Safer in Ghana than just about anywhere on earth

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A few months after arriving in Ghana some three years ago I realised that poverty and peace were not necessarily mutually exclusive. And it was just after the ice cream ran out (now that could have caused an international incident) on Christmas night in Cape Coast two weeks ago that I realized our motley group of “orphans” gathered around the table were safer living here--together--than just about any nation on the planet.

At a glance you would have said we were African, Asian and Caucasian. If you sat for a while you might have said we were Ghanaian, Australian, American, Japanese, and Canadian. And Ghanaians might have pointed out that they were Frafra, Krobo, Ewe, and Fanti, although they’d normally claim their Ghanaianness first (especially during the football).

The rest of the world would no doubt have spotted our religions: Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, atheists (not exactly a religion), and spiritualists.

Why we are safer here than almost any modern nation you care to name is that Ghanaians have transcended the thorny sounding concept of “religious tolerance”; they already live “acceptance.” They don’t question where or how you pray. And they won’t hold it against you if it’s not in their church or mosque. Most Ghanaians I’ve spoken to about this are only confused if you don’t pray at all.

And Ghana is not a target for any group or other. The one thing that Ghanaians won't condone is conflict, which I discovered during my experience in and on the way to Bawku where most people were fed up with the fighting.

The tolerance, in part, stems from education; this is a country where pre-schoolers are taught, in big bold letters on the concrete chalk board, to: "Love your Christian brothers and sisters and love your Muslim brothers and sisters." The Koran and The Bible are studied equally and respected equally in religious education classes.

This is an achievement by any standards. Moreover, in a nation where every day is a struggle to eat for over 95% of the population, and in a world that is increasingly polarised by religious "difference," that something has not become a scapegoat is almost unfathomable. Yet, you can safely and openly go about your prayers on whichever path you prefer to seek God. You can also wear your political preferences and tribal ethnicity on your sleeve too. (Sexuality, however, has a ways to go.)

Which brings me to an interview with the legendary Pico Iyer on World Hum in which he said,
“I think one of the curious consequences of 9/11 is that it used to be that the rich countries of the world seemed relatively safe and the poor ones relatively dangerous, but I don’t think we can rest on those illusions now. Actually, it may be the rich countries which are more dangerous now.”Perhaps it was always an illusion. Nevertheless, one can no longer equate “undeveloped” with “unsafe.” That would be delusion. Here in Ghana I know that poverty and peace are not mutually exclusive. I feel safe. If only poverty were an illusion.

Post-election jubilation

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Says it all: NDC supporters demonstrating their feeling after the electoral commission announced the outcome of the Presidential election: that's President John Evans Fiifi Atta-Mills' face stretched across that T-shirt.

Made in Ghana Limousines, TVs and much more...

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He didn't win the presidency, but Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom did ride in a Made in Ghana vehicle: the "Kantankan Obrempon". Kantankan is the brand name and Obrempon means "great person" or "greatness" in Twi. The Obrempon is a limousine. Yes, a limousine made in Ghana by Great Kosa Limited, the company established by...

The man behind the car, and the stereos, the speakers, the tractors, and the televisions: one Dr Apostle Kwadwo Safo, founder of Christ Reformed Church, where he often showcases his latest creations made by the 400 individuals trained to specialise in a specific area of assembly, from the beginning to the completion of a product.

Dr Safo is a trained welder who has designed and produced flat screen televisions which are constructed from the components--including the motherboard!--up at a factory at Gomoa Mpoto in the Central Region and which switch on with a clap!

These televisions look like they're from The Jetsons. Their casing is made from plywood which is carefully crafted into bubble-shaped cases or more traditional square cases and then primped and preened with the craftsmanship of a 16th Century Italian--buffed, sanded, and sprayed--until they're done and dried. And they work. So do the stereos with speakers which also increase in volume with a clap of your hands.

Maybe this is nothing new. Maybe this happens somewhere else. But he designed it here, and made it here, in a country where it's hard to find a car that won't break down after fifteen minutes on the road.

Dr Safo is garnering support among Ghanaians who are beginning to recognise that innovation has a place, and perhaps a more useful and exciting place, than the trend of acquiring pieces of paper--university degrees--that often prove useless in an atmosphere of few jobs for graduates.

After riding in the vehicle, Dr Nduom said that "Apostle Safo's feat was a clear testimony of the fact that Ghana could develop to where countries like Korea and Singapore were today." (ModernGhana.com)

Dr Safo is in discussions to build a large-scale manufacturing plant in Ghana. Perhaps the stability of recent elections will give investors confidence to put their money into this inspiring enterprise.

A Good Relationship is like Fufu

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You may be asking, what on this bountiful blue planet is fufu?

It's a staple of the Ghanaian diet, and other parts of Africa besides, that involves mashing boiled vegetables--plantain, cassava or yam--in a huge wooden mortar with a 4-foot long blunt-ended pole hewn from a tree until the vegetables become a sticky pale ball. It takes two people. It takes a long time. (Sounds like a relationship). The ball is then dropped in a spicy soup--palm, light or groundnut--and scooped up in the right hand and swallowed (not chewed - heaven forbid) whole.

And many humans could be forgiven for asking what makes a good relationship too?

Well, I was privvy to this tidbit of wisdom a couple of weeks ago at the marriage between a Ghanaian and Canadian couple of friends.

The analogy in Ghanaian folklore follows that creating a good relationship is like making fufu: one partner is the cassava and the other is the plantain (or yam if you're up north).

When you pound cassava and plantain into a sticky ball of fufu, which ain't easy, like you're average long-term relationship, you hit lumps, like you're average long-term relationship.

So, what next?

Ghanaians believe that it is the sole responsibility of the two to address the issues--those lumps--in the relationship. In other words, to discard those things that don't help the relationship, and keep pounding away at the rest. And to solve it yourself...

"So we are the caterers in the kitchen of relationship fufu, then..." I said out loud.

Culture and language - endless balls of fu....fu....n!!!

(Oh, and I chew my fufu...)

I say: "Afehyia paaaaa" (a-fish-i-a-paaaaah!)

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And you reply: "Afeenko mbe tuyee daa!"

That means I'm wishing you: "Happy New Year" in Twi, the most widely spoken indigenous language in Ghana.

And you're optimistically replying, as you do at New Year, unless you're thinking about resolutions: "The year will go and come and meet us again."

My Resolution 1: Stop having to be the one who says Afehyia paa because you've learnt how to say the response.

My Resolution 2: be able to pronounce "Afeenko mbe tuyee daa!" by next new year, as you resolved to do last new year.

Volunteering in Ghana - from a volunteer's perspective

Having volunteered and worked in Ghana for the past 2.5 years, and having met many volunteers burnt by corrupt and inept NGOs, I felt it was about time to acknowledge those that are genuine, don’t use volunteer funds for dishonest means, are doing a great service in the field in which they work, and give volunteers the best opportunities to make a difference.

G-lish Foundation in Ghana

G-lish Foundation was founded by myself and my Ghanaian partner in 2010 and welcomes you to volunteer in Africa.

A little bit more about us:

G-lish Foundation is a registered NGO in Ghana, West Africa, that works to create lasting social, economic and environmental change in impoverished rural communities in Ghana. The three “e”s underpin our approach: environment, economics, and equity—a sustainable approach for current and future generations. 

We are governed by an accomplished board and managed by our Ghanaian and Australian co-founders. We won a SEED Initiative Award in 2010 in recognition for our efforts in social entrepreneurship. The Award included a rigorous application process explained in ourvolunteer in Africa brochure.

Hand in Hand – Nkoranza

Hand in Hand is a Dutch-run NGO based in Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo region. It is primarily an orphanage for children and young people with mental and physical handicaps.

Hand in Hand provides a rare opportunity for orphans and those ostracized young people with mental disabilities to live and grow up in a safe, caring and open-minded environment. It is envisaged that those living at the site will live their for their entire lives, unless their village agrees to take them back.

Volunteers work with the managers to take care of the children, educate the public, and are involved in the day-to-day running of the project. An income generating workshop was set up when I visited. Many of the Downs Syndrome teenagers participate in the workshop and produced some of the most impressive beaded necklaces I have seen anywhere in Ghana.
I visited this site a couple of years ago when I was a volunteer with Global Mamas and was overwhelmed by the genuine compassion and kindness that staff and volunteers displayed. Most carers in orphanages physically abuse their charges or, at best, have no physical contact with them. Hand in Hand is, thankfully, a model that could be emulated at other institutions in Ghana.
3 hours north of Kumasi on a trotro. The closest large town is Techiman, a stopover on the journey between Kumasi and Tamale. If you go to Kumasi, don’t miss Kejetia market, the largest (and scariest – but be brave) open air market in West Africa.

Village Exchange International - Ho
VEI is based in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region. I first heard of VEG last year when they began discussions to partner with Global Mamas (the organisation that I work for) in 2007.
Established by a French national living in Ghana, it is one of the most well-organised, open, and inspiring NGOs I have come across.

VEI'sprojects are focused in three different areas:
Poverty alleviation strategies including microcredit schemes and small-entreprise development
Reproductive and sexual health programs
Research including quantitative and qualitative research methods applied to women's and health issues

The staff are great and they attract a high quality caliber of volunteer.

If you do choose to volunteer here, you’re blessed with some of Ghana’s most beautiful landscapes and cultural heritage a short bus ride away. Wli waterfalls, the largest waterfall in West Africa (according to the Bradt Guide) sits on the border between Ghana and Togo in the stunning village of Wli. Best time to visit is May – September during the rainy season when the Volta is lush and green. You’re also close to Kpetwe, an Ewe weaving village about 10 minutes outside of Ho.

Prices are average - lower than I-to-I and other volunteer "factories".

The Run-Off: Election 2008

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It's TAKE 2 in the campaign for "peaceful elections" and by far the most creative effort I have witnessed is this couple of performers I spotted during my lunch break today.

Showing their true colours: "Peaceful election" campaigning Ghana style. NPP - left, NDC – right So, none of the presidential candidates won more than 50% of the vote in the December 7 election: the NPP won over 49% and the NDC just over 47%. Personally, I'd be a little peeved if I were the NPP candidate. Nevertheless, The Constitution is The Constitution and until there is a referendum to change it, when no candidate receives 50% + 1 vote, an election between the top 2 candidates must be reheld to decide the President.

December 28 is D-Day. That means 3 more weeks of campaigning-related traffic jams if you're unfortunate enough to be traveling in Accra and 3 more weeks of campaigning masked as preaching at 4 a.m. in the morning if you live in a constituency worth battling for - which we do - Elmina. It adds a little je ne sais quois to the roosters' dawn music making, really.

The boxes on the head, by the way, are for small change. This is one way that people with few work prospects can raise a few pennies to eat for the day - and show that even serious messages can raise a smile, especially in Ghana.

Entertaining kids and taxi drivers and everyone else along the Kingsway Area today.

Post election update

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Post election update:

Sunday: The main street of Osu was a ghost town – hardly a soul to be seen; I guess the usual hustlers were standing in a queue somewhere, waiting their turn to vote – a happy thought.
Most importantly, voting was peaceful. Even in Bawku (read about Bawku in posts below), a traditional "hotspot", there was not a hint of violence.

It’s now Monday morning. The results are coming in! It is extremely close between the two main parties – a few thousand votes (over one million each have been counted) separated the presidential candidates at the last update.

The country is holding its collected breath. It will be at least midnight before a winner is announced. More updates to come.

Tuesday: Still no clear winner - conflicting numbers in the counting.
Peaceful though - business as usual. Good.

Election photos

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Supporter dancing at an NDC rally on Thursday in Cape Coast.


A spot of fridge moving during the NPP Rally

Election Fever in Ghana

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A one year old baby boy was dancing on his mother’s back beside me in a taxi this morning as if he was celebrating the pending third consecutive handover from one democratically elected official to the next along with his fellow citizens throughout the country.

The atmosphere throughout Ghana is as jubilant as the post-Ghana victory celebrations against Nigeria in the Africa Cup, only now it is two days before the legislative and presidential elections.
Masses of party supporters are taking to the streets in their respective party colours – red/green for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and red/blue for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) – and celebrating the way Ghanaians celebrate: dancing en masse along the streets, stopping traffic in every direction.

I see a twenty-something woman dressed in tight jeans and an NPP t-shirt heading to an NPP rally in Accra dancing on the side of the main highway by herself, head down, lost in a private reverie while the crowds stream by.

Other supporters are hanging out of buses, honking car horns and hitting bells with sticks as they dance along the streets.

While the t-shirts are not emblazoned with “Ghana” in red, green and gold, as they were during the football, the fact that individuals can freely rally and demonstrate their support for their party of choice in whatever colours they like, without fear of arrest or intimidation amounts to the same thing: “Ghana - we are free and fair!”

Ghanaians don’t grumble about having to go out and vote. They are climbing aboard lorry buses and traveling one, two or ten hundred kilometers to ink their index finger and cast votes, even if it means waiting in line from midnight the night before, which some will. They don’t take it for granted.

As the most peaceful nation on the continent, and the most stable nation in the West African region, that Sunday’s election progresses without serious violence is crucial not only for the continuous improvement of Ghana’s international standing, and for the well being of its citizens, but also to remain the anchor of regional stability. Ghana is a beacon of hope for West Africa and, indeed, the rest of the continent.

Campaigns urging “Peace” and “Peaceful elections” flooded television, radio and print media as early as August and have continued daily since.

Today, Friday 5th of December is National Farmer’s Day, a public holiday celebrating the contribution that farmers make to the country, and many Christians have attended church services that will not be held on Sunday – election day. I asked a well-dressed church-goer on Friday morning where she was headed and she said, “To church, to pray for peaceful elections…”
I asked one Muslim gentleman what he was doing today and he responded, “Praying to Almighty Allah to deliver all Ghanaians through a peaceful election…we are peace-loving people…”
The peace-loving tag is appropriate, but I asked him if he thought partisan tensions might erupt

in the old hot-spots like Tamale or Bawku in the north. “Of course,” he responded, “we may see some fighting in these places, some trouble will surely pass, but as for the entire country, it will not happen…” What he means is that there is likely to be pockets of fighting or scuffles, but the nation as a whole will remain calm.

The Presidential voting requires the Presidential candidate to win 50% +1 vote, however the two leading parties’ candidates – the incumbent NPP and the opposition NDC – are too close in the polls to call. Expert analysts suggest a “run-off” election is likely on 28th December. That is, they predict that neither of the leading parties will attain the required 50% +1 vote as dictated by the Constitution so the two leading parties will go to the polls again to determine the winner.

Ghana’s stability, or, if viewed another way, potential vulnerability will be put to the test if the result requires a run-off – tension between to the two rival parties will be high. We can only hope that the tolerance and acceptance between different religions is shown between political supporters of the two main rival parties.

If so, the tag “peace loving” will be truly valid and Ghana will remain the star of Africa.