Epilogue: Six Months Later

Dear Blog, 

It's been so long. 6  months? I totally meant to blog the second I got home to Canada. And then right before going to debriefing. And then during debriefing....and then when I got back to Kingston....and then right before England.....and now, here I am. I'm not exactly sure why I didn't just log on before this. Partly I think I felt now that I wasn't off having "meaningfuly experiences" people wouldn't really care what I was up to. I also think it was just easier not to....I was working through things, sure, and thinking, and talking but in some ways the pressure was off; I didn't really have to deal with anything if I didn't want to. There were times I just needed to live life and not think about things, and times when I was thinking about things way to much to put into words. I'm not sure if that explains it, but the point is, I wasn't ready - or I was ready but not willing to put in the effort. So instead I spent a summer working my old job, watching Buffy and playing Assasins Creed. It was a great summer, in a lot of ways. I had fun. I relaxed. I let my brain turn to mush. I read things for fun, and for interest, and that got me really excited about going back to school to study gender. I played with kittens and hung out with friends and mostly just did whatever the heck I wanted. It was pretty freakin good times.

It was also a tough summer. I was adjusting to life, listening to people complain - hearing myself complain - and feeling guilty and outraged at just how much we take our position as the world's rich elite for granted. I wrestled with talking too much and sounding like an superior, holier than thou hypocrite, and clamping shut and letting people carry on with their assumptions and tell me how brave I was. I also had to (well, chose to) run a workshop for One World' next participant, who is in Ghana now. Being part of his prep, talking about privilege and cultural appropriation, reading the same things I read a year earlier really made me think about how much that experience changed me - and how very, very much I still have to figure out.

So, coming home was both blissfully easy and heart breakingly difficult. I would go along, happy with my distractions and ceasar salad (God how I missed it) and fair trade coffee just loving the life I live. And then it would hit me and I'd suddenly be yelling and crying at people who mean well, or raging behind their backs. I avoided talking to my group, because I didn't know what to say. And I didn't even log onto my blog after debriefing because it all seemed so far away and I didn't feel like I had anything deep to say about it.

Anyway. Now I'm back and I'm not sure why. Maybe that extra glass of wine did me in. Maybe its my craving for Banku. Maybe I feel a little more useful and a little less guilty. Maybe I miss my family - my Ghanaian family (though I miss my Canadian family too). We're coming up to my one year anniversary with them and I wish I could be there to tell them I love them, and I miss them, and I'm sorry sometimes I was confusing to live with. Maybe my next step will be to write them.

I think though that maybe I've just come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to get closure on that experience - at least not for a long time. The remembering, and the guilt, and the understanding, and the frustration - these are things that will continue. But, crazily enough, I'm moving on with my life and Ghana is becoming another part of my story. Rather than ramble anymore about it, I'm going to provide anyone who's interested with an update on my life since Sept 12th, when I arrived in England.


So, for those of you who might be unaware,  I'm was accepted  to and decided to attend University of Leeds, and am doing a MA in Global Gender studies (basically development and gender studies mashed into one brilliant program). I got to Leeds a couple of weeks before term started, so I was able to take some time and get oriented. I also met up Dom (my sister) and Julie (our friend) in Paris for a couple of days - just enough time to visit, eat some fantastic food, walk around the major sites, and go on a chocolate and pastry tour of the city (yes, a chocolate and pastry tour - and yes, it was fabulous). The whole thing was fun, though exhausting. It was weird to come "home" to a room I'd lived in for about a week, but back I came. Then school started and any homesickness or doubt I was having melted away. Honestly, with the Center for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies (CIGS) it was love at first sight. The faculty are amazing, and so are the students. One thing I realized this summer was the importance of surrounding myself with people who share my values and voila - here I am, being taught by ,and alongside others who interested in gender, and women's rights, and who aren't afraid to call themselves feminists. I don't feel crazy for commenting on sexism, or questioning norms,  and I'm able to have the most wonderful conversations about so many things - some very deep an interesting others nice and fluffy. I have three classes, and I'm auditing a fourth. Here's a brief description of each which might give a sense of what this program is all about:

Researching Genders: where we talk bout conducting research, , alternative/feminist methodologies, and try to figure out how we're going to conduct our dissertations. We've been critiquing research methods that have been shown to be biased, or that tend to reinforce dominant ideologies. We've also been looking at some of the ways scholar conduct research that attempts to be more objective/sensitive towards sex and gender issues. It tend to be kind of complicated, but I understand its necessary.

Globalization, Gender and Development: pretty much what it sounds like. Not only do we talk about issues of importance for women in the developing world (immigration, labour rights, intrahousehold relations) but we also talk about the way gender is approached in mainstream development work/organizations; how some approaches have been more successful than others, and how some may help women's material conditions, but don't necessarily contribute to gender equality. Basically everything I want to be learning about and continue researching. Recently in this class we watched a film called China Blue, which I highly recommend.

Postcolonial Representations: This is an English class, though we look at both written texts and films. We basically sit around and talk about these text/films and postcolonial theory in my professor's office which is pretty much the most amazing place ever. When people start to kind of ramble I get distracted just looking at his bookshelves and all the novels he has stacked everywhere. He also has a picture of Margaret Atwood (among others) up on his wall. I love this class because it a) gives me an excuse to read novels b) keeps me focused on textual analysis and c) is helping me understand postcolonial theory better, which I think is going to be the main theory I use in my dissertation. I'm not sure what I would have done if I couldn't have had at least one English class - I'm not sure why but reading gender and postcolonialism in books just gives me a rush.

Contested Bodies: this is a class i'm auditing, because I had no more space in my timetable but was super interest in. It's hard to explain what exactly it is...here's a bit from the course description (I hope this doesn't count as plagerizing)
"on completion of this module, students should be able to:

• identify key theoretical concepts in the study of the body 

•  understand the critical debates surroudning the gendering of the body 
• critically analyse bodies and bodily practices from a gender and/or feminist perspective 
• review and critically appraise writing on the body and gender"

 these are all things I want to be able to do, though I'm not sure how descriptive they are, really. It's a course with a lot of variety; from the treatment of bodies in schools (queing up, seating arrangments, uniforms); to racialized constructions of beauty; to cosmetic surgery; to sex work...basically really fascinating stuff about how bodes are used, and gendered, and are sites for displays of ideology...and sites of resistance. Anyway, I find it interesting and useful enough to go to classes voluntarily (though I don't do any assignments, which is pretty nice).

Ok, well, that's what I'm up to this term. Next term I have one course, plus I'll start working seriously on my dissertation (that's the plan anyway). But, the point is, I'm having a great time; learning a lot, keeping busy, meeting and hanging out with amazing people. I am very busy, so I've only done one trip - to London to stay with my friend Julie. It was great, and I have to say, I really love that city. We saw Idina Menzel at the Royal Albert Hall, which was really amazing - both the performance and the theater itself. Julie also took me to the Tower of London, which for a history geek like myself was quite the adventure. We also walked around the major sites; Big Ben, London Eye, Westminster Abbey, St Pauls...the M&M store.  And we did a quick tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum which, among other things, had a really neat exhibit on Annie Lennox. I'm hoping next term I'll have more time to do a bit of travelling, as my schedule will be a bit more flexible (though I imagine I'll still be quite busy). This is a beautiful country, though it's quite a different experience moving here compared to moving to Ghana last year.

Ok Blog Followers. Last time I left you on the edge of your seats. I intended to keep you updated, but instead took some time away from this oh so public space. This time I'm going to officially say that I'm putting this blog to rest. It's something I'm really proud of, and happy I did; I've gotten such positive feedback and I really appreciate knowing how many people I was able to share my experiences with. I think I'm going to start another blog, so that I can continue to keep in touch with people, and to just put words to screen in a semi-coherent manner because it does help me figure stuff out. I'm probably going to put some Ghana pictures up on facebook soon, so I made add them here as well or find some other was to share them. In any case, thanks again for sticking with me. It has been amazing.

Love,
Jac

Homeward Bound

Well....the time has come. I leave tomorrow. My time in Ghana is pretty much at an end. It's so hard to believe, especially because these last couple of weeks have  just flown by. March 30th has been hovering on the horizon this whole trip, as a kind of end goal; often times, knowing it signified going home is what kept me going during the tough parts. And now that it's tomorrow it feels surreal - I think a part of me won't realize I'm leaving until the plane takes off. But slowly its sinking in - especially as I've revisited so many of the places and people that have meant so much to me.

Friday I travelled to Kumasi to meet 3 of my groupmembers and to hang out, reconnect and get ourselves organized for the last part of our trip. Even though I'd seen Matt and Michelle during work placement, it was so great to see them and so great to see Rachel, who I hadn't seen since early January. In a way, being back at the same hostel where we'd parted ways, together with people I hadn't seen in so long, it was like nothing had changed - I had this eerie feeling like the past 10 weeks hadn't even happened and I had yet to go to Accra. Just like last time we were there, we were a little too excited about the tv channel that played American shows (some of the time). The Saturday movie was even Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets! Whoot! And again, it was nice to have some mindless entertainment before getting into the process of saying goodbye to everyone and dealing with the transition of coming home.

Monday we went to Nkawkaw - which felt even more like coming home than Kumasi did. Nkawkaw was where it all began. It's where we spent our first couple of weeks in Ghana (minus the couple of whirlwind days in Accra when we first got here). And it was a home base for us during the village stay, and during our first retreat. It brought back so many memories of those first couple of months and all the excitement and turmoil they'd brought. It felt like being back to 4 months ago...but it also made me realize just how far we've all come. We stayed a couple of days, visiting with the Fathers, and with Father Andy in particular, who really took us under his wing during language lessons, and into the village stay and even work placement. He's been so fantastic and has gone above and beyond to make sure we had a fantastic trip, and I'm going to miss him so much - we all will.

Wednesday the whole group met up for a short check in and then parted ways again, going back to our respective villages. I was so excited to see my host family - and they seemed pretty excited to see me! Which was really nice - because I never expected going back to the village to feel like going home. I'd had some pictures from November printed off for them, and it was really fun to look through them together - especially with my younger siblings. It was also great to be back to village food - this time I wasn't as worried about not eating enough; and my family didn't seem as worried about it either which was nice. I was a little sad that contombre isn't in season, so I didn't get any of my favourite stew :(  But, I got over it, especially because now wild mushrooms are in season - I'd never had them before and they are amazing!! Most of all, it was nice to go to the village and feel comfortable right away. It took me so long to adapt to village life back in the fall; I was dealing with home sickness, and transitioning, and language and shyness and the loss of identity that comes from being totally removed from your usual surroundings. This time, I just felt more confident and comfortable in who I am; and with who I am in Ghana. This time around, I also felt a lot less pressure to learn whatever I thought I was "supposed" to be learning or being a "good" One Worlder" (whatever that is). Instead, I knew I just had to focus on being present; on enjoying my time in the village and with my family and to say goodbye. In a way, it was nice to come back and realize how different I am now than I was in November; to realize how much I've grown and changed and to make peace with my struggles in the village. It's always easier to look back on periods of growth and see the benefit than to live and struggle through it at the time. It's nice to be on this side of the process and to be able to appreciate everything I've been through - in village, travel time, work placement, all of it. I value this whole experience so much and I can honestly say that, no matter how difficult it's been I'm really, really glad that I chose to see Ghana this way.

It was tough to leave my family yesterday - I was sad to say goodbye. I was also ready to say goodbye. I'm ready to go home, even though I still have apprehension of what that will be like. An emotional rollercoaster ride, I'm sure. There will be TV shows to catch up, and movies to watch, friends to reconnect with, food to eat and lots and lots to think about. We have information that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is on  the plane - so I know how I'm spending the first couple hours of the flight! It's exciting to have things to look forward to; whether Harry Potter, or seeing my family, or eating Pizza, or going back to school. And it's ok, I think, to be a little bit anxious; about how guilty I'll feel, whether people will understand my experience, or whether the whole going home experience will end up being anti-climactic. I am looking forward to 5 days of falling apart and letting myself enjoy everything I've been missing about home - regardless of whether or not it lives up to my expectations or how it makes me feel in the end. I know de-briefing will be a great way of figuring those things out and how to continue living in Canada with the perspectives and experiences I've gained in Ghana. For now, I'm going to enjoy my last 24 hours or so in Accra. The group is going out for a final dinner of wakye at the best wakye stand in Accra (according to me, Hannah, and Jennifer). So on that note, I guess I'm signing off on my last blog from Ghana. But fear not, faithful fans! I will blog again once home, because I suspect I'll have more to say and I consider coming home a huge - and hugely important - part of this program and this experience.

So, thank you all again for reading, and for supporting me during the past five and half months (!). I've really loved being able to blog and to share some of my experiences with you.

See you (I hope) in Canada!!!!

Love,
Jac

Hello Blog,

I can't believe it, but work placement is done! It's my last day in Accra before heading back to the villages. It's been quite the final week; let me tell you all about it.


Monday:
On Monday AFAWI held one of its monthly meetings for community members living with HIV/AIDS, run through the "Hope Project". It was held at our office, and got to sit in - even though it was mostly in Twi so I didn't understand everything. We had a guest speaker come in and talk about healthy living and proper nutrition. She was a fantastic speaker, and even though I didn't understand a lot of it, I could tell that the audience was really engaged. She even gave a cooking demonstration on healthy food options such as omelets, homemade soy milk and Sorrel - a drink made of an herbal infusion, ginger and juice. I got to sample some and it was ammmaazzzinnngg! She focused on foods that were both nutritious, and affordable and told the members where they could buy the ingredients and for how much. It was so great to be a part of the meeting. The Hope Project participants were all so friendly, and it really felt like they had a great sense of community and support. I'm so glad I got to see a meeting before my time with AFAWI ended.

Tuesday:
Tuesday was my last day of work, which was weird. It wasn't a very busy day, since I'd finished my final report and didn't have anything else to work on. I don't think its really sunk in yet that I'm not going back. Going to work everyday; getting my breakfast, riding the trotro, walking to the office...being at the office....coming home....that's been my schedule for 2 months and its strange that all of a sudden its over. I'm so grateful though for the time that I got to spend there. It wasn't always the most exciting place in the world, and I wouldn't call it my dream job - but I've learned so much about how NGOs function day to day, how important funding is and how difficult it is to come by; I've seen different projects and how they come together and what changes have been made; and I've also seen the challenges and the struggles they face. I feel like I have a much better sense of what terms like  'advocacy work' and ' grassroots development' really look like, rather than just thinking of them in abstract, academic terms. My final report also gave me the chance to think really critically about my internship, and about AFAWI and to come up with recommendations. In some way that's a little scary, because I don't feel qualified to do things like that. But it also felt good, because - even if my recommendations are crap or unrealistic, I took a stance and wrote it out, and I feel like I do have a certain amount of knowledge about International Development - from school, from my internship, from talking to my group mates about their volunteer work. I did feel like I was able to grasp a lot of what's going on and to form opinions about it. It feels good to be able to do that; I think it makes me appreciate my degree a lot more. I think I've just kind of been unsure about what I actually learned in school, but being able to apply it has made me realize how much I do know, as well as how much more I want to learn. It also felt good because part of the report was a summary of the work I've done with AFAWI, and it was nice to see it in writing and be like, yeah! I accomplished things! I worked on projects! I find it so much easier to picture myself working in this sector; which is both encouraging and a little frightening! I'm also really grateful that my work placement introduced me to some of the challenges facing women and girls in Ghana. This was something I really wanted to learn more about and I feel like I've accomplished that goal. All in all, I'm really thankful for my work placement and everything that its given me, and taught me.


Wednesday:

 Yesterday I had a couple of appointments at two NGOs, just to talk about different issues. First, I went to the Third World Network, which I'd visited a couple of weeks ago, but the gender officer wasn't in, so I made an arrangement to come back. TWN does a lot of research and advocacy work on things like the World Trade Organization and Economic Partnership Agreements between the developed and the developing world. I talked to the gender officer, a woman named Pauline, about how  economic agreements, and specifically free trade agreements hurt Ghanaians, and specifically Ghanaian women. Right now Ghana is in the midst of negotiating EPAs with the European Union, and looks like they are going to sign. The problems TWN sees with these agreements is that they are being negotiated from unequal positions. Ghana is not as economically or politically strong as the EU countries, so it cannot negotiate from a place of strength. This means that often agreements are disproportionately beneficial to the more powerful country. TWN also encourages countries to negotiate as part of a regional block - meaning Ghana should negotiate as part of the African Union, rather than as an individual. There's been a trend towards individual negotiations because of a kind of 'divide and conquer' strategy among developed countries, as it is easier to get what they want when only dealing with a single government. One of the major outcomes of WTO and EPA agreements has been that they opened Ghana up to foreign imports, before its local economies were in a position to compete. For instance, small scale Ghanaian farmers cannot compete with mass producing, heavily subsidized American and European farms, who flood the market with cheaper goods and put small scale producers out of business. Women are particularly vulnerable, as many of the industries effected have been  those in which women tend to dominate. for example, Ghana used to have a very strong textile industry. However, it's been damaged by the huge influx of imported, used clothing from the west. When we give our used clothing to charity shops, those items that aren't sold on the floor are usually packed off, and sold in bulk to exporting companies, which in turn sell them to dealers in the developing world. Everywhere you go in Ghana there are used clothes for sale - super cheap, for the most part. I bought a used skirt for work because it was the cheaper option, and felt more in solidarity with the poor (and its also just super easy to do). Hannah and I went to a used clothes market on the weekend to check it out and it was insane how big it was, and how many clothing stalls there were, just chalk full of used western clothing. It was like a maze - I felt like I could easily get lost in there. It's hard to imagine that there's a big enough market to support that many used clothing stalls all in one place. The upshot though, is that with all this super cheap clothing, the local textile industry has really suffered; it just cannot compete. The same goes for tailors and dressmakers, who have lost a lot of business because its so much cheaper to buy clothes than have them made (even though having clothes made is also really cheap compared to in Canada). Both these sectors have traditionally been dominated by women; women are also more likely to be small scale agricultural producers. So these economic agreements have had really dire consequences, often taking away women's livelihoods.


TWN also does work on extractive industries, especially in gold, and so Pauline and I talked a bit about that as well. They focus on helping mining communities negotiate with companies (most of which are foreign, and many of which are Canadian), to try and ensure more of the profits from mining get reinvested into the community. The organization hasn't done too much work on oil, but we talked about that as well and it was really interesting to hear her perspective. Since being here, I've heard and read a lot about the discovery of oil in Ghana, which they've now started drilling. For the most part, its been heralded as a magic pill; it will save Ghana, it will help development etc. I've been skeptical, because oil has often actually been detrimental to development. Pauline is also skeptical, and believes that the growing industry will help only certain Ghanaians, possibly leading to inflation without raising the incomes of the majority. She does not believe that Ghana has the resources and capacity for monitoring, which will allow for a lot of corruption to develop in the oil sector (as is often the case). She made  a really good point too, in saying that for a long time, gold was supposed to be the key to Ghana's development; Ghana was, during colonial times, known as the "Gold Coast". But that hasn't been the case, because gold is merely extracted, and the profits invested elsewhere. There's a need for downward linkages in these extractive industries - for Ghana to be involved in the processing and manufacturing, in order for real economic growth to come from natural resource industries. If foreign companies come in and extract the natural resources, the money doesn't get reinvested, it gets taken out of the economy, depleting stocks without adding much in the way of economic development.  This could definitely be the case in the oil industry, even though there's been a lot of talk about ensuring that profits stay in Ghana. But when dealing with international oil companies, can Ghana really ensure that? I'm doubtful. We touched briefly on economic concerns as well - again, discussion how Ghana doesn't really have the capacity to ensure environmental protection. Anyway, it was a really interesting conversation. I'm definitely going to keep an eye on how Ghana's oil industry does develop, and what the consequences are, good and/or bad.




When I had first emailed Pauline to set up an interview, she also recommended (based on my interests) that I contact an organization called Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights. I hadn't been able to, but then on Monday, at the Hope Project meeting, I was chatting to one of the resource people who - amazingly - it turns out works for ARHR. Emily (the American volunteer at AFAWI) visited ARHR on Wednesday afternoon, and talked to a woman named Henrietta about the organization's work. ARHR does work on HIV/AIDs, as well as on maternal health and family planning. They focus on research and advocacy, as well as monitoring of government projects. Henrietta's focus is on maternal health, and so we talked about some of the issues facing maternal health in Ghana. Mainly, there's a problem with access to health care, especially in rural areas. Many women are unable to get pre-natal care, because there are not enough doctors, nurses, midwives  nor are there enough medical facilities or equipment. A lot of their advocacy work focuses on trying to get the government to improve services; especially emergency obstetrics equipment and blood - as hemorrhaging is currently the leading cause of death during childbirth in Ghana. They also focus on education; emphasizing to parents that they have a duty to seek medical care, even if that means temporarily moving closer to a health facility as their due date approaches.


We also talked about family planning, as this is something I'm becoming really interested in. I was really shocked to hear that only 17% of women use contraception in Ghana; and that number has declined in recent years. Their studies have shown that price and access are minimal barriers - both condoms and oral contraceptives are cheap, and you don't need a prescription to get them (which is an issue in and of itself). The biggest barriers are misconceptions about side effects - which I'm thinking are probably not helped my the whole not needing a prescription thing. There's something to be said for having to have your doctor explain it all to you; both for confidence, and for the real health concerns. There's also this perception in Ghana that if a woman wants to be on birth control, or use condoms its because she's sexually promiscuous. In some marriages and partnerships, the man in particular will object to their use for this reason. Women often hide the fact that they're using birth control, meaning that instead of going to a doctor or health facility, they get their information and possibly the drugs through friends, or other unofficial means - not exactly ideal. We came back to the issues of women's education and financial empowerment. Henrietta explained that an illiterate woman in particular is not seen as being in a position to argue with her husband, or take part in discussions about family planning. Just one more argument for women's education. Being educated allows a woman to contribute to discussions and decisions, increases her knowledge about family planning or how to find more information about family planning (eg. being computer literate allows her to search for information online), allows her to better care for her children and improves both child and maternal health. Ghana is also still a pro-natal country; people really value having children, although there is less of an emphasis on large families, mostly for economic reasons. As women work outside the home, they tend to want smaller families, in particular if their paying for child care. Fewer children is also just cheaper in general - so there is a trend in that sense. Still, the fertility rate is quite high (my host family has 10 children, so there's one example). Anyway, it was all very interesting, and she gave us quite a few resources which I hope to go over when I have more time. I feel very strongly about access to birth control; access also meaning that its socially and culturally accessible to women, not just that its in the shops or that its reasonably affordable. I talked about this in a previous blog about marital rape; but I'll say some of it again. I think it's really important that family units be able to plan the number of children they have, so they can invest more in these children - send them to school, feed them nutritious food etc. This is also true on a national level - and for that matter, a global level. We cannot support an infinitely growing population, especially if we want to eliminate poverty and allow everyone to live at a reasonable standard of living. It's also particularly important for women to be able to control family size as they continue to be primary care givers - which I think also needs to change, but there's kind of a chicken and egg phenomena. Ideally, either parents would share the responsibility equally; or the parent who cares for the child would still be an equal member of the partnership. However, it seems to still be the case that the breadwinner makes most of the decisions; and so not only does each new child mean more work for the mother, but it seems that it can also mean that she has fewer opportunities to work outside the home; meaning her position in the husband/wife relationship can be reduced - further hindering her ability to control her fertility and make decisions about family planning. Which sucks. And it's not like the pill is a magical solution - there are clearly deeper issues here that need to be addressed. But I do think that if women have more control over their fertility, it can have larger repercussions as far as their economic empowerment; which in turn can make them better equipped to make family planning decisions.  It's allll interconnected. Anyway; like I said, it's something I've become very interested in, and I'm thinking of looking more into attitudes towards, perceptions of and access to contraception as part of my masters next year - though I change my mind on that every other day so we'll see.  It was such an interesting visit though. A lot of what we talked about were things I thought, or had noticed, but it was so informative to have them explained and confirmed and elaborated on. Anyway, here's their website if anyone is interested!


http://arhr.org.gh/

Ok, so that was my week. Now it's Thursday, and it's been mostly laundry and packing and preparing myself to leave. I've had such an amazing two months in Accra, and I can't believe its over. This city is so complicated, and its given me so many opportunities to learn. It's given me the opportunity to compare rural and urban living in Ghana, and a glimpse at some of the economic disparity that exists in this country. It's also an interesting time to be here - lately there's been a crackdown on people selling (illegally) in the street. There's this whole chunk of sidewalk around circle where there used to be clothes sellers hawking their wares....one day though there was a raid while I was walking home and lately there have been patrols. That whole area now just has a couple of stands; its strange how much its changed. Ghana has such a huge informal economy, and transitioning from informal to formal will be difficult; I'm not even sure if I really support it. Right now, all I can think is, how will those people make money if they can't sell things in the street? There clearly aren't enough formal sector jobs for them. I don't know what will happen. I'm sure it will be a while before there's a huge transition - the informal economy is just too big, I think. But its interesting to see the process starting. I wonder, if I came back in a few years, what other areas will have changed? And what will that have meant....that the economy is stronger? That people have more opportunities in the formal sector? Or that their ability to earn a living has decreased, that they are no longer as visible but still there? So many questions....I don't know. 'Development' can such a crazy process, and not one I'm always a fan of. Ironic, given my career choice. Anyway. I do think that I'll come back here one day - I want to. For now, I'm focusing on being grateful for my time, for everything I've learned and experienced. I'm also focusing on saying goodbye, and letting go. And being excited to come home. Which I AM excited for - I know I may not have sounded like it in my last blog. But I'm finding as it gets closer, I do feel ready, and eager and excited. Not just to enjoy home, and the luxuries and food and all that (but there is that part of it - I'm only human). I'm also excited to start looking at Canada from a new perspective and to figure out things like living simply and advocating for women's rights at home. It's going to be tough. And awesomely fantastic. And it's only 2 weeks away!!!


Well, thanks for reading! I don't know what blogging will be like the next two weeks, but I'm sure I'll be back at least once more before I leave.


Peace,
Jac

"Waisted Years"

The title of this blog comes from the window stickers on the back of a certain trotro that I've seen several times on my way to work. Pretty much all trotros and taxis here have stickers spelling out some kind of cryptic message - many times religious, often time hilarious, and quite a fair few - this one for example - probably demonstrating less than stellar spelling skills. The first time I saw it I snickered to myself, without giving it much though. But the other day I saw it and I found myself thinking about what it could actually mean....I mean, it's kind of a interesting (if accidental) comment on this obsession we (the west?) have on waist size, and perhaps the amount of time and energy that is wasted on this particular compulsion (I also just love puns). These thoughts were probably influenced by a reminder from our program coordinator to start thinking about body image in preparation for coming home. It's apparently very common for participants to struggle with weight and body image when they come home, and I'm really starting to understand why. There's this expectation that if you go to Africa to live as the poor do, you'll come back all thin and emaciated. But, poor doesn't always equal starving, and we certainly have not been in such extreme conditions. Instead let's consider Bennett's law: that as income rises, reliance on starchy staples for caloric intake decreases. IE when you're on a limited income, you eat a lot of starch because its cheap, and gives you lots of energy....not the most nutritious diet though, and also not one you should partake in if you're trying to lose weight. So many of the staple foods here are balls of some kind of dough; the banku, fufu, and kenke; other popular dishes are white rice (mmmm, empty calories!) and rice and beans (slightly more nutritional content), both served usually with tomato stew. Yams are also a hot number. And Ghanaians do eat a lot, especially in one sitting (whereas I think North Americans eat a lot, but over longer stretches of time through constant snacking). Our host families are also extremely hospitable and generous and eager to see us well fed. More than well fed. I struggled a lot in the village with portion sizes - I felt constantly full but fought to eat as much of my meals as I could because I was afraid of offending my family. This fear was  well founded because even though I LOVE fufu and soup, my family thought I hated it and kept trying to buy me eggs or bread or something because they thought I wasn't eating enough on fufu nights  - and trust me, I was eating A LOT. I did end up gaining a bit of a "fufu gut" (well, a lot of a fufu gut actually) and I can't say I was very happy about it. I'm not hugely self-conscious about my weight normally, but I do usually wish I was just a little thinner, with a little less muffin top. It can also be tough because Ghanaians are very frank about weight issues - and telling someone they are fat can be a compliment. Thank you? Not that that really helps, because when you're being told you've gotten "nice and big"; it's hard to shake the North American connotations. It's also just not fun to constantly feel like you've eaten too much when you're body's still adjusting to the change in diet anyway. Anyway, that was the village, and at some point I just did the best I could, ate as much I was comfortable with and tried to explain to my family that I loved the food I just wanted to make it home without exploding first. And as for weight, I let it go and accepted that I would have to relinquish control over my body for a short period of time and I'd deal with it when I got home.

It was a relief though to get to Accra, and to be able to control my portion sizes, as well as what I eat. We are on a budget of 2 cedis a day - with a goal close to 1.80. This is totally enough food for me, even though it sometimes means limited options. Having the budget has also forced me to think a lot about food - in a different way than I thought about it at home. Yes, I've been on a student budget, I've had to shop carefully, and I have sometimes even exemplified Bennet's Law....lots of pasta, and pretty much vegetarian -but not to the same extent. Everyday I weigh my options for each meal - do I get milk in my rice porridge, or do I save those 20 peswas for a snack later? Is it better to get the calcium and have a more filling breakfast, or to get a bofruit (delicious ball of dough fried in coconut oil) on the way home from work. Should I get salad in my wakye for 10 peswas, or a bigger portion of rice? Would I rather feel more full, or get a few vitamins and fill my craving for veggies? Just as with shopping, my attitude is no longer - do I want it and can I afford it with the money I have now? Rather it's, do I need this, and what am I giving up if I do buy it. I also find that I'm usually pretty hungry when I eat, and so my meals are really satisfying - yet I'm satisfied with what I eat instead of totally binging out (which I can't afford to do). Not that I'm never hungry at home, but usually I'm not too hungry before I just eat something. Sometimes I'm not even hungry, I just feel like eating because food is delicious. And it's delicious here too and often I wish I could just eat more, and sometimes I splurge and get closer to the 2 cedi maximum than other days. But its made me slow down and think through each purchase and to be content with enough.

Being in Accra and having smaller portions has also meant that my fufu gut has shrunk somewhat - though it's still with me. And I'm sure it will come back in full force once I return to village portions int he next couple of weeks. I visited Michelle last weekend in the town of Assessewa (not spelt right, sorry), where she lives with her host mother, and it was a shock to be fed by a family again. I'm still recovering from the biggest bowl of oatmeal I've seen in my life...well, since I was last in my own village, actually. Yet I've also gotten used to not carring as much about my weight. I'm surrounded by people who just really don't seem to care as much about it, and really, caring about weight usually means caring that other people are judging me. The girls here don't seem to obsess, and even actors in movies, models on billboards are so...normal looking? What is normal, right? But they arn't stick thin and its been refreshing. I also partly realize that people are far more concerned with my skin colour than with my waist size; or for that matter how frizzy my hair gets in this heat and away from my arsenal of conditioners and gels; though the skin breakout from the heat and sunscreen use have caused some concern about how much the mosquitoes bite me...sigh. Anyway, the point is, it's been refreshing not to always look in the mirror and immediatly mentally note how fat or thin I look and what that will mean for my day. I'm ok with my weight right now. But I'm worried I won't be when I get home. I'm worried that it will all come back to me and my clothes won't fit, and I'll feel that everyone will be judging me especially because I just came back from Africa. And it doens't help that despite the fact that I LOVE Ghanaian food, I often feel like I'm in the cast of Oliver!, dreaming and fantaszing about that wonderful array of food that awaits us in Canada - land of plenty, thanks to food imports. There were chocolate covered pretzels in my care package from home and I nearly passed out from tastebud overload. My point is, I'm worried a) that I'll lose this new attitude towards food, in which I eat primarily out of need, not want and b) that I'm not exactly going on a diet when I get home so it'll be hard to shed these extra pounds. I want to emphasize that it's not that I'm happy I'm eating less. I think I'm just more aware of what I do eat and things like nutrition, and whether I'm full or hungry or just eating because I want to. I don't want it to sound like I'm on a poverty-diet or anything. Because I eat plenty! It just feel like a healthy attitude; unlike the constant pulling between satisfying my every cravings or denying myself to lose weight.

Another thing I love about the food here is how much of it is local - at least, how much of what is available to me is local. I know that there are all kind of crazy processed foods available in the supermarkets, and I've bought biscuits as a treat, or crackers when I was sick  - which are not local. But so much of what I do eat  is farmed nearby, and brought to market and sold without going through the various steps of transport and processing. In WisiWisi, most of what I ate was grown on the farm, dug up before my very eyes. I'm torn because there are tons of foods I love at home that are only available to me because they have come from far off...orrr beacause they've been insanely processed. And I don't think I'll give them up completely. I just want to make more of an effort to know where my food comes from. I've never been one for farmers markets because hardly anything will get me to wake up that early on a weekend...but I see the appeal now, of knowing the person who grows your food, of knowing what went into it. And just, feeling more connected to it somehow. I probably sound like a bit of a hippie. That's ok. It's just something else to think about and figure out when I get home. Who knows how it will go. Perhaps I will revert to my old ways.....probably I will, at least sometimes. But maybe I will also start being more aware of what I eat - not in a calorie counting way but in a what exactly am I putting in my body kind of way. And hopefully I will think a bit more in terms of needs instead of wants and I will probably be healthier for it. And hopefully I will also be able to eat healthily and keep a healthy weight without obsessing over it or feeling like I have to conform to the North American stick insect ideal. More than ever I really know how artificial that is.

Side note on health issues - I do get enough to eat, as should be demonstrated by the fact that I have gained not lost weight. And it may not be the healthiest diet as far as nutrients are concerned, but I do take vitamins every day, brought from home. It's one of the many ways that this program is artificial and I am not really going through what "the poor" go through. Anyway, there's that. So, don't worry about my health. But...if you see me when I first get home and I'm looking rather well fed please don't think that it means I wasn't really living in solidarity with the poor. I've been pretty honest I think, about the ways in which I haven't been, but I have really kept to this food budget and the weight stuff has more to do with the type of food, I think, than the amount. It goes to show also, that poverty isn't always what you think it is. And of course, it doesn't mean that poor people everywhere are well fed. But food security is a complicated issues, and my experience has been based on my family, in my region, in this country. Also, the program is not ever going to force us into such extreme poverty that we are literarlly starving. Food security is one of the most complicated issues I've ever studied so I'll just leave it at that. What I'm taking out of this experience is better understanding of the difference between rural and urban food security, and an awareness that it isn't just about calories and starvation, but also about nutrition. For myself, I am also more aware of how indulgent we are in the West and am perhaps better prepared to struggle through that. And to navigate the complex relationship I think women especially, struggle with in the west - between giving into our cravings and desires, and also struggling to stay thin. Like anything else, it's a work in progress. We'll see how it goes. In the meantime, I'm going to continue enjoying the amazing foods that I know I'll miss once I'm home. I'll continue to be excited about the foods I miss now, which I get to eat in 3 weeks. And I'll try to focus on being healthy and well fed and having enough, without concerning myself too much about my waist size.

Let's Go to the Mall?

So, the past week has been a busy one. I'm going to focus on one little episode though, for the sake of time. First,  I want to explain a little bit about One World to give some context to the story. Our program is focused not just on experiential learning and volunteering in Ghana, but also on living in solidarity with the economic poor while we're here. We live on a budget that, for the most part, reflects the economic conditions of many of Ghana's lower class. We are also trained to think about whether or not something is a "want" or a need" and to strive to only spend money on needs and try to do without those wants for a while. This has been an amazing experience, and I know from talking to other volunteers and tourists that's it's really shaped my experience here, my perception of the country, and it has really changed my understanding of poverty in general. It's been tough though, and like I've talked about before, it becomes really tough when you realize how artificial it is. Still worthwhile, but it can be frustrating. And it's been really hard in Accra where I feel like I've had access to so many more options than I did in the village, and where sometimes I've been tempted...and given into the temptation...to buy treats which I know technically aren't part of living in solidarity. It's a struggle to figure out what is a want and what is a need, and to identify the ways I make excuses for myself and justify certain actions. It's been like a practice run for going home, and figuring out what level of lifestyle I can sustain while still striving to "live simply",  focusing on needs, not wants, and not allowing wants to dictate my actions without consideration of the impacts of my choices. So, that's the context.

Now for the adventure. It may not sound exciting, but it was huge for me. On Thursday I had the day off work, so I decided to run some errands. I visited an NGO, and then decided to go the mall to get some pictures developed.

-ok - no one is probably reading these anymore, but I just realized that a big chunk of this blog got cut out. What was here was me explaining that I went to the mall, and that it was a huge shock to the system, especially when compared to the informal economy that is running its course right outside the doors. It felt like stepping through a protal back to North America and it was extremely overwhelming. I had to walk around for a bit with my sunglasses on because I got a little teary and panicky - it was just too much seeing all the expensive shops and knowing how many people in Ghana do not have access to the products I was seeing. Many people shopping there were clearly western tourists, though there were also quite a few rich Ghanaiains. It was an experience that really emphasized the extent of Ghana's economic disparity. Anyway, this cuts to a weird spot but heres the rest of what I wrote at the time:


 as well as rich Ghanaians. Maybe I never would have known that the same notebook on sale for 10 cedis is available at any street shop for 3.50. Or that I can get a beautiful dress made for 10 cedis, instead of spending 30 on a t-shirt. In Canada, its far easier for me to ignore the disparity between rich and poor because even being a "poor student" I've never really altered my lifestyle. Become more sale-savvy maybe; ate a lot more mac and cheese. But I never really had to explore the question of how differently I live than the economic poor in my own country. One of my goals for going home is to try to become more aware of my country's economic gaps and to start identifying some of the things I have access to which other don't. I know it won't look the same as in Ghana, because the informal economy here is completely different. Maybe the mall is more accessible - the Cataraqui Town Centre chain stores are certainly cheaper than the downtown boutiques. This doesn't mean I'll give up everything that I identify as a privilege (necessarily). But like I talked about in my last blog, it will allow me to think about them differently.

Anyway, that was the mall. Not so Robyn Sparkles. That same day I was walking down the street, past Makola market and it hit me - I feel way more at home in this crowded, smelly, market, being shoved alongside buckets of snails and cow hoofs than I did in that pristine air conditioned building. That was another thing I noticed about the mall, though it took me a while - no one was hissing or calling or grabbing or shoving things in my face to buy. It was half nice to blend it but also kind of felt like I was among the living dead. If I am forced to return to a retail job, I'm going to really focus on friendly customer services. I've found such a community here with my food people, and my book guy and feel like I have a relationship with them - something which I didn't feel would come easily with the bored customer service drones at the mall (of which I have been one). It's strange to associate that disinterestedness with upper class, North American style shopping malls but there it is. Though I do remember that at Teaopia, we did have a lot of regulars and there was a certain amount of community around that store so it is possible. Anyway, at least at the market people seemed alive - passionate about selling me their wares. Maybe they were just more invested in it, due to their reliance on making sales. On the street though, it feels like people are living, not just shopping. I don't know how to explain it, and it doesn't make sense because I used to hate the market. And I don't know how I feel about feeling at "home" here, especially when I am excited to go to my other home - I do love Canada and I am excited to be there again. I love Ghana too., and I'm super happy to have spent the past 5 months here There are other places I love, and I guess home doesn't have be exclusive to one place. That's nice to know.

So, to finish the day, I finally got a package that my Mum sent me like a month ago. I'd felt kind of guilty when it was sent, and thought maybe I still would after the mall experience, but I have to say it was really, really nice to get some stuff from home; a bra that hasn't been destroyed by overuse and my horrible hand washing skills; a cross word book to help distract my brain before bed; a new shirt which is perfect for work and also (temporarily) free of the destruction that come from my laundry skills (ok, things get REALLY dirty here, and hand washing isn't so easy!); some candy; a valentine. It reminded me that getting wants can be really nice. And compared to how I usually live, this package is not hugely excessive. It's helped me be ok with having wants, but being satisfied with those extras and not perceiving them as needs. It's a balancing act and one I'm sure I'll be figuring out for years to come. Like I said, I didn't really think I would change so much from this experience. Part of me is also scared that I'll come home and be judgemental and bitter, so I guess a big part of writing this blog is as to help prepare all you zillions of people reading it for some of the things I've been thinking about. I may seem like a crazy hippy when I get home, but I will try to be understanding while still standing firm in my convictions and keeping in mind all I've been through here in Ghana. Please also try to be understanding of me :)

Thank you also for all the comments and emails I'm getting! It's so nice to know that people read and care and are interested in the things I write about. Your support means so much to me and its part of the reason I keep bothering to spew these things out!

Guilt in the Time of Cholera

Spoiler Alert: This is about my trip to the hospital. But don't worry, I clearly lived to tell the tale!

So, this being a "developing" country it was only a matter of time before certain...tummy issues came up. In Ghana, its tactfully yet descriptively referred to as "running stomach", though you all might be more familiar with the medical term: diarrhea. Yes. I'm blogging about poop. Never thought I'd see the day, but I feel like it - or what it lead to at least, is an important part of my experience and so I will shed my modesty and openly admit that I had running stomach last week.  At first, not a big deal, I figured it would go away. It didn't, still no big deal though, it wasn't debilitating or anything and it wasn't uncontrollable so I decided to go to the hospital on Monday, since one of my roommates was going anyway for an infected toenail. Which was a good plan. Because Sunday night things took a turn for the worst. Frequency skyrocketed, and I couldn't eat anything without it immediately coming out the other end. Including water. Including two motrin which somehow triggered an attack (is that even possible?). I went to bed with chills and was up at all hours, developed a fever and a pounding headache and started to feel pretty much like I wanted to curl up and cry until it all went away. Unfortunately, this was not an option because I was much to dehydrated to produce tears. Instead, we stuck to the hospital plan and my roommates packed me up sat me in the waiting room and were completely awesome in getting my paper work done and my drugs bought. I was seen reasonably quickly and was immediately hooked up to an IV (yes, it was a new needle). Pretty much not the best experience of my life. I hate needles as it is, and the training nurse couldn't get it in so I ended up crying and shivering and puking up really nasty bright green vomit while sitting at the front of this huge waiting room...you know, because I just don't stand out enough as it is as one of three white people in the whole place. But I'm glad I got hooked up, because as soon as the first bag was done I felt 100% better. I got a blood test and then spent the rest of the day waiting for the results, drinking oral re hydration salts (hey! I learned about those in school!) and reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (which may have helped just as much as the ORS) (also, side note, why is Azkaban not a  word? Stupide muggle spellcheck). In the meantime I was also started on treatment for malaria (which I didn't have) and cholera (which I also didn't have, but there's a cholera outbreak in Accra right now so better safe than sorry!). I had a couple of minor freakouts when my re hydration IVs were finished or moved or something or whatever happens that makes your blood go back up the tube - but apparently that's "very normal". I told the nurse I didn't like blood and she told me it was ok, because "see? It's going back in". Ahhhhh.

When Hannah and Jennifer came back to check on me, it was getting late  and my tests weren't done. So I had to be admitted, even though I felt totally fine and my stomach wasn't running quite so urgently as it had been before. No beds in the hospital so I was taken by ambulance to a clinic where I spent not a very pleasant night in an extremely uncomfortable bed. In the morning all was well, the diagnosis came in and I was discharged with orders to go get another blood and stool test (don't want to talk about it) and to come back Friday. Oh, and I was given more drugs because shockingly it was neither malaria nor cholera but a mere bacterial infection.

TMI? I hope not. It's all just background information for this musing. When I went to the hospital, I'll admit, I was scared. I'd had a fever that night and I'd seen group mates with malaria and it isn't pretty. A cholera outbreak is also more than a little alarming, though I was reminded that I was vaccinated against that (I think..).  Obviously, it was nothing so dire, but when you're sick and already feeling like crap everything seems a billion times worse. But what a relief - just bacteria! It was all just dehydration that made me feel so bad! Hurrah! Tuesday, once I'd been home, showered, napped, and was back at the hospital getting photocopies for the almighty insurance people I started thinking about how unimpressive it is to have been hospitalized for diarrhea. Not that this is in any way a good attitude, but at least malaria or cholera would have seemed a bit more bad ass. I mean those diseases are intense - they kill people. Then I remembered my food security prof from last year - the one who looked like a middle aged Harry Potter - and how passionate he was about diarrhea because that kills too; in fact it kills a lot. It may not sound as dramatic as other illnesses but its a leading cause of death among children in the developing world. So, yes I'm glad it was only a bacterial infection; I'm glad it wasn't cholera, or malaria; I'm glad that I'm in a country and city where proper treatment is available and I can get re hydrated easily;  I'm glad I  have access to treatment because I have insurance and even if I didn't I can easily afford the 2 cedi drugs. To me, it was a nuisance, 24 hours of discomfort and an extra trip to the bank . And maybe kind of a funny story. To others, it can literally mean death. What the heck? It sounds so dramatic, and also a bit ridiculous because it's diarrhea - it's not that bad ass malaria or other deadly disease; or at least we don't think about it as such. And its sad because treatment is so a friggin easy. And its another one of those moments where I realize that the gap between me and them; "rich" and "poor", is so very, very wide and that as much as I try to catch a glimpse of life on the other side there's no way I will ever truly know what that's like.

So. As I said. I'm glad it was just a minor infection, and that I was easily treated. I'm happy with a side of guilt - a feeling I've come to know only too well. But I hope, as I prepare to go home, that I'm learning the difference between the guilt of having things and of the guilt of other people not having things. What I mean is, there's guilt for spending money on things I don't need that are only available to me because I'm part of an exploitative upper class (hi Marx!). Say, the guilt of buying a t-shirt made by child labour. This guilt is useful because it tells me, don't do that again! But then there's the guilt of having access to amazing medical care, when others don't have it. And that guilt tells me something different - it tells me to work harder in my life to ensure that these things are available to everyone, not just me. I'm kind of stealing this from a prep month activity, but I feel like its really sunk in and its worth sharing. I'll point out too that both these feelings of guilt are useful, in some way. Both are important. Telling the difference is important. Not easy, but important. And it's not to say I'll never feel guilty or I'll suddenly become a saint, but I'm learning how to live with guilt and to live better because of it. And not to ignore it or escape it through lame justification.

So moral of the story: Listen to guilt, it can lead you to some interesting places.

And also, wash your hands before eating!

This week I organized and judged a debate for the AFAWI Teen Club on the topic "It is good for teenagers to be in a relationship at this age". It wasn't exactly parliament, but it was interesting to listen to their arguments and in particular to get a sense of what they consider "a relationship". I guess what struck me most is that most of the arguments had to do with things like STIs, HIV/AIDs and in particular with teen pregnancy. Now, maybe in my old age of become a bit out of the loop...but these kids are junior high - most between the ages of 12-16 so this was mildly shocking to me. Not so much that they would be thinking about sex, or considering it in their arguments, but rather that "relationship" translates into "sexual relationship". I talked about it afterward with a fellow volunteer and one of AFAWIs employees - both Ghanaian. They explained that if you have a boyfriend, even at that age, sex is expected because why would the guy spend money on you if not to get something in return. Um, hold on, what? At that age, why is he spending money on you at all? And even if he is, so what? I mean, I know we talk at home about whether or not the guy should pay, and if he does, are their expectations - I know I've watched at least one episode of sex and the city about it. It's not a new argument....but it was presented to me not so much as an issue or quesiton but just the way things are. I realize I'm basing this on a debate by junior high students and one short conversation with two young people...but what I got from the day is that the gender roles of "guy pays, girls puts out" is very strong here, both in dating and within marriage. My colleagues and I talked about how financial security for women can mean that they also have more of a voice in the household, as well as in sexual relations, which is why they were really encouraging the students not to have relationships - particularly girls: so that they don't get pregnant and lose the opportunity for education and good employment. Which I know is something that Hannah's work placement is also looking at - the importance of financial inclusion in the role of empowering women inside the home and within their relationships; a main focus being to empower women to be able to insist on condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs (which is what her work placement focuses on). Let's hammer this point home once again; in development, and in gender issues, everything is connected! Education, income, reproductive rights, roles within marriage etc. I'll mention here too that marital rape is a huge problem in Ghana...well, depending on who you ask. In the recent Domestic Violence Bill, it was not really included which was a major disappointment. It reflects the view of many Ghanaians, however, that marital rape doens't exist, because it's part of a wife's duty to always be ready and willing. Remember that wedding I went to, my second day in the village? I don't think I mentioned that the homily touched on this subject. The minister made a joke about martial rape and basically said that there would be no marital rape in this marriage beacause the bride would always be ready for sex, and would never refuse it - thus the need (?) for marital rape would never arise!. Nice huh? I know that's what I want my friends and family to hear on my own special day. It ties into those same entrenched gender roles though - man provides, woman puts out. AFAWI has done some research on the topic of marital rape and domestic violence, and are trying to figure out how to get funding for a publicity campaign on the subject, possibly through church groups (which are quite influential in Ghana).While I'm trying to resist judgment and imposition of my own cultural/gender norms on a country in which I know I'm a visitor, and to acknowledge that I'm hardly an expert.... this is one subject on which I feel very strongly that attitudes need to change. It's not just because of that class on sexual violence which made up part of my grade 10 gym credit that taught me demanding sex is sexual abuse. It's because it is one my core beliefs that a persons control over his or her sexuality is a basic human right. It is everyone's right to refuse sex, even to someone he or she is in a relationship with, or even married to. A marriage should be a partnership - give the man the right to demand sex and you are giving him control over his wife's body and totally change the dynamic of this 'partnership'. And while I can understand why AFAWI is advising teenagers not to have relationships, I feel that this accepted norm of relationship = sex is taking away young peoples' opportunities to start dating casually. In a way, it denies girls the possibility of being in a relationship in which they have the right to say no, and of both parties to be in a relationship in which they can decide together when to have sex. Anyway, like I said, I'm not expert on this issue - and I'm not advocating teenage sex or dating even I guess. It's just one more of those things that I've glimpsed, and am trying to figure out.

I've been thinking a lot too about reproductive rights in general. I have a certain amount of interest in the issue of overpopulation, and have been taught, time and time again that key factors towards reducing (or just slowing the growth of) a country's population is to educate the women, and have accessible birth control. I don't like the idea of arguing for human rights using practical concerns. But I will point out that educating women, and empowering them to control when they have sex, and how they have sex (not positions, I mean with a condom or other birth control methods) will almost guarantee a reduction in the birth rate. So besides the fact that rape isn't acceptable in any way shape or form - its also not good for development? This is the kind of cynical argument my degree taught me to formulate. Anyway, those are my thoughts on that for the day.

Only 4 more weeks here in Accra - less, actually. Hard to believe! I'm starting to panic a little bit about deciding things like where to go to school and which program to chose. I love english, and looking at the courses for postcolonial literature at Leeds makes my mouth water. But then the Global Gender program is also awesome, and would prepare me for a career in development which can really address women's issues while also helping me figure out how, as a priveleged, white, woman I can engage with these issues without becoming a modern day colonialist. And in Global Genders, I can take a couple postcol lit. classes...albeit not the coolest ones. This is why  I did a double major - too indecisive! Two overseas masters degrees might be a little extravagent though. Anyway, the point is, the future's coming. I'm not just preparing for coming home, but trying to prepare myself for all the things that come after that as well. Scary - I've been thinking about home so much these past months, and yet its becoming a reality rather than a fantasy. I love it here in Accra, but I think I'll be ready to go hom, and ready to start figuring out my life. That's the hope, anyway.

Love,
Jac

Adventures of Aunt Flo in Ghana

Shockingly enough, I've never been a big fan of my period. Cramping, bloating, pms, leaks - none of this is fun. I've also been particularly mad at it lately because it can't seem to stick to a schedule since being in Ghana, and I'm not too big on surprises of that sort. But next time it shows up (whenever that is) I've made up my mind that I'm going to consider myself lucky. Lucky that I have a diva cup which is comfortable, and hygienic  and that I only have to change every 12 hours. Lucky that even if I didn't, pads or tampons would be well within my budget and easily accessible to me. Lucky that I knew all about menstruation long before my first period and was pretty much prepared for it when it came. And Lucky that, with the exception of a few skipped classes in high school, and possibly a pool party or two in those early years, my period has never significantly stood in the way of my experiences. Certainly, it has never been a barrier to my education. These are a few more items in the long list of things which I have taken for granted for so long, and for which I'm really grateful. On that note, let me tell you all about AFAWI's Sexual Maturation and Menstrual Hygiene Project! (funded, btw, by CIDA).

In 2007-2008, AFAWI conducted a research project to determine to what extent the onset of menstruation in young girls contributed to the low performance and attendance rates of junior high school girls in three of Ghana's northern regions. The findings revealed several challenges facing young girls, including a lack of education prior to the onset of menstruation. In the schools studied, sexual education was found to focus primarily on factual descriptions of the reproductive system, with little or not attention paid to practical elements of menstrual management, providing little help to girls learning how to cope with their periods hygienically. Attitudes towards menstruation in these communities have generally been negative, with 98% of girls surveyed saying that they felt bad when they menstruated. Of the three major religions in the areas - Christianity, Islam, and African Traditional Religion - all viewed menstruation as "impure", and restricted the activities of girls who are menstruating, albeit at varying  levels. While these beliefs did not explicitly keep girls out of school, they did contribute to an overall negative attitude towards menstruation and a lack of willingness to address the topic openly. Education was also difficult as some teachers were embarrassed to teach about menstruation, or were insensitive to girls who came to them for support. It is also worth noting, that traditionally, when girls started menstruating, the Queen Mother would take them aside and educate them on their sexual maturation, as well as how to fulfill their roles as women in the community. With the breakdown of this traditional system, education falls primarily on the shoulders of the family, and has not been substantially aided by the education system. This had led to gaps in girls education, who are often not informed about menstruation until their first period.

In addition to these gaps in menstural education, the study found specific challenges which kept menstruating girlsout of the classroom, or which affected their classroom performance. One of the most significant is the lack of proper toilet facilities and waste disposal systems in schools, which make it difficult or impossible for girls to change their menstrual hygiene products at school. Girls will thus often stay home when on their period, or will only change their materials before or after school. This can also lead to the problem of  leaks, the fear of which directly affects girls' confidence and participation. As Ghanaian students are often required to stand when speaking or answering a question in class, fear of leaks has been identified by girls themselves as a barrier to their participation and performance. Access to hygienic sanitary materials are also limited, being either unavailable or too expensive. Most girls surveyed were using toilet paper or old cloth, contributing to the problem of controlling leaks, made worse by their inability or discomfort in changing their products at school. Finally, 86% of boys surveyed admitted to teasing girls who are menstruating, further adding to these girls' discomfort and lack of confidence. 

These are all things which I didn't realize were very real barriers to education. They may not seem like huge problems, but for junior high school girls, they can have significant impacts. Given these problems, and the importance of keeping adolescent girls in school,  finding solutions is extremely important. AFAWI's Sexual Maturation and Menstural Hygiene Project arose out of the results of their initial research activities. It was funded by CIDA, as well as Abantu for Development; the latter providing sanitary pads for distribution among female students. The project focused on two main areas - enhancing education and sensitization, and providing adequate physical facilities for girls' use. The latter included the rehabilitation of urinals and toilets, providing added privacy for girls as well as hand washing basins. The project also built incinerators in two of the schools, to allow for proper disposal of sanitary products. Educational and sensitization projects were run, and a training manual produced to give teachers the training and resources needed to educate girls and offer them a more supportive school environment. Educational workshops targeted both boys and girls, and emphasized the positive elements of menstruation - such as its necessity as part of the reproductive cycle. The training manual also incorporates units on STIs, HIV/AIDS, gender equality and empowerment and lobbying practices. Tied into the project, and to the problems facing girls are more overarching issues such as waste management, garbage disposal and gender roles and expectations. Like so much in development, the interconnectedness of these issues can create additional challenges. For instance, the lack of latrines and toilets in one of the targeted communities has meant that  community members are using the facilities, and the latrine has filled earlier than expected. There have been challenges associated with emptying the latrine, meaning that girls in that school are again facing a lack of proper facilities (as is everyone else in the community). While these interconnections are challenging, I think they also provide opportunities for creative solutions that tackle more than one issue at once. It's unfortunate that CIDA is no longer funding this project, as AFAWI had plans to expand the project  into 17 more schools. However, they are not the only organization that is addressing this issue, in Ghana nor in Africa. I'm a fan of the project because it represents some of the ways organizations are finding solutions to concrete problems which seem small, but which in reality create barriers to gender equality and women's development. It's unfortunate I won't have the opportunity to travel up north and visit these projects, as I would love to see them and hear some of the positive feedback the program has recieved. I really hope that AFAWI is able to get funding for the continuation of this project, or that they are able to find a partner organization to work with, because I think it's something that can really make a difference for girls in Ghana. That being said, its also an issue I'm going to keep looking into once I'm back in Canada and back in school.  My Mum already sent me some information on girls in Uganda - which I can't wait to look at (but which I haven't yet because of my limited internet time)

So, that's a brief, simplified overview of that project. Feel free to ask me any questions - that was mostly written off the top of my head but I have access to reports and things if anyone is interested. You can read a brief description of the project as well at www.afawigh.org.

P.S., not to take away from this post but for those who are interested I got into University of Leeds for Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Studies! Whoot!


Oh, and Happy Belated Valentines Day!

I said I'd blog again this week and here I am! I don't know how much I'll write about projects though, since I planned nothing and am kind of just in a free writing mood....

Today, for the first time since November it rained - like, really, really rained. It came slow... I heard the thunder last night, and felt the pressure change in the form of one of rain headaches (don't laugh, at least I don't feel it in my joints...yet). It wasn't until this afternoon though, while I was at work that the heavens opened, and the air just broke. All that heat and humidity melted right on away. Soon the power went out, meaning I couldn't work on the ancient desktop I usually do so I wrote a letter instead, chatting with the volunteers and feeling the childish excitement a snow day usually brings. The two other volunteers, Emily and Peter were supposed to leave around 1:00 but couldn't because of the downpour and the fact that cabs couldn't even get through because our (dirt) road was flooded. We waited for a small break, when the rain slowed to a drizzle and booked it to the junction to catch a trotro home (I was afraid if I didn't leave then I'd miss my chance). The three of us picked our way through puddles, over the dirt road, fjording small streams and rapidly flowing sewers, our bags in plastic bags to protect their laptops and my camera. I sat in that troto, window open just feeling the cold, fresh air and realized that, for the first time in God knows when I wasn't sweaty. The ride home was so refreshing - even the moments where we got a little stuck on the roads, driving through puddles the size of small ponds, fighting our way through traffic. It's amazing how the rain changes the city. Things slow down, the vendors are few and far between and what with lights out and roads flooding, it seems that some offices (aka mine) close down for the day. It felt like a little mini adventure, and what with how much I've missed cool breezes and (slighty) fresher air, I feel like it was just what I needed.

It's been a long time coming, but I feel at home in Ghana. There's still a lot which frustrates me, but I genuinely enjoy my days. Accra may not be the most beautiful, or nicest smelling city in the world but it has so much going on, and the business has become a huge comfort, even though its sometimes exhausting.  I love my work placement, not because it's my dream job, but because I get to write, and I get to learn and I feel like's its exactly what I need right now. I love that I'm starting to have relationships with the people around here - not super exciting ones; I've never been a huge people person. But I have my porridge lady, and my rice lady, and my bofruit lady, and my wakye lady and my internet guys - and they notice if I'm not around for a couple of days and that feels kinda nice. There are so many more moments now where this doesn't feel like a "program", but rather just like life. And being in the city, at a work placement I am starting to see how maybe one day I could find a way of belonging here, despite my whiteness and my money and my western views. I think I'm starting to strike that balance. And I no longer feel bad about not living up to anyone's expectations - including my own. I may not have the same relationships or social life or adventures as other obrunis, or others in the program - but I'm also not a social, adventuresome kind of girl. I admire people who can go out and make friends and put themselves out there. But I'm happy having finally connected with one of the girls in the hostel (other than the ones on my program), even if it was just a gradual conversation as we were watching Van Helsing on the crappy, common room television. (Her name is Aggie, and she's from Tema and taking a managment course here in Accra).

Something else I've gotten the hang of is haggling. Sometimes I feel too guilty to argue about prices - or too embarassed because I know the person selling me the toothbrush or whatever knows I can afford to pay more. But I totally respect the whole idea of haggling. I can just see the words in my first year econ textbook describing how prices are determined based on the interaction of what people are willing to pay (price demanded) and what people are willing to sell for (price supplied). Somtehing like that. I think. It was a long time ago and I used to skip that class a lot. So maybe I can't see the exact words in my textbook... But I do remember learning about how it's impossible to determine the optimal price/quantity demanded for individuals, so we have other ways of determining the market price/quantity supplied. Here, I feel like there's a much more democratic way of determining price - the price you pay really is representative of the price that you want to pay, and same for the person supplying it (at least, in theory). While there's some comfort, sure, in having a price tag you know represents the "market price", I like the idea that people with more money, or who are simply willing to pay more for a product will sometimes end up paying more. If you are willing to pay a lower price than the last person to buy the product, as long as it still makes a profit for the seller, they'll still sell it ot you.

In any case, I pulled off my first "walk away" the other day at this really expensive used book stand (ok, its cheap, but by the standards of my usual book stands its expensive). The Agatha Christie book started with a price of 5 cedis. I offered two. He countered with three. I usually will pay 3 cedis for a book, but this one wasn't that thick and I knew I could get thicker ones, which would last me longer for the same price so I walked. He called me back, and gave it to me for two. What rocks about this  (I think) is that I was genuinely just not willing to pay more, and totally ok with just not buying the book. The fact that he called me back tells me that he really was willing to sell for 2 cedis, even though its not the optimal price. And it was a nice surprise after making the decision I didn't need it that bad. So I don't feel guilty, because I didn't force or manipulate just to get it as cheap as possible, but rather just let my actions be guided by how much I valued the Agatha Christie book. (Funerals are Fatal - a Poirot mystery!) And I have bought a Christie book for one cedi before so I still feel like he got an ok price. Anyway, it's such an interesting way of buying for me, when I'm not paralyzed by guilt. Whoever thought I'd willingly be thinking about/blogging about economics by choice.I still wish I knew more about prices paid and how much street vendors make, but I'm working on asking more questions and finding out more.

Ok, seriously, I will blog about projects soon!! Meanwhile, tomorrow I give my talk on personal hygiene which hopefully goes alright. Today (before the power went out) I also wrote up my evaluation sheet and set up for next week's Teen Club Debate on whether or not it's good for teenagers to be in a relationship at their age. I'm interested to see what they come up with. Also, I am kind of excited just for the debate - reminds me of my own high school days (yes, I was a nerd; and yes, I still am).

Until next time,
Jac

Caution: Obrunis at Work

Sitting in an internet cafe in Ghana with bad superhero/soccer player cartoons playing in the background.....I'll try not to let it distract me as I blog.

It was back to work at AFAWI this week for me. The new office is still having work done, but the main room is set up and so that's where I've been this week. The new location is a bit of a trek from my hostel, but it's in a really nice area so it evens out. It's in a residential area; a classy-ish Ghanaian suburb which feel removed from the city. I walk the last 30 minutes from my trotro station to the office (or vice versa) and the change is incredibly dramatic from when I'm walking around my area of Accra. For on thing, the roads are dirt and there are trees all around, and usually a bit of a breeze which is a really pleasant change. It's also just less hassle from people around me. Even though people still yell "Obruni" at me, I don't get nearly the hassle I do in the main area of the city. The difference between that walk and the walk from Circle (a roundabout/market area where I get dropped off on my way home) is insane. I get let off at one of the craziest areas of Circle, and get grabbed, and pushed with men hissing at me to get my attention and telling me I'm beautiful or that they love me (um, thanks?) and shoving cell phones or other products in my face. It's not a great end to what usually ends up being at 2 hour commute home. But I am grateful for the change in environment and the (relatively) peaceful walk right before and right after work, and am trying not to let the hassle of that last little stretch ruin my day. I've also made arrangements to leave work early so that I can make it home well before dark - because that is not something I particularly want to experience.

Now that the office is ready, I've also had a bit more work to do. The accountant hasn't been in too much this week so I've had a lot of use on his computer which is nice. I've written up a few articles on different projects, which will be used to update AFAWI's website. I also completed an application for a conference on HIV/AIDs for the Chairperson, and an article for a partner organization's newsletter. Even though the work is sporadic and a lot of it has been reading up on programs and going through documents it feels really good to be productive. In particular it feels great to be writing more and to be writing things other than journals and letters and blogs and personal things. I don't think I realized just how much I missed writing articles and essays and more academic stuff. It makes me super excited to go back to school. It's also really reaffirmed my sense that whatever career I finally chose or end up in, I want writing to be a huge part of it. Doing the updates and articles and things has also given me a chance to familiarize myself with the different projects AFAWI has undertaken, as well as to get a sense for how these projects are funded and carried out. Which is fantastic, because I feel like I'm already achieving my goals of learning about how NGO's and development organizations function.

This week AFAWI also had three new volunteers come in. They'll be interning part time, as they are also students at the University of Ghana. One is a Ghanaian guy who lives and studies in Germany, and the other two are American girls - all doing a semester abroad. They're all really nice and in a way it's cool to have other westerners in the office (or people who have at least lived in the west), just to get a break from the extra challenges of cross-cultural communication. It's also a little weird though, because their experience of Ghana is so different from mine. I talked to them a bit about my program, and even about the artificiality of it and how different it is for them - living as students and also as tourists while I'm living on this strict budget but with the ability to walk away at any time. They were pretty understanding of it all, and were able to see both the value and the limits of this kind of program- maybe not as clearly or deeply as I can, but they still kind of got it. I think it's another one of those previews to coming home and what it might be like trying to relate to people who may not understand that I haven't just been off in Ghana for 5 months, but that I've been trying to live in solidarity with the economic poor during that whole time. In that sense, it was reassuring because we were able to have a conversation about it and I didn't feel like some radical hippie or like a complete hypocrite. So, I think it'll be alright.

This week I also had my first full meeting with AFAWI's teen club (last week's was cancelled). The communication barrier I guess is a bit tough, because of my accent. Even though I try to speak slowly I don't know if they always understood what I was saying. This isn't really my favourite part of my job - just as the articles have reaffirmed my love of writing, the Teen Club is reminding me that I'm really not a people person. But I'm the only volunteer with Friday's off, so I'll embrace it! Next week I'm apparently leading a Health Talk on personal hygiene so that should be interesting. It ties into the issues of menstrual hygiene and education, which AFAWI has addressed through a couple of different projects as its actually a significant barrier to young girls attending school. I'm planning to blog about that project soon because I find it particularly interesting but my time here is running out so I'll try to do that later this week! I've been trying to cut back on my internet time - for financial reasons and just also because I felt like I was getting a little too caught up in communicating with home. So I took the week mostly off. This week though I'll try to really dedicate some time to blogging instead of getting re-addicted to e-mail and facebook. Going without and then suddently having it all again has made me realize what a big part of my life computers and internet are. And I don't think that's a bad thing, because communication is great - as is having access to the news (bbc.com is open in another window). I just do want to really make sure I'm present here and that I'm still immersing myself and taking advantage of my last couple of months in Ghana. It's great to be able to reconnect and start to face that transition of coming home...I just need to find a balance.

That being said, I will blog again soon because I really do want to share my experiences and in particular to start sharing some of the work AFAWI's doing and some of the social justice issues they are addressing, as well as those I see around me. So, stay tuned!

Jac

Matthew 25

When we last left our noble heroine she was navigated the city of Accra, eager to toil peacefully at her new found tasks. But alas, an unforeseen obstacle was to rear its head, forcing our lady to abandon the quest until a future date....

In other words.....my work placement's office wasn't done being renovated on Monday like it was supposed to be and they had no other place to go so I had the week off. Not as exciting as it sounds. In fact, while I realize that these things will happen, in Ghana and elsewhere, I was more than a little tiffed. I only have 10 weeks at my work placement, so a second week off significantly cuts into my time here. The volunteer aspect of this program was also a huge pull for me, and a lot of my personal goals have had to do with working and learning at an NGO, using it not only as a means to learn more about gender issues the developing world, but also as a way of building up my own work experience and skills. So missing out on another week of that is a huge bummer. Or so it seemed....

 I'm not a hugely spontaneous person - I like to plan and it really irks me when things don't follow the set plan, or there was no plan in the first place. I'm also very shy, and not hugely adventurous and am not really one for just picking up and going some place on my own with a) no plan and b) no one else to help me/commiserate should we meet with the inevitable disaster that will come out of not having a plan. So the fact that on Sunday night, upon hearing I was to have the week off from AFAWI, I decided to take off to Koforidua for the week and visit an NGO called Matthew 25, is still a little surprising to me. Not that this was a hugely risky plan or anything. One World has been involved with Matthew 25 in the past and it was in our resource binder as a potential place to visit and volunteer at for a couple of days, and Koforidua's only a 2 hour trotro from Accra. Still, one of my goals for work placement was to take initiative and to push myself beyond my boundaries. Even though this isn't what I had in mind, I still feel like in calling up Matthew 25  and packing my bags I did push myself out of my comfort zone and took control over what could have been a crappy situation. It would have been easy for me to bum around Accra for another week exploring, but instead I got to visit a super cool organization and meet super cool people. Hurray for personal growth!

Matthew 25 was started by, and is still run by, a priest called Father Bobby Benson. I called him on Monday to see if I could visit that week and volunteer and it just so happened that he was in Accra on business and could drive me back to Koforidua himself. Fate? Seems like it. Fr Benson is super cool, very friendly and hospitable and is really encouraging of our program and eager to teach me as much as possible. The organization provides support for people living with HIV/AIDS, focusing specifically on stigmatization. It's apparently quite common in Ghana for family members and friends to abandon those with HIV when they learn their status, making it difficult for those with HIV to find support networks. They also face a lot of discrimination in the work place, and some face difficulty finding employment. These reactions are often the result of associations between HIV contraction and immoral behaviour, and the disease can even be viewed as punishment of unethical acts such as homosexuality or pre-marital sex. There's also a lot of fear of contamination due to misconceptions of how HIV is transmitted. Matthew 25 helps fight these kinds of stigmas through counseling services, sustainable income generating projects and socialization meetings. These meetings in particular give those living with HIV a chance to socialize with others in a way they may not be able to in their own communities. It also provides an opportunity for those without HIV to take part, so that they may learn to see their peers more compassionately and with less fear. There are still a lot of obstacles, however. The house has several income generating activities for members, such as tie dying, palm oil production, charcoal production, soap making and even an ambulance and funeral service. Yet selling their products in the market is sometimes difficult, as there are many who will not buy them out of fear of contracting HIV themselves from these products.

Matthew 25 has other activities as well. They care for a number of vulnerable children, looking after food, shelter and school fees. They also have a youth club that hosts educational activities - which are also important to help stop stigmatization. They run an annual Christmas soup kitchen, which seems very similar to what we helped out with at Shekinah  in that it provides  both food and a positive Christmas celebration for those who may not have anywhere to go for the holidays.

Although, due to the time of year, there wasn't a lot for me to help out with this week, I still had a really great time. I did a bit of computer stuff and helped go through pictures for reports and newsletters.  A lot of my time was spent reading the resources they had at the house, and learning about their work, as well as the situation of HIV/AIDS in Ghana. One of the things I found really interesting was the idea mentioned of HIV/AIDS as "other" - which reminded me of work I did in my fourth year Post-Colonial literature class at Guelph last year. It was another one of those moments where academic stuff and experiential stuff came together in my brain to kind of enhance each other. I also read some stuff about how HIV/AIDS is increasingly affecting women, due to social, biological and economic factors. And it  was another moment of realizing how interconnected "development" is - something I've realized again and again, both at school and here in Ghana. It's daunting - but its also really inspiring to see great work being done like it is at Matthew 25. I think also being in a country that is so outgoing and socially oriented, I have a bit of a better appreciation for how big a deal stigmatization and abandonment are. Ghanaians are also very dependent on extended family networks for different kinds of support; which can help deal with gaps in things like social welfare systems. So again, being cut from that family network can be really devastating both emotionally and economically.

Finally I think it's worth mentioning that after talking to me about my program, and specifically our focus on cocoa farming, some of the staff took me on an excursion to the nearby Cocoa Research Institute for an excursion - totally unexpected!! It was really interesting though, to listen to the PR guy and to see some of the research projects going on there. It's run by the Government Cocoa Board, and does research on cocoa and other major agricultural crops. They research and develop different plant species, pesticides, fertilizers, production methods etc. They also focus on passing these scientific advances on to farmers, with the primary goal of increasing yields. This can be good for farmers - but also is good for the cocoa board since they buy the cocoa from farmers - who get 71% of the money from the sale of the cocoa on the world market. The rest is retained by the cocoa board to fund their work. I do think that the cocoa research institute does a lot of really important work as far as developing inputs, as well as high yielding, disease resistant cocoa plants. I've done enough courses in agricultural economics, I think, to have a balanced enough view of these kinds of institutes. I think that they can do a lot to help production, which can benefit farmers....but its only one part of the equation. If the social and economic systems are unfair, then technological solutions can only go so far. I know that my host father raved about his superior hybrid plants, and the difference fertilizers and pesticides have made (not organic...issue for another day). But I also know that its only one piece of the puzzle if my host father, and other cocoa farmers still don't get a fair price for their cocoa from chocolate companies.

All in all, it was a really educational few days for me. It was nice too to be out of Accra for a bit. Koforidua is beautiful and made me realize how much I miss trees and greenery. It was nice too to have an adventure by myself. I tend to be an observer and so I know I hang back if other people are talking, asking questions, discussing issues. And I like listening and thinking (and sometimes judging inside my head....). It was good for me though to be able to sit down for dinner with Father Benson and just talk one on one about things like the benefits of travel, the pros and cons of contraception, alcoholism in Canada and Ghana etc. It was really interesting and a really great visit. I came back yesterday afternoon feeling really good about it all, and excited to start back at AFAWI today with my first official teen club meeting....which was canceled this morning because my boss is sick. But I'm trying to remain positive! I'm supposed to start again on Monday, and hopefully the new office will be done by then and I can sink my teeth into working with AFAWI. If not, I'm making a list of other NGOs in Accra I might like to contact or visit and I will make it work!

Oh, by the way...Matthew 25 is a reference to a really nice bible verse - sorry, I can't remember it off by heart. But I encourage you all to look it up!


It's comforting to see religion inspiring so much beautiful work.