storage.  Here’s a picture of my half of the room:

And this is what Mr. Kabuety’s house looks like from the outside:

As a consultant starting a new project, I have two main responsibilities: relationship-building and information gathering. Specifically, I’m trying to get to know management (aka Mr. Kabutey), the teachers, parents, students, community members… pretty much everyone in the area. I’m also trying to learn as much as possible about Manye: what is their daily schedule like; what problems do they have; what challenges have they overcome; what are relationships like between students, teachers, management; what behaviors characterize education in Ghana; how does Manye compare to other private/public/rich/poor schools.  I’m basically trying to get a crash-course on what are all the influences affecting a student’s education at Manye.   What this means for my day-to-day schedule is that Jamie and I have spent a lot of time observing, taking notes, and asking question.

One particularly interesting (and often entertaining aspect) of this assignment has been attending at least one class taught by each of the teachers.  We’re still not quite through it (we have 2 more tomorrow, and maybe more next week as well), but we have some fond memories already.  With the KG/Nursery classes, we learned song and dances like “Shoe Fly, Don’t Bother Me” and “Every Little Cell in my Body is Happy”.  The moves to these dances would have been quite a challenge for American students, but Ghanaians seem to learn how to use their hips from a very young age.  There are many other differences as well. One of the most shocking things that Jamie and I witnessed was the following story, which was told to Class 4 (equivalent to US 4^th Grade) during their Citizenship Education:

“One day, three men went  walking through a forest.  They came upon some cannibals, who demanded to eat them.  When the men begged for mercy, that cannibals said, ‘OK. What each of you must do, is bring us a fruit. We will then do something with that fruit, and if you can manage to keep a straight face, you will go free.”  So the first man came back with an apple.  The cannibals pushed it into his anus [direct quote], and the man’s face changed as he let out a scream of pain.  So the cannibals ate him.  The second man saw this and so he brought a bunch of grapes.  This time, the cannibals had no problem pushing the fruit into the man’s anus, because the grapes were so small.  But all of a sudden, the man started laughing; because his face had changed, the cannibals ate him.  These two men met up in heaven, and first man said to the other, ‘Hey! Why are you here man? The grapes were no problem – you shouldn’t have made a face.’  And the second man replied, ‘I know. It was fine, but then all of a sudden I saw the third guy coming back from the forest – and he was carrying a pineapple’.  [Here the teacher paused for a minute before saying…] and that is the importance of education".  

Needless to say, Jamie and I were flabbergasted. It was inconceivable that 1) that story would be told by a teacher to students and 2) would be told to a group of 10 year olds! But like I said, some things are just different here, and our first couple weeks are purposefully designed to help us adjust to that. 

The Best Laid Plans...

Hi everyone! My first update from Ghana is coming to you from Accra Mall, on the outskirts of the capital.  Jamie and I are here at the internet cafe and are about to spend the day in the city checking out the Eid festivals (the end of Ramadan).  I've now been in Ghana for a week (as of 7:30 this morning) and am loving it.  The adjustment has been pretty easy, with a few small snafoos:

• Jamie got stuck in traffic last Thursday, and missed our flight.  So instead of us arriving together, I had a 4 day weekend alone before her arrival this Tuesday.
• My ATM card doesn't work at the Barclay's because it's not a debit card. Dad, I fully blame you for always picking credit over debit (just kidding). But I am going to have to figure out the most cost effective way to get money, because I don't want to be charged everytime I use a Standard Chartered.
• We (Jamie and I) keep failing to get the internet set up at our house. First, the Zain office in Tema was out of modems. Now that we're in Accra, we can't access the money WPE wired us for it because of Eid.

But all in all, like I said, the adjustment has been pretty easy. I'm learning to navigate the transportation system (waving down tro-tros), learning my way around Community 25 (the neighborhood where I'm living), and slowly adjusting to the heat and humidity.  For a comparison... it's like Atlanta in August, without the air conditioning. I also have a cell phone here, and I welcome all texts and phone calls (since I don't have to pay for them!) My number is +233 26 841 4265 if you ever want to say hi.

My time is running low, so I'll say bye for now.  I hope everyone is doing well and that the Labor Day weekend was fun.  Hopefully the next time I write I will be sitting in my room at Manye using our Zain 3G... but as you know, the best laid plans...

Hi Everyone!

This is the blog I'll be keeping for the next year (11.5 months to be exact) while I'm working and living in Ghana.  The frequency of updates will largely depend on my access to internet, but I'm currently aiming for posts about once a week. No promises though! 

Right now, I'm about 12 hours away from departure. While Delta does offer direct service from Atlanta to Accra (the capital of Ghana, about an hour from where I'll be living), I'm actually connecting through JFK, which adds about 6 hours to the journey.  This inconvenience is most welcome, however, because it means that I get to share the transatlantic flight with my coworker Jamie (another Dartmouth '10).  It's always easier to land in a new place when you know at least one other person. 

One problem I've already noticed with this whole blogging thing is that it's horribly one-sided.  While y'all can stay updated on my life... I have no way to stay current on what's happening in your lives! So please leave comments or send me emails to keep me updated.  For those who don't have it, my email address is catherine.m.armstrong@gmail.com.

Last minute packing is calling... I'll post as soon as I can once I'm settled in Ghana.