http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Radio-Warrior/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Radio Warrior en-us Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:08:21 +0000 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:08:21 +0000 Ghana Top TenBy Nichole HuckTamale Northern GhanaMy time in Ghana is drawing to a close and now itrsquos a time of reflection. I know that the mark Africa has left on me is far greater than the mark I have left on her. I have learned a lot about journalism relationships hardship religion generosity and myself. There are some things Irsquom happy to leave but there are far more things tha http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-280294.html In my first days in Ghana I was exposed to the staples of the diet. Fufu Banku and TZ. They are all starches shaped into balls and dipped into a soup or sauce. They all take a lot of hard work to prepare all so that the food will slip down your throat without the hassle of chewing. Imagine the surprise of my coworker Jamilla when she discovered that in 8 months I had never actually prepared http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-279727.html Paying it ForwardBy Nichole HuckEveryone needs a little help sometimes. Friends family churches even benevolent strangers came together to help get me to Africa. It is truly amazing to know that people would selflessly give to you without expecting anything in return. I know I will never be able to pay these people back for their kindness I can only hope to pay it forward.In my eight months i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-278261.html Work Like You Donrsquot Need the Money Volunteering in GhanaGhana is full of volunteers. Some come from other countries mostly large packs of girls fresh out of high school looking for a meaningful travel experience before starting University. They fill the orphanages in the mornings and fill the internet cafes and swimming pool in the afternoon. These volunteers are completely unpaid some http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-274418.html When one hears the word lsquosafarirsquo we get excited. We imagine close encounters with dangerous animals lush tropical plants and safari hats. Well one out of three ainrsquot bad. A group of friends and I boarded the morning bus to Mole. It was full so we were crammed into the aisle. I was sandwiched between two men and had a baby at my back. The hours passed quickly and by 900 am http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Mole-National-Park/blog-270165.html This is a series of stories I wrote for the JHR website www.jhr.ca. They are exploring the relationship between sex and power. They are about sexual harrassment in the workplace and sugar daddies. Nichole When No doesnrsquot mean No. By Nichole HuckGrowing up I was taught that lsquonorsquo means lsquonorsquo. In junior high the boys would snap our bras or make comments about the gir http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-266455.html Irsquom sitting in an internet Cafe in Tamale less than 12 hours after arriving on the STC bus. In the few hours Irsquove been back my skin has managed to break into a heat rash I believe it is protesting my leaving the beaches of Ghana for the dry and dusty Savannah that I now call home. For Easter a group of us volunteer types from Tamale made a break for the coast. After a series of lon http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-260936.html Are Old Folks Homes the Witch Camps of CanadaBy Nichole HuckldquoWould you send your mother to a witch camprdquo Thatrsquos the question I righteously asked a caller on a human rights call in show who said lsquothe whites are just trying to destroy African culture by bringing in ideas about human rights.rsquoA reporter from Radio Justice and I recently returned from visiting three witc http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-257427.html Life in a Witch Camp The Exile of Women in Northern GhanaTamale Northern GhanaBy Nichole Huck We fear what we donrsquot understand. A child falls sick and dies without reason. Who do we blame Is it Godrsquos will or is there some other force at work Most people feel better having something or someone to blame for lifersquos misfortunes and in Northern Ghana that blame often falls on e http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-255010.html Note from Nichole Water has been on my mind a lot lately Itrsquos the dry season and it hasnrsquot rained for five months. The earth and trees are scorched and Irsquom told that itrsquos only going to get worse before it gets better. I don't want to leave you with a terrible impression. In my short time here I have seen countless projects instigated by development agencies. Some of the m http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-252943.html The Way Forward Young women speak out about the importance of EducationBy Nichole HuckOver the last five months we have explored a variety of human rights issues on our program Freedom Thursday. Many of the problems seem overwhelming forced marriage female head portering child labour streetism unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions. No matter what the problem it seems the solution alwa http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-248908.html NOTE FROM EDITOR I have spent the past four months living in Tamale in Northern Ghana. One of my first observations was that many people here including many of my coworkers have scars on their faces. I had never seen anything like it and I wanted to understand it more so I enlisted the help of one of my coworkers Bawa Ibrahim. He prepared this photo essay and has interviewed traditional eld http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-243868.html Picture this two groups of 5 kids square off against each other on the football pitch. One team is the white blood cells the second team is opportunistic infections. Itrsquos an even game and it represents everyday life. Sometimes you are ill sometimes you are healthy. Then the HIV team is introduced and it plays on the same side as infections. There are now 10 players against 5 so it be http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-242437.html African Cup of Nations Ghana StyleBy Nichole HuckLife is divided between watching football and not watching football. Even as I type this entry at an Internet Cafe I am watching football. The African Cup of Nations has taken Ghana by storm. Four brand new multimillion dollar stadiums were built in the major cities in Ghana including one in the Northern Capital of Tamale. When the Ghana Black http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-242428.html If you play with fire....An Introduction to the Fire Festival in North GhanaJan 18th was a week of firsts. I had never been to a Chiefrsquos Palace and I had never been to a fire festival. Ghana has a democratically elected system of governance but every area is also ruled by a Chief who handles all sorts of traditional matters. One of my coworkers and I were walking by the Chiefrsquos P http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-242411.html Shawn and I spent our Christmas in Burkina Faso We gave up our hopes of going to Timbuktu because of time constraints and settled on a place with an equally exotic sounding name. Ouagadougou pronounced Waggadoogoo was our new Christmas Destination.We noticed the difference as soon as we crossed the border. The French speaking immigration man joked with us as he chain smoked cigarettes. An emp http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Burkina-Faso/Centre/Ouagadougou/blog-233044.html A Christmas Poem for Family and FriendsBy Nichole HuckTwas the night before Christmas And all throughout GhanahellipNot a creature was stirring except for the goats sheep roosters donkeys Iman who announces on the mosquersquos loudspeaker outside our bedroom window and the horn blasting taxi drivers. Nichole and Shawn were curled up under their mosquitoe net covered bed. With hopes that ma http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-229097.html Community Focused MediaBy Nichole HuckTamale Northern GhanaRadio plays a pivotal role in the day to day life of many people in Northern Ghana. The literacy rate is about 60 per cent and nearly all of the written media is in English. For people who can neither read or speak English local language radio programs is the only means of getting news. But radio is more than just news itrsquos t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-227518.html Paga Northern GhanaEcotourism or community centred tourism projects are popping up all over Ghana. The North of Ghana has a long dry season which scorches the earth and makes growing almost anything impossible. The Savannah grasses start to dry up in November and they wonrsquot see rain again until April. The harsh growing conditions coupled with difficulties securing land has driven many yo http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-225409.html Where were you when the riders won the Grey CupShawn Fraser Shawn Hughes and I were in an Internet Cafe in Tamale Northern Ghana. The three of us were pumped to find out our beloved Riders made it to the Grey Cup and against the bombers none the less. We decided that even though we are on the other side of the world we needed to be part of the night the Riders won the Grey Cup. Earlier i http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ghana/Northern/Tamale/blog-222792.html