Blogs from Tamale, Northern, Ghana, Africa - page 3

It's taken a little longer than I hoped to get internet access, but I finally do! The flights were fine. The flight from Amsterdam to Accra was much more comfortable than the first leg from Newark to Amsterdam. Our first day in Ghana we were treated like royalty. We got a police escort from the airport to our lodging at a near by college. The next day we met the Ghana Minister of Education. That night we had a cocktail party at the U.S. Embassy. I think they were just trying to treat us nice because it's the last time we'll get treated like that in two years. I've started to get my regiment of shots. It's going to take a while, and I'll basically be a human push pin by the time I'm done with ... read more

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 co-worker Jamilla when she discovered that in 8 months I had never actually prepared fufu. We had to do something about that stat! Here is a photo essay of how to make fufu. Enjoy! ... read more

Work Like You Don’t Need the Money: Volunteering in Ghana Ghana 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 even pay thousands of dollars to come here for a few weeks or months. Others, like me, are filling volunteer positions through development agencies in our countries. We flood NGO offices in the daytime and drinking spots at night. The living allowancess we take home, while pitiful by western standards, is sometimes double or triple what our co-workers earn We all have experience or education in the field we are working in and ... read more

I’m sitting in an internet Cafe in Tamale - less than 12 hours after arriving on the STC bus. In the few hours I’ve 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 long bus rides and tro-tro connections we were diving into the ocean. The ocean never ceases to amaze, astound, and scare the hell out of me. The waves provided hours of entertainment for us and guaranteed that Lloydminster wave pool will never again hold the same charm for me. We spent a few days in Butri and ... read more

Life in a Witch Camp: The Exile of Women in Northern Ghana Tamale, Northern Ghana By Nichole Huck We fear what we don’t understand. A child falls sick and dies without reason. Who do we blame? Is it God’s will, or is there some other force at work? Most people feel better having something or someone to blame for life’s misfortunes - and in Northern Ghana that blame often falls on elderly women believed to be witches. There are six witch camps scattered around Northern Ghana. Ad Hoc communities of those cast out of society, chased away by accusations, threats, and violence. The elderly women live in varying degrees of discomfort. Some do not have access to potable water and are forced to walk miles in the blistering heat of dry season to fetch water; others ... read more