Whoo

Community service at the Methodist primary school Pan Tang - Upon our arrival, the kids were so excited, surrounding our bus and waving, anxious to have their photos taken. First, we met the headmaster and visited the classrooms of various aged students. I spent the most time with class 6, aged 10-15. We talked about their hobbies, career aspirations, opinions of President Obama and his upcoming visit, etc. Some students performed for us the talents they develop in their spare time - rapping and dancing - quite entertaining. Finally,we got to work, mixing mortar and moving cement blocks. Then we helped continue construction on the school library walls. Unfortunately, I was of little help in this process. Applying cement to bricks - mortaring - is a skill I do no possess. Period.

Some kids helped us work and then wanted to play and joke, all the while loving to have their photos taken. One asked for my gloves, and I learnt it was to in order to play goalie in soccer. I gave them to him unhesitatingly, and he immediately became the most popular kid among his comrades. We taught each other some songs and games; for example, we taught them to sing "Rocky Top." They particularly liked the "whoo" and would giggle excitedly each time we got to that part of the song. I felt so happy to have touched the lives of such happy, friendly children, even in the smallest way.

With time comes wisdom (hopefully)

I am so glad that Mark and Judy are here. Their age, knowledge, experience, and beliefs contribute so much to our group's perspective both in terms of the changes and continuities within Ghana and beyond and of comparative, analytical insights - modern slavery, the respectability and acceptability of some cultural traditions, the relative value of education, and the list goes on. Their presence truly is a testament to the wisdom of elders and the veneration of them in African cultures. In addition, Mark and Judy have received such respect - as Judy said - due to their race. At least such was the case in our contact with the judge. It is rather surprising, considering Ghana's colonial history and strong nationalist movements spurring and following independence.

I thoroughly enjoyed the drive to and from our excursion. The scenery was so lush and mountainous. Majestic. I could not take enough photos and certainly could not capture the scope and beauty of the scene. It is sights like that one that reaffirm my belief in God and His incomprehensible power and creativity.

Tonight, we finished our discussion of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I was so pleased at the lively and informed discussion overall - highly participatory. The one major snag in the discussion was a single comment made by a generally controversial person - she declared the culture of Umuofia evil, without merit, etc. Fortunately, everyone seemed to bristle at her remarks, characterized by cultural insensitivity and closed-mindedness.

Central theme of the novel - retelling African history from an African perspective (as opposed to the victory writes history)

Earlier today we visited a monkey sanctuary, an excursion which everyone had been highly anticipating. I thoroughly enjoyed hand-feeding monkeys, but the history of the site somewhat frustrated me. Today there are only aout 400 monkeys in the park. I would have expected far more, as it is after all a monkey sanctuary. Previously, when the locals here widely practiced the traditional religions, the monkeys were associated with such, but with the conversion to Christianity, the locals began killing the monkeys. In the mid-1990s, a Canadian researcher came and persuaded the locals to begin this park as a means of ecotourism. While I understand the pragmatism of economically gainig when possible, I wish the people had a desire to protect the monkeys of their volition. But protection is protection.

Constantly in amazement of God's creation and basking in the glory of His imagination

Today was (per usual lately) dominated by driving. Once we neared our destination, the scenery changed, becoming very mountainous, green rainforest. Eventually, we arrived at the entrance to the waterfall park. The hike to the falls - the tallest waterfall in West Africa - took about 45 minutes. Admittedly, I was a straggler, as I stopped frequently to take pictures along the way - tall, ageless trees; a huge swarm of carpenter ants; a peaceful meander stream; the mountains in the distance. I was just in awe of the forest, the mere size (and therefore age) of the trees and of the forest.

Once we arrived at the falls, there was quite a crowd of locals enjoying the cool water and spray. A few of us, myself included, ventured in, even directly beneath the falls (as this precise environment permitted). However, some of the locals proved to be an annoyance - very grabby and persistently so. I was forced to become rude, even physical.

Interestingly, a number of bats inhabit the cliffs of the falls.

To what extent are we agents of change?

This morning on our way out of Kumasi we stopped at the school in which Judy served as an instructor while in the Peace Corp in the 60s. It was fascinating walking with her through her old haunts and seeing the school as it has changed (or hasn't). Such a trend is common in Ghana, with pockets of progress or aspects but largely a preservation of the status quo. The nature and areas of these pockets of change and of preservation may serve to either promote or inhibit further development for the state overall. Only greater time will tell.

Our agenda for the day consisted of visiting three rural villages, each of which specialized in some sort of craft: bead-making, kente, adinkra (symbols printed on woven cloth). I enjoyed the explanations we received about each as well as our opportunity to buy goods in the villages; however, the bargaining became strenuous. At first, I tried to remain polite but eventually became frank and rude, ignoring and/or trying to escape from the venders. I truly mean escape. They would surround the bus, tap on the windows, reach their arms into any window opened, follow us into every doorway until stopped by someone, and grab our arms to get our attention or stop our retreat.

Throughout Ghana, we have heard much about their strong work ethic and intolerance for idleness; therefore, begging is severely frowned upon. In these villages, people would ask us for anything - money, food, transport to the US, school supplies, personal contact information, etc. I felt both sad and frustrated. I figured that these people truly were in need, but I felt helpless. For example, in the bead-making village, several children followed us around all morning, and more accumulated as we prepared to leave. All were so excited and happy that we were there. They asked us for pens and pencils, but Dr. Sall had previously collected all we brought to distribute at a school we would later visit to perform a community service project. I searched my backpack hurriedly and found two pens. When I opened the bus door, I saw a crowd of children had gathered, and immediately a struggle - almost violent - erupted over the two pens. It made me so upset to see such seemingly happy children behave this way because they do not have the means to study - and I was the catalyst for this incident. I suppose the only positive aspect of this story is the indication of their perceived value of education.

The return drive to Accra was long and uncomfortable, largely due to the bad condition of the roads with tons of potholes and speed bumps. While Kwaze is an excellent driver, he can only do so much to avoid these or lessen their blows. These road conditions - plus horrendous traffic - are not uncommon here. It truly makes you appreciate the US road system, although a more easily taxed American population does help in that regard.

GOLD = POWER

As has become somewhat of a custom (pleasantly), we listened to the morning news/interviews on the radio in the bus. This morning, with such a long drive from Accra to Kumasi, I was admittedly in and out of sleep, but I was intrigued by what I managed to hear: discussion of the Ghanaian war on drugs. In particular, I found it interesting that the interveiwed person declared marijuana essentially a culturally accepted and permissibly used drug while stating other drugs are rarely used. Instead, this war on drugs is simply being waged to appease Western states, powerful trading and political allies. For example, Ghana's demonstration of its support for this war has garnered favor with the US, as seen through Obama's decision to visit Ghana in July.

I find it interesting that for so many years (and in some ways today) developing states made deliberate efforts to act according to their own interests, without any regard for the more powerful (or even to their detriment). However, now recognizing the connectedness of global politics and economics, developing states have acknowledged their need to blend strateges somehow.

Upon arriving in Kumasi, we visited the Asante hene's (king's) former palace - now a museum. The tour, while informative, raised several questions for me.

We have been informed that the Asantes largely dominate the political arena in Ghana. Any explanation? Is that attributable to wealth, education, some other variable?

Gold seems to be an important cultural symbol of strength and power to the Asantes. Are Asantes today still amassing and hoarding gold, or do they now sell their gold holdings for profit? [Hernando de Soto]

I was surprised at the appearance of the former palace - largely unimposing, unimpressive, not ornate. As Asante culture is so associated with gold, I would have expected gold to play a large role in the palace's decoration.

Next, we went to the largest market in West Africa. I was initially very excited, energized by all the activity there with people constantly and feverishly bustingly about; however, upon entering it, I was overwhelmed by the crowds, the smells, and the overall size of the place. The market was so congested that I feared I would get lost, swept away in the masses, despite Dr. Salls's strategy to keep our group together and just wander in for a few minutes. On account of my nervousness, my perceptions of the people were also different than some others' in our group. People seemed to be mocking us, laughing at our being there and scorning us as snobs.

Gender equality - the key to cultural and, by extension, political "progress"

Parliament - Unfortunately, the assembly was not in session for us to see, but we were able to tour the building and sit in the chamber. Ghanaian Parliament is a hybrid system of the American and British legislative systems. I was struck by some of the progressive measures being pursued to improve its degree of representativeness yet also its desire not to rush too quickly into progress. For example, Parliament has implemented several methods of promoting public outreach and awareness of the political system:

- welcoming public feedback

- sending government information as well as members of Parliament to rural districts to keep them informed and participating

- instituting early government education and Parliament chamber visits

Additionally, the arrangement of members within the chamber intrigued me, with one' position indicating much about both your politics and your longevity in Parliament. Nkrumah's daughter is a newcomer, with her position reflecting such and her relatively moderate political stance.

When we consulted the press secretary about female representation in Parliament, she informed us that the Speaker of Parliament (the third highest political position in the state) is a woman but that women constitute a low percentage of parliamentary membership (about 19 out of 230 members). I asked her if Ghana had considered implementing quotas or a proportional representation system, as in other states like Rwanda, and she responded that Ghana needed to take baby steps in politics before it could run. Also, she lik most Ghanaians favored female participation based on merits rather than quotas and thought that with time more Ghanaians would be receptive to female political leadership as well. I do not know which system is more democratic - one like Rwanda that ensures the voices of minority interests are heard or one like Ghana which promotes competition - but I am glad to see that Ghana is ocnsidering these reforms in order to make itself a more democratic state.

Art Centre = market - Next, we went to a local market, which extended further than I had time or energy to meander. The haggling wa exciting but exhausting. I am worried that my gender and race label me an easy target to overcharge, but I am learning to be more firm while still polite and likable.

Outside of the market, a member of our group saw a man selling/wearing a t-shirt she just had to have - "Can you smell what Obama's cookin'?" I wish I were clear on the details of the story because as it unfolded it somewhat irked me. She bought the very shirt off his back. It bothered me because it indicated to me an attitude of absolute entitlement,as if her desire to have the shirt superceded his right to keep it. I wish I knew the details.

Later, we went to the mall to run errands and eat lunch. I was amused by the general Americanization of it all, particularly the menus in the food court (while slightly altered from tradition in their preparation). Case in point: I ate Chinese food; Will had a cheeseburger;Judy had chicken tenders. Is something wrong with this picture?

Development from the Bottom Up

Role of women in national development (Lecture)

- long-held belief that men make development happen and women remain in the domestic sphere

- in agriculture in African states - 11% of work done only by men; 34% only by women; 55% by both - role differs often by type of implement used and type of crop grown (cash crop industries dominated by men)

- cocoa - women in cocoa production were fewer, came to production later, and had smaller farms; instead, cocoa transportation and sale dominated by women --> TRADE = quintessential female activity

- Ghanaian female employment higher than male since 1980s

- large-scale manufacturing companies have had little success in establishing themselves in Ghana, as women already have employment opportunities and as the informal sector is not considered an undesirable employment sector (flexibility, hierarchy)

- culture - matrilineal influence - women may want tohave children to extend lineage

[more information about population, education, government participation - ask if interested]

...I was very excited to visit the mausoleum of Kwame Nkrumah, arguable Ghana's most celebrated figure. The shrine was uniquely constructed with of course symbolic meaning. I was intrigued by the presence of a statue of Nkrumah that had been destroyed during the 1966 coup. This showed a shift in perception of Nkrumah from a hero to a villain to a hero yet again. Now his ideas that had been rejected are being reconsidered and celebrated.

The accompanying museum was fascinating, particularly the photographs of Nkrumah's life and political career. There were several photos of him with prominent leftist leaders ranging from JFK to Castro to Mao. Also, there was a photo of him dancing with Queen Elizabeth II, particularly fascinating considering Nkrumah's passion for pan-African independence.

Ultimately, I think Nkrumah was a great leader, guiding many African leaders in the foundation of their states and establishing Ghanaian cultural and political precedents. He did so with somewhat of an iron fist, but the programs he established truly furthered the welfare of Ghanaians, such as in education. I appreciate his current veneration.