My stay in Ghana was definitely a test of patience and a learning experience. This is only the second time Semester at Sea has docked in Ghana, and unfortunately, it was clear in the transportation issues that arose. I hate to begin this blog entry with a negative tone, because I met some wonderful people, but the stay here was difficult on me mentally, as well as physically.
Our ship was docked in the port town of Tema, which is roughly 45 minutes from the capital city of Accra. The first day, a group of friends and I wanted to go into Accra to explore the city and go to a market. To make a long story short, we were unable to get onto the Semester at Sea shuttles, so we eventually took a taxi around 12:30 to Accra, where we were dropped off at a local market. It was so interesting to see the wide range of products sold there, including soaps, shoes, dried fish, clothing, and cds! We realized we needed lunch, so we found a man to take us to downtown in a Tro-Tro, or a van. This van, however, stalled about 3 times on us and felt like it was about to fall apart! It was definitely an experience for all of us. We found a great restaurant to eat at and then we took another taxi to the arts center, or a large market. My friend David and I ran into a young man, about our age, who has a drum shop and wanted to show us his work. This led our group to his shop for a personal drumming lesson! It was so amazing to learn different rhythms together on the drums he made. Although I wasn’t great at it, I had a really fantastic time. On the way back to the ship, I noticed two differences in Ghana than in other countries I have visited. While every country has had an informal sector of labor, the informal sector of labor in Ghana is much larger. Roads are swarmed with individuals selling a multitude of items which are carried, usually in quite high stacks, on their heads. This could include plastic baggies of water, shoes, or plantain chips. Another observation I made was that many cars had flags on the inside near their front window. About half of the vehicles I saw had an American flag with Obama’s picture on it! Obama was found pretty much everywhere- in cars, in the markets, and even in artwork at the school I visited!
My second day in Ghana was spent visiting the Morning Star School, a Christian private school in Accra. Unfortunately, students were out for a three week holiday, but we enjoyed a tour of the facilities with their headmistress and were able to meet some of the 9th graders who were preparing for the mandatory government-run exams. Morning Star is a school which is run incredibly well, and due to donations from various organizations, it is able to support children from impoverished backgrounds. The headmistress was an organized and strong woman; it is clear she runs a tight ship at the school! Due to this, it is evident the outcomes of the students are favorable. 100% of the students go on to high school, and around 90% go to university. The headmistress actually attended University of Georgia to obtain her master’s degree in education; it was wonderful to see that she returned to her home country to serve students there. We were lucky to meet with some 9th graders during their lunch break. My friend Caitlin and I were greeted by Petrina, a 14 year old girl with a beautiful smile and an incredible personality! She definitely was not shy at the least, and asked us for our Facebook names, as she hopes to hear more about our travels. Petrina is very determined and is applying for an all-girl’s school after she completes the exams. She desires to be a business manager one day, which I think will be a possibility if she stays in school and remains positive about learning.
One of my goals for Ghana was to complete a service project, so I signed up to go to Habitat for Humanity. We drove roughly three hours to the work site, which is in a rural area of Ghana. It actually looked a lot like Haiti. Our job on the site started with moving three-pound cement bricks from a field (where they dried) to a shed. We then met the homeowner and daughter of the house we’d be working on. Throughout the morning, we shoveled dirt into pans, buckets, and wheelbarrows, and started to fill the foundation for the home. Although it doesn’t sound hard, believe me, in the 95-degree weather, it was! My attempts to hydrate the night before and during the morning unfortunately didn’t work out too well for me, and I actually got overheated and became quite ill. For 40 minutes before lunch, I sat in the bus. While I was upset that I was missing out on a service project, the bus driver, Oliver began talking to me, first by saying that God was watching over me. I moved up to the front of the bus and began asking him about himself and his life in Ghana, and he asked me about our voyage thus far. It was amazing how much of a connection you can make with a complete stranger in 30 minutes. He talked about his reservations with South Africa hosting the world cup because it is a country of racism, and he mentioned he loved the United States, and especially Obama. Oliver said that he was going to pray for me to do well in school and finish with high distinction next year, so I can become an ambassador for the United States. I laughed, and said thank you, and then asked what I could pray for him. He mentioned that all he wants is an opportunity to visit the United States for one month and see how we live, and to obtain a visa for the visit. Unfortunately, visas are hard to acquire in Ghana. I promised him I would pray for him, and he asked for my address so we could become pen pals. Although I knew I wasn’t aiding Ghana in a physical way, the care and concern Oliver and I shared for one another was a wonderful experience. I hope one day, I can receive a letter from him that says he obtained that visa.
A cultural opinion I picked up on throughout my stay in Ghana was the homophobia that persists throughout society. My discussions with several individuals inevitably ended up discussing religion (Christianity is the dominant religion in Ghana), and many individuals mentioned that they did not like gays. I knew that I was in a safe situation in these conversations (one included Oliver), so I decided to ask them why they thought homosexuality was bad. Most individuals stated that they thought that it was gross, it was unnatural, it was unright, or it was not what God intended. I cannot point fingers, because there are many individuals in the United States who believe the same way. But it was really heartbreaking to see a society that makes homosexuality illegal, would banish and even physically harm homosexuals, and believes than anyone who is homosexual cannot be, or is not, a child of God. I decided to tell Oliver that I can understand his opinion, but in my own life, I know homosexuals who love God and who love Christ, and are good Christians and wonderful people. He was shocked to hear this, and his response was overall positive. I knew I could not change his beliefs, but I thought maybe it would be good to mention that the United States is a place where homosexuals can be seen as children of God, and in the future, may have an equal stance in society.
Our final day in Ghana was a short one, but a pretty educating one, as well. In the morning a few friends and I headed to Tema to find a salon to get our hair braided. We found a salon and were greeted right away with smiles from about five women in the shop. They made us feel comfortable, and one woman immediately called me “her new friend” and sat me down. My friend Caitlin and I had about 11-12 braids braided in throughout our hair, and I am actually quite pleased with the result! My roommate Ashley had her hair partially braided into cornrows, and she looks really great! It was really fun to talk with these women, and we learned that we all have names according to what day of the week we’re born. I am a Monday-born, so I am called “Adjoa.” They were all so kind to us, and it was nice to spend time with them for the few hours. Afterwards, we headed to Accra for one last time. We went to a store called Global Mamas, which is a fair-trade NGO run by women. It was established by two former Peace Corps volunteers who wanted to make a long-term impact of women’s well-being in Ghana. I bought a beautiful Christmas ornament. On the way back to the ship, the bus driver on our Semester at Sea shuttle hit a woman’s basket that was being carried on her head. This lead to an incredible yelling match and a huge argument between the bus driver and angry individuals outside. Individuals were banging on our bus, and a man with a brick was outside my window. I was very fearful for what could happen, and we crouched down a few times, but I am happy to say the situation turned out alright once our bus driver swallowed his pride (about 30 minutes later), and paid the women for the damage he caused. This was definitely a sad way to end our stay in Ghana.
Overall, Ghana was a fascinating country, and one that for many reasons, I have difficulty understanding. Many of the men at the market were incredibly pushy and pulled on our arms, and seeing the homophobia that existed was also difficult. It is a country that I will have to process for some time, similar to my experience in China. I think it’s important to note, however, that the context of the lens at which I’m looking at Ghana is a bit different. To compare it to other nations we’ve been to is difficult, because in some ways it is similar to the other developing nations, but overall, the culture of Ghana is incredibly different from that in Vietnam and in India. Professor Lopez and I, and Ashley and I, have had many conversations trying to grapple our opinions and our experiences, but sometimes travel observations end in questions, rather than in statements.
There are 20 days left to the voyage, which is absolutely unreal to me. I will write you from Brazil, and I will write a final two entries: one on my way back the United States, and then one once I’ve made it back home to Dallas. I hope you all are healthy and happy!
Our ship was docked in the port town of Tema, which is roughly 45 minutes from the capital city of Accra. The first day, a group of friends and I wanted to go into Accra to explore the city and go to a market. To make a long story short, we were unable to get onto the Semester at Sea shuttles, so we eventually took a taxi around 12:30 to Accra, where we were dropped off at a local market. It was so interesting to see the wide range of products sold there, including soaps, shoes, dried fish, clothing, and cds! We realized we needed lunch, so we found a man to take us to downtown in a Tro-Tro, or a van. This van, however, stalled about 3 times on us and felt like it was about to fall apart! It was definitely an experience for all of us. We found a great restaurant to eat at and then we took another taxi to the arts center, or a large market. My friend David and I ran into a young man, about our age, who has a drum shop and wanted to show us his work. This led our group to his shop for a personal drumming lesson! It was so amazing to learn different rhythms together on the drums he made. Although I wasn’t great at it, I had a really fantastic time. On the way back to the ship, I noticed two differences in Ghana than in other countries I have visited. While every country has had an informal sector of labor, the informal sector of labor in Ghana is much larger. Roads are swarmed with individuals selling a multitude of items which are carried, usually in quite high stacks, on their heads. This could include plastic baggies of water, shoes, or plantain chips. Another observation I made was that many cars had flags on the inside near their front window. About half of the vehicles I saw had an American flag with Obama’s picture on it! Obama was found pretty much everywhere- in cars, in the markets, and even in artwork at the school I visited!
My second day in Ghana was spent visiting the Morning Star School, a Christian private school in Accra. Unfortunately, students were out for a three week holiday, but we enjoyed a tour of the facilities with their headmistress and were able to meet some of the 9th graders who were preparing for the mandatory government-run exams. Morning Star is a school which is run incredibly well, and due to donations from various organizations, it is able to support children from impoverished backgrounds. The headmistress was an organized and strong woman; it is clear she runs a tight ship at the school! Due to this, it is evident the outcomes of the students are favorable. 100% of the students go on to high school, and around 90% go to university. The headmistress actually attended University of Georgia to obtain her master’s degree in education; it was wonderful to see that she returned to her home country to serve students there. We were lucky to meet with some 9th graders during their lunch break. My friend Caitlin and I were greeted by Petrina, a 14 year old girl with a beautiful smile and an incredible personality! She definitely was not shy at the least, and asked us for our Facebook names, as she hopes to hear more about our travels. Petrina is very determined and is applying for an all-girl’s school after she completes the exams. She desires to be a business manager one day, which I think will be a possibility if she stays in school and remains positive about learning.
One of my goals for Ghana was to complete a service project, so I signed up to go to Habitat for Humanity. We drove roughly three hours to the work site, which is in a rural area of Ghana. It actually looked a lot like Haiti. Our job on the site started with moving three-pound cement bricks from a field (where they dried) to a shed. We then met the homeowner and daughter of the house we’d be working on. Throughout the morning, we shoveled dirt into pans, buckets, and wheelbarrows, and started to fill the foundation for the home. Although it doesn’t sound hard, believe me, in the 95-degree weather, it was! My attempts to hydrate the night before and during the morning unfortunately didn’t work out too well for me, and I actually got overheated and became quite ill. For 40 minutes before lunch, I sat in the bus. While I was upset that I was missing out on a service project, the bus driver, Oliver began talking to me, first by saying that God was watching over me. I moved up to the front of the bus and began asking him about himself and his life in Ghana, and he asked me about our voyage thus far. It was amazing how much of a connection you can make with a complete stranger in 30 minutes. He talked about his reservations with South Africa hosting the world cup because it is a country of racism, and he mentioned he loved the United States, and especially Obama. Oliver said that he was going to pray for me to do well in school and finish with high distinction next year, so I can become an ambassador for the United States. I laughed, and said thank you, and then asked what I could pray for him. He mentioned that all he wants is an opportunity to visit the United States for one month and see how we live, and to obtain a visa for the visit. Unfortunately, visas are hard to acquire in Ghana. I promised him I would pray for him, and he asked for my address so we could become pen pals. Although I knew I wasn’t aiding Ghana in a physical way, the care and concern Oliver and I shared for one another was a wonderful experience. I hope one day, I can receive a letter from him that says he obtained that visa.
A cultural opinion I picked up on throughout my stay in Ghana was the homophobia that persists throughout society. My discussions with several individuals inevitably ended up discussing religion (Christianity is the dominant religion in Ghana), and many individuals mentioned that they did not like gays. I knew that I was in a safe situation in these conversations (one included Oliver), so I decided to ask them why they thought homosexuality was bad. Most individuals stated that they thought that it was gross, it was unnatural, it was unright, or it was not what God intended. I cannot point fingers, because there are many individuals in the United States who believe the same way. But it was really heartbreaking to see a society that makes homosexuality illegal, would banish and even physically harm homosexuals, and believes than anyone who is homosexual cannot be, or is not, a child of God. I decided to tell Oliver that I can understand his opinion, but in my own life, I know homosexuals who love God and who love Christ, and are good Christians and wonderful people. He was shocked to hear this, and his response was overall positive. I knew I could not change his beliefs, but I thought maybe it would be good to mention that the United States is a place where homosexuals can be seen as children of God, and in the future, may have an equal stance in society.
Our final day in Ghana was a short one, but a pretty educating one, as well. In the morning a few friends and I headed to Tema to find a salon to get our hair braided. We found a salon and were greeted right away with smiles from about five women in the shop. They made us feel comfortable, and one woman immediately called me “her new friend” and sat me down. My friend Caitlin and I had about 11-12 braids braided in throughout our hair, and I am actually quite pleased with the result! My roommate Ashley had her hair partially braided into cornrows, and she looks really great! It was really fun to talk with these women, and we learned that we all have names according to what day of the week we’re born. I am a Monday-born, so I am called “Adjoa.” They were all so kind to us, and it was nice to spend time with them for the few hours. Afterwards, we headed to Accra for one last time. We went to a store called Global Mamas, which is a fair-trade NGO run by women. It was established by two former Peace Corps volunteers who wanted to make a long-term impact of women’s well-being in Ghana. I bought a beautiful Christmas ornament. On the way back to the ship, the bus driver on our Semester at Sea shuttle hit a woman’s basket that was being carried on her head. This lead to an incredible yelling match and a huge argument between the bus driver and angry individuals outside. Individuals were banging on our bus, and a man with a brick was outside my window. I was very fearful for what could happen, and we crouched down a few times, but I am happy to say the situation turned out alright once our bus driver swallowed his pride (about 30 minutes later), and paid the women for the damage he caused. This was definitely a sad way to end our stay in Ghana.
Overall, Ghana was a fascinating country, and one that for many reasons, I have difficulty understanding. Many of the men at the market were incredibly pushy and pulled on our arms, and seeing the homophobia that existed was also difficult. It is a country that I will have to process for some time, similar to my experience in China. I think it’s important to note, however, that the context of the lens at which I’m looking at Ghana is a bit different. To compare it to other nations we’ve been to is difficult, because in some ways it is similar to the other developing nations, but overall, the culture of Ghana is incredibly different from that in Vietnam and in India. Professor Lopez and I, and Ashley and I, have had many conversations trying to grapple our opinions and our experiences, but sometimes travel observations end in questions, rather than in statements.
There are 20 days left to the voyage, which is absolutely unreal to me. I will write you from Brazil, and I will write a final two entries: one on my way back the United States, and then one once I’ve made it back home to Dallas. I hope you all are healthy and happy!
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