I am moving from Sugar Land, TX to Round Rock, TX tomorrow so I may not post tomorrow and Saturday. I'll be back on Sunday for sure.
-vc
Showing posts with label Ghana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghana. Show all posts
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
New Book About Ghana
"My First Coup D'Etat" by John Dramani Mahama
"Sensitive, honest autobiographical essays… A wonderfully intimate look at the convulsive changes, and deep scarring, in post-colonial Africa."—Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus liked this book and this review magazine hardly ever gives a rave review. "My First Coup d'Etat" by John Dramani Mahama, the current Vice President of Ghana, tells of his coming of age while the new democracy of Ghana is also coming of age. If you want to know more about the first African country to gain it's independence you couldn't find a better book to read.
Listen to an interview on Morning Edition - African Politics, And Afros, In 'My First Coup D'Etat'.
-vc
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Ghanaian Women
Women in Ghana work hard. They get up early in the morning to start the fire. They cook on coal pots and grind their sauces and vegetables by hand. Most of the small businesses are run by women. My friend Perpetua had a bakery. She baked bread for 4 traders in town and two schools. She also ran a small provision store which is like a convenience store. She cooked three meals a day. Washed her clothes by hand in two large metal basins. When I was first at Sandema she had a small girl, Madua, who did the cooking, the wash and she sometimes watched the store but Madua left.
It's often the woman's income that clothes the children and sends them to school. They In "Half the Sky Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn say that men tend to spend their money to show off. They might throw a large party, or lavish robes but women usually reinvest their money in their families, businesses or communities. The book tells stories of women in Africa and Asia who have received aid and the good work they did with that help. Many of the stories in the book resonated with what I saw in Ghana.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Green Leaves
Sometimes the flora was overwhelming. This plant was on the back path from my house to the administration building at the school in Sandema.One day the sun lit it up and I just had to snap it.
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Gigantic! 
These plants were used as ornamental plants in Sandema. They greeted me at the door of my house in Sandema. They lined the foundation of the administration building. These plants were one of the few decorative touches in the harsh Upper East.
These berries grew on a bush that my landlord used to mark the boundary of his yard.
I was walking out in "the bush" one afternoon and found an almost dried up pond. This plant was growing all over the dried up area.
Okro (Okra) flower.
Before I went to Ghana I hated okra-the only time I would eat it is in Gumbo. Well there are very few green veggies in Ghana so I learned to eat okro, their name for okra. I learned to love Tee Zed and okro stew.
The first time I saw an okra flower I was enchanted. It was so delicate and rose like. Something so beautiful on something that for so long I disliked!
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Click here to visit Craft And Vision.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Student Portraits - SSHTS
Sandema Senior High Technical School (SSHTS) students marching on 6th March.
Sandema's uniform is a white top and a yellow pleated skirt. Luckily for the girls at SSHTS the uniform rules were not so strict as to tell how many pleats. In some schools this amount of pleats would be considered immodest. Holding hands is very common between people of the same sex, as a sign of friendship, in fact much more common than between the opposite sex. Public displays of affection between a man and a woman are frowned upon in Ghana.
The results of a Home Economics practical - Creme Brulee. Made on a coal pot in carnation condensed milk tins.
Three Form 3 (Senior) boys. Whenever I had my camera everyone would say "Madam Vicky take my picture."
These student's think that they might like to join the army. This group is like our ROTC. The student cadets patrol the school grounds during special events like athletics meets.
Students would come to visit me and cook supper for us. Like any institution the school food was marginal at best. Here Portia is stirring Tee Zed on a coal pot. Rofina was making ground nut (peanut) soup with chicken to serve with the Tee Zed. We at it out of a common bowl and dipped the forefinger and ring finger of our right hand in to scoop some Tee Zed and soup, then into our mouths. I do miss Tee Zed.
Masters and a Madam counting votes for the election of school prefects. Like Harry Potter Ghana schools are based on the English system. Student leaders are elected from the Junior (Form 2) class for the next year. At SSHTS there were about 32 prefect positions. Sixteen boys and 16 girls are elected to position like - agricultural prefect, house prefect, sports prefect, health prefect and the most coveted position, Boys Prefect and Girls Prefect. They are the leaders of the other prefects and the school.
The computer lab at SSHTS where I taught Form 3 and Form 2 ICT (Information and Communications Technology). I would say at least 70 percent of the students had not used a computer before but High School students take to computers like fish take to water! Some of them keep in touch with my on Facebook!
-vc
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
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| 5 Stars (out of 5) |
Mike Dreyfuss, Sonya Dugal and Julie Nguyen were Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana. They came in 2009. Sonya was one of my trainees. If you want to see the REAL Ghana then Peace Corps volunteers will show it to you. They know the best places to get local food and not get sick. They have traveled all over Ghana and know how to navigate the transportation system from goat carts to air conditioned buses. Pick up The Ghana (Other Places Travel Guide)
if you are planning a trip to Ghana.
-vc
Sunday, July 1, 2012
All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes
Travel back to when Ghana gained it independence. Ghana was the first African nation to earn its independence after colonization. On 6 March, 1957 Kwame Nkruma became the first president of Ghana. He then called for the African Diaspora to come home. Maya Angelou heeded the call. She and her college age son went to Ghana where he attended Legon-The University of Ghana.
It was very interesting to read her reactions to the new African democracy and the reactions of the Ghanaians to Maya Angelou.
-vc
It was very interesting to read her reactions to the new African democracy and the reactions of the Ghanaians to Maya Angelou.
-vc
"Cow" Boys Fishing - Sandema Ghana
Early in my Peace Corps service in Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana at Sandema Senior High Technical school, I decided to take a walk to a nearby pond. My landlord's son, Thomas, said he would come with me and be my guide.
Upon arriving at the pond the first thing I saw was this cow. I knew some "cow" boys would be nearby. In Ghana if a family has cows the boys of the family usually take them out to the savannah to graze.
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Next I saw these lily pads.
Then I found the boys. They were all in the water with dried sticks. I asked Thomas what the boys were doing. He said they were using the sticks to fish. They would push the sticks along the shallow edges of the pond hoping to push something on to the shore.
The catch fit into this boy's hands. It was a frog. Thomas said they would roast it and have some meat to eat that day.
These boys are from the Bulsa tribe. The northern regions of Ghana are very poor. Since colonial time all the commerce has taken place along the coast. A chubby frog would be a welcome addition to their diet.
For a map of Sandema Upper East Region, Ghana, West Africa
-vc
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
March Pass on 6th March
Sandema Senior High Technical School girls marching on 6th March. 6th March is Ghana's Independence Day. Ghana was the first African nation to gain their independence, on 6th March 1957. Like Independence day it is celebrated every year. The schools send teams of boys and girls to the regional capitol to March pass the dignitaries of the region. Unlike our independence Ghana never fired a shot to become independent of their British colonizers. Kwame Nkruma was the architect of this independence and Ghana's first elected President.
For two weeks before the March pass teachers train students to march. The best students then are chosen to go the the regional capitol, where all other schools from Primary to Senior High School send their teams to march as well. Kids love to do it because after waiting for hours in the hot sun and marching they are given a Kalipo fruit drink, like Juicy Juice boxed juices in USA, and some biscuits, cookies!
Some schools,the girls, will wave handkerchiefs as they walk past the dignitary stand. Boys will often do an elaborate salute and turn to face the dignitaries.
Chief from a nearby village attending the Sandema, Upper East Region, Ghana - 6th March, 2009, celebration.
-vc
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