Me and Osman drumming
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Last week in Tamale
This past week I went back to Yendi and tagged along with Billie and Jessica for a day. They spent the last month or so creating workshops for girls clubs on things like teen pregnancy, personal hygiene, self-esteem and HIV/Aids. They sent letter out to the schools and asked if the clubs were interested in having one for their club. The day I was there we travelled to three different schools and did a workshop on one of the topics at each one. They do the workshops in English and the kids so their schooling in English. But they have a hard time understanding our accents and so often they need to have someone translate either into Dagbani (the local language) or just repeat what they are saying in a familiar accent. One of the schools in particular was impressive for their English comprehension and the girls were very involved and asking good question and participating in the discussion afterwards.
Patrick and I have officially finished our research now so we have been working on our reports for the past few days. The weather has been pretty weird. It rains and then gets sunny and then rain some more. Reminds me of Calgary.
Yesterday a guy that we met was going to a wedding and he invited us to come watch some dancing so Cassey and I went to watch some of it. We felt pretty out of place but weddings are such big events so there were tons of people there. It was a Muslim wedding that lasted for three days. Saturday they were preparing and celebrating. Then Sunday they did their vows in the morning and then while most people were dancing and celebrating, the bride was at home packing up her things. Then last night she was going to officially move into the husbands house. Then today there are the final celebrations. The dancing was really neat. For the first dance there were a bunch of drummers in the middle of a circle of people. All the people had a metal stick and they would dance and alternate hitting sticks with the two people on either side of them. Then for the second dance, the drummers would choose people who had danced in the first circle to come up and dance individually. They would dance and then people would come up and sticks coins to their foreheads (most of which fell to the ground and were picked up by kids). The money then went to the drummers because they do not charge for their musical services. The traditional outfits for the men are the big baggy smocks and when they dance they flail them around in the air. They also have these feather things that each person carries which is supposed to be their spiritual power. They are inscribed differently for each person. From what I understand, the Muslim belief system here is very much a fusion of Islam and traditional local religions. There are mosques all over and they play the call to prayer five times a day, but other than that it is not very obviously Muslim. No women wear veils and Muslims and Christians have no conflict with each other. Some families are half of each.
There was also a political figure in town the other day and apparently campaigning has started for the elections in December so there has been a bunch of trucks driving up and down the street with people playing horns and drums. Between that and the noisy celebrations from the wedding, our neighbourhood has been pretty raucous.
Monday I had a drum lesson with one of the guys who did the drumming and dancing performance for us last month. I’m not an expert by any means, but I think I caught on pretty fast. He taught me a song called Fueme fueme which is a traditional dance from the Accra region. It was fun but my hands got sore. I don’t know how they drum so fast for so long.
So things have been good. Until this morning that is, when Patrick got diagnosed with Malaria. A real downer, but he should be better by the time we leave on Saturday for Kumasi.
Patrick and I have officially finished our research now so we have been working on our reports for the past few days. The weather has been pretty weird. It rains and then gets sunny and then rain some more. Reminds me of Calgary.
Yesterday a guy that we met was going to a wedding and he invited us to come watch some dancing so Cassey and I went to watch some of it. We felt pretty out of place but weddings are such big events so there were tons of people there. It was a Muslim wedding that lasted for three days. Saturday they were preparing and celebrating. Then Sunday they did their vows in the morning and then while most people were dancing and celebrating, the bride was at home packing up her things. Then last night she was going to officially move into the husbands house. Then today there are the final celebrations. The dancing was really neat. For the first dance there were a bunch of drummers in the middle of a circle of people. All the people had a metal stick and they would dance and alternate hitting sticks with the two people on either side of them. Then for the second dance, the drummers would choose people who had danced in the first circle to come up and dance individually. They would dance and then people would come up and sticks coins to their foreheads (most of which fell to the ground and were picked up by kids). The money then went to the drummers because they do not charge for their musical services. The traditional outfits for the men are the big baggy smocks and when they dance they flail them around in the air. They also have these feather things that each person carries which is supposed to be their spiritual power. They are inscribed differently for each person. From what I understand, the Muslim belief system here is very much a fusion of Islam and traditional local religions. There are mosques all over and they play the call to prayer five times a day, but other than that it is not very obviously Muslim. No women wear veils and Muslims and Christians have no conflict with each other. Some families are half of each.
There was also a political figure in town the other day and apparently campaigning has started for the elections in December so there has been a bunch of trucks driving up and down the street with people playing horns and drums. Between that and the noisy celebrations from the wedding, our neighbourhood has been pretty raucous.
Monday I had a drum lesson with one of the guys who did the drumming and dancing performance for us last month. I’m not an expert by any means, but I think I caught on pretty fast. He taught me a song called Fueme fueme which is a traditional dance from the Accra region. It was fun but my hands got sore. I don’t know how they drum so fast for so long.
So things have been good. Until this morning that is, when Patrick got diagnosed with Malaria. A real downer, but he should be better by the time we leave on Saturday for Kumasi.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Pics
The elders in Walewale
Me stamping my fabric with Margaret (right)
Me and Jess with our finiished products
Me stamping my fabric with Margaret (right)
Me and Jess with our finiished products
Walewale and Batik
This week we went into the office Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and worked on our reports (when the power was on, which wasn’t often). It was nice to get into the office and our reports are coming along pretty well.
On Thursday Patrick and I visited our last district of Walewale, which is about 2 hours north of Tamale. We stayed there for a night and hung out with Whitney the WUSC intern there. Friday morning we went to the office, which was one big room, and then we went with Esenam (the long term volunteer) and Mme. Mary, (the DGEO) to a Wannugu to visit a school there. It was really neat. When we first got there we went to visit the chief and the elders of the community to tell them why we are here and seek permission to meet with the school. Permission is more of a formality and a sign of respect than a necessity. Here were maybe 50 of them and it was really cool. There was a guy playing the drums and they were all greeting each other. Then we went into this open building where they all sat around on the floor while we sat on chairs in the middle of the floor. Then a group of men filed in to the drumming and one of them was singing. The chief and a few other men, who I assume are the most senior and important community members, sat at the front. Mme. Mary introduced us to the chief and told him what we were doing there. Then Esenam spoke to him through a translator about the importance of education and especially of educating girls. She quoted a saying that says “When you educate a man, you educate one individual. But when you educate a woman, you are educating a nation” which speaks to the idea that women will pass their knowledge onto their children and so forth. Then a few of the men had a discussion with Mme. Mary in Dagbani so I did not understand all of it, but from what I picked up, they were expressing their skepticism about investing in a girls education since she will probably go out and get pregnant anyway. That was slightly discouraging but over all it was a really neat experience to see this meeting and see the elders of the community. At the end of the meeting the chief told the translator to tell me that he wanted to keep me there to be one of his wives. We all had a good laugh about that.
Then we went to the school and met with the teachers where they talked about the different organizations and stakeholders who are supporting the school, what each of them is doing and what else they could be doing. Afterwards I met with the two matrons of the girls club there, which was really interesting. Then we caught a tro-tro back to Tamale, which was crammed full of people, luggage, and live chickens. Tro-tros are always an adventure.
On Saturday a few of us girls went to learn to make Batik fabric from a very nice lady named Margaret. It was a really neat process. We each got 2 yards of white cotton fabric and then you melt wax until it is liquid and use a wooden stamp that is carved in a design. You dip the stamp in the wax, and then make a print on the fabric. Then you pick a colour and mix the dye with this stuff called costic that relaxes the fabric so it will accept the dye and then another chemical that makes the dye stay in so the colour won’t run. When you dye the fabric, the wax keeps the dye from getting on the design that you have printed. Once the fabric is dry, you boil the fabric to melt the wax off, and then wash and rinse it. You can also so a few different colours and fold it to make stripes, but I chose to do a white stamp with blue dye and it turned out very well. I am having it made into a dress that will be ready next week. Saturday evening we had a bunch of the other interns over for home made pizza (courtesy of Patrick) and then we all went out to this open air club, which was really cool.
Today is the beginning of our second last week in Tamale which is pretty crazy. I am planning on going back to Yendi for a few days to observe some of the workshops that Billie and Jess have been doing with the girls clubs there. Then we have the next week and a half to finish our research reports.
On Thursday Patrick and I visited our last district of Walewale, which is about 2 hours north of Tamale. We stayed there for a night and hung out with Whitney the WUSC intern there. Friday morning we went to the office, which was one big room, and then we went with Esenam (the long term volunteer) and Mme. Mary, (the DGEO) to a Wannugu to visit a school there. It was really neat. When we first got there we went to visit the chief and the elders of the community to tell them why we are here and seek permission to meet with the school. Permission is more of a formality and a sign of respect than a necessity. Here were maybe 50 of them and it was really cool. There was a guy playing the drums and they were all greeting each other. Then we went into this open building where they all sat around on the floor while we sat on chairs in the middle of the floor. Then a group of men filed in to the drumming and one of them was singing. The chief and a few other men, who I assume are the most senior and important community members, sat at the front. Mme. Mary introduced us to the chief and told him what we were doing there. Then Esenam spoke to him through a translator about the importance of education and especially of educating girls. She quoted a saying that says “When you educate a man, you educate one individual. But when you educate a woman, you are educating a nation” which speaks to the idea that women will pass their knowledge onto their children and so forth. Then a few of the men had a discussion with Mme. Mary in Dagbani so I did not understand all of it, but from what I picked up, they were expressing their skepticism about investing in a girls education since she will probably go out and get pregnant anyway. That was slightly discouraging but over all it was a really neat experience to see this meeting and see the elders of the community. At the end of the meeting the chief told the translator to tell me that he wanted to keep me there to be one of his wives. We all had a good laugh about that.
Then we went to the school and met with the teachers where they talked about the different organizations and stakeholders who are supporting the school, what each of them is doing and what else they could be doing. Afterwards I met with the two matrons of the girls club there, which was really interesting. Then we caught a tro-tro back to Tamale, which was crammed full of people, luggage, and live chickens. Tro-tros are always an adventure.
On Saturday a few of us girls went to learn to make Batik fabric from a very nice lady named Margaret. It was a really neat process. We each got 2 yards of white cotton fabric and then you melt wax until it is liquid and use a wooden stamp that is carved in a design. You dip the stamp in the wax, and then make a print on the fabric. Then you pick a colour and mix the dye with this stuff called costic that relaxes the fabric so it will accept the dye and then another chemical that makes the dye stay in so the colour won’t run. When you dye the fabric, the wax keeps the dye from getting on the design that you have printed. Once the fabric is dry, you boil the fabric to melt the wax off, and then wash and rinse it. You can also so a few different colours and fold it to make stripes, but I chose to do a white stamp with blue dye and it turned out very well. I am having it made into a dress that will be ready next week. Saturday evening we had a bunch of the other interns over for home made pizza (courtesy of Patrick) and then we all went out to this open air club, which was really cool.
Today is the beginning of our second last week in Tamale which is pretty crazy. I am planning on going back to Yendi for a few days to observe some of the workshops that Billie and Jess have been doing with the girls clubs there. Then we have the next week and a half to finish our research reports.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Burkina Faso and Northern Ghana
I had a very eventful weekend. On Friday I left early in the morning on a bus to Bolgatanga (aka Bolga) with Billie and Jess and then we stayed over night in Bolga and did dinner with Jess and Faye who were on their way to Paga. Bolga was kind of a sketchy town and it was super dark at night but we had a good dinner and a nice room which was cool. Jess met with one of Sheena’s friends who introduced her to someone who knows a lot about female circumcision (her thesis topic). Our room was pretty nice and the food there was decent.
The next day we got up, had breakfast and met up with Whitney. Then this guy Yao who Jessica met and a couple of his friends took us around to the Tongo Hills and Shrine. We didn’t end up going in the shrine (because it was raining and the local tradition also requires women to take off their shirts and bras) but we saw the hills and the caves where there were schools, or meetings or hiding places which came in handy when there was a battle with the British. Then we met the chief of Tongo (who has 16 wives) and saw his palace which was pretty amazing. My camera’s battery died part way through so I need to get pictures from some of the other girls, but it was pretty amazing.
When we got to Paga we crossed the border into Burkina Faso, which was a bit of a long drawn out process, but we made it. Then we exchanged money and caught a tro-tro to Ouagadougou (pronounced Wa-ga-doo-goo), the capital of Burkina Faso. It took us four hours by tro-tro with 2 dead cows on the roof.
So we finally made it into Ouaga and got a cab to a hotel. The guys who worked at the hotel were super nice and showed us a restaurant where we could get some food. My French was the best out of our group so we were able to navigate reasonably well and I could translate most things. I was proud of how well I did with the French actually.
On Sunday we wondered around the city a bit, saw some different things and went to some of the markets. Most people there were super nice but some were super aggressive. It was exhausting having to translate and feel like I was in charge, but I was proud of myself for handling it. Saturday night we had the most amazing meal at this swanky French restaurant. I had spaghetti carbonara and then crepes for dessert. It was unreal. Ouaga was more expensive and nice than we had expected. Burkina Faso is the third poorest country in the world, so that was a shock to us. Some of the architecture was gorgeous too. Most things were closed on Sunday which was actually surprising to us.
Monday we got up super early to get to the bus station for a bus that never really showed up. We ended up getting in a tro-tro that was a super stressful experience. In the end the tro-tro got us to Paga where we crossed the border again into Ghana and went into the town of Paga. We did a tour of a traditional village and then went to a crocodile sanctuary where you buy a live chicken and then some guy lures the croc out of the water with the chicken and you can go up and touch it and some people sit on it. The crocodile that came out was huge and they slither and walk in such a gross way. And then there were two other ones that were on either side of it. You can’t approach crocodiles from the front or they get scared so you have to go around behind them to touch them. But because there were two others on either side that were facing the big one, I was a huge baby and was too scared. But some of the other girls went up and touched the crocs tail. Too scary for me. Then we chartered a taxi back to Bolga and found a bus going to Kumasi that would drop us off in Tamale on the way. We ended up waiting for 5 hours for the bus and then had a four hour bus ride back to Tamale. It was an exhausting day.
Overall a very interesting experience and it was really neat to see the differences between a french and english colony. There are many, but the food is most notable.
The next day we got up, had breakfast and met up with Whitney. Then this guy Yao who Jessica met and a couple of his friends took us around to the Tongo Hills and Shrine. We didn’t end up going in the shrine (because it was raining and the local tradition also requires women to take off their shirts and bras) but we saw the hills and the caves where there were schools, or meetings or hiding places which came in handy when there was a battle with the British. Then we met the chief of Tongo (who has 16 wives) and saw his palace which was pretty amazing. My camera’s battery died part way through so I need to get pictures from some of the other girls, but it was pretty amazing.
When we got to Paga we crossed the border into Burkina Faso, which was a bit of a long drawn out process, but we made it. Then we exchanged money and caught a tro-tro to Ouagadougou (pronounced Wa-ga-doo-goo), the capital of Burkina Faso. It took us four hours by tro-tro with 2 dead cows on the roof.
So we finally made it into Ouaga and got a cab to a hotel. The guys who worked at the hotel were super nice and showed us a restaurant where we could get some food. My French was the best out of our group so we were able to navigate reasonably well and I could translate most things. I was proud of how well I did with the French actually.
On Sunday we wondered around the city a bit, saw some different things and went to some of the markets. Most people there were super nice but some were super aggressive. It was exhausting having to translate and feel like I was in charge, but I was proud of myself for handling it. Saturday night we had the most amazing meal at this swanky French restaurant. I had spaghetti carbonara and then crepes for dessert. It was unreal. Ouaga was more expensive and nice than we had expected. Burkina Faso is the third poorest country in the world, so that was a shock to us. Some of the architecture was gorgeous too. Most things were closed on Sunday which was actually surprising to us.
Monday we got up super early to get to the bus station for a bus that never really showed up. We ended up getting in a tro-tro that was a super stressful experience. In the end the tro-tro got us to Paga where we crossed the border again into Ghana and went into the town of Paga. We did a tour of a traditional village and then went to a crocodile sanctuary where you buy a live chicken and then some guy lures the croc out of the water with the chicken and you can go up and touch it and some people sit on it. The crocodile that came out was huge and they slither and walk in such a gross way. And then there were two other ones that were on either side of it. You can’t approach crocodiles from the front or they get scared so you have to go around behind them to touch them. But because there were two others on either side that were facing the big one, I was a huge baby and was too scared. But some of the other girls went up and touched the crocs tail. Too scary for me. Then we chartered a taxi back to Bolga and found a bus going to Kumasi that would drop us off in Tamale on the way. We ended up waiting for 5 hours for the bus and then had a four hour bus ride back to Tamale. It was an exhausting day.
Overall a very interesting experience and it was really neat to see the differences between a french and english colony. There are many, but the food is most notable.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Week 7
This week Patrick and I went back to Yendi and then continued onto Zabzugu. In Yendi we go to go visit a girls club, which was really neat! These clubs are created mainly in junior high schools to help teach girls the importance of their own education and as a support network for school work and other challenges they have. The clubs are also used as a tool for community sensitization and they perform plays, poetry or songs at community events to demonstrate the importance of girls education to parents. The clubs put on one of their role plays for us and the whole school watched. The play showed three girls in school, 2 of whom dropped out of school to go to Accra and become porters (they call them kayayos) and the third girl stayed in school and got a scholarship. Then it shows the girls again in 5 years. The girl who stayed in school becomes a doctor and has to tell one of the other girls that she is HIV positive, and then tell the parents of the other girl that she has died from a self induced abortion. It was neat that they touched on so many sensitive subjects and they were all very animated and involved. The patron of the club and the head master were both men but they were both very supportive and the girls obviously liked them and felt comfortable around them, so it was neat to see how men are getting involved as well.
Then we got to talk to the girls education officer for Yendi, who was out of town the last time we were there. Her name is Madame Alice and she is very knowledgeable and interesting to talk to. She is retiring in July, which is really too bad.
On Wednesday we woke up at 5 am and went to go catch a tro-tro (a big van that they cram lots of people into) to Zabzugu, and we ended up waiting for it for 3 hours. When it finally came, we piled into it and in a van with 30 seats, they had 51 people, not including the various small children sitting on parents laps, or the three men that rode on the top of the van with all the cargo. It was pretty claustrophobic and the ride was super hot and bumpy, which didn’t help. We made it to Zabzugu and then met with Elvis, the long term volunteer, and the girls education officer. We went to visit a few schools. One of the schools had a feeding program and we got to see how that worked. Then we went to visit an all girls school where there was a girls club, but it was not very active. It was interesting to see the difference between a club where the patron was so involved, vs. a club where the matron was not as supportive. The clubs depend so much on the support from the patrons/matrons and teachers.
We made it back to Tamale on Wednesday evening and it was nice to be back and get a good nights sleep. For the rest of the week we are going to be working on our research and our reports. Two of the American girls that we met are leaving Saturday morning so we want to hang out with them on Friday night and then there may be a Ghana national team game in Tamale on Sunday. On July 1 it is Republic Day in Ghana, so that will be a holiday. I hope there will be some celebrations or events that we can go check out.
Take care everyone!
Then we got to talk to the girls education officer for Yendi, who was out of town the last time we were there. Her name is Madame Alice and she is very knowledgeable and interesting to talk to. She is retiring in July, which is really too bad.
On Wednesday we woke up at 5 am and went to go catch a tro-tro (a big van that they cram lots of people into) to Zabzugu, and we ended up waiting for it for 3 hours. When it finally came, we piled into it and in a van with 30 seats, they had 51 people, not including the various small children sitting on parents laps, or the three men that rode on the top of the van with all the cargo. It was pretty claustrophobic and the ride was super hot and bumpy, which didn’t help. We made it to Zabzugu and then met with Elvis, the long term volunteer, and the girls education officer. We went to visit a few schools. One of the schools had a feeding program and we got to see how that worked. Then we went to visit an all girls school where there was a girls club, but it was not very active. It was interesting to see the difference between a club where the patron was so involved, vs. a club where the matron was not as supportive. The clubs depend so much on the support from the patrons/matrons and teachers.
We made it back to Tamale on Wednesday evening and it was nice to be back and get a good nights sleep. For the rest of the week we are going to be working on our research and our reports. Two of the American girls that we met are leaving Saturday morning so we want to hang out with them on Friday night and then there may be a Ghana national team game in Tamale on Sunday. On July 1 it is Republic Day in Ghana, so that will be a holiday. I hope there will be some celebrations or events that we can go check out.
Take care everyone!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Pics
The fooball game. The place was pretty sparse, but there are most people on the right out of the frame because it was shady on that side.
Week 6 - Yendi and our house
I had a really great week. On Monday we got to our office and found out that our bosses were still in Accra so we decided to go ahead and make plans to visit Yendi (one of the WUSC districts) on Tuesday even though we would not be accompanied by Madame Linda (who was going to introduce us and translate for us) and a driver. So Tuesday morning we woke up at 4 am to catch a bus at 5 am to Yendi. The ride was pleasant enough, except for it being so early. We got to Yendi and went to have breakfast with Jess and Billie, the two interns that are working there. They have a really cute place right by the military barracks, so it is weird, but not uncommon to see tanks and soldiers with huge guns passing by. Actually there was a conflict in Yendi a few years ago and the chief and the better part of his family were all killed, so there is a little bit of tension there, but no one talks about it. After breakfast we went to the Ghana Education Service office for the district of Yendi and met some of the staff there. The long term volunteer, Sheena, is really friendly and smart so she was a great person to talk to. She was really helpful for both me and Patrick and helped us set up some other meetings for this upcoming week, when we will return to Yendi. We also talked to the Girls Education Officer there and got some really great reports to look over. We got a ton of information in that first morning, so I’m really excited about getting back there and to the other districts. It’s too bad that we waited so long to take the initiative to do these visits on our own, but in the end it worked out really well.
After lunch we ran a few errands and I got to see a bit of the town from the back of Billie’s bicycle. It is a pretty small town where any foreigners get a lot of attention, but people seemed really nice, and the atmosphere was super laid back. They’re really enjoying it and I think they have a pretty good set up. Then we had dinner with Sheena and a really interesting and funny Cuban doctor named Leuby.
Billie and Jessica have rats and/or bats living in their ceiling, so when we went to sleep you could hear the high pitched sounds of bats and these scuttling sounds of mice or rats or something in the roof. Then I woke up at 5 to get a bus back at 7 am. When I got back to Tamale I was super exhausted. There are 2 interns that came up from Accra and are going to be working at the GEU as well. Cassey and Gershon. Tomorrow we are moving into a house with Cassey. I am so excited to have a fridge! We’ll each have our own rooms and there is a nice sitting area so it will be really nice.
I am really happy to be getting into our research. One of my worries when I was here is that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to contribute anything and accomplish anything while I was here. But now I feel like I might actually be able to get something useful done. Time has gone by fast and I feel like we’re only really getting settled and our time here is already half over. 3 months sounded like a long time, but it really isn’t. I’m really looking forward to next week. We’re going to go back to Yendi in Tuesday and then we’re going to stay there over night and then continue onto Zabzugu. I’m really hoping to get to visit a club in Yendi.
Thursday we attended an all day workshop about domestic violence where most of the girls education officers from the three northern regions were in attendance. It was not directly related to our research but it was still interesting to here about some of the laws and practice that exist regarding domestic violence.
We moved into our house Friday morning, where we all have our own rooms, and we have a kitchen and a fridge and a living room, which is super exciting. Then we went to the office with Cassey and Gershon so they could see it and meet the people they’ll be working with.
Saturday I woke up really early and did a bunch of work. Then Cassey and I went to see a football match in the afternoon which was really cool. It was the Tamale RTUs vs. the Accra Great Olympics. It was my first professional soccer game and it was really fun. Tamale won 2-1, but both teams had a goal disallowed. It was exciting and even though the crowd was small, they were loud and super into the game.
Later that evening, we hung out with the American girls that we met in Mole Park and they had met a group of dancers and drummer that came over to their house and performed a bit for us. It was super cool, and they were really friendly. There were three of them so they did some songs where they drummed and sang and then some where they took turns drumming and dancing. It was really neat to see the traditional dances and songs. They wanted to do an exchange and learn some Canadian dances, and I would’ve taught them some line dances, but unfortunately no one had any country music. Maybe next time.
After lunch we ran a few errands and I got to see a bit of the town from the back of Billie’s bicycle. It is a pretty small town where any foreigners get a lot of attention, but people seemed really nice, and the atmosphere was super laid back. They’re really enjoying it and I think they have a pretty good set up. Then we had dinner with Sheena and a really interesting and funny Cuban doctor named Leuby.
Billie and Jessica have rats and/or bats living in their ceiling, so when we went to sleep you could hear the high pitched sounds of bats and these scuttling sounds of mice or rats or something in the roof. Then I woke up at 5 to get a bus back at 7 am. When I got back to Tamale I was super exhausted. There are 2 interns that came up from Accra and are going to be working at the GEU as well. Cassey and Gershon. Tomorrow we are moving into a house with Cassey. I am so excited to have a fridge! We’ll each have our own rooms and there is a nice sitting area so it will be really nice.
I am really happy to be getting into our research. One of my worries when I was here is that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to contribute anything and accomplish anything while I was here. But now I feel like I might actually be able to get something useful done. Time has gone by fast and I feel like we’re only really getting settled and our time here is already half over. 3 months sounded like a long time, but it really isn’t. I’m really looking forward to next week. We’re going to go back to Yendi in Tuesday and then we’re going to stay there over night and then continue onto Zabzugu. I’m really hoping to get to visit a club in Yendi.
Thursday we attended an all day workshop about domestic violence where most of the girls education officers from the three northern regions were in attendance. It was not directly related to our research but it was still interesting to here about some of the laws and practice that exist regarding domestic violence.
We moved into our house Friday morning, where we all have our own rooms, and we have a kitchen and a fridge and a living room, which is super exciting. Then we went to the office with Cassey and Gershon so they could see it and meet the people they’ll be working with.
Saturday I woke up really early and did a bunch of work. Then Cassey and I went to see a football match in the afternoon which was really cool. It was the Tamale RTUs vs. the Accra Great Olympics. It was my first professional soccer game and it was really fun. Tamale won 2-1, but both teams had a goal disallowed. It was exciting and even though the crowd was small, they were loud and super into the game.
Later that evening, we hung out with the American girls that we met in Mole Park and they had met a group of dancers and drummer that came over to their house and performed a bit for us. It was super cool, and they were really friendly. There were three of them so they did some songs where they drummed and sang and then some where they took turns drumming and dancing. It was really neat to see the traditional dances and songs. They wanted to do an exchange and learn some Canadian dances, and I would’ve taught them some line dances, but unfortunately no one had any country music. Maybe next time.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Mole National Park
This weekend was really awesome. We went to Mole National Park
There were monkeys running around near the pool and stealing people’s food which was crazy. One day there were baboons running round and that was super scary because they are dangerous and can be super vicious. And they were so aggressive! They were jumping up on the tables, and trying to reach into people’s plates of food. One of the smaller moneys ran up to a women, hit her in the leg and then stole her mango!
We went on a walking safari on Saturday morning that started at 7 am. So the sun was up, but it was still fairly cool so more animals come out. But in the morning Patrick banged on our door at 6:15 and said ‘there’s elephants out here!’ So I walked outside and there was 3 or 4 elephants right outside the hotel buildings eating from the trees. It was so amazing! It was a pretty cool way to start the day. On the safari we saw a bunch of gazelles, warthogs, monkeys, and elephants which was awesome. We saw a crocodile too, but from far away. The elephants that we saw were in the watering hole and it was really cool because the guide had told us that elephant skin was black and the reason why they look grey is because they cover themselves in dirt to reflect the sun and keep themselves cool. So when we saw them in the watering you could see how black their skin really is. It was crazy to see these huge and powerful animals and they seem to gentle and slow. But at the same time, you have to be careful because if they feel threatened then they might charge.
It was really neat to see the National Park. It is a big park and people say that 95% of it is underutilized because there is really just the one hotel and most of the safaris are walking so it’s a 2 hour loop down into the valley. Apparently for the African Cup, the Ghanaian government paved a lot of roads, so the road to Mole was much better than it used to be. I thought that was cool because it shows that tourism can bring positive impacts like investments in infrastructure. However, on the flip side, when we were walking around Mole we saw the negative impacts of tourism like the piles of garbage in the park, the water waste, and the degradation of trails. There is a lot of talk about eco-tourism and community development here, but in the park and on the safari there is such an emphasis on seeing big mammals like elephants and not enough of an emphasis on the eco-system as a whole. I would’ve liked to have more information from the guide on the plants and the other smaller animals or the history of the area.
There were a few school groups from local schools in the area who were taking day trips to the park and doing a safari and then hanging out at the hotel for the day. That was cool too, because so often tourism is only geared towards foreigners with lots of money and local people can’t experience the things their own country has to offer. It was also neat to see because one of the schools was a girls school, and I’ve read about some initiatives where girls camps or girls clubs go on excursions around Ghana to experience different parts of the country to open their eyes to various to different things and build their confidence.
Elephants right outside our door! The Elephants in the water. see how black thier skin really is?
The Elephants in the water. see how black thier skin really is?
Me chillin on the patio over looking the 2 watering holes
I have more but I am running out of time. take care everyone!Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Pics
This is the football stadium that is on our walk to work and it was built for the Africa Cup which was hosted by Ghana this year. Egypt won. It's funny because there are a lot of street signs and I'm pretty sure they were only put up for the Cup.
This is a photo of all the interns and some of the WUSC staff in Accra
4th Week in Ghana
Patrick and I did a World Food Programme walk the other day which was cool. It was to fundraise for feeding programs in schools in Tamale. But I have to wonder why a UN agency has to do outside fundraising. And in one of the poorest regions of the country. It was cool to see though. Apparently the WFP is cutting its funding to
We also had a super productive day today at work, which was exciting. We planned out an itinerary for our visits to the surrounding districts where WUSC has been working with girls clubs and community based organizations. There are 4 districts we will be visiting, Savelugu, Yendi, Zabzugu and Yendi. The last three have interns that we came with working there so that will be nice to see the towns they are in and to see a more rural lifestyle. We also read over a handbook that was distributed to teachers as part of their training and it was interesting to see some of the things that are written about the water and food shortages, and how that has negatively affected school attendance (which is what the WFP is all about). It’s interesting because the highschools were out for the past few weeks because there was no money to provide for food for them. So we would see so many high school kids sitting around and not really doing anything. But apparently they are starting school again tomorrow because the minister has released some money for the feeding programs. It will be interesting to see how that changes the demographic we see around the town.
This weekend we are going to
We are staying at the first guest house we were at now and I think we'll be there for a while. But the other 2 interns in Tamale just got a sweet house and there may be some room opening up. So we might be on the move again. But we'll see. For now we're at least enjoying cooking our own food. Take care everyone!
Friday, May 30, 2008
First Week of Work
So we had out first week of work. Kind of. Monday was a holiday and we didn't have to go to work today. Tuesday was cool because we got to attend a review meeting with all the girls education officers of the 18 northern districts and hear about some of the challenges and good practices. Hopefully soon we will be going to visit the districts, although that depends on fuel availability etc. we have moved to a different guest house and still don't have a place to stay, but I think we will end up staying at a guest house for the whole time.
Some of the other interns who are in other communities in the north are visiting this weekend so that will be fun! Really we've only known each other for 3 weeks, but they're like our family here because we all spent so much time together so we miss them! it'll be fun to hang out for the weekend.
Also for everyone who makes fun of my love for crossword puzzles, at one of the girls camps they held, they had the girls do crossword puzzles to improve their vocabulary and critical thinking. So I am vindicated!
I am definitely looking forward to doing some field research since there is not as much for us to do in Tamale. But we go tot look over some of the regional reports and have already learned some interesting stuff. There are some definite barriers for girls, but it's cool to see some of the initiatives that are taking place.
Also, there is a walk for the World Food Programme to raise money for them, and Patrick and I got invited by our boss, so that should be cool.
I hope everyone is well!
Some of the other interns who are in other communities in the north are visiting this weekend so that will be fun! Really we've only known each other for 3 weeks, but they're like our family here because we all spent so much time together so we miss them! it'll be fun to hang out for the weekend.
Also for everyone who makes fun of my love for crossword puzzles, at one of the girls camps they held, they had the girls do crossword puzzles to improve their vocabulary and critical thinking. So I am vindicated!
I am definitely looking forward to doing some field research since there is not as much for us to do in Tamale. But we go tot look over some of the regional reports and have already learned some interesting stuff. There are some definite barriers for girls, but it's cool to see some of the initiatives that are taking place.
Also, there is a walk for the World Food Programme to raise money for them, and Patrick and I got invited by our boss, so that should be cool.
I hope everyone is well!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Pics
This is the courtyard of our guest house in Tamale. Our room is on the north.
This is the edge of the main market in Accra
This is me on the beach in Accra
May 25th
On Friday Patrick and I sort of had our first day. We got picked up at 9 am and went to the regional office for the Ghana Education Service (GES) and met a few people including one of the women who works in the Girls Education Unit. There is a very small office with 2 desks for the 2 people in the girls education unit and it seems like Patrick and I are going to work in there with them. It is going to be a tight squeeze. Then Akwasi (the coordinator for WUSC) took us to meet some bigwig in the GES who had stayed home ill with what was thought to be malaria. I say what was thought to be, because everyone going into the hospital is basically treated for malaria and people say it is the most over diagnosed disease going. They prescribed him some antibiotics and sent him home. I felt so rude barging into his house, but he was nice.
There was a volunteer house that we were supposed to be able to live in, and it would’ve been perfect. It was close to the office, and the new football stadium which was built for the 2008 African Cup of Nations (
The other day I walked down the street and bought a pineapple and a mango for breakfast which was delicious and fresh.
I don’t know exactly how hot it gets here, but in room, we had a thermometer for s bit, and it was 32 degrees out of the sun. And the air conditioners here are usually set between 28-30 degrees and it feels so cold compared to the air. Yikes!
Yesterday we went down to a leather tannery in the southern part of the city, which was really neat. We paid the guys there a few cedis and they took us around and showed us all the different steps to make the leather. They dry it and soak it and take the hair off and then soak it and stretch it a few more times and then dye it and soak it and stretch it some more. They had it quite well set up for tourists actually. There was a guide that would explain to us all the different steps and then at each stage they had a piece of leather at that stage that they could show us on. There was this mixture of water and cabbage and some other plants that when you soak the skin in it, the hair just scrapes right off. It smelled kind of funky, and I know a few people were feeling a little queasy and turned off, but I always like to know where things are coming from. At the tannery, they make some really beautiful sandals so we are all getting some made which we will pick up on Tuesday.
It has rained 2 nights in a row now, which is nice because the weather is much cooler when it rains. This weekend is a long weekend because it is Africa Day on Monday. Not all countries in Africa celebrate it, but
The development industry is VERY obvious here. There are signs everywhere for cooperatives and development agencies and tons of cars are branded by the organization they have been donated by. There are quite a few westerners as well. And we’ve seen a surprising amount of support groups for disabled people, either for employment or just for support. I was pretty impressed with that.
May 26
Today Patrick and I went and bought a hotplate, some cutlery and some pots so we can finally start cooking for ourselves! It’s nice because we have been eating out at restaurants the whole time, which is expensive and kind of a pain. We just made some soup and it was sooooo satisfying! I’m excited to start work tomorrow. Our office is a 35 minute walk from our guest house, so it’s convenient enough.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Hanging in Tamale
Hey everyone. Thanks for the comments that people have been sending! nice to hear from everyone since I know I am lazy about checking people's blogs. Its nice to know peopel are reading mine! Here is a super long description of our time in tamale so far that I wrote earlier today. Patrick and I were supposed to start work today, but we never made contact with our country coordinator. So I think we'll start tomorrow.
The guest house we’re staying at is really nice. We have fans and air conditioning which has definitely come in handy for some of us. There is a library that has some really interesting books, some gardens which are really pretty and a bar/restaurant that serves burgers and pizza and such. There is also a good restaurant near by that serves all sorts of good food. I had a falafel sandwich today which was yummy. I’ve gotten in the habit of buying water in bags. It is purified and much cheaper than bottles water, and I have to drink soooo much of it to stay hydrated. I’ve already gotten a sunburn (even with SPF 50). The sun is so ridiculously hot, but it is less humid and there is a breeze which is nice, so it’s cooler in the shade. I also have lots of bug bites (my bug spray has 30% deet). Actually, all my bug bites are swelling up so much and so itchy. Two of them in particular had some puss which was really gross and I think one of them is infected. Oh well. Such is life.
Yesterday we went into the town which was pretty cool. We went into the market which was much less intimidating than the market in
After lunch we went to the National Culture Centre which was basically just a market with a lot more crafts. I bought a beautiful painting and a mask. I’m such a shopper so I have to remind myself that I’m going to be here for 3 months and I don’t need to get everything now.
Me and my roomie for now (Jessica) made a HUGE faux pas. We were walking through the market and there was the square of concrete that was blocked off with stones that was a muslim prayer centre and from what I understand you can’t wear your shoes in it, and I don’t think women are supposed to go in at all. Well imagine how well it went over when 2 white girls walked right into it. Some guys yelled to us and we came out and apologized profusely. Yikes!
This town is mainly Muslim, although the guest house we are staying at right now (at the Tamale Institute of Cross Cultural Studies) is run by a Catholic church and we’ve seen a few Christian churches. There isn’t really much conflict here about it though. Everyone is quite religious here, but no one cares what religion you are. On the way back through town, it was one of the Muslim prayer times and it was really interesting to see. There were a few mosques that had loud speakers that were blaring the prayers and at the prayer centre that Jessica and I walked through there were rows and rows of people praying, while the market and the hustle and bustle kept going on around them. It was neat to see how the religion fit into, and didn’t disrupt, the rest of the city.
The architecture here is very different too. A lot of the houses are made out of red mud around a frame of sticks and branches with thatched or grass roots. There are also a lot of stone buildings.
So things are mostly going really well. I'm excited to get started on my placement though.
I'm just going to post some pictures too.
Take care everyone!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tamale
So we finally made it here! The bus ride was way less bad than everyone told us. It took 12 hours and it was air conditioned and comfortable. Although there were no bathrooms. We saw some cheesy Nigerian movies which involved violent hostage situations and then one Romeo and Juliet esque love story and imagine my surprise when one of the characters showed up in an old third flames jersey with the horse head! I was shocked! There is a big used clothing market here so you see a lot of ppl with American or Canadian clothes.
Tamale seems cool so far. The guest house we're staying at is awesome. I don't have much time, and i'll try and post some pics and stuff later. Just wanted to let people know I'm here and we're exploring the city today!
Oh and also we went to the beach, shopping and to the national museum in our last few days in Accra. Take care everyone!
Tamale seems cool so far. The guest house we're staying at is awesome. I don't have much time, and i'll try and post some pics and stuff later. Just wanted to let people know I'm here and we're exploring the city today!
Oh and also we went to the beach, shopping and to the national museum in our last few days in Accra. Take care everyone!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Some pictures
WUSC office in Accra
I tried to upload some other photos, but the internet is so painfully slow, that I think I will call it quits. I'll try some more later.
End of Week 1
Hi everyone,
We finished our training and finally got a better idea of what we will be doing in the field. I am really excited about my placement. Patrick and I have different mandates than the other volunteers. We are doing research and evaluation type stuff. My mandate is to research girls clubs and good practices in starting them, training them, what they can be used for and their effect on the community. I’m really looking forward to it, because I think these clubs will have a big effect on girls and their families. Patrick is looking more and community based organizations, but I think that both topics are really neat. We are supposed to find out what has worked, and what hasn’t and the limitations and recommendations to improve the programs. We are also dealing with most of the Northern region (there are 10 regions in Ghana, which are like provinces, and 3 northern regions). But that’s cool because we’ll probably get to travel around and visit some other towns, and hopefully visit with the other interns.
We are heading up to Tamale in Monday morningand the bus ride can be anywhere from 9-14 hours. Apparently it is unsafe, uncomfortable, and they don’t stop very often so you can’t really pee. The good news is that its air conditioned and Kafui (one of the ladies who works for WUSC) said it might be too cold for us. Phew!
Also we went into the city yesterday to check it out and it was pretty crazy. It rained a bit and we split into 2 groups, but it was really cool. My team went to the Makola market, which is the biggest market in Accra. It was pretty crazy. Apparently its supposed to be the best market for beads and fabrics, but we were mainly in the food section. There were huge snails, live crabs, pigs feet and just about any kind of fruit and vegetable ever. It was super busy, a lot of hustle and bustle. It was really overwhelming at first. We didn’t get to see much of the rest of the market.
Then we found our way to the National Cultural Centre where we had some lunch and met some guys who make drums. After we finished eating they brought us around to their drum shop and they taught us how to play some simple drum beats which was really cool. The drums were beautiful and I kind of want to get one made. The guys were a little forward, but pretty cool. Then we went to the Nkrumah memorial and monument which was really neat. Nkrumah is their national hero here and they call him the founder of the country, so it was really interesting.
I'm excited to get up to the north, but again, I don't know what our access to internet will be like. We will not have wireless so we'll see. But my cell phone is cheap.
Take care everyone!
We finished our training and finally got a better idea of what we will be doing in the field. I am really excited about my placement. Patrick and I have different mandates than the other volunteers. We are doing research and evaluation type stuff. My mandate is to research girls clubs and good practices in starting them, training them, what they can be used for and their effect on the community. I’m really looking forward to it, because I think these clubs will have a big effect on girls and their families. Patrick is looking more and community based organizations, but I think that both topics are really neat. We are supposed to find out what has worked, and what hasn’t and the limitations and recommendations to improve the programs. We are also dealing with most of the Northern region (there are 10 regions in Ghana, which are like provinces, and 3 northern regions). But that’s cool because we’ll probably get to travel around and visit some other towns, and hopefully visit with the other interns.
We are heading up to Tamale in Monday morningand the bus ride can be anywhere from 9-14 hours. Apparently it is unsafe, uncomfortable, and they don’t stop very often so you can’t really pee. The good news is that its air conditioned and Kafui (one of the ladies who works for WUSC) said it might be too cold for us. Phew!
Also we went into the city yesterday to check it out and it was pretty crazy. It rained a bit and we split into 2 groups, but it was really cool. My team went to the Makola market, which is the biggest market in Accra. It was pretty crazy. Apparently its supposed to be the best market for beads and fabrics, but we were mainly in the food section. There were huge snails, live crabs, pigs feet and just about any kind of fruit and vegetable ever. It was super busy, a lot of hustle and bustle. It was really overwhelming at first. We didn’t get to see much of the rest of the market.
Then we found our way to the National Cultural Centre where we had some lunch and met some guys who make drums. After we finished eating they brought us around to their drum shop and they taught us how to play some simple drum beats which was really cool. The drums were beautiful and I kind of want to get one made. The guys were a little forward, but pretty cool. Then we went to the Nkrumah memorial and monument which was really neat. Nkrumah is their national hero here and they call him the founder of the country, so it was really interesting.
I'm excited to get up to the north, but again, I don't know what our access to internet will be like. We will not have wireless so we'll see. But my cell phone is cheap.
Take care everyone!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Hi everyone
I can't write too much. But I just wanted to let everyone know that I bought a cell phone! Exciting! I feel so high-tech since I don’t even have one in Canada. It was pretty cheap and pay as you go which is super nice. If anyone misses me enough to want to call me (or text me, which is cheaper!) I think incoming phone calls are free for me (this is what I’m told although I’m not sure if I believe it) and the number is complicated because it’s international. I think it is
I can't write too much. But I just wanted to let everyone know that I bought a cell phone! Exciting! I feel so high-tech since I don’t even have one in Canada. It was pretty cheap and pay as you go which is super nice. If anyone misses me enough to want to call me (or text me, which is cheaper!) I think incoming phone calls are free for me (this is what I’m told although I’m not sure if I believe it) and the number is complicated because it’s international. I think it is
011 – international number
233 – country code
24 – area code
706-6039 – my phone number
so 011-233-24-706-6039.
Take care!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Hi everyone! I made it to Ghana in one piece. I wrote this last night but had no internet to post it so here it is.
May 12 11:15 pm local time
Wow. What a day. I guess it was a few days. First we took a bus from Ottawa to Montreal. Then a flight from Montreal to Amsterdam, where we had a 6 hour layover, and finally a flight from Amsterdam to Accra, the capital of Ghana. All in all, from the time I left the apartment in Ottawa to the time we got to our accommodations in Accra, the trip took about 30 hours. I think. I only slept for about 4 of them so my math might be way off. I can’t believe I’m here. When we landed, I felt totally out of my element and it really started to sink in that I’m in Africa. It’s crazy to think that yesterday I was watching Seinfeld on the couch with Tom and now I am on the other side of the planet. The trip went fairly smoothly. On our first flight I didn’t sleep at all and the movie didn’t look good but I was sitting next to 2 interesting people so that was nice. Then when we got to Amsterdam we found this swanky lounge with leather recliners and dimmed lights. I had such a good sleep and then I slept most of the flight to Accra so that was nice. The food wasn’t great, but my tummy was also feeling yucky, so that might’ve had something to do with it. It is such a relief to be here. Although I feel overwhelmed right now and a little scared.
We landed in Accra at about 6:30 and the sun was long gone (day light is from 6am-6pm) and it was still 30 degrees and crazy humid. Walking off the plane felt so weird. We walked off a huge plane right onto the runway where we took a bus to the terminal, which was about 100 metres. Weird. We got picked up at the airport.
We are staying at a guest house that is close to the WUSC head office (World University Service of Canada). It is really nice and more than I was expecting. I have my own room with a double bed, a TV in my room and my own bathroom. That’s better than Ottawa! Except no internet, and no running water at night. and my shower doesn't work. So after such a long trip, I would’ve liked a shower. But that’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow we are supposed to sleep in, but my body is on such a weird schedule, I don’t know if I’ll be able to. Then we are going to the WUSC office. We have 2 days of training on Wednesday and Thursday and then there are a few of us heading to the North of the country and that will happen on Monday. There are 10 interns right now, most form OttawaU, 2 from Waterloo and then one from Uvic. I feel a little lonely but its nice to have people around. Oh and how could I forgot the most embarrassing the terrifying thing that has happened so far? I locked myself in my bathroom for a few minutes. The lock got stuck and I’ve had a terrible fear of being locked in bathrooms, stemming I think from the fact that this happened to me a few times when I lived in Scotland. Soooo emabressing! Anyways, so far things are pretty crazy, but I’m looking forward to getting more settled in.
So here I am at the WUSC office where the have Wifi. So hightech! I have som pics, but I will post them later. Too much else to do. I'm feeling a little queasy from the heat/humidity/jet lag and maybe breakfast didn't sit too well either. It is soooo hot here and everyone tells us its going to be way hotter in the north. At least it won't be so humid. Anyways, I better get going here, but take care everyone and I’d like to hear from any of you if you have the chance!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Pre-departure
Hi everyone!
As many of you know, I am going to Ghana (west Africa) for 3 months this summer for an internship. I'm going to be in Tamale, which is in the northern part of the country, to do research on girl's education. I think there will be 4 of us from University of Ottawa in Tamale working in the field of girl's education. I'm leaving on May 11 and will be traveling with a master's student named Patrick. I'm glad that I'll be flying with someone because I've never traveled somewhere for so long. I'm really excited but kind of nervous too because I have lots of stuff left to do.
Before we depart, we were required to do 4 days of pre-departure training, which we finished yesterday. In the training, we talked a lot about culture shock, and how we have to be cognizant of our roles and behaviours as westerners coming into a different culture. I think it will be really important for me to keep that in mind in order to adapt to the local culture and cooperate with our local partners.
Anyways, for anyone who is interested, I'm going to try and update this blog with stories and photos and much as I can so feel free to follow along.
I'd also be happy to hear from everyone while I'm in gone! E-mail is probably the best way to reach me but I'll update you on my address or phone number.
Until next time!
As many of you know, I am going to Ghana (west Africa) for 3 months this summer for an internship. I'm going to be in Tamale, which is in the northern part of the country, to do research on girl's education. I think there will be 4 of us from University of Ottawa in Tamale working in the field of girl's education. I'm leaving on May 11 and will be traveling with a master's student named Patrick. I'm glad that I'll be flying with someone because I've never traveled somewhere for so long. I'm really excited but kind of nervous too because I have lots of stuff left to do.
Before we depart, we were required to do 4 days of pre-departure training, which we finished yesterday. In the training, we talked a lot about culture shock, and how we have to be cognizant of our roles and behaviours as westerners coming into a different culture. I think it will be really important for me to keep that in mind in order to adapt to the local culture and cooperate with our local partners.
Anyways, for anyone who is interested, I'm going to try and update this blog with stories and photos and much as I can so feel free to follow along.
I'd also be happy to hear from everyone while I'm in gone! E-mail is probably the best way to reach me but I'll update you on my address or phone number.
Until next time!
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