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I won’t write all the organizational details of Ghana schools in this post but wait until I am at my school and I understand the schools better. Instead i’ll write about my feelings the morning we visited the schools.

The first class i sat in on was agricultural sciences. During the class a wave of negative feelings rolled over me. I was overwhelmed, I was frustrated. I was dislocated, I was lonely. I was tired. I felt alienated. And for the first time during the whole Peace Corps process I wondered “What am I doing here?” I was reconsidering the whole African adventure save the world thing.

At the ten o’clock break the principal asked us to speak to the older students. He led us to a tree where the big boys were hanging out. At first they were shy asking only a few questions like “madam where do you come from?” But as we answered these simple questions the children soon warmed up and Andrew and I were surrounded by kids asking questions and telling us about their school.  I got a tour of the grounds. The kids are very proud of their schools because they take care of everything at the school. the grounds, the buildings, the plants and trees etc.

On this day I tasted my first shea nut.  The little girls gave me a few.  I never knew that there was flesh around the shea nut to eat. it’s very rich and sweet. The nut is then processed for the shea butter. The shea nuts were my first gift in Ghana.

Of course you all know what this paragraph is going to say.  As movie of the weekish as it sounds the kids turned my heart around. Their openness with me. Their pride in the school. And their eagerness to learn all reminded me of why I came to Africa. When i visited my next class I was more open and ready to learn about schools in Ghana.

Muhsa, the school principal, invited us to his house for lunch.  While we waited for  lunch we experienced some Ghana TV.  There is only one channel in Duboya. There was a talk show on  . I think it was political. Although it was in English I had a hard time understanding it because reception was poor and Ghanian English is a little different than American English.

Muhsa took us to the home he is building for lunch. It is very Southwestern looking with stucco and arches. We sat in chairs around a table and ate beans and gari out of a common pot.

At lunch I had my first cross cultural miss communication. I needed to urinate. At training we were told to be direct about our bathroom needs. I need to urinate or I need to shit.  Well, I was in mixed company, They were all pretty much strangers to me so I felt uncomfortable asking to urinate so I said I needed a toilet. A big hub bub ensued. I finally asked Larry what’s wrong? Larry said that Muhsa did not have a toilet. I wondered to my self no place to pee? Larry said we could return to his house, about a 15 minute walk, or I could go free range. Yes that means drop your pants or lift your skirt and go some where out of the public byways.  My bewilderment overcame my shyness and

I said “I have to just lift my skirt and pee?!”

Larry sees the light and says oh if you have to pee there’s a urinal in the old house. A toilet is for the other!  So urinal for pee and toilet for pooh!

Also during lunch we had a chance to learn about the schools and more about tourism in Duboya. Larry’s job is to work with Muhsa and promote tourism in Duboya. The tourism centers around the dyeing and weaving industry in Duboya. The dyers in Duboya use indigo to make a particular blue in a variety of shades up to almost black.

I will try to get the process correct.  The indigo leaves ae made into a ball with something to preserve them.  Then ash is made in a huge fire. the ash is mixed with water in a round pit in the ground. It is very deep and about 2 ½ feet in diameter. The indigo balls are soaked in water.  Then the water and the balls are poured into a strainer that hangs over the pits. The dye drips in until the pit is the shade that is wanted.

The tread is warpped into big loops like you might see around someone’s hands that is holding yarn for the knitter to make into a ball. These loops are about 6-8 feellong. Then it is folded in half.  Cloth is wrapped around one end  to make a hand hold. The white thread is then dipped into the dye. The intensity of the color is also controlled here as well. The more the dyer dips the coils of thread into the pits the darker the thread gets.  Then men squat over the pits to dye the thread. The pits of course can’t move so they are in the sun much of the day although the pits are located by some trees the shade is only there part of the day.

When the thread is dyed to the correct color and intensity it is strung out between two poles to dry. I imagine the drying process does not take long because Duboya it self is a dry place. I hung a wet towel out to dry in the sun and it was dry in three hours. So barring rain I figure the thread drys in less than a day.

The thread is then bought by the weavers. Weaving is a man’s job. The loom is very iteresting. I hope get photos from Andrew and post them. Men weave with their hands and feet. With their hands they pass the shuttle between the threads. With their feet they switch the top line of threads with the bottom line.  The looms are portable and the men will move then to follow the shade either under a tree or by a building. Boys start weaving at an early age. The youngest boy I saw, about 8 years old, was doing the easiest weaving. He was weaving the white strips. The older men make the most intricate patterns with their looms.

They strips that the men weave are only about 2 or 3 inches wide. As the strip is woven it is rolled into a coil on a stick. When the coil reaches a certain diameter, about 8 inches, they remove it and start another coil.

The coils are sold to the tailors who then make jackets, vests and other items to order.  The jackets and the vests are both pullovers. The difference is that the jacket has sleeves. The material is very heavy and I imagine it is very hot.  The tailors use sewing machines that they operate turning the wheel on the side by hand. I have seen a few foot pedal machines but mostly they are hand operated. At one tailors I saw a table runner, a hat, a blanket as well as the jacket and vest.

Larry and Muhsa have worked with about 4 local men to be tour guides for the dye and weaving industry. They are working on learning to explain something they know well to  outsiders who know nothing about the process. And to try to find some interesting tidbits to throw in. Like any tour guide! One of these guides toured the Marines the day I first arrived. The tours must have gone well because the American Military bought many jackets and vests. At 50 and 40  Ghana Cedes each the military added a lot to the local economy of Duboya.

Late in then afternoon we toured the Chiefs burial grounds and the local clinic.

While we waited for dinner to be cooked we had some popcorn! And we started our nightly cribbage game. The local girl who cooks for Larry made beans and gari!  Same as we had for lunch but this was different there was much more gari. I liked it.

Cribbage.

then blissful bed.

Vision Quest began with a relatively short bus ride. We caught the bus at 8:00 am.  After 2.5 hours the bus stops in the middle of nowhere under a tree. It looked like a bus stop because people were waiting and selling food. Andrew, my vision quest travel partner, says “this is Duboya!” I think “This is Duboya?!”

We asked about the home of the PCV and a man says “oh Mr. Larry, he is my friend. He is waiting across the river for the Marines.” As he walked with us to the river he told us that thel US Marines were in Duboya for training and humanitarian duty. They were going to visit the cloth makers in Duboya that day.  Mr. Larry was going to give them a tour.  Yes the very day i go to a remote African villiage I meet up with not only the Marines but also the Navy and the Air Force. So to all my girlfriends who are reading this YES I SURE DID ENJOY hanging out with young, buff, polite men for the day. 

We crossed the river in flat bottomed canoes.  They were full of people and cargo and animals!  We met Larry on the otherside.  He was still waiting for the Marines to appear

so we climbed a small hill and sat under a tree to wait.  The Ghanaian who lead us to the river was very helpful to me. Carrying my bag, helping me up the hill. 

Larry Pearlman, the PCV in Duboya, is working on tourism.  Duboya makes it’s own blue dye from indigo, dyes the yarn, weaves the cloth and makes jackets and vests that are unique to Duboya.  Larry toured may groups of military men around for three days and they bought many things. it was good for everyone.

As a pacifist I have some trouble with my tax dollars going to war but from now on I will imagine my dollars fund these humanitarian missions. The Marines trained local troups and had manuvers with them.  The Air Force doctors held clinics every day. One doctor told me that he saw 10-15 people every 15 minutes.  They will also do a vet clinic in Duboya bringing some large vet equipment into town. When they leave they will donate the remaining medical supplies to the villiage clinic. It will come to about $10,000 worth of supplies.  They also brought toys for the children.

All the gifts were given to the villiage chief.  later he will hold a big ceremony in the village to give the items to the clinic. That way everyone in town knows that the medical supplies were free and who gave them to the clinic.

Some of our Marines had done a tour of duty in Iraq.  As I watched them interact with the people of this village I felt like this might be healing for the Marines.  The children and adults croweded around the Military men. They gave them smiles and were eager to touch them. The children in the village play a game where they clap their hands twice, jump in the air and then kick out one foot.  The purpose is to match feet when you kick.  one bulky, tall Marine got into the middle of a group of children and started playing the game with them.  They were all laughing and shouting. Even the other Military men enjoyed watching their friend play with the children. 

We went to a Spot, which is a bar in Ghana, and had a round of minerals(soda) on the Marines. The Marines at my table were very interested in why I was in Ghana. They of course had heard of the PC but did  not know older people could volunteer. They were impressed. I have to say it felt pretty good to impress the USMC!

The PC and the USMC met in Duboya Northern Region Ghana West Africa. How weird that one of my first cross cultural exchanges would be with fellow Americans. But I do feel I learned more about our military and can appreciate some of the good they do. i promised two off the Air Force doctors I would blog about these humanitarian missions that the Military does. The men all vlounteer for the mission and it usually lasts about two weeks.  The military does this frequently all over the world. Some of the men I met had been on multiple missions.

It is hot in Duboya!

Spagetti dinner.

Cribbage

and joyful bed!

Accra Day 2 - Thursday -12 Jun 08

Today I found out how grouchy and tired I was yesterday by the contrast in my mood.  I must have been exhausted on Wednedsay.  Today we met the different PC Staff members and learned all about what they do.  PC hires may local people to staff the offices. The APCDs of ecducation have worked in the Ghana education system for years and bring those skills and knowledge to the PC.

We also talked about our two quests. Accra quest on Friday and Vision quest Saturday through wednesday next week.  Friday we go out in groups of three to explore Accra and use a tro tro.  Tro tro’s are minibusses.  They travel within cities and between cities.  On Accra quest each gropu is given three things to do or places to visit and we must get there on our own. I am psyched. I want to by the Ghana equavilent of Ice Cream,  a 2 yard piece of cloth and another hankie as well as my vision quest assignments.

I will be going to the north region for vision quest.  Find the Mole Game Preserve,on a map near Tamale, and I will be somewhere near there. Most people will go on vision quest on their own but I get to go with Andrew, another PCT. I am excited to go to the north because if I am not stationed up there I may not get up there again.  Ghana may be the size of Oregon but travel time is as if it’s the size of Texas.   Vision quest is for us to see a PCV at home, at work and at play. We will have some specific tasks to complete while there. 

Today was a much better day. I had more patience. I wasn’t dead tired.  I absorbed much more of the information that was presented.

I had a nice talk at supper with Grace, our training manager, and Rachael a PCV who is helping with training. We discussed about building relationships in Ghana and how the greetings in Ghana are part of that relationship building.  We also discussed the role of women in Ghana and America.  Grace Ghanaian, Rachael has lived here a year and I am brand new to this culture. I learned so much. I will share more maybe a blog entry or two on the role of women but my battery is dying so I’d better bring this to a close!

I head to bed toniht with much more optomism, hope and courage than last night but still as I finish this time reflecting on my first few days in Ghana i still say

ah glorious bed!

-vc

Lenore, another 50+ PCT, said that the PC was doing our intro to Ghana just right. I agree.  We are being introduced small small(Ghaneese), one step at a time.  Today we went on Accra Quest. We caught a tro tro from our lodgings in Accra.  Tro Tros are a form of public transportion run by private individuals. They are basically minivans.  The PC tells us we should inspect any vehicle we are considering riding in to make sure it is in good condition.  And if it looks unsafe we are not supposed to get on it.  Well that is theory but in real life you stand at a tro tro stop and yell out where you want to go. They stop and herd you on and off you go.  They are old. They are run down. The seats are sometimes ripped but they run ok for the short distances we take them.

We set out in groups of threes, with a task and 3 Ghana Cedes each. My groups task was to find the price of a two yard.  Some day I will write of the joys of a two yard. it is amazing! We were charged to get to the main part of Accra ourselves. Meg, Steffan and I headed out to the road to catch atro tro. There is a driver and a mate in the tro tro. The mate hangs out a window making hand signs and yelling the final destination. I figure the hand signs have something to do with the destination.  Then you yell back your destination, if you don’t want to go to the final destination.  We yelled Accra 37 station.  Then mate helps you board and sometime during the ride takes your money. The price for a tro tro ride is not negiable, unlike most things in Ghana. 

The ride was crowded and loud. The mate yelling the destination. The driver honking at perspective riders or other tro tro drivers. Tro tro drivers could easily make it as NYC taxi drivers!  And the unwelcome of  sound of cell phones musically alertng the owner to a call or a text message. Cell phones are everywhere!

All the windows are open as you drive and as long as you move its not too hot. The best thing about tro tro windows are the people outside the windows.  Rachel, one of the volunteers who is a trainer, said ‘It’s amazing the things you can buy off peoples heads”.  People walk aloing busy roads with boxes, plastic tubs or even ice boxes on their heads selling stuff to people in the slow traffic.  Yesterday I bought Fanchoco, frozen chocolate milk and pine nuts. I shared the pinenuts with the other PCTs but they let me have the Fanchoco because they all knew I was cravng sweets. 

Our assignment was to go to Makola Market and find some “Obruni Wayroo” and the price of a two yard of batik. The first part of our assignment was completed as we waited out a downpour in a bank lobby.  The rain usually does not last long and shopkeepers let people come in out of the rain. In the banke we struck up a conversation with two men who lived in Accra. Stephan asked what “Obruni Wayroo” was.  After much repetiton and pantomime we discovered it meanse “dead white people’s clothes”  The Africans think that the clothes they get from America must be dead men’s clothes because who else would give away such nice clothes!  They assured us it was not an insult. One man shyly asked if it were true. Do we send dead men’s clothes to Africa.  I explained that some of the clothes could be dead men’s clothes but also Americans have way too many clothes so we dash them to you.  A dash is a gift.  He laughed probably as much at me using the term dash as at the idea that people would give away so many clothes.

Our second assignment was completed after the rain in the market. The market covers a large part of the city and pather lined with stalls wind all through the area.  Each section of the market sells something different, vegetables, meet, fish, plastic wear, drinks, or cloth. Shopkeepers called out to us as we walked by “Come come buy”.  They would extend their hand and close the fingers back towards themselves.  Now I know that means come here it’s like our come here hand signal except the hand is palm down. We did stop and talk to a few shopkeepers They were very interested in us, where did we come from? Why were we here? One woman and I talked about palm nuts and all the uses of palm nuts. 

With the help of many people we finally found the fabric area of Makola Market.  I visited two shops and go a green and brown patterned two yard for two Ghana Cedes.  (1 Ghana Cede is a little more than an American dollar as of July 6th.) After visiting a few more shops Steffan scored three yards for 6 Ghana Cedes.

It looks like there is no building code in Ghana or it is not enforced.  The stalls are little more than a few boards and a roof to make some shade. Some of the stalls have tin roofs and even some have tin sides but here in the hot sun tin is not that cool. I will take photos I promise so you can see some examples. I am being very careful about taking out my electronics. I will probably take my camera out in my village in a few weeks then post some photos to my flickr account. I do want photos of my first home in Ghana and my first ‘family’.

As Lenor said they are guiding us step by step into Ghanian culture.  Beside using the Tro Tro and shopping in the market we also learned that almost anyone on the street will help us find   things.  One man boarded a tro tro with us and took us to Makola market. Another woman lead us to a tro tro station.  We asked one man where we could eat our bag lunches and he took us to Accra Polytech’s dining room and told the matron we would be eating there. What a difference from New Yorkers who might say “What do I look like lady, a map!” accompanied with and inpolite gesture.

Meg Steffan and I found our way back to the PC Office in Accra where we were all debriefed. And of course another round of shots from the PCMO(PC Medical Officer)  A long ride home in the PC van.  Dinner. Packing for vision quest and yet another meeting then at last

sweet sweet bed!

Reflections:

Everything people said to me about the Ghanian people has proven true. They are friendly. The are warm and hospitable. After Accra Quest I would not hesitate to ask a stranger for help.

The market facinated me. Women and their children working in their market stalls. Friends were chatting together across the path and down the stalls.  The red palm nust,the bunches of orange carrots, the rough brown yams, the black and white Ashanti cloth,the multicolored batiks and the yellow scarves all added to the tapestry of the market.

I was glad I was with other people.  At time I felt bold and eager to try to communicate with the shopkeepers and at other times I was happy to let one of the others do it.  Sometimes I just wanted to observe as well.

Today I will upload 9 posts and  future date them for the next few weeks. 

Wish you all could be here to share this with me. It’s awesome, amazing, exausting, challenging etc.

-vc

Today I found out how grouchy and tired I was yesterday by the contrast in my mood. I must have been exhausted on Wednedsay. Today we met the different PC Staff members and learned all about what they do. PC hires may local people to staff the offices. The APCDs of ecducation have worked in the Ghana education system for years and bring those skills and knowledge to the PC.

We also talked about our two quests. Accra quest on Friday and Vision quest Saturday through wednesday next week. Friday we go out in groups of three to explore Accra and use a tro tro. Tro tro’s are minibusses. They travel within cities and between cities. On Accra quest each gropu is given three things to do or places to visit and we must get there on our own. I am psyched. I want to by the Ghana equavilent of Ice Cream, a 2 yard piece of cloth and another hankie as well as my vision quest assignments.

I will be going to the north region for vision quest. Find the Mole Game Preserve,on a map near Tamale, and I will be somewhere near there. Most people will go on vision quest on their own but I get to go with Andrew, another PCT. I am excited to go to the north because if I am not stationed up there I may not get up there again. Ghana may be the size of Oregon but travel time is as if it’s the size of Texas. Vision quest is for us to see a PCV at home, at work and at play. We will have some specific tasks to complete while there.

Today was a much better day. I had more patience. I wasn’t dead tired. I absorbed much more of the information that was presented.

I had a nice talk at supper with Grace, our training manager, and Rachael a PCV who is helping with training. We discussed about building relationships in Ghana and how the greetings in Ghana are part of that relationship building. We also discussed the role of women in Ghana and America. Grace Ghanaian, Rachael has lived here a year and I am brand new to this culture. I learned so much. I will share more maybe a blog entry or two on the role of women but my battery is dying so I’d better bring this to a close!

I head to bed toniht with much more optomism, hope and courage than last night but still as I finish this time reflecting on my first few days in Ghana i still say

ah glorious bed!

-vc

Accra First Full Day – Wednesday 11 June 08

We are staying at in Accra, for security reasons I really can’t say where. But on Wednesday I really did not see the place very much. We traveled to PC Headquarters in Accra to get our first shots. We will have 4 more times to get shots. At headquartes we also learned some Twi and toured head quarters. When we visited Bob, the director of Peace Corps Ghana, he had on a Red Sox wrist band. I said I liked it he gave me one. At the embassy reception he came to show me that he was wearing a Red Sox bowtie. Then we visited the Minister of Education. The current minister of education was taught by a PCV from the very first PCV group. It was inspiring to know that I may be helping to mold the future leaders of Ghana. I was reminded that hospitality was very important to Ghanaians when they not only served us water but minerals (soda) and a small snack of chicken on a stick, donut holes and small meat pies. Ghanaians also like to know peoples names. Yesterday I introduced myself at least three times at the Educatios ministers was one of those times. Last we went to the ambasador’s house for an evening cocktail party. We arrived back at our sleeping quarters after 9:00 and at supper.

Then glorious bed.

Reflections:

I was thrilled to learn that many people in Ghana’s government have been taught by Peace Corps volunteers. It makes me proud of America in a way I have been proud in a long time.

I want to apologize to all my family, friends and co-workers for putting you through my months of not bathing everyday! Ghanaians bathe daily sometimes twice a day. They just don’t use as much water as we do.

The heat is bearable but when a breeze comes along it’s like air conditioning. Beth gave me a hankie and I have it with me at all times to wipe my face.

Ghana smells different. Good but different.

After more than 24 hours intransit we arrived in Accra Ghana. We waited for luggage. Went throught customs and as we exited the airport we were greeted with cheers from current PCVs. The bus ride from the airport to our beds took about 1.5 hours. The drive was surreal. I was exhausted because I had only catnapped on both the flights. The road was crammed with cars and people selling stuff out of containers on their heads. We were on this busy highway. Cars were bumper to bumper and moving pretty quickly and voila! there were people standing by the van with a container of dried plantains on their head or a man holding bags of toilet paper. At least I know now where to get toilet paper - on the highway out of Accra! I looked to my left once and saw three illuminated fake plam trees. They were red, blue and green. That will be a lasting image of Accra in my mind. There are very small buildings clustered along the roads that sell things too. I saw mangos piled up on end in a pyramid for sale, small chop shops (fast food), spectrum of patterned cloth hung on lines, huge yams and so much else for sale in these shops.

Dinner was familiar chicken and rice, and watermelon for dessert. The water was wild. Water is sold for 12 oz for 5 pesowa (approx 5 cents) in small sealed baggies. I was instructed to bite off a corner and squeeze water out into my mouth. Then when I had a drink I watched the PCVs balances it on another corner and it kind of settled like a bean bag chair until I picked it up again.

Then glorious bed.

-vc

Jen the country coordinator for Ghana repeated over and over to tell our families and friends that “No News Is Good News.”  So I am with this post.

For my PST (Pre-service training)  I will not be very close to internet and phones. So I may not email much or if I get near a computer I may blog and hope my family and friends will read my blog and understand if I don’t have time for personal emails to everyone.  Or if one family or friend gets a call or email I hope you will share with others.  I will send snail mail I promise but that will take a while to reach you all.  (I will set up a couple of blog entries to post at a later date. Like this one that I wrote Sunday evening and that will post on Friday.)

So you mantra for a little while will be “No news is good news”.

Again thank you all so much for your help and support that got me here and will carry me through this amazing adventure I will have.

-vc

bridge-to-pst-ghana-2008

Here is the info about my training. I was going to condense it for you but time got away from me. funny me thinking that three days would be enough to pack, for connecticut good byes and to blog! (I wrote this blog entry on saturday but I post dated it.)

Highlights.

First four days in Accra which include a cultural scavenger hunt and an embassy party.

The next five days I make my way to another PCV’s site and have a vision quest.

then I travel to the training site for 10 weeks of community based training. it’s a new method of training volunteers. you will be happy to know that i will be taught the language i will need for my site as well as survival twi.

There will be limited access to internet during training.

then swearing in on august 19.

-vc