Sleep is a rare and delicate treat here in Nungua. It seems as if Ghana never sleeps and if Ghana doesn't sleep, you can bet us "blafoonia" (Ga word for white person) here at the centre won't either. Thursday night, or morning should I say, my side of the centre was treated to what I have come to know as the "Thursday Morning Sermon." At 4am there is a young man who shuffles up down the empty dirt road in front of our lodge and shouts at the top of his lungs to no one and everyone about the saving power of Jesus Christ. The sermon lasts for what seems to be forever and he slowly works himself into a frenzy, repeating many of the same things over and over again, the most clear and recycled phrase being "Christ is the river of life." And then, with the first rays of dawn he shuffles back into his house and the street promptly and magically comes alive. Other sound scapes that have kept me sleeping in fits and starts have been the 4am march of the army, chanting from the many nearby churches and the endless screaming next door which comes from a baby that must be teething.
Before the students go to bed here many of us head down to what are called "spots" - the name for their local pubs. The one most frequented is The Amazing Spot and I'm sure you can clearly see why. What many locals drink here is a distilled liquid that comes from the trunk of a palm tree or from sugar cane known as Abateshee. It is an extremely strong and pure spirit that burns as it goes down. At the Amazing spot there is a mural inside painted on the cinder block walls with a guy on vacation lounging in a chair, sunglasses on, a cocktail in his hand, a smile of contentment on his face and a large cartoon bubble coming out of his mouth that, translated from Ga, reads "Abateshee will kill you" - a statement, I'm sure, not far from the truth, or rather, imbedded right in the thick of truth.
One of the locals that used to work for the Kusun Centre, an older man by the name of Jarvis, drinks abateshee to excess. I am told he is a very intelligent, handy, and able individual who drinks out of sheer frustration because he is unable to find work which brings me to the next segment of this blog...
Unemployment, or, underemployment, is a large and complicated issue in Ghana. The government here is very corrupt from what little I have gathered and none of the money that comes into the country actually goes into the country, but rather, into the pockets of the government officials. Not enough work is created for the population and as a result, a huge percentage are poor and many are scraping by on what I heard termed as "underemployment" - employment for a day, week, or month at a time doing odd jobs that present themselves all too infrequently.
However, the idea of community pervades all in Ghana. It is not abnormal for people to lodge with others while down on their luck, spreading their stay over different community members' houses. Nor is it abnormal to share food with friends, family and members of the community. Everything that is served seems to be communal - one dish will go on to feed 7 to 10 people that crowd around it, taking handfuls for themselves and others. Being here and being witness to my own reactions when this has happened to me makes me realize how guarded and self serving our culture can be.
I'll mention two more things I've learned this past week and save the rest for the next blog as I feel I could be here all night if I were to document what I witnessed today...my first blog cliffhanger!
Many of the men and women here have scars across their cheeks - something that has continually peaked my curiosity. My guitar teacher, Oboubi, has one on each cheek and his were marked across his face when he was a baby. It was believed that he was to have a very bright and promising future and that people caught wind of this and jealousy started to boil. Oboubi was sick a lot as a child and was said to have been possessed by a witch (evil spirit), as someone was planning to foil his future. In order to get rid of the spirit his grandfather, a revered fetish man, cut his cheeks and anointed them with some sort of herbal medication that managed to purge his soul of the evil that was inhabiting it.
Apparently, this is a common practice but the scars are also said to be tribal markings as well as the mark of a successful birth. Women who continually have miscarriages are said to be birthing the same baby over and over again. When they have their first successful birth of a healthy baby the child's cheeks are marked.
A final word about the last blog I posted concerning the water situation. Water and electricity in Nungua comes from Volta Lake, the largest man made lake in the world, about 70-80kms away. It runs through a main underground pipeline in Nungua to some of the bigger houses who pay for their water according to a metered amount of how much they use. Most do not have this pipeline running to their homes and some have managed to illegally redirect the pipe to their own homes. Those that don't receive water buy it from those who do or companies that sell it for top dollar by the gallon.
I'll update later this coming week or on the weekend at some point. Thank you for all your comments and blessings. It means the world.
David
Before the students go to bed here many of us head down to what are called "spots" - the name for their local pubs. The one most frequented is The Amazing Spot and I'm sure you can clearly see why. What many locals drink here is a distilled liquid that comes from the trunk of a palm tree or from sugar cane known as Abateshee. It is an extremely strong and pure spirit that burns as it goes down. At the Amazing spot there is a mural inside painted on the cinder block walls with a guy on vacation lounging in a chair, sunglasses on, a cocktail in his hand, a smile of contentment on his face and a large cartoon bubble coming out of his mouth that, translated from Ga, reads "Abateshee will kill you" - a statement, I'm sure, not far from the truth, or rather, imbedded right in the thick of truth.
One of the locals that used to work for the Kusun Centre, an older man by the name of Jarvis, drinks abateshee to excess. I am told he is a very intelligent, handy, and able individual who drinks out of sheer frustration because he is unable to find work which brings me to the next segment of this blog...
Unemployment, or, underemployment, is a large and complicated issue in Ghana. The government here is very corrupt from what little I have gathered and none of the money that comes into the country actually goes into the country, but rather, into the pockets of the government officials. Not enough work is created for the population and as a result, a huge percentage are poor and many are scraping by on what I heard termed as "underemployment" - employment for a day, week, or month at a time doing odd jobs that present themselves all too infrequently.
However, the idea of community pervades all in Ghana. It is not abnormal for people to lodge with others while down on their luck, spreading their stay over different community members' houses. Nor is it abnormal to share food with friends, family and members of the community. Everything that is served seems to be communal - one dish will go on to feed 7 to 10 people that crowd around it, taking handfuls for themselves and others. Being here and being witness to my own reactions when this has happened to me makes me realize how guarded and self serving our culture can be.
I'll mention two more things I've learned this past week and save the rest for the next blog as I feel I could be here all night if I were to document what I witnessed today...my first blog cliffhanger!
Many of the men and women here have scars across their cheeks - something that has continually peaked my curiosity. My guitar teacher, Oboubi, has one on each cheek and his were marked across his face when he was a baby. It was believed that he was to have a very bright and promising future and that people caught wind of this and jealousy started to boil. Oboubi was sick a lot as a child and was said to have been possessed by a witch (evil spirit), as someone was planning to foil his future. In order to get rid of the spirit his grandfather, a revered fetish man, cut his cheeks and anointed them with some sort of herbal medication that managed to purge his soul of the evil that was inhabiting it.
Apparently, this is a common practice but the scars are also said to be tribal markings as well as the mark of a successful birth. Women who continually have miscarriages are said to be birthing the same baby over and over again. When they have their first successful birth of a healthy baby the child's cheeks are marked.
A final word about the last blog I posted concerning the water situation. Water and electricity in Nungua comes from Volta Lake, the largest man made lake in the world, about 70-80kms away. It runs through a main underground pipeline in Nungua to some of the bigger houses who pay for their water according to a metered amount of how much they use. Most do not have this pipeline running to their homes and some have managed to illegally redirect the pipe to their own homes. Those that don't receive water buy it from those who do or companies that sell it for top dollar by the gallon.
I'll update later this coming week or on the weekend at some point. Thank you for all your comments and blessings. It means the world.
David
3 comments:
I think we forget how blessed we are here in material ways; it sounds like the people in Ghana, with the sense of community and sharing, are perhaps blessed in spritual ways.
Hey Dave! this is ariel here. I remember you were talking about going to Afica. I can't believe you really went there. Good for you! What you wrote amazed me all the way. It's like if I was there seeing all you have seen. I would guess there are probably some overwhelming experiences you may not be able to put them into any words but just soak into those wonderful experiences. Hope you have a great time there!
I have just finished reading your comments about your very interesting experiences in Ghana. You are so very talented at everything you do, David. We love you and pray for your safety.
We are celebrating Thanksgiving Day here today, and we have so very much to be thankful for in Canada, as you do through your experience in Ghana and the other places that you are going to.
I hope I have done this correctly, and that you receive this. You know how technically challenged Wynn and I both are.
Love and Hugs to you
Auntie Marie
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