Blogs from Northern, Ghana, Africa - page 6

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

The Way Forward: Young women speak out about the importance of Education By Nichole Huck Over 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 always remains the same. Education is pointed to time and again as the way forward. And while it seems like a simple solution - the reality is there are many barriers preventing young women from accessing education and reaching their full potential. According to recent statistics from UNICEF less than 60 per cent of girls of primary school age in west and central Africa are enrolled in primary school and right now in ... read more

I think the biggest problem in photography today is the exploitation of other people’s pain. The last thing this world needs is another picture of some poor African kid. Here in the Buduburam refugee camp people hate cameras. There have been too many photographers who have come with broken promises and left with a collection of sad photos. They go back home (paradise compared to the conditions here) publish the photos and make money off of them. They profit while the people here still live a meager life. This is called exploitation. The strength of photography lies in its ability to evoke a sense of humanity. Just a simple glace at a photo can move a person’s heart. Photography has the unmatched ability of communicating the value of a human life. It cuts through stereotypes, prejudices, ... read more

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 co-workers) 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 co-workers Bawa Ibrahim. He prepared this photo essay and has interviewed traditional elders in his community. NOTE FROM AUTHOR: My name is Bawa Ibrahim and I am from the Dagomba ethnic group in Northern Ghana. I am twenty years old and have had my marks since I was one and a half years. I was given the marks as a form of treatment for convulsions when I was a baby. It is common for children in ... read more