Using sign in Accra

One of the observations I've made whilein Ghana is that if you are a person who lives in Ghana that has any kind of disablity you really have limited choices in your life.


One experience had me have encounter with a deaf man. He was actually not begging but as I was leaving my hotel for the airport he was a local who helped me carry my stuff out. i had notice that he was deaf early when i was waiting. After he carried my stuff, I signed to him, thank you , in my limited ASL I signed that I knew a littel and I signed my name and he told me his (Albert)(I think ) and chatted just some niceties He lit right up and I actally wanted to talk to him more but was wisked into the cab. Later , I kept thinking about if Albert has anyone who communicates with him in his language on a regular basis. He wasn't exactly treated kindly by the taxi driver, who he seemed to know Albert.

I had forgotten to tip Albert, so as I was dropped at a hotel closer to the airport, I gave the taxi driver a tip to give to Albert , showed the drive how to say Thank you in sign and had the driver practice the sign. Whether, the taxi driver actually gives Albert the tip, I don't know, but maybe the driver will use at least the sign with him.

Returning to Seattle

As I arrived back in Seattle, one of my first culture shock moments was when I went through customs. I was walking down the steps into the a large room where you have to stand in line to talk to the customs agent.

The customs room in Seatac airport is a large room with metal "switch back" maze that you wait in line to talk to the customs agent. I must have had the most giddiest smile on my face as I stepped into the room. Finally a place where I knew the rules. No one was pushing to get to the front. Everyone stood an 'apprioprate" distance from each other It was just a bit of heaven.
(*Won't that be pretty scarey if the gates of heaven really did look like customs? YIkes.)

it's funny how my perspective on the rooms was very different this time verses when i returned from my trip from Nicaragua a couple of years ago. When I had gone through it before, found it crowded, slow, and full of way too many people. Now i found great comfort in the order and the organized maze.



Although my body was in the US, my behavior , at least for a moment, was back in AFrica. As I got up to the front of the line and I dutifully stood with my toes touching the neon line waiting for the customs agent to wave me in, a couple was walking over from another line. They walked in front of me and went to the next agent when it was my turn! With out realizing it, I started making it known that I was next and they were cutting and I was definitely next and blah blah blah. The women behind me who was 'appropriately' standing her distance said, to me rather quietly and "properly" You know they were told by the customs agents they could come in front. I said, Oh,,,,,. Ok.

Accra

Right now, I'm in the Accra airport waiting for my plane. I fly to Amsterdam and then off to Seattle! Hurray!

I feel good about leaving. It's been an interesting and amazing trip. I can't specifically say what I've learned from it yet, or how it'll manifest itself in my life. I do know I'm taking a little of Africa home with me (and I just don't mean the African dust that is on EVERYTHING) and I'm leaving a little of myself here. I guess it's like that when you travel to a different culture.

See you all soon!!

traveling as a tourist.

This past week, I've been traveling as a tourist. I have to say, it's not as fun to me as when I was living in and experiencing Pokuase and the people there. Being a tourist, I feel like although I"m seeing Ghana, I'm not really getting to know it. It feel a few feet away, where as when I am in Pokuase, I feel like I'm really experiencing the real Ghana.

My plan was to travel up to Tamale and then over to Mole to see some wild life. Unfortunately , I messed up with the bus schedules and couldn't get up there in time and still have time make it back to Pokuase and Accra for my flight.

Even with that, I have to say I loved Cape Coast and returning to Kumasi for a second visit. I made it up to the Aburi regio and back to Pokuase to see some friends. It just wasn't meant to be. I"ll have to go back to see Tamale and MOle next time.

See you all soon!

Elmina Castle.

Today I had the opportunity to visit Elmina Castle. It was one of the 50 places where Africans forced to leave Ghana as slaves. It's dungeons held 100's of people at a time. It's horrific the way they were treated. They were basically treated like animals, staying in the dark dungeons for up to 2 months before they were put on ships for the Americas and the West Indies.

Walking through the tunnels that lead to the ships, although they were cleaned, still smelled of the suffering and the death that occurred. The vision of wailing and frightened women and terrified men was easy to feel and hear.

Above the dungeons, are both the church and the owner's quarters. There were many peep holes looking down into the dungeuon and the court yard to view the people held captive (as they were walking into church)

A large amount of Africans that were enslaved came from the Ashanti region of Africa, and Northern Ghana. They were also from Burkina Faso and Togo. They were captured and made to walk for months to get to the Coast of Ghana. Many , many died before they reached the coast and many died as they stayed in the castles. They were shackled and chained.

I can only imagine the fear of this experience. To be taken away from what you know, be beated and raped, if you were a women, to force to walk hundreds of miles to the coast. Once you get to the castle, which is huge and very different from any african dwelling, made to be in a dark, smelly room, where people are speaking different dialects of African and having guards bark commands at you in a strange language. People are force to deficate where they have to sleep and eat,crammed in a 'cell' about 15 feet by 2o feet with 100 to 150 people.very little ventilation.

What was it like to wait in those dungeons? You don't know what's going to happen. Do you think life is over? Do you wonder if you'll ever go back? It must have been terrifying beyond belief. To witness, the death and suffering of others must have been unreal.

Finally,one day you are forced to go through a long tunnel, through a 4 foot tall, 2 feet wide 'gate' onto a small boat that lead to a big ship. These folks were in land people. I'm sure just the oceans surf was terrifying.


Knowing just a bit more of the African slave experience, makes me even more respectful and admirable the strength of the African spirit.


On sale at the Elimina Castle you can buy a t-shirt that says Never Forget.

I first heard that saying when I was at the Holocaust museum in DC.
The treatment of African slaves in history should never be forgotten,so history doesn't repeat itself with any group of people.
.

Joy Family Lodge.

One of the most over all experiences I've had with my stay in Pokuse has been the guest house I stayed in while in Pokuse. It's call the Joy Family Lodge, which is about a 10 minute walk to Pokuse and has easy access to Accra. It's not in the hussle and bussle of Accra, just on the very outside. It was the haven we need when Pokuse and Accra was too much.

It's owned by a very hard working man named Ohene Bonsu, We called him, Mr Bonsu. He's very welcoming and had enormous integry as a businessman and as a citizen of hte world.

The staff is very friendly. They helped us feel comfortable. They answered every quesiton we had about ghanian life and helped us find whatever they needed.

Every night I ordered chicken and fries with red sauce. I thought the red sauce was a simple tomato paste with onions and cayenne pepper. The last day, Veronica, let me watch her make the red sauce. Wow I was wrong. It was an hour process to chop tomatoes onion,blend it with anise and cayenne and curry. It had fresh tuna and shrimp buillon (boil?). and just other things. I wrote down the recipe, so I can make it when I get home.

If you ever get to Ghana, I hope you can make it to Joy
family lodge. They are very special.

Wells

Yesterday, I left Pokuse for the Cape Coast. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone. My last work day was spent taking pictures of the wells.

There are 5 wells in Pokuse. Four that work and one, the oldest is broken.
3 of the 4 working ones are run by electricity and one is run by solar electricity. They say the water is safe to drink, but no one really does, because of the salt. They are not dug very deep, only 30 feet or so. People also get their non drinking water from the river, which looks more like still water to me.

One of the most interesting wells, was the one by the mosque. It was on the outside wall of the mosque. Not to far away from the well is a place for people to wash their feet before they go into the mosque to pray.

Most people buy drinking water, either in large 1 liter bottles (80 cents.) or they buy them in plastic square bags. ( 4 cents. )

Coffee hour

Just a quick note about church.. St. Silvanus.

Coffee hour is very similar to St.Therese in alot of ways.. people talking to each other, kids running around, donuts,. The big difference is instead of coffee it's home made brew they serve in a hollowed out coconut?

Also, I have to say that I sit in the same spot at St. Silvanus as i do at St T. Left side towards the back. Habits are hard to break.

Esi and Akosua

One of the first things I was asked when I got to Ghana was which day I was born. I, of course, said, December 26th. (my birthday). That wasn't the answer they were looking for. They wanted to know which day I was born. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wed...etc. Mind you this was a question I was asked 10 times the first day I arrived in the village.

Ghanians name their children, at least part of their name, with a name that is attached to day they are born. It bothered me that i didn't have a truthful answer to question. I began just saying Tuesday.

It was so important that I know my Ghanian to one certain school master I met, that she contacted me twice so she could tell me. She had a book with birth dates and years. She was so sweet.

I went yesterday and found out I am Sunday born. My Ghananian Fanti tribe name is Esi. My Ashanti name is Akosua.

I'll have to write out all the names for the weeks later. I found out that my mom and sister, Ellen, are also Sunday bborn and are Esi and Akosua. My dad was also Sunday born,so his is the male version of Esi. My brothers however are Thurs (Tim) is Yaw(fanti) and Ekow (Ashanti) and Monday (Danny) is Kojo(fanti) and Kwadwo (ashanti)

I can't quite get a straight answer if there is some characteristics to a Sunday born or a Monday born . However, when I at church last Sunday, they had people paying some fee , instead of aphabetical order (like A-K, L- S, T-Z), they anounced all monday born pay Kwame, all Tuesdya born pay PHilip. Etc. I was thinking it's an effectient way to organize a people where some are preliterate.

Ghana Stay for awhile.

I wanted to let everyone know that I've changed travel plans. I've decided not to go onto Kenya. As much as that would have been an amazing experience. (thank you Silanus and Ann!) I decided that just jumping over there for a short week, was just too much after being in Ghana for 6 weeks. I"m going to stay in Ghana for the remaining time traveling hopefully to the Cape Coast, and Mole National Park and else where.


I want to know Ghana better before I move onto another AFrican country. I will make it to Kenya andother time, when I can really taken in Kenyan culture and enjoy it to the extend it deserves.

I am still returning on the same day.

I"ve tried to change ticket and leaver earlier, but the KLM flight is booked through Aug. (Sorry Barb and Milan, I"ll have to get to Austin this year. ) :(

PS. I recieved a sizable refund for the Kenya ticket.

Cooperative Learning in Ghana

Last Thurday, I had the opportunity to teach the science class for girls class. It's a very basic science curriculum. We talked about observations and inquiry. (asking questions)

I modified the curriculum to cooperative learning techniques as the activities. I loved it and I think the girls did. Girls were working in groups, interviewing each other, and we did a gallery walk! (That's when you have , in that pictures they had drawn on the wall , and walk around quietly with partner and discussed and gathered info to present.) We even changed the desk that were in rows, to fit group work. I don't think the girls know what actually happened.

I have to let you know that for Ghana, it's been my observation, that group work and cooperative learning techniques aren't happening here. All the schools, I've observed have used the 'old British' style" (teacher standing in the front of the room, demanding the children learn, through lecture and reinforced with threats and physcial punishment.)

So, I take them through this lesson and the girls are a little hesitant, but they soon loosen up and relax. There were able to no only hear about the topic of observing and inquiry, but use it and discuss it for themselves. for about an hour.

I think the funny part came at the end of the class, they all sat in their desks, which were in a circle and seemed to be waiting the "real class" to start. (Real class meaning the yelling and threatening.)

Happy Birthday Ellen

Happy Birthday Ellen. She's my sister who is wise and wonderful! She's an excellent mother to her fabulous daughters, Maggie and Erin! She's wicked smart, too.

Pokuse Pizza

We're going to try to make pizza.

My friend Hannah and my friend , Sammy, both with whom I wrote the curriculm with, have decided to make the first pizza ever in Pokuse village. :).
Sammy's parents own a local bakery, They have the ingredients, flour, water, oil, yeast, garlic. We can get red sauce at the store, We're alitle stumped on the cheese part ,but we'll figure it out. We'll see.

African Women

One of the many thing I've been impressed with on this trip, it strength of the African women I have met. For the most part, they are strong physically, emotionally and spiritually. They don't hold back. They are gracious ,but strong. They are giving, yet truthful. They can hold more than they probably should on their heads. I found this poem on a blog It's call African Women. I think it describes a look.

African women...:

African women you are strong,when you rise the valleys and hills move with you
when you walk the children of the land follw,when you sing the rains stops and the sun appears
Your melodious voice rivals the sweetest of honey
Your joyful embrace makes your children admire your strong will and draw strength from your ways
You are strong but doubt yourself at times,why do you do so
Have you no idea how many envy your beauty and strength ?
You have taught even me,the value of sustenance and strength in a world of turmoil and turbulance
It is you who are strong and i am merely a follower in your path
Though we live miles away,i will draw my strength from you for knowing you i have gained in me,the strength to follow my heart and value the treasure thats is,being a strong and beautiful black....

african women

http://ebonystone.blogster.com/poem_african_women.html

exploring the world curriculum.

One of the extracurricular activities I've been doing while I"m here, aside from the Microfinance project is helping expand the science program they want to start at Women'sTrust.

We've expanded it to include literacy, social studies, research skills, health, career planning, and community involvement. Ok, now it doesn't look that much like a science curriculum but an 4 year program to support girls as they transitition from junior high to senior high. (most girls drop out)

It\'s a funny thing,I have say, for some reason, I brought my curriculum design book from my curriculum design class with me to Ghana. I used it to guide us , (one NYU student from Rhode Island and two ghanaain teachers) through the process. Of course, like any curriculum it's evolving.

We surveyed and interviewed parents, teachers, head masters, and kids to get bulk. It's been really fun. I can't believe I brought that book.

AGED

Last week, I had the opportunity to accompany, a staff memeber from WT on his monthly visit to the give financial assistant to the elderly. In Ghana they have not social secruity system.

The program is called AGED Program. It gives 10 Cedis (about $9. 93) to old folks who have no family to take care of them. They only have 30 slots and as people die they fill them in.

I visited about 6 houses and witness some pretty extreme poverty. They were all living in pretty bad situations, but one just sticks out. It was a man who was blind. The house he was staying in was just concrete and blackened from indoor fires. There was little furniture. He was sitting on a bench. His eyes were hazy.

Eric the staff member, a man with such grace and intergity, told him we had arrived and he took the man's thumb and pressed it in the ink pad. Eric juggled the things in his hands to get the man's thumb print by his name. then he pressed the 10 cedis in his hands. We said our good byes and left.

I know the 10 cedis aren't going to catalpult change into the world, or empower the people to rise up ,but I still think there's a place providing a bit of assistant to people in dire need. WT doesn't require them to subscribe to a religion or view. Nothing is asked of them. They don't have to subscribe to a religion or make job goals. They are our responsibilty. They are just taking care of the poorest of the poor.

Banku

I have started to venture out into the land of Ghananian food. My favorite is banku with Okra soup. Banku is a like a dough in a ball. You dip it in the soup and eat the soup with it. No spoons. It's spicy.

At the table there is a bowl of water and soup to wash your hand before you eat.

I really want to learn how to make it. I want to have it with chicken.

Kathy

Interviews.

This last past week, we did a lot of interviews of participants of Women's Trust. It was so interesting to go to their business and talk about their experiences. In so many ways people are people whether in Ghana or in Seattle or in New Jersey (smile). They go to work everyday work and have good days and bad days.

Yet, their story takes a turn. They speak of not being able to afford school fees, ($70 a year)., They want to learn m ore about how to run business, but there is no where to go to learn.

Their health care system is prayer. They pray no one in their family gets in an accident or gets the deadly strain of malaria. I've heard quite of few stories about a snake bit victim dying in 3 days, and a women who collapsed and died because she coulden't get the hosptial. It's really tragic.

I"m still strongly in the belief that this microlending money needs to be accompanied by education and health care.

JULY 28- important day!

Just want to say first Happy Birthday to my wonderful and loving mom. Happy Birthday! She's a really good mom.


And... Congratulations to Sean and Julie! They tied the knot yesterday. I was going to fly back for the weekend, but the price was a little expensive.

Twii word of the day

Learned another word in Twii yesterday.

The word is OBRUNWAWOO..

It's the Twii word for donation. The literal translation is:
White man is dead, so here are his clothes.

Pictures

Sorry, I haven't been able to post any pictures yet. I'm still trying to normalize just getting to the internet cafe regularly. Maybe in the future.

The project begins

For this project we are using observations, interviews and group questions to gather data. It's been a slow start, but we are on our way. We're constantly doing observations, but last week we started with interviews.

We are interviewing women who have recieved loans from Women's Trust. It's really interesting to see microlending in action. The response is positive. The women are amazing. The loans seem to have been making a difference.

The loans start out at about $50 US . For a women to get a loan she needs to get 4 other women to join her in her group. They each get a loan for $50, and all have to pay back before they can take a step to a higher loan. I believe it's $75 dollar . They can't go any higher, until the groups loan is paid off.

The stories seems to be that if a member can't pay, the other members deal pay for her, but then may drop her as they go to the next level.

What I like best is that Women's trust is not only giving loans, but are trying to also implement education classes and healthcare for the women. There are a few studies out there that say to really make a different with micro credit education and health care need to be part of it. It seems to be true.

Happy Birthday Rona and Marilyn!

I wanted to offically use this blog entry to wish my two wonderful roommates a Happy Birthday. Have a great birthday.

house with many rooms

I've been thinking alot about the quarry and the people I've met there. I was trying to figure out how I felt about it. The image of a house comes to me.

It's like we live in a big house, where there are many rooms. We have our lives in just a few of the rooms. The house is so big that we forget there are other rooms in the house. Every once in a while we'll find ourselves searching for something in a room or we'll discover a room we've forgot about.

Visiting the quarry and seeing what happens there, I feel like I"ve visited a room, I seem to have forgetten about. It's on the same level of the people I met in the Domincian Republic that work in the bateys, or the children who forge through dumps in Mexico and bRazil to earn a few pennies. We seem to forget that they are there. We seem to go about our daily lives and never venture in their rooms.

quarry

During my first week in Pokuse, I was able to visit the quarry that lies on the top of the town (village). I wasn't expecting to go, but my translater suggested it and all of a sudden I was walking through it. It's very hot and with little tree cover.

It's the lowest paying work that a person can find in this area. As a worker, you taking a hammer and knocking out large chunks of stone from the side of a large wall of rock. No big machines, just mallets. Families are working there. It seems to include mothers, fathers, elders and young children, not yet in school. I saw little children playing around the rocks and also using mallets to crush the rocks.


One scene I saw was a man knocking out big chunks of rocks. Hewas wearing street clothes and flip flops. The rocks were being picked up by a women. and loaded into a bowl and carried on her head. She dumped them in a pile and more people, (The grandmothers? ) were knocking the rocks smaller and then dumped into a piles of smaller rocks. Everyone was sitting on the ground chopping up rockes. There were a few piles of rocks, getting into smaller and smaller bits. Finally ,the rocks were pretty fine and into buckets. The buckets were carried to the truck where they were getting paid by the bucket full. They were making cement.

I was sort of taken off guard because I wasn't expecting to be taken to the quarry that day. It left me speechless. I didn't know what to say to the folks. I think I said something like, You sure have a tough job. Must be hard. (??, I just didn't know hwat to say.) They go up there everyday with out any safely measures ,w ith out shoes, with out googles and risk it. It's exhausting work for hardly any money.

I don't know how much they get for bucket, but for truck load the truck owner makes about 200 dollars a truck load.

Wisdom

I'm in the internet cafe and I've just met a Ghanaian boy named Wisdom. He's been reading my blog. He says he doesn't want to say anything.

Kathy

This first week working for Women's Trust, I spent observing the village. I've taken a special look at schools and education because of my interest and my background as a teacher.

I think the on of most shocking thing I've seen is the condition of the school. There are not lights. It's lite by the open air. Each grade is in one class. I observed one public school class that had 97 kids in the classroom. 30 kids could probably sit comfortable. They were tripled up and standing in a dark damp classroom. There are hardly any text books. BTW it costs $70 a year for child to go to that school and a lot of folks can't afford it.

More later.

BTW. Thanks so much for the comments. They really make me feel supported. Thanks!

walk into the village

It's been a really interesting week. It's an amazing experience to wake up and realize I'm in AFrica. Not a fake African back drop, but actually Africa. I keep thinking about the Woodland Park zoo in Seattle where they have an Africa village set up and you walk through the set up school to see the girafees. Every morning, I keep thinking I'm going to walk past the scene and go see some penguins at the penguin pool.

When I walk into the village in the morning, I see stalls with merchants (traders) in them . They are selling food, a variety, which includes, fried bread, tomatoes, greens, peppers. People are heading off to work in Accra and are wearing street clothes. Many of the women are wearing african print dressess.

People are very friendly and yell out to me. Oblanee! (White girl) I greet them with Etesay? (how are you?_) They are surprised and say , I yah. I"m fine and ask me how am I say , I yah. They laugh and laugh and laugh at me.

write it down.

I've been meaning to post, more regulary, but I've been having some internet access issues. I'm just on the outskirts of Accra in the village of Pokuse ,where there is one internet cafe. At first I didn't know about it,and was taking a little "tro-tro", a mini bus, that I can catch on the road near my guest house. The internet cafe is about 20 minutes away and the computers are so slow.
The computers were mind numbly s l o w.
A few days ago, I found the internet cafe the other day in Pokuse, but the net was down, (no power) Then... today, the internet stars alighned and I could get on. Then I couldn't access my account, because,......yes,... I forgot the password. I've just spent about an hour finding it. Write it down, Write it down. Write it down.

We've arrived in Pokuse.

It's hard to describe. I'm not sure I can do it justice. It's a villiage. It's a right off the main road between Accra and Mombasa. ONe you get off the main road, you find a dirt road where are people around selling things from wooden shacks. They are living close by. We are staying at a nice guest house close by.

Right outside my guest house is the Catholic church. St. Sylanus. I honestly thought it was a half completed buidling, because of the beams and holding up the roof and only half walls.

Come Sunday morning, I stepped out of my guest house and walked right in to the church with it's colorful rows of plastic chairs. People were so friendly and shared their hymnal. They sang a lot from it.

It was a bilingual mass both in the local language Twee and English. It was interesting. The music was great. The choir was amazing and used alot of african drums. I recognized some of the songs that we sing at all Catholic churches. Allelua and Hosanna . IT was great because I could sing along.

My favorite part was durin gthe collection when I followed the crowd to bring up my offering. The line up was dancing to the african music and I had to dance up to in the line.

FYI Like most Catholic churches they reported how much money they collected the week before. They collected about $120 dollars. There must have been over 500 people at this church. Think about the last time you spend $100. Kind of blows your mind.

Next week is a big festival at the church because it's their first anniversary in their new building. I can't wait to see it.They say there will be music and food and dance.

I don't have internet access regularly, but I'll try when I can.

How to charm a two year old.

One of my favorite things I did in Accra was visit the Cathedral in the city. It was pretty small, empty and dark. It looked like a big old church that has seen a lot of incense. The only unusual thing was the two large school clocks hanging on either side of the altar. BTW, they were a few minutes off from each other. One read, 3: 10 and one read 3:12. It was just a little odd. It was during the week day so no one was around.

I started talking to a young boy about 10 or so, about what time church was and his little sister who must have been 2 was staring up at me. I talked to the little girl like every two year old I talk to, I hold out my hand and say.. hi I'm Kathy , what's your name? They usually reach out their hands and say something, and then I tell them I like their shoes.

It works every time to charm a two year old. It works with two years in New Jersey, in california , in SEattle, in Nicaragua and in Ghana and if my theory holds true the entire globe.

It worked on this two year old and she kept staring at me and her brother kept trying to get her to leave and then the mom tried with no luck. She would not budge. She was on me like glue. It took quite a while to pry her away from me.

Kath

Accra travels

(I wrote this last week, but didn't have time to publish)

Hi,
The last few days, it's hit me that I'm in a developing country. We've moved into a hotel in Accra , the capital city for a couple of nights. I'm starting to notice the creature comforts are missing. Things like paved roads, covered sewers, and electricity aren't readily available.

I walked around a main area of the neighborhood of Osu. It was very busy with people wanting me to buy their items. I did buy a bag and as soon as the merchants saw I bought something, they were on me. I'll be glad to move on to our place in Poquasi tomorrow. It's outside the city. I like Accra, but it's busy.
Kath

We made it.

It was quite a long day yesterday. After 25 hours we *emily and I* finally arrived settled into our hotel, Greenwich Guest \lodge just outside Accra. \it was a long journey and pretty uneventful. We were greeted warmly by our ride and owner of the hotel Mr Osa as we stepped out of the airport. It felt like we were being greeted by an old friend. That's a good feeling after such a long ride.
Everyone here has been so nice and friendly. We've come into Accra today with a guide, Nee and have stopped at internet cafe. It's the main market of the city , people come from all over Ghana. It's packed. YOu can find everything here. We're going to tour the city, see the beach and then scope out a new hotel closer to the city.
There are many amazing things to see. One of them is how the women can carry such heavy items on their heads. We saw one women with about 6 heavy boxes on her head. I watched a man take one of the boxes off her head and he struggled to get it off. They had to be at least 20 pounds a piece.
I'll post more in a few days.
Oh yeah, Happy fourth of July.

Here today and Ghana tomorrow.

Here today, Ghana tomorrow. Sean W. came up with that one. I just had to use it today. When else could I possible ever use that pun again , in such an appropriate way?

I'm up and finishing up details. I'm excited and can't wait to go.


Rona's taking me to the airport at 9:30am tomorrow. I'll fly into Amsterdam, land there on the 23rd and fly onto Accra.

Bye for now.

Kath

Learning to blog

A huge THANKS goes out to my cousin, Brendan, the master blogger of the family. He showed me some ins and outs of blogging while we were down in Berkeley this weekend for a Keefe family wedding. Thanks!!



Here he is in action helping bring my mom up to speed on how this blogging thing works.

(click on picture to make it bigger.)

Brendan's blog
http://bjkeefe.blogspot.com/
(Oops, I don't remember how to make it a link!)




BTW. Great wedding and congratulations, Aidan and Sachi!

Test of picture

Brendan's cat.

Questions and Answers about Ghana

This might give you a quick view of Ghana. (PS, I tried fufu last week and really like it. )


1. How many people live in Ghana?


2. What is the name of Ghana's (and the world's) largest artificial lake?



3. What is fufu?



4. What is the name given to the ceremonial cloth that Ashanti people weave?



5. What is the capital city of Ghana?



6. Give two reasons for deforestation in Ghana.



7. How many universities are there in Ghana?



8. What is highlife?


Answers


1. 17.8 million people live in Ghana.
2. Lake Volta is the name of Ghana's (and the world's) largest artificial lake.

3. Fufu is a staple Ghanaian meal, which consists of cassava, yam, or plantain that has been cooked, pureed, and mashed into a ball.

4. The name given to the ceremonial cloth that Ashanti people weave is Kente clothe.

5. The capital city of Ghana is Accra.

6. Two reasons for deforestation in Ghana are: logging; and clearing the land to plant cash crops.

7. There are four universities in Ghana.

8. Highlife is a popular and well-known type of Ghanaian music. It is a musical mix of different homegrown styles, fusing traditional percussion rhythms with various European, American, and even Caribbean influences.

(pulled from Oxfam web site http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/ontheline/explore/journey/ghana/quizanswer.htm )
6/27/07

Virtual tour of Ghana

I wanted to share with you a web site I found about Ghana from the organization, Oxfam. It explores all aspects of life in Ghana including food and music. I especially like the audio files.

Virtual tour of Ghana

Welcome!

You made it to the blog. The blog posts the most recent entry first, so start reading for the bottom up. :)

Map of Ghana

(click on picture for larger version)

For the first week, I'll be in Accra which is in the south part of Ghana. Then we'll head to a village a bit north of Accra to my placeement with Women's Trust.

Ghana is about the same size as Oregon.

I realize it's a little hard to see the details on the map, so here is link to the same map but bigger. http://www.ccafrica.ca/country/ghana/map_political.jpg

Women's Trust

My internship is an elective for my graduate program at Seattle University. I'm taking it to complete my Masters in Education program.

My placement is at a small NGO called Women's Trust. They organize microcredit loans to women. Myself and two other classmates from SU will be evaluating the microfinance program. Web site: http://www.womenstrust.org/

Women's Trust is located in Pokuasa, just north of Accra.

After 5 weeks, in Ghana, I take a short trip to Kenya with a professor from Seattle University and a local Seattle business women. We will be visiting a village outside of Nairobi, Kenya to evaluate if it's an appropriate place to start a new microfinance program.

Off and Ghana

On July 2nd I take off for my internship in Ghana. I've been encouraged by some friends to have a blog during my trip. I like the idea. I'll try my best to post once a week or so. We'll see.









I'm excited to start this adventure. Everything is coming together. I'll be in Ghana will be for 5 weeks.






I will also go over to Kenya for about a week.