Impressions of Ghana #3: Cities, Structures, and Villages

Again, it's been a while! I'm so busy right now I'm afraid blogging just doesn't happen much. I don't have many new updates, just that things are going well at New Life, and Sankofa is still in need of help and donations. Hopefully, a former New Life volunteer who is doing an internship in Senegal will be able to help a bit at Sankofa soon! I'll post details when I know more. So in the meantime, how about an "Impressions of Ghana" post!

When I first went to Ghana, I had a friend ask if I had thought they all lived in trees. I hadn't, but I also hadn't pictured the things I saw. Like most Westerners, I saw Ghana as rural villages with grass-leaf huts. While there are places that look like that, there's a lot more to Ghana!

This is the Independence Arch in Accra. It's a symbol of their independence, with the country's motto "Freedom and Justice" and the year "AD 1957" emblazoned on it. The black star is a symbol of African freedom (even their soccer team is called the Black Stars).
Traffic in Accra is comparable to traffic in any big city. It's loud, noisy, and crowded! Accra is a big city in every sense of the word.

This is a main intersection in Cape Coast, with the crab monument in the center (the crab is a symbol for Cape Coast's booming fishing trade). Lined with houses, shops, and small stands, it is often crowded with cars and pedestrians fighting for space, as there are few, if any, sidewalks in Ghana. Cape Coast has the feel of a still large but more urban city.

Not all streets in Ghana's cities are paved-- many side streets, even in larger cities like Cape Coast, are packed dirt. In smaller cities, there may not be any paved streets at all.

Some villages in Ghana are very unique-- take Nzulezo stilt village, for example. The village is built over a lake in the Amansuri wetlands, and the only way to get there from the town of Beyin is by canoe. The town has it's own "main street" (a main wooden walkway through the town), and it's residents live quite normal lives, cooking, fishing, working, going to school, and going about their lives just as anyone else might.
There are many shops in Ghana lining the streets. This one, outside Kumasi in 2005, was one of my favorites. If you look closely, you will see that this artist/sign painter chose to depict Osama bin Laden, George Bush, and Sadaam Hussein. Look even closer, and you will see the two Middle Eastern dictators looking quite pleasant, while George Bush looks rather fierce. I found this incredibly amusing.
There are, of course, those mud huts featured so prominently in Western movies and television. In the north of Ghana, these homes often have flat roofs to allow for drying grains or other things on the roof in the hot sun. You may notice a wire leading from a stick through the home's wall-- it has electricity.
This village, near Nkoranza in more central Ghana, is also a common Westerner view of Ghana. Mud huts, again, but with thatched palm or corrugated tin roofs rather than flat ones.

Here is a view of a portion of Cape Coast. Here, houses are built primarily of concrete, which weathers the climate of Ghana quite well. Apartment buildings and individual homes may often be more similar to Western homes than many expect-- they have tile floors, televisions, and furniture often reminiscent of something in your own home.

Here is another example of Ghanaian culture-- Elmina Slave Fort. These "castles" dot the coastline of Ghana, and were used in older days as forts for the various colonizers and ports for shipping out slaves. Many are now museums dedicated to remembering this tragic past with a promise never to repeat it.
Religious buildings, such as this beautiful mosque, are common in Ghana. Christian churches and Muslim mosques often stand near each other, particularly in the south (the north is primarily Muslim). Religious tolerance in Ghana is quite high.

Here is an example of a Christian church in Accra. The temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a beautiful representation of the strong Christian presence in the south of Ghana.

Impressions of Ghana #2: The African Family

Just a few from the family, Efutu village, 2005

In the Western world, our families tend to be small and focused on the nuclear family. In Ghana, families are larger, and extended family members are close. In fact, cousins are often referred to as brothers or sisters, which can cause confusion for us obrunis. Large families often live together in one compound, with adults from several generations in one household. Here is Michael (far right, back) from New Life. His mother Grace is next to him, and her brother is next to her. Grace is a widow, and her brother helps care for the family. The other children here were introduced to me as Michael's "brothers."

Best Friends and Brothers, 2005

Here is Michael again, on the left, with his brother Amos. They are actual biological brothers. Amos lives at the orphanage, while Michael lives at home with his mother. A sad fact of Ghanaian life is that not all parents can afford to feed and care for all of their children. Many times, some of the children of a family are sent to live with better-off relatives, or to live at orphanages.

Hard Workin' Mamas, 2005

It is not uncommon to see women working with their babies on their backs. Babysitters are an unheardof concept in Ghana, and mothers can't afford not to work. Often, if the family is very poor, the children must stay out of school to work the farms, or hawk things in the street to help the family survive.

Playtime for Mother and Daughter, 2005

Here, my host mother Mama Vic plays a hand-clap game with her daughter Nana Esi. Whether gripped by poverty or not, families still find time to play together in Ghana. This can be through simple games, songs, or stories.

Brothers by Love, 2005

Here, Frank and Abraham show their brotherly love at New Life International Orphanage. They are not biologically related at all, but the bonds forged through love are often as strong as those made by blood. The children in the orphanages may be there because they have no families, but they often find a family in each other.

Impressions of Ghana #1: Sons and Daughters of Africa

I will be posting more updates from our trip througout the coming weeks; however, today's post is the beginning of a new series: Impressions of Ghana. These are pictures from my 2005 and 2008 trips that I have collected into photo essays. Enjoy!

Sons of Drumming

Music, especially drumming, is an important part of Ghanaian culture. Djembe drums (as you see on the left) are one popular type of drum. The children at New Life have learned this part of their culture well. 2005.

Son of Football

Proudly sporting a Fifa World Cup 2006 baseball cap, Agekow is hard at work. Football is not just a popular sport in Ghana. Since their participation in the 2006 World Cup and the hosting of the 2008 Cup of African Nations in Ghana, football has become a great unifier for people all around the country. New Life International Orphanage, 2005.

Son of Poverty

I have no words for this picture; it speaks on its own. Larabanga, 2005.

Son of Hawkers

This young man is emblematic of the throngs of people hawking their goods on the streets of Ghana. They are at the tro tro stations; the toll booths; the bus stops; they are everywhere they can possibly make a profit. Some are mere children, desperate to take home a few pesewas (pennies) for school fees, clothing, and food. Cape Coast, 2005.

Son of Weavers

Kente cloth is the beautiful, hand-woven fabric made throughout Ghana. Traditionally worn by chiefs, the fabric is woven in scarf-like strips that are then sewn together to make clothing. The weaving of the cloth is an intricate and complicated process. 2005.

Sons of the Sea

Along the coast of Ghana, fishing is an enormous part of the economy. Everyday, fisherman go out in their small boats, often using only sails, oars, and teamwork to cast their nets. These young men are hauling in a net full of fish. If only the still image could capture the harmony of the rhythmic chanting that helps them stay in sync. Cape Coast 2005

Daughter of Dance

Traditional dance is yet another important part of Ghanaian heritage. Belinda at New Life is only one of the many children taught this beautiful part of their culture. 2005.

Daughter of Education

For many in Ghana, an education is something of which they can only dream. Madam Grace, former caregiver and headmistress of New Life, gave every part of herself to teach and care for the children there. 2005.

Daughters of the Market

The markets in Ghana are throbbing centers of commerce. It is primarily women who work here, selling everything from fish to snails to fabric. These women work hard to provide for themselves and their families. Kejetia Market, Kumasi, 2005.

Daughters of Royalty

In Ghana, villages and cities are still headed in part by chiefs. However, the chief has a counterpart in Ghana that many don't know about-- the Queen Mother. She is not always the chief's mother, or even a relative, but she is there to help provide council and direction along with the chief. These women are dressed as a Queen Mother would be at a festival or celebration. Shama 2005.

Daughter of God

Religion is an incredible force in Ghana. Whether Christian, Muslim, Traditionalist, or other, Ghanaians are devout in their faith. At Christian schools, such as Sankofa, the children say the Lord's Prayer each morning and afternoon. Eguafo 2008.