Month: January 2019

Blogpost for Jan 9th

This morning we woke up to a forecast of 100-degree weather while in Northfield it’s 9 degrees. Everyone quickly got ready for our 8 o’clock departure which usually turns into an 8:30 exit. 

This morning we had a lesson on what should be worn in Ghana. Many of the girls had shorts on and Professor Abdulai took the opportunity to point out that shorts that show the thigh are not considered decent. A couple people had to change and then we were on our way to breakfast. This prompted a conversation about how Tamale is prominently Muslim and some of the teachings of Islam in modesty and approved dressing discussed. 

At breakfast, we had our regular fried eggs and bread which is a little like French toast, beef liver, beans, and a new fish sandwich that was very good. We are all starting to catch on to the fact that our meals are always going to be around 2 hours. Meals are definitely a leisurely event here.

After breakfast, we had a discussion about divorce and marriage in Ghanaian society. Recently in The NY Times, there was an article about how there has been an increase in the divorce rate in West Africa and how women have been given more autonomy in society. But to put things in context, divorce  in Muslim dominated West Africa is still low because of traditional and Muslim mechanisms to prevent divorce. In these societies, despite th social change that has made many independent of rational social structures, Marriage is still a family or clan affair and the clan mechanism try to resolve marriage disputes, and issues that might lead to divorce. In Islam, divorce was the last thing the Holy Prophet Islam, Mohammed (SAW) permitted and yet still instituted many conditions to discourage it’s prevalence. Things are fast changing but how fast and how prevalent, should be discussed with the specific context instead of the blanket generalizations as portrayed in the New York Times article. 

Additionally, we discussed marriage and how Ghanaian practices polygamy so men can have multiple wives. Prof. Iddrisu enlightened us  on how colonization affected the fortunes of Women in West  Africa, where the man came to be considered the breadwinner and the woman gettisoned to the private sphere, the two of who used to enjoy a complimentary life style, working to provision for the home. The woman was turned into one whose role was to make the home comfortable for the man. This marginalized the power and fortunes of the woman, but thing are beginning to change with the women’s movement and struggle to better the lives of Women. 

Next, we went to a lecture by Dr. Felix Yakubu on Slavery in Northern Ghana. He talked about the difference between the Slave-trade before colonization or commercialized slave trade. He said slaves were part of tribute to States, and that slavery was not a permanent condition. The Atlantic slave trade took advantage of the slavery that already existed in Ghana and other countries in Africa and monopolized across the continent. This point is highly debatable and a look at the work of Walter Rodney and J. D. Fage, two scholars who spent lots of publications arguing this issue. In a later blogpost, we hope to bring you a synthesis of this debate.

We also learned about how communities responded to the regime of Slave trade and Slavery. This included foreign alliance, building walls, or fleeing to caves. However, he also talked about how the chiefs were compliant to the slave trade.  This caused corruption of social institutions, and tensions we see today between ethnic groups or communities. 

Dr. Felix Yabuku also touched on the emotional trauma that is present in Ghana, as a result of the slave trade. The remembrance of how their ancestors were treated has caused a lot of psychological distress that is one of the reasons for the silences inherent in discussions of Slavery and the slave trade in Ghana.

Lastly, Dr. Felix Yabuku touched on the African Diaspora and how people today within Ghana cope with their past. The African Diaspora within Ghana focuses on the losses and the destruction of families. There are communities that are made up of refugees that fled from the slave raiders and have no clue of their original roots. Some are still trying to find their origins after being displaced by slavery. We then discussed Panafest that offers opportunities for people to find their roots especially for African Americans 

The Tamale Snr. High School

After the lecture, we headed to the Tamale Senior High School where Professor Abdulai went to school and was a teacher for a while. It used to be called the Northern Light. It has over 2,000 students and numbers might increase as a result of the recent government reforms called the  double track of intake. We met the headmaster, Mr. Sayibu Adam Wilberforce and he told us about the history of the school. Only old boys of the school get to head the school but Mr. Adam is the only non alum to have headed the school. This is probably because of his good record heading smaller schools. He’s nearing retirement, having headed various types of schools for 20 years now. The headmaster talked about how social change has increased the attendance of the students. The headmaster then showed us the awards that the school had won including academic and athletic trophies. 

After the meeting with the headmaster, we had a short tour of the grounds: saw the library, the teacher’s lounge and the assembly hall where students were having a debate. We got to mingle for a couple of seconds, and in classic Abdulai fashion we took a couple of pictures and left.   

After the school we went to the market again and searched for skirts. We didn’t find any, but we found fake Gucci sandals and rings. We also got our first haggling experience with help from jay-z, Abdulai, and Tina. The market is always quite the experience for all the senses. However,it was a swift visit because we had to get to lunch. 

Today at lunch we learned that if we had any leftovers, we could leave them on the table for the small children always lurking around to greet us. However, we asked Abdulai if we could have smaller portions next time so we could prevent large amounts of leftover food. 

After a short break, we had our first chance to go out into Tamale on our own. Most of choose to go to a market and walk around. The primary challenge of the market was not to get lost! 

When the bus dropped us off everyone scattered in groups of two or three and hoped that we could find it when we came back.  People bought lots of goods and tried to haggle without help most of us were not very successful and will need to learn how to be sterner. Many people bought fabric which Mannie was pleased about, and a couple of the boys hired tailors to make them pants. 

We ended the day with dinner at a food stand that was making fried noodles with veggies which were very delicious. We went back to the hotel and ate while reflecting on the day and what we learned.  

Blogpost for Tuesday Jan. 8th 

It’s morning in Tamale 

We woke up in Tamale at 7am eager to start our day. Apparently it was 90 degrees the whole day but fret not, there was a light breeze. We all piled into the bus and Prof Iddrisu took us to our future regular spot for breakfast. We enjoyed an uncanny combination of a Ghanaian version of french toast, egg white omelettes, and some delicious cow livers. We then took the bus to meet Abdulai’s lovely mother who welcomed us with a smile and a firm handshake. 

It was a brief stay as we had to move on and meet the  Regent of Dakpema.  The 2018 interim met the father of the Regent but the chief died shortly afterwards. His son is now the Regent and holding the skin in the interim for a substantive chief to be installed later.

In the greeting ceremony the Chief presented us with the special Kola Nut. It was both intriguing and meaningful. The nuts taste bitter at first but “it makes water taste sweet.” One of the sub chiefs took a special liking to Fernanda and she almost road with one of them on a motor bike, but decided not to in the end. 

We next visited the chief of Lamashegu, a very important player in Dagbaŋ and he gave us a lecture in slavery in Ghana. Insisting that slaves actually came from Northern Ghana and not from the south, and that the coastal areas only served as ports for the export of slaves, and the castles as holding houses. This was highly illuminating especially for a chief but he assured us that if a chief was not conversant with the experience of his people, then he was not worth that position.

Next, we went to the street market. We saw spices, beads, vast arrays of grain, smock cloth, yams, Gucci slide shoes, a two for one type of soap, many butchered animals, and so many other fine goods. It was crowded but very enjoyable and culturally engaging. We are hoping to go back soon. 

We rushed from the market to squeeze in a quick lunch before our 3:00 lecture. We had intestines of the cow variety— it was surprisingly tangy. 

The lecture was held at the Piga Plaza. Outside was both a trampoline and two tractors. Prof. Seidu Al-Hassan, the Pro- vice chancellor of the university for Development Studies gave an informative lesson about Community Entry and Mobilization in Ghana. He talked of respecting the local culture, how Ghana had progressed politically, and even taught us how to do a proper handshake.

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and rested before dinner. For dinner we ate a variety of foods including Jollof rice, grilled chicken, guinea fowl, wachea, and shito sauce.

The power just went out. We are slightly concerned but mainly just blind, don’t worry though it will be on by morning. Having a great time here in Ghana! Signing off. 

Into Tamale with fun and style

Jan 7, 2019.

On day five, we awoke to a brisk morning at 7 A.M. for a breakfast of oatmeal, eggs, and fresh fruit. The workers were incredibly kind and accommodating, and following our breakfast we loaded into the bus and started our journey to Tamale.

Early on in our drive, we came across a group of hawkers (men and women with large baskets of food balanced delicately on their heads) and decided to buy papaya, bread, plantain chips, and bananas to tide us over for the long bus ride ahead. Though we begged Professor Iddrisu to stop, he continued to purchase bag after bag of papaya (the remains are probably still spread throughout the bus). After making only a few purchases, we had dozens of hawkers lining the windows holding out their goods for us to see. It was an incredible sight to behold.

Our first stop on the way to Tamale was at a monkey sanctuary in the small village of Buaben. After unloading from the bus, we had a bit of time to explore before the jungle tour was to start. Students saw a group of pigs, chickens, and goats tearing through the jungle just off the main road of the village.

Following this bit of excitement, we met our guide, who was to lead us through the trails and introduce us to the monkeys. Before we even made it to the edge of the jungle, a group of Moaner monkeys met us to seek the bananas we carried with us. This specific type of monkey is incredibly social and loved to eat bananas right out of our hands.

Unexpectedly, a monkey scaled Fernanda’s legs, and as it made its way to her shoulder, she tweaked out and launched the banana she was holding into the jungle – the monkey was quick to follow the streak of yellow, leaving Fernanda slightly shaken, but excited.

For the next hour, we explored the jungle and interacted with dozens of monkeys who loved to climb onto our shoulders and eat the bananas we were feeding them. This was a major highlight of the trip and was an experience that goes unmatched by any animal interaction we could have in the states.

 

The monkeys are neighbors and buried like humans when they die. The chief priest and the Virgin priestess lie with them in death.

While in the woods, three little village boys befriended us and we happily joked around with them and (per their request) took many photos with the confident young boys.

As we left the sanctuary, we meet a young woman from Spain who was touring Ghana on a scholarship from her university. After some conversation, she asked if she could grab a ride with us to Tamale to complete work she had started – installing solar panels on a local school.

Our other major stop on our journey was to the second largest waterfall in the country of Ghana. We were able to see two sets of falls and cool off a bit in the presence of an enormous body of falling water.

The scenery and experience were incredible and all of us enjoyed it thoroughly – until we had to hike 153 stairs back to the car, leaving us all gasping for air.

Finally, we arrived in Tamale, where we stopped at a local hotspot for dinner where there were plenty of locals and music to make the waiting an enjoyable experience.

After receiving our food, we made our way to the hotel and got situated for the night.

Blogpost for Jan 6, 2019

We woke up this morning at the Pink Hostel, in Accra, and had breakfast of eggs, toast, fruit, and coffee. Shortly after, we met up with the students staying at the other hotel, and headed off to Kumasi. Our trip was a bit delayed due to numerous gas stations stops, as we looked for ice to cool our water and stretch our legs. We passed by a church service, where hundreds of Ghanaians were dressed in either all-white or brightly colored and patterned outfits. It was amazing to see everyone walking together to church as they showed genuine happiness and excitement for this weekly event.

After driving for a bit, we stopped at a big rest stop with music bumping, lots of food, and lively culture. We used the bathrooms there and Professor Iddrisu got ‘Fanmilk’ ice cream for us as we took a break, and a few danced to the music.

Before we knew it we were on the road again, heading to Tina’s family house at Orsino. We were greeted by her family with a traditional welcoming handshake and a coconut for everyone. Tina’s grandmother recently passed away, and Professor Iddrisu paid his respects to her family and celebrated her life, stating that she has joined the ancestors. Prof. Iddrisu explained that in African traditional religion, people who live a good life do not just die and go away, they join the ancestors and some become ancestral spirits.

After spending a while at Tina’s house, we got back on the bus and made our way through the hills that quickly became tropical. Tina pointed out the plantain, mango, and cocoa trees that provide Ghana with an abundance of nutrients. We stopped by the side of the road and got some ‘Tiger Nuts’ which tasted like coconut, with sugar cane after taste. So different, but delicious!

After a long drive we finally made it to the Develen hotel in Ejisu, near Kumasi. Although we took plenty of rest stops, we didn’t get lunch on our journey. The restaurant was in the middle of the city, at the National Cultural Center, so, we drove through and got a glimpse of Kumasi. The restaurant we went to was called ‘Ike’s’, and it was outdoors, as a decent sized pond in the middle of the open space.

After dinner, we drove through Kumasi through the crazy traffic to get snacks from a grocery store. We were all a little surprised at how many familiar items we saw there. We almost had to stop at the mall for mattresses because our hotel didn’t have enough beds for all of us, but luckily, we figured it out so we could go back to the hotel for the night.

January 5, 2019

We started the day off eating breakfast at the restaurant, Item 13, connected to our Hostel. We were served eggs, pancakes, toast, and a variety of fruits. The fruit was super fresh and sweet! The other half of the group walked over to the Pink Hostel from the Guest House, and then we started our exploration into Accra.

Our first stop was at the W.E.B. Dubois Museum and Mausoleum, and we experienced our first taste of “Ghanaian Time”. When we arrived the Museum was closed, so we got back on the bus. Then, a museum employee told us the museum would be open in an hour, so we headed towards the Artists Alliance Gallery – Omanye House.

The purpose of the gallery is to promote contemporary Ghanaian Art and that of West Africa generally. The gallery gives these young artists a place to gain exposure.

Earlier in the day, and as the beginning to our endeavors in Ghana, Abduai told us, quoting from The Alchemist, that “The secrets to happiness (benefiting from the course) is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil in the spoon.” Abdulai nearly “spilled his oil” at the end of our time in the gallery, as we almost missed a very powerful piece that related directly to the course. This sole piece of artwork was a painting depicting slavery.

As this is a museum of contemporary art, we believe this reflects the way in which modern Ghanaian society often silences their recollections of slavery.
This single piece, burried within a huge collection of contemporary art prices and far away on the fourth floor, is apt manifestation of the inherent silence in any discussions of Slavery in Ghana. The question that arise is why people shy away from any discussion of Slavery? This is a crucial component of our interim in Ghana. When slavery comes up, or reinterpreted as often seen in the Emmancipation Day celebration, it is so done for tourism. We are heading to the north where we hope to visit slave sites and to interact with people who have had a direct relationship to slavery. Follow us to see how they deal with the burden of that knowledge.

Dubois memorial center

After the art gallery, we headed back to the W.E.B. Dubois Museum. Dubois became a citizen of Ghana in 1961, and we toured his home, which contains a research library, a lecture room, and his personal collection. After touring the house, we walked over to the Mausoleum.

W.E.B. Dubois was given a state funeral, which shows his relevance in accordance with Ghanaian culture – specifically his relation with the first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who considered him, his mentor, invited him to Ghana and never ceased to consult with him.

Following the W.E.B. Dubois Museum, we went to Kwame Nkrumah’s Monument and Museum

Dubois was Nkrumah’s mentor. Both Dubois and Nkrumah were advocates of Pan-Africanism. Ghana became the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence on March 6, 1957. Nkrumah became the leader of Government business and Prime Minister in 1951 and then the first President of Ghana in 1960. The Mausoleum is Nkrumah final resting place, after being embalmed in Guinea, where he fled after a political coup in 1966, and moved to his mother’s house later for grieving.

Nkrumah once said, “We face neither east nor west; we face forward”. This quote demonstrates how the society doesn’t reflect on the past, but rather looks to the future, and portrays his ideas of non-alignment. The Monument contains a statue of Nkrumah giving his speech declaring independence.

Following our busy day, we got lunch as a class and rested back at the Hostel.

Later in the evening, we reconvened to debrief. We discussed observations, such as, misconceptions of poverty, how Ghana is a country “under construction”, and the influence of China, specifically regarding neocolonialism and economic influence.

Erin, Matt, Julia, and Emily

Departure from MSP through JFK to ACC, Ghana,  Jan 3 to 4.

The first post will contain multiple entries because of the two-day travel to Ghana, but thereafter we shall post every morning.

Kathy Tuma.

We depart today for our interim in Ghana by celebrating the retirement of Kathy Tuma, Assistant director of IOS, who served St. Olaf students studying abroad for 40 years. Friday, December 28, 2018 was her very last day at the office. Below is a picture of Kathy and I, Abdulai, taken at her office that Friday afternoon, while she parked her belongings, and handed over to me the final package for our program in Ghana.

As Assistant Director to Jodi, Kathy was the go-to person for our interim in Ghana.

Kathy,  your retirement rob as of your smiles and your dedication to detail that made our planning so easy, but wait a minute; not the changes you brought into our lives. Thank you for everything.

MSP- Terminal 1 en route to Ghana

Jan 3, 2019

The group started out in different places, but the majority of us met at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport around 11 a.m. Abdulai was there to greet us at the Delta check-in area, and we checked all of our bags.

 

Our flight departed from Minneapolis at 2:45 p.m. CST and arrived at JFK at approximately 6:30 p.m. EST. The plane was noisy and there was quite a bit of turbulence, but we still made it to New York before our scheduled arrival time. Li was waiting for us at the terminal as she had flown in from Denver a few hours earlier. We all gathered at our gate and then split up to find some food.

Everything was expensive and the line for pizza was almost 45 minutes. Abdulai may have been judging us for spending so much time as money, as he bought a plastic water bottle to refill later. Afterwards, we camped out by the gate and waited for our 10:45 p.m. flight to Accra!

The terminal was packed, and there were a lot of international flights around us. We are all tired at this point, but ready to land in Ghana!

Justina, Mac, Maggie, and Clara

Arrival in Ghana. January 4, 2019
Today we landed in Accra, Ghana and started our month-long adventure.

1. 

Right off the plane, we saw burger king that felt familiar, but in the parking lot, there was also a man bathing a monkey.

In our coaster bus, driven by Kwabena, through Accra gave the group a taste of what our surroundings look like and what to expect in the coming days. On our drive to lunch, we experienced how crazy the traffic is and saw women caring fruit on their heads.
We had a lovely long lunch where people got there first taste of the local food.

Everyone got something a little different but, Jollof rice was the crowd pleaser. After lunch, we headed to the Pink Hostel where we will be for a couple of nights.

It was a great first day, and we ended it with a chill night spent as a group.
Looking forward to a busy day tomorrow.