Disclaimer 1

Before getting too far into my reflections and interpretations of Ghanaian life I wanted to put out a disclaimer. Everything I write on my blog is through my eyes and my interpretations. As a western man, I hold many biases and filters into what I take in. I wanted to acknowledge these, as well as outline the corresponding limitations that come with it.

I just wanted to emphasize that the views I share on my blog are mine, and should not be taken as the standard or absolute truth about Ghanaian life. They are solely what I have noticed through my experiences. Also because I am a westerner, I will be exposed to a slightly altered culture of Ghana. I’ll do my best to break down the barriers that my light skin impose, but I’m certain that there’s a level of Ghana I may never get to know. On top of that, I am only seeing a portion of Ghana. I would hate for someone who had been to Calgary to say that they knew all there was to know about Ghana. While Ghana is not as big as Canada, I just want to leave it open that I will not be seeing all of it.

As I am Western, I can never truly be poor. I can try to alter my conditions to reflect what living in poverty might be, in order to gain a better understanding of the people I serve. But the bottom line is that I am not poor. Even if I were living in a grass hut, without electricity or running water . . . I am not poor. If you remember back to my description of poverty, a key theme was vulnerability. And that is exactly what separates me. I’m not vulnerable. Living in a grass hut with no running water or electricity might be close to those I am serving, but if I get sick with malaria, I going to seek health care that they can’t access. For any volunteers, when the going gets tough, we check out. This being said, there will always be aspects of those living in poverty that I will not be able to empathize with.

Also very important is the second word in my description. Man. As a male, I will only be able to see a certain side of Ghana. Already I can tell that those who I interact most with are men, and those most interested to get to know me or take me in are men. There are a few tools I can use to get closer to this large population of Ghana that I am somewhat screened from. One is trust building, and specifically trying to get to know women. Spending time with them, taking on their daily chores, and breaking down gender stereotypes. Through this I will gain small successes and glimpses of their lives.

The other is language. Learning the local language thoroughly will enable me to communicate with an otherwise isolated part of the population. Unfortunately in many rural parts, education is limited, and with that extremely limited for women. So if the only people who can speak English are men, then I need to find another way of communicating with the marginalized majority.

I will try to communicate these realities back to you, but I wanted to say my limitations explicitly. If I’ve missed some, and I know I have, feel free to fill in the blanks on a post.

(Feb 29)

My First Impressions of Ghana

After waking up and making our way to the bus station in Accra, we are now on our way to the Northern Region capital, Tamale. One recognizable feature of Ghana is the red brown earth that gets on absolutely everything. This sandy earth is everywhere and you see women sweeping it as soon as the sun rises. The resulting dust gets on every surface imaginable: cars, houses, trees, your clothes.

One thing I didn’t expect about Ghana, was its lush green foliage. As you pan up from the rust coloured earth, mango trees and palm trees provide a canopy over the relatively short infrastructure. Once out of the city there is tall green grass and dense bush that look like the beginnings of rainforests.

As we travel north through the country, the lush green of the South steps aside for a yellow background. It is much drier and hot in the North and it is illustrated through the natural environment. The green grass and bushes are replaced by rust coloured sand and yellow grass. The mango trees are still around, but the palm trees are no more and trees with only a modest amount of leaves provide the shade.

In country training has been happening over the last three days here in Tamale. This has included going into markets and just talking to random people about anything (day 1). Spending a few hours with a worker in the development sector and learning about development from a local expert (day 2). Last we needed to do some interviews on a specific topic, for me it was education in Ghana.

The first thing that has resonated with me in Ghana has been a culture of welcoming. I see people greeting eachother constantly. Lined on either side of the road are fruit venders to bike repair shops. There is a constant flow of pedestrian traffic and bicycles passing by. But along the way, everyone takes time to greet her neighbour. Here, it is customary to ask how one’s sleep was and how there family is doing. Simple greetings take a few minutes here as neighbours share their state of being with eachother.

In a market the true social dynamics are revealed. A market is the nucleus of activity. The central market in downtown Tamale is analogous to an ant colony. Completely enclosed, very narrow walk ways, and copious amount of people coming and going. You could literally spend a few hours just sitting at a stand and observing the interactions between people.

Tailors chatting as their needles pass over traditional Ghanaian cloth. Three women pounding Foo Foo in a huge mortal and pestle. A butcher is chopping the carcass of a cow as he negotiates with the consumer over a fair price. Meanwhile little girls are walking by carrying a bucket of 500ml water pouches on their head being stopped periodically for the only solution to an intolerable heat. Young boys are passing selling miscellaneous items ranging from food to electrical components. And through this your nostrils are filled with an indescribable smell.

This is only my first impression of Ghana and definitely a skewed one. I will try my best to discover what’s below the surface of this interesting culture, and hopefully immerse myself in it. Thanks for listening.

(Feb 29)

A Warm Welcome

As I get to the bottom of the stairs and take my first steps onto the tarmac, I’m greeted by a warm and familiar air. The air is hot and thick. It goes beyond the smell sensed in my nostrils and the taste left in mouth. It’s an air that you feel on the pores of your face and the hairs on your arms. At first the air is so thick, you feel like you are walking through an invisible curtain.

“It’s good to be back” I say to myself. Though I’ve never been to Ghana before, all tropical countries I’ve travelled to (Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Zambia, and Ghana) have a similar air to them. It’s that sharp and superficial distinction that immediately tells me that training is over, and this is for real. After five weeks of preparing for this highly anticipated moment, it has finally arrived.

We make our way through customs with no problems at all, and exit the airport terminal into a gauntlet of welcoming guests. All I know is that I am meeting a man named Rafik, who will take us to our lodging for the night. “EWB”, written in black felt on a folded piece of cardboard gives way to a sigh of relief. After working our way through a mob of very helpful airport porters, our bags are carried to the cabs that Rafik has waiting for us. Negotiations and bartering follow to reach an agreement with the porters on a suitable price for their services. Five confused Canadians new to Ghana were surely taken advantage of, only to be expected.

After getting some food with Rafik, we all go to bed early following a moderate commute from Toronto of 20hrs. I lay in bed thinking of what’s happened over the last six weeks. How all that built up excitement over training in Toronto has now been given its chance to realize the reality of what were previously manifestations in my mind. Though I am not anxiously anticipating the 12 hour bus ride that awaits us the next day, from Accra on the coast to Tamale in the interior, I am excited to see more of this new place I will soon come to call home.

(February 25)