An Inside Look..

Okay everyone, I'm super excited about this post. As a part of my development studies course I was required to give a group oral presentation

last month and my group's topic was education reform. First, we discussed the history of education in Ghana and how the system has evolved since independence. As some of my readers may know, the 2012 election in Ghana was last week on Friday, December 7th. So, in my presentation we decided to discuss the education policy initiatives of the two major parties here in Ghana, The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) so that our fellow classmates would see where education in Ghana was headed. 

I won't say which party I thought had the best policies but the incumbent party, the NDC won the election. It was really great to be here during an election season and experience the political process.

I created a video to show in the presentation that provides an inside look into the school I've been working at this semester along with some commentary about the current status about education from some of the faculty. I apologize for not posting more about my teaching experience but I'm officially done and I'm definitely gonna miss my kids. 

I worked really hard on this video and a friend suggested that I share it with the world. So here it is.

Enjoy! :)

Life Update

So I know that it has been a REALLY long time since my last post. I hope all of my readers can forgive my laziness this past month. A lot has been going on and I guess I never had the patience to sit down and write about it. I can’t even remember the last time I posted pictures on Facebook either smh.

            The same weekend I visited Elmina I also went to Kakum National Park and did the famous canopy walk. For those who don’t know, Kakum is a cool rainforest in Cape Coast and the canopy walk consist of a series of narrow bridges connected through the trees. The bridges are so high that we couldn’t see the ground, but only the trees and the birds around us. The view was amazing. I was really scared on the first one but there were 7 in total and I made it through all of them.

   

One weekend I joined a group of friends and visited Shai Hills. It’s a beautiful resource reverse that used to be the home of the Shai people many years ago. We hiked up to cave Adwuku, which used to be a spot where the Shai people would hide during tribal wars. Forgive me for my lack of knowledge; it’s been so long since I actually took the trip. It was my first real hike and it was a bit scary but I was proud of myself for making it all the way to the top of the cave and back down. Overall it was great and I felt so accomplished. I have pictures but of course a picture is never as good as the real thing. The scenery was amazing. I felt like I was in The Lion King the entire time. I saw a huge ostrich and even fed baboons. By the end I was so happy for the experience.

            Election night I was up until 5:30 am and still managed to make it to class the next morning. The moment Obama won I was so sad that I couldn’t join my fellow Hoyas and storm the White House. Even though I wasn’t home I realized that it was still a unique experience to watch the election surrounded by fellow Americans all the way in Ghana. Soooo…here and now. Classes are officially over, they ended after the first week of November. I have already taken two finals and I have two more left. However, I have absolutely no motivation to study so they might be a struggle haha. My last day of my internship is on Monday, I think I’m actually going to miss my kids a lil bit. I actually made a video as part of a presentation on education reform that features my school. I will try to post it. I’ll officially be done on December 10^th and leaving Ghana to head to London for 5 days on the 18^th. I can’t believe I have less than 3 weeks left in Ghana. My friends and I have really been trying to make each day count, especially since I don’t know if I’ll ever have the chance to come back. Fun fact: We even got to go out with EL, a famous Ghanaian music artist. Google him. That was really cool.

        

 So tomorrow is officially December. The crazy thing is that it doesn’t even feel like December because it’s hot! Lol. My friends and I have been trying to watch Christmas movies just to get in the holiday spirit (I know have The Preacher’s Wife on my laptop). It will be extremely weird being cold when I leave. I forgot to mention Thanksgiving. The world should know that I had a great Thanksgiving meal that the program provided for us, and yes I ate turkey haha. And I guess now would be a good time to announce that I am officially natural :). I cut my hair before leaving the U.S. and now I feel comfortable enough to wear it out.

            So anyways that’s all the updating I have for now. Going to a P-Square concert tomorrow night and then our official CIEE farewell dinner is on Sunday.                                 

Thanks for readinggg :)

Elmina and Cape Coast: Part II

My Thoughts...

When we approached Elmina I was a little nervous. I was nervous yet anxious at the same time because I was excited to see the castles but I didn’t know how the tours would affect me. We were told that the tours would be deep and we were warned about the possibility of getting very emotional. During the tour I was a little sad but thankful to God. In the dungeons all I could think about was that it could have been me all those years ago, just because of the color of my skin. I can’t even fathom the amount of suffering that so many people went through. The most ironic thing about the castles is that they each contain a church. The Europeans worshiped God right above the slave dungeons, in the midst of all their suffering. I couldn’t believe that a group of people could bluntly inflict harm on another group of people and believe it to be acceptable by God.

After all of the tours we had dinner back at the hotel and then engaged in a reflection session. To me, this was one of the most important parts of the day. We shared our individual thoughts and how we felt about going through the castles, we tried to discern the motivations behind the institution of slavery itself, and lastly, we tried to answer the big question, “Has humanity changed?”

I will give my view on this last question. Part of me wants to say yes because slavery and Jim Crow are over. However, I know in my heart that that’s not true. We’ve made progress as a people but there is still much work to be done. The fact that race has and will probably always be an issue in the United States is not progress. A friend of mine made an interesting comment during reflection. She questioned the theory behind integration. What exactly were we integrating? Are we integrating whites into the black community or blacks into the white communities? It just really made me think about how society has the ability to make us believe in the superiority of one culture over another. Also, the fact that there are still religious and ethnic wars happening around the world tells me that humanity has not changed. However, I do see some potential. I believe that attitudes can be changed and I believe the possibility of peace. But I also know that none of these will be achieved in my lifetime.

The funny thing is that I came to Ghana I expected meet Ghanaians who were angry about slavery, but I haven’t. Slavery is not a serious factor in the life of an average Ghanaian. The fact is that Ghanaians are too worried about meeting their basic needs that they don’t have time to worry about it. They just see slavery as this thing that happened some time in the past. The subject has not been heavily integrated in the education system so children usually don’t learn about it until they’re much older if at all. The structure of culture and norms doesn’t really slavery to be discussed because Ghanaians tend to refrain from topics dealing with sad issues and large-scale human suffering.  Instead of reading a book about slavery they would rather read more empowering and inspirational literature. I don’t blame them. Something that happened over 400 years ago should not be a large negative factor today. African Americans should not constantly be discriminated against and be reminded of a dynamic between blacks and whites that existed centuries ago. Blacks and whites should see each other as equals...but the terrible implications of the slave trade will always be evident in the United States.

Being that slavery happened so many years ago I didn’t feel a direct connection to it at the time we were in the castles and it still hasn’t hit me hard like I thought it would. At first I thought it was bad that I didn’t get emotional, but I don’t have to get emotional just to prove that the experience mattered to me. That day means more to me than I could ever say.

People always talk or joke about going back to Africa, back to their roots. Now I can say that I’ve actually done it and that experience will always be in my heart. I walked into the same dungeons that my ancestors walked in, I watched the sunset over the Atlantic along the same coast that each ship came and went. The sad thing is that I know I’ll never be able to trace my family back to exact country in Africa, to the exact town or village. But that doesn’t matter. All I know is that the color of my skin has a rich African culture and history attached to it and I will forever be proud of that fact.

Elmina and Cape Coast: Part I

Since this experience was so special to me I’ve decided to describe it in two different posts. I want take my time to inform my readers about everything that went on during the tours and give my own reflection. This blog is not only for me, but all those who are experiencing Ghana through me.

This past weekend was one of the best experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to travel to the Central region, which is the home of Cape Coast, the former capital of Ghana. It is a beautiful region and the scenery along the coast of the Atlantic is amazing. On Saturday, October 27^th I visited Elmina and Cape Coast Castles. For those who don’t know, Elmina Castle was the first European slave-trading post in all of sub-saharan Africa. The Portuguese originally built it in 1482 as a trading post for gold and other commodities, but it later grew to include human capital. The slave capacity was 1,000, 6oo men and 400 women. Today it is 530 years old.

Cape Coast Castle is the youngest of the slave castles in Ghana. The Swedes built the Castle in 1665 in the midst of the slave trade. Its slave capacity was higher than that of Elmina at 1,300: 1,000 men and 300 women for 2 or 3 months at a time. The interesting thing about Cape Coast Castle is that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama toured the castle in 2009. There is a plaque on the wall of the castle acknowledging their presence on that day in history. Today it is 347 years old. Both castles are designated as a World Heritage Monuments under UNESCO.

Each tour told similar stories about how slaves were brought from all over Africa to be bought and sold. They were shackled, branded, and thrown into the small dungeons that housed 200-1000 people at a time, with little or no light from the outside world. They were left to toil under horrible conditions in their own waste and only given enough food to survive. Any slaves who tried to rebel against the Europeans, those we like to call “Freedom Fighters”, were thrown into a small cell and left for dead, with no food, and no water. We saw the Governor’s huge living quarters and learned about how he would have the women set up, and then he would stand and choose one from the group to sexually abuse. We saw the staircase in both castles leading from the dungeons to his place of residence.

Walking in the dungeons of Cape Coast Castle we could easily see how the floor had changed and risen inches above the original level due to all the waste. There were even trenches carved in the floors for some drainage. One dungeon was excavated in 1974 by the University of Ghana is order to reveal the bricks once again. In both castles we experienced the lack of airflow and the horrible stench. We also saw the small squares carved into the walls that were meant to be windows. There were also instances where we were all put into a dungeon or chamber at once with the door closed and no light. Just for that moment I was given a small glimpse of what it was like.

Both tours ended with passage through the “Door of No Return”, the place where each slave would pass onto a ship to journey across the Atlantic known as the Middle Passage. The worst part was that the slaves had no idea where they where headed when called through that door.  Once they crossed the threshold I’m sure they realized that they would never walk through it ever again.

What I loved most about Cape Coast Castle was that on the other side of  The Door Of  No Return there is now a sign labeled The Door Of Return that will forever stand as a symbol of African reemergence. Every member of the black diaspora that was on the trip in my CIEE group decided to share a picture in front of the door to take pride in how far we’ve come. I will leave you with the mission statement that is now carved into the wall of each castle.

*Each photo with the exception of the group photo were taken at Elmina*

“Til Death Do Us Part”

On Sunday, October 14^th , my friend Atsu took George and I to a wedding at his church. Typically when a Ghanaian couple gets married it can be a weekend affair. The couple has the customary or traditional ceremony in which the official marriage takes place, and then they may choose to also have a western style ceremony, which serves as the blessing of the marriage. I attended the latter of the two. I was so excited to go and make comparisons between that and an American style wedding. The ceremony included a lot of prayer and worship in the beginning, multiple offerings, the exchange of vows and then a short moment when the bride a groom danced together. The bride walked down the aisle to a Ghanaian song that wasn’t really slow (idk what it was about because it was in twi), and she walked at a regular walking pace, not step-by-step as brides do in America. She looked beautiful in her gown and her makeup was flawless. The process was interesting and somewhat informal and relaxed. The pastor was also very funny throughout the whole ceremony. When the bride and groom were exchanging vows I was so excited and happy as if I had known them my whole life (I get emotional lol). 

One thing that was different was that the groom kissed the wife on her cheek rather than her lips. Another thing was that the pastor presumed to ask if anyone had any objections to their union even though technically they were already married. After the kiss that sealed their companionship, the pastor gave a short sermon. I was lucky because the sermon was pretty much the only thing said in English besides the vows.

It focused on four ways to help maintain a healthy relationship:

1.     Never try to control your spouse

2.     Remember that your partner should also be your best friend

3.     Change the name of your spouse—Meant to serve as a symbol of your love and connection, like “Sweetie” for example

4.     Be prepared to make sacrifices in your relationship

I enjoyed the sermon and I thought each point was great advice for any couple. This Ghanaian wedding was only the second wedding that I have ever attended, the first being my eldest sister’s. It seemed very pure, and sincere. I think that sometimes people forget how serious a marriage is, as well as the bond that it signifies between a man and a woman. If it’s done it should be done right. In any case, the words “Til death do us part” represent the presence of a strong foundation and the potential to overcome any challenge.

The Bible says. “ Above all clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” –Collossians 3:14

I know every girl dreams of getting married one day and I am thankful to have witnessed such a wonderful occasion in Ghana. 

Giving Back

Today, we were up bright and early to participate in our CIEE community service project. I am so happy about the work that we accomplished today that I couldn’t wait to write this post. Our service was for a great organization, the Future Leaders underprivileged children’s center. It is a center located in Teshie, one of the poorest inner city communities within Accra. Today we revitalized the center by helping to build new classrooms for students with special needs. We also did a lot of sanding and painting to provide a vibrant and welcoming environment for the students.

Upon arrival we were able to meet the founder, BIlla Mamud, and hear all about how Future Leaders began. As a student fresh out of school, Mr. Mamud told us that during the course of his daily travels he would always notice children out and about during times when they should be in school. He discovered that some of the children were orphans and some came from very impoverished families. As a result, he decided to take matters into his own hands. 

In 1998, he began his project with a handful of children that he gathered from the streets and began teaching them under a mango tree. Mr. Mamud would teach them himself, providing them with the basic skills necessary to enter into public school. The children could not afford to attend the schools so Mr. Mamud began private teaching lessons to fund the children’s education. With a lot of hard work and determination, one man’s efforts evolved into the Future Leaders organization that we have today. Mr Mamud reported that he and his center have successfully been able to fund the education of 165 students, some of which have finished college and are very successful today. Aside from providing a safe and loving and environment to the orphans that live at the centre and sending youth to school, the center also provides many adults with assistance. Future Leaders provides vocational skills like sewing and hairstyling, in order to help adults build a business and make money.  I could go on and on about all the great things that the center has done but it would make my post entirely to long.

            

After hearing Mr Mamud’s story I was extremely inspired and ready to work. I was so awed by his perseverance and willingness to help. He taught children under a mango tree for 8 years before the program was even housed under a single roof. He dedicated his time and money finding a way to send so many children to school, not for any recognition or reward, but because it was the right thing to do. In life sometimes we think that one person can’t be a game changer, but this goes to show that sometimes one person is all takes. My entire experience in Ghana has already been life changing, and it’s only been two months. Today I was provided with a new source of motivation as I continue my own personal journey in life, one that hope will allow me to make an impact on the lives of many…. just like Mr. Mamud.

So with all that said, I want to end this post with an interesting quote from Dr. Suess’ The Lorax.

“Unless there’s someone like you that cares an awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.”

Thanks For Reading :-)

You’re Invited!

I love that Ghana is a very communal country, especially when it comes to food. Ghanaians love to eat! If someone you know or have met is eating around you they will always use the key phrase, “You’re Invited”, and allow you to take part in their meal. At home people can be a bit stingier at times lol. With that being said, I want to tell everyone about my Ghanaian friend Priscilla.

            Priscilla and I met in my Community Organization class. I sat by her on the first day and we immediately became friends. She was so sweet and accepted me as her friend right away. I told that I had a friend in the U.S. also named Priscilla and she said, “Well then we are already friends”. Ghanaians are also very hospitable people. Whenever someone is a visitor in their place of residence, they will always offer anything that they have to give. When I visited Priscilla’s dorm room for the first time she was sad that my friends and I had taken water with us because she wanted to offer it to us upon arrival. Instead she gave all of us fresh pineapple. :-)

            At the end of our visit she invited us over again to cook lunch together, and yesterday that’s exactly what we did. Unfortunately, I had to miss most of the preparation because I had class =/, so I’m a little jealous of my friends Brittany and Baindu for experiencing the fun part. The girls made Kontomere  (a local dish very similar to spinach) with egg and bean stew, boiled plantains, and boiled yam. It was extremely delicious! When we were all full Priscilla told us that we didn’t eat enough! Lol. She is such a sweet, wise, and fun person. I know that our friendship will go beyond my time here in Ghana.

            It’s so great the way food brings people together. Whether it’s for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas or just enjoying a meal with some friends late at night or on a Saturday afternoon. In Ghana it definitely contributes to the overwhelming sense of community that is embedded into their culture. When someone that offers their food to me I know they have accepted me. I like the phrase so much that I know it will stick with me when I go home. So if you ever see me with some food be prepared to hear the words, “you’re invited!”

Sing Out For Peace

Saturday September 15, 2012 was the annual Sing Out concert at the National Theatre here in Ghana, and to coincide with the election, this year’s theme was Sing Out For Peace. I found the concert to be very unique and creative. The purpose was not only to celebrate the goodness of God and his grace upon the nation, but to also use it as an opportunity to let all the political heads declare peace throughout the coming election. The program consisted of peace messages from representatives of the different parties and different gospel or Christian acts: Selina Boateng, Kofi Sarpong, Monarch’s Praise Choir and America’s very own Deitrick Haddon as the headliner.

            
One important detail that surprised me the most was the amount of young people that showed up for the concert. It was great to see a large volume of men and women around my age at a concert celebrating Jesus Christ. Everyone was dressed veryy nice (they made me feel under dressed in my jeans and nice shirt). Once the concert began, the energy was amazing. The atmosphere reminded me of being at a Beyoncé concert. Only instead of singing “Single Ladies” we were rocking to “He’s Able” and Ghanaian Christian music. Everyone was up on their feet dancing the whole night (especially during the Ghanaian songs). I hadn’t heard too much of Deitrick Haddon’s music at home but I brushed up on it a little before the show. He is a very energetic performer. He was very similar to Tye Tribbet, maybe even more enthusiastic. However, I think it’s safe to say that a Deitrick Haddon concert in the U.S. would definitely be different. I feel like Ghanaians display a very unique kind of energy and he was able to feed off of that and just go crazy with it. I’m definitely grateful for chance to go and experience that.

            Overall, I really enjoyed the concert. Afterwards, I had some time to reflect. We are living in trying times, especially In light of everything happening with U.S. international relations and the current conflict over “The Innocence of Muslims”. We need peace around the world now more than ever. The sad part is that there’s not much we can do but sit back and pray about it. Pray for tolerance, love and protection. Ghanaian politics are still influenced by tribal and ethnic divides, but the country is still stable and people are trying to come together. We need to be respectful of other's practices and beliefs. I hope that one day we can all just get along.

James 3:18 says, “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace”.

Time To Teach And To Learn..

So my internship has begun. I am officially a math teacher at NADAT Memorial School in the small town of Adenta. It’s about a 40 minute commute each way by tro-tro and a little bit of walking. I teach two different levels of math, four classes in total. Initially the last thing I wanted to do in Ghana was teach, but I’ve decided to accept the responsibility. There is a shortage of teachers at the school and if I had not come, the students would have to have math and science combined. On my first visit to the school, the math and science teacher was so happy to hand the math completely over to me, and now the students that I teach only have only math class on the days that I come. I found it funny that the headmaster and the other teachers trusted me immediately. They never questioned my knowledge or ability to teach. They are just thankful that I have decided to dedicate my time to the children and they have faith that I will do a good job.

                     

It is a known fact all around the world that education is the best key success, but from my experiences here so far, I feel that these students really embody that fact. In some respects, they have a much better grasp of the concept than many of the students I’ve worked with in the U.S. After only teaching for two days and volunteering with Beatrice (which I described in a previous post), I can honestly say that every student that I’ve worked with generally wants to learn. They are veryyy well behaved, they help each other in class, and they are not afraid to speak up when they don’t understand. I would love to walk into a public school like that in the U.S. I plan to look deeper into the comparison while I’m here, but here’s what I can say so far. A lot has to do with culture. Ghanaian culture and their way of life are very much connected to the level of poverty in this country. The opportunity to get an education is more of a privilege because not every family can afford to send their children to school. There is less of a competitive nature here because everyone is united by certain cultural elements and practices. We don’t have that in the U.S., I haven’t even really noticed it in many minority communities. An education is easier to obtain in the states, and many students take it for granted. There is also more pressure to be the best. While I’m here I definitely plan to look more into the comparison and I plan to share my thoughts as I go along.

On the one hand, I feel unworthy of my new teaching position because I’ve never handled a class on my own, let alone four…and I don’t want to fail my students. On the other hand, I see this as the opportunity to impact so many lives from now until December. Teaching will be a challenge and I’m excited and scared at the same time. But Galatians 6:9 says, “ And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”. Not only will I be their teacher, but they will be mine, and I will learn in ways that no textbook could ever teach me.

Kumasi: Part II

House of Tradional African and Ghanaian Music

On Saturday, September 1st, we will had the opportunity to meet one of Ghana's national treasures and living legends in music, Agya Koo Nima. He spoke to us about traditional Ghanaian music and performed with his band. One style of music we learned about was palmwine. Palm wine music is a local drink from the palm oil tree. The music began with the introduction of the guitar. Agya Koo Nima gave us a few words of advice before we left. He old us that we should have fun, stay in good health in order to live long, and to leave a place in the western corners of hearts for ourselves.

 

Manhyia Palace Museum.

 This palace is an important part of history. It was built in 1925 for Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I, by the British Colonial Government, as his private residence when he returned from Seychelles after twenty-eight years in exile. Prior to the Asantehene's exile, his old palace had been burnt down in the Yaa Asantewaa War. The war was fought between the British and the Asantes because of the refusal of the Asantehene to offer the golden stool to the then governor of the Gold Coast. The museum holds effigies of the past and present kings of the Asante Kingdom, and some gold artifacts and also tells the story of the Asante Kingdom.

Kejetia Market

Kejetia Market is also known as Kumasi Central Market. It is one of the largest markets in West Africa. As soon as we reached the main road I was in complete awe. Looking to my left and right it seemed as if the market didn't end. The rooftops and shops went on for miles. Walking through the market was an experience. It was very intense. There were so many different directions to go, a narrow walkway here, one there…everyone also seemed in a rush to get where they were going. My friend Baindu and I thought we had gotten lost at one point but we found our way back. The great thing about this market was that items seemed relatively cheaper than any place I had gone to in Accra. All in all it was a great experience and I walked away with a great pair of sandals for a very cheap price.

After all of the tourist sites, one of my favorite parts of the weekend was Saturday night. It was my friend J.t.'s birthday and we all went to out to celebrate. It was a great way to end our weekend in Kumasi!

Happy Birhday J.t.!