The Answer my Friend is blowin' in the wind.

---

Hello friends…

Halloween came and went…Shawn and I marked the day with a papaya jack-o-lantern.
Since my last update…Shawn and I have moved. We are now living in a house with another girl from Regina (Shawn Hughes) a Dutch guy, a girl from Denmark and one Ghanaian woman.
It’s been really great to cook for ourselves - and as I type this…I’m listening to the prayers from the mosque next door. Five times a day (starting at 4 am sharp) the loudspeaker gets fired up to call everyone from the neighbourhood to the mosque to pray.

Shawn has been involved with a group called Goal Ghana. The goal is to use football to educate young people about everything from human rights to HIV. The first day Shawn and I went we taught the children (all 60) some games and I was able to bust out some action songs from my Catholic youth conference days.

Earlier this month we went to a wedding with the Fresh family. Our host dad’s sister was getting married. They had a band (drums, trumpet) and dancers - and it wasn’t long before I was in there dancing. Here - if a singer, musician, or dancer is really doing something special you show your appreciation by taking money and sticking it to their forehead while they perform. Apparently people liked my dancing because I was showered with money (which is collected and distributed to the musicians as their payment).

Work at Radio Justice is going well. I’ve been able to go out with reporters more often to do stories and I’ve learned a lot about disability and shea butter! (I have met the women who produce the shea butter for the body shop). This week the show I produce (Freedom Thursday) will feature a program on the relationship between police and the community. Police brutality has become a big issue - a couple of weeks ago one of my fellow reporters was assaulted by police. It was in retaliation for a story our station carried three months ago about officers accepting bribes.

I went with one of my co-workers to a school in a village near Tamale. The school runs a feeding program which is in jeopardy of losing its funding. The teachers credit the feeding program for keeping some of the kids in school. My co-worker is working on a photo essay about the school - and I’ll share it with you when he finishes.

The weather is getting hotter and drier - but the good news is that it will hopefully soon be mango season. I’ve started to notice them growing on trees. In the north here vegetables and fruit are quite limited considering the climate. The vegetables that are available are black eyed peas, yams, carrots (quite costly), tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, and things that resemble eggplants. We’ve gotten quite creative with our cooking - and have managed to make carrot cake, veggie burgers, and hummus.

I’m learning a lot about the culture - the woman who lives with us comes from a family of 37 children. Her father has five wives (even though Muslim men aren’t supposed to have more than 4). She said that some of the tribal chiefs have as many as 30 wives - and the women are allowed to take lovers out of marriage and even if she becomes pregnant with another man’s child - the chief will take support the children.

The weather has suddenly turned hotter, drier and windier. The changing season has also seen an increase in people with malaria. Shawn got it too -- but he's already recovered.

I appreciate the e-mails I get from you....I'm trying to stay in the loop -- at least with politics and the riders.

Until Next time,

Nichole

---

Photos

Happy Halloween
This is Shawn's Halloween present to me.

Pretty Fly for a White Guy
I may not be able to keep up with these women -- but who can blame me for trying. This was my first Ghanaian wedding.

If you are happy and you know it...
This is one of the girls that Shawn and I were living with.

Goal Ghana
These are some of the kids with Goal Ghana. Shawn has introduced them to duck, duck, goose...Who knew it could be so violent?

Goal Ghana Up and Comers
Football is everything to these kids -- most of them are pinning their goals to playing professional football. I told them school may be a good back up in case they break a leg.

Me in a traditional compound
This is how most homes are in the villages. They are round houses that are all in a circle and you cook in the middle.

School Days
This is one of my favourite pictures at the school. The kids were supposed to be working -- but they were distracted by something. I wonder who is to blame?

And you thought you had your hands full?
This teacher is responsible for all these students....the room is overflowing with them -- and they are temporarily in the teacher barracks until they can find more room for the ever growing student population.

Girl in Village
The major crop in this village is tobacco (seen behind the girl) -- it's good to know that teddy bears are universal.

Teachers have class
This is my favourite shot at the school.

Comments

[Vicki]

Wow Nichole. Your photos are gorgeous. Keep sending updates. Tales of hot and dry are much needed. The malaria not so much. Glad to hear Shawn recovered. Peace and papaya-o-laterns, Vicki