Amaral in America

This will be my last blog entry... in this blog, anyway. I'm not sure if I want to start a new one or not. While I have enjoyed writing for everyone back home, it has been a commitment to do so. I'm back in New York City as of this morning. Going from 90 degrees, every day, to 10 degrees has been an extreme adjustment. Walking through, shoveling snow, and in general returning to a winter environment is strange.

I'm not sure what it says about me that I find myself more comfortable in an environment where people keep to themselves in an aura of "urban solitude." Being an introvert in NYC is easier than being one in Ghana, perhaps.

The trip was life-changing for me in that I was placed for the first time as a "disabled" person in a totally foreign environment. I experienced so many things that would have been impossible to do if I was simply browsing through somebody else's photos. If I was simply reading about the experience, someone else's experience, it wouldn't have made the impact that it did on me. To see the struggle for disableds is real in Africa, in a country that is full of patriotism for their progress, was difficult. It also has opened my eyes to looking at accessibility issues back home. (I realize that carrying a suitcase, laptop, SLR, 14 days worth of clothing, a Trashy Bag, approximately 12 yards of Woodin fabric, five pairs of shoes, a small cat in her carrier, African jewelry and artwork, and three dozen eggs from a subway stop to my apartment is not the same as being disabled, but I did appreciate those ramps for the wheels on my suitcase. Saying that was intended to be humorous, but I also realize it could come off as me being a bit of an ass because I am blessed with so much and encumbered with so little in terms of disability.)

If you're a student who is considering the pros and cons of taking two weeks to travel to Africa to take this course, I would definitely recommend going to you. There were a lot of difficulties about the trip for me, make no mistake. I never really adjusted to the spiciness of the authentic cuisine. The hot weather was a struggle every day. We got up early and went to bed late (and I didn't even go out to see the nightlife) every day, with new things to read, new photographs to take, new notes to process, and new questions to ask. There were a couple of days where I skipped lunch in favor of taking a nap before class in the afternoon, I was so exhausted. Would I do it again? Yes!!

The sense of community I experienced was refreshing, to say the least. I feel like I made some new friends over there and each of us had something unique to contribute towards our class experience. We were all in it together and I felt like we had made some strong bonds by the end of our trip. I learned a lot about people - both sick, and well, and in places far from home. I think that was overall the bottom line for me. I was able to be immersed in a culture that was so different from white, upper-middle class Americana where I'm from (East Lyme, CT I'm looking at you).

I'm still a bit conflicted about the topic of my final paper is going to be. It's got to be related to how the trip will effect me personally and as a practitioner, with journal articles applicable as necessary. I've got until mid-February to complete it, so I'm going to sit on it for a while. Not too long, though. I want to complete it while all of my memories from the trip are still fresh in my mind.

Drums

This morning, we had no bus pickup. After breakfast, we head down to the beach behind the hotel for a 3-hour drumming lesson. This was intense! Each student picked out a drum and carried them to the conference room near the beach. The fans were on and the windows were open, inviting a cool sea breeze. I chose a seat in the circle that allowed me to see out the windows to the waves crashing on the beach. The drum instructor began by having us practice repeating a simple beat. Next, he had the group split into three separate groups and taught us three different beats. The three groups played the different parts and then all together. After about hour two, my hands were hurting. I actually still feel it in my thumbs this evening!

Drumming Video

There was a banana bell (named because it looked like a melon… just kidding) that was passed around so that each student could lead the group in beating the drums. After drumming as a group in harmony, or the best that we could manage, we learned some dance moves and an African song. Finally, our instructor gathered some of our drums (each one was stretched/constructed differently, so they had different pitches when they were hit) and gave us a bit of a performance. It was very impressive the way he could get so many different ranges of sounds on the drums by hitting it in different places, with different pressure, and different parts of his hands.

After the drumming lesson, we had a little lunch break until 2:00. I skipped lunch in favor of taking a nap. I actually did this yesterday, too. I think if my apartment was closer to NYU, I would do the same thing; my commute keeps me eating three meals a day back home. At 2:00 I got up and waited for the bus, which came 30 min. late today due to traffic. We stopped at the seamstress’ house on our way to NYU Accra campus to pick up our dresses. Mine was 45 cedis ($20) and I got the extra fabric that wasn’t used to make the dress also. I want to make a bookmark, a scarf, and a head wrap or two out of the extra fabric!

Class today at campus was composed of students giving brief presentations about their experiences here in Ghana relating to themselves as a practitioner, the ways their perspectives changed from beginning to end, the ways they could integrate their personal educational goals into our class trips, etc. I spoke from an OT perspective and did a miniature activity analysis on bead making (from the Cedi Bead Factory trip). I also spoke very briefly about the need for OT in many settings, particularly in the School for the Deaf where there was no transitional program and a great need for one. My classmate Isi, who presented last, made an exceptional video that wrapped up our class perfectly. Before leaving the campus I copied it on my thumb drive to show people when I come home.

Farewell dinner selfie. The lighting sucks because the electricity had gone and there was only candlelight for the first fifteen minutes we were there.

Class ran 30 min. late because of our bus, which meant when we went back to the hotel we only had 45 minutes to shower and beautify ourselves for the farewell dinner. I did so rather quickly, shaving my legs in record time and putting on my necklace and earrings made of shells. I’d lost a shell earring earlier in the week, much to my disgust, but it turned up just in time for tonight.

With the seamstress who made my dress.

Ghanaian flag. Red is for the blood of those who fought for independence. Yellow is for the bountiful minerals. Green for agriculture. Black star for the hope and freedom of Africa.

Last time I ate dinner at Headlines Hospitality I ended up pretty sick, so I was a little wary. I ate a couple of spicy meatballs (uh oh), chicken, fish, and rice with lots and lots of pineapple juice. Dessert was a special cake made for seeing us off. It was unfortunate that Abigail wasn’t there, but I have her email address and will be able to keep in touch with her.

Checkout at the hotel tomorrow is at 12:00 noon. There will be a bus that picks me up from the hotel at 6:00 p.m. to bring me to the airport for my 10:10 p.m. direct flight (Delta flight 479, if you want to track me). I’ve got a few hours to kill in between. The touristy art center is within walking distance of the hotel, so I might go there to burn my last few cedis. Or I might read my Joe Hill book which I still haven’t finished (haven’t had time to read here). As much as I have enjoyed my time here and as educational as it has been, I will be happy to be home. I know I'll look at things a little bit differently from now on...

Jamestown Fishing Village, Mosque, & Human Rights Advocacy

We were up especially early in order to arrive in Jamestown when the fishing boats came in with their catch. We arrived in the small town at about 6:15 a.m. Our class of twenty was restricted to three photographers through the slums because people here are particularly sensitive about having their photo taken. This was because a photographer’s images from here appeared in National Geographic with captions such as, “Look at these children who are so poor their family cannot afford clothes for them.” I was one of the three photographers, but because of the cramped housing and a desire to maintain some people’s privacy (we were basically “walking through their living rooms”) I didn’t take many of the actual slum. I did get a few shots off from the bus as we were about to leave.

The town is a fishing village which means the men go out on the boats each day and the women maintain the home and raise the children. Boys start working at 6 to 10 years of age. Boats can be out for five or six days at a time. And while most fishermen are men, three (in the town) are women. The fishermen work together and the entire community works to pull the boats in from the shore, sort the fish and crabs, repair the nets, build new boats, etc. The workers work all day, doing backbreaking, laborious jobs, for very little pay. As we were walking through the town someone noticed the sides of the houses were made from boards that used to be part of boats. The boats were, in Ghanaian style, commonly named with religious undertones.

This is a snail.

Note the slums at the top of the cliff.

I felt bad for this little guy (and all of the homeless animals) but rationalized that he probably gets to eat a lot of fish whilst living in Jamestown.

Torn nets are repaired by hand.

Awkward name for a restaurant.

Garbage burning in the slums.

Boy in school uniform and girl with sister(?)

Sugarcane.

Our next stop was to walk through a Muslim neighborhood and Mosque. This part of the day was uncomfortably humid and the stench of some unknown source assaulted my nostrils through the entire town. The town was also a very poor neighborhood. Women were told to dress very conservatively, with scarves over their hair and/or wrapped around their shoulders, no yoga pants, no sneakers, no tank tops. I didn’t have a scarf for my head, but I dressed in long sleeves and long pants and closed-toe shoes. It was sweltering. A milky fluid trickled through the open sewers as students proceeded single-file through the town. We met some leaders of the community which were very hospitable to us. At the mosque, we took off our shoes and went inside. We learned that men and women pray separately, but we were able to look at both the men’s quarters and the women’s quarters. Muslims pray several times a day and there is a name for each of these prayers.

At the top of the mosque was a classroom setup with wooden desks and a whiteboard. We were lectured by a man who was very involved with the church on Islamic faith. In Islam you are supposed to help 8 kinds of people, particularly the poor who have no money for tomorrow. However, the needy are also to be helped (and it doesn’t have to be a poor person who is needy). The lecturer unabashedly assured us that the reasons for illicit acts are because women dress temptingly (particularly in trousers?). He said if a woman is attacked or sexually assaulted it is her fault and that a man cannot control himself around her. I found this insulting to both sexes, on the basis that women are not at fault on the basis of how they are dressed and men are capable of ascending the most primitive lizard part of the brain that drives them to reproduce.

This was a segway into marriage customs. Marriage, or Mikah Zawaaj, is a contract between man and woman that is legitimized before God. Homosexuality is punished by death. There is also no forced marriage and it is forbidden to make sisters your wives or to engage in an act of incest. A dowry is paid which signifies the man can take care of his wife.

In the Quran’s 6,666 verses, we hear that “everyone is equal in the house of God whether you are blind, crippled, etc.” You are able to pray regardless of the body’s abilities (or disabilities). Children attend public school five days a week and study religion two days a week.

When our class got into a discussion about the mosque visits later, Anita said that both views are “right” to the person who believes them. While this is true, I can’t help but feel that the Islamic views on sexuality are archaic. I find it pathetic that two people who love each other have to hide this fact if they are of the same gender, or that they be put to death. And it was hypocritical to say that you accept everyone but then can murder others. I wasn’t the only student who was uncomfortable with the experience. But seeing it was informative because of our lecture which followed that afternoon. It put the great struggle that Human Rights Advocacy NGO into context with the magnitude of the convictions that the super-religious hold.

We received a lecture that afternoon on Human Rights of Persons with Disability in Ghana. The Human Rights Advocacy NGO develops HR policies and does research of human rights. LGBT, gender, access to heal, HIV/AIDs programming, etc. are all big issues. Their objective is to understand cultural implications for persons with disabilities. In Ghana, of all the disableds, visual impairment makes up 40%, physical disabilities 25%, emotional/behavioral disabilities 18%, and mental health 15%. The rate increases in rural areas and decreases in the 0-5 age group. It is highest for those 65+. During discussion, a classmate remarked that one reason disability is so low in children of that age group is because parents will take matters into their own hands and kill/discard/abandon the baby.

Children can be labeled “spirit children” … because a mother dies in childbirth, a child is born deformed/disabled, during a time of difficulty (i.e., severe poverty), or even if the child is a twin or triplet. Believed to bring bad luck into the community, those labeled a spirit may be killed as a result.

The 2010 census says that 3% of people are disabled, but this is a low statistic. The census is hard enough to take in the USA where we have street names and numbered houses. When you have shacks adjacent to each other on unmarked roads, how can you really be sure you have counted everyone? Or that people have not lied or hidden away people they are ashamed of? Or are out working all day? In the film Emmanuel’s Gift the number was estimated to be about 10%, and in our guest speaker’s Power Point he estimated even higher than that (20%). I’d say the safest bet is to say the true number is somewhere between 10% and 20%.

An example of discrimination against the disabled can be seen in Dr Seidu. He was a blind person appointed to Minister of State. However, he was removed from the political position because of outrage and stigma against him.

In politics, all rights (freedoms) are located under article 21 of Ghana’s Constitution. Every disabled person has these but very few are aware of them. The Persons with Disabilities Act 715 was passed in 2006. The act states that disableds have the right to family life and social activities, differential treatment in respect of residence, living conditions in specialized establishments, freedom from exploitation and discrimination against persons with disabilities, party to judicial proceedings, access to public places and services, and penalties for contravention. However, Ghanaians are generally unaware of their rights. The NGO is working on help educate persons with disabilities that they have those rights, including the right to vote.

I asked our speaker if the NGO takes any preventative measures to prevent the high number of disabled in Ghana, and he gave us a graphic example. There was a man who had his fingers cut off while working with nails in the street, and he may have had less damage had he been wearing protective garments (gloves). NGO therefore recommends employers to protect their employees. However, he said the organization does not promote any awareness campaigns for vaccinations and proper nutrition for a fetus in utero.

Awareness is taught to children and they are instructed in their rights (the Children’s Act of Ghana lists these). Also, they deal with some cases of abuse. Abused women may not report it to the police because she may be worried about her other children. Also, the policeman may say something like “I beat my own wife more.” Or, the woman may not be able to afford a lawyer. The NGO wants to provide a confidential place that is judgment free for this type of situation. In an example related to health, test results of HIV can be announced in public. The stigmatism and eviction of the woman in the home is the result of such affairs. Giving these women more information, such as the existence of pro bono lawyers, is another objective of the NGO.

School for the Deaf, Shai Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, & Cedi Bead Factory

This morning was an earlier pickup than usual from the hotel: 7:30. My classmates and I had a quick breakfast before we departed for the School for the Deaf in Tema. The bus ride was an hour long to get there. We were on the bus for a long time today. I like sitting at the window seat and looking at the people as we pass by. Sometimes I can get some interesting photographs shooting through the glass.

Shepherd and cattle.

Horse tied under shed.

Man with machete and coconuts.

A lot of Ghanaian shops have religious names. Such as "Christ Saves Hairdresser" or "Faith Grocery."

I'd like to take a moment here and lament something I've been thinking about. I debated for a while whether or not to bring my Canon 50D. I'm glad that I did now. What I am a little annoyed about is whether or not I brought the right lens for the situation. The 50 mm f/1.8 gets a lot of good shots and takes in a lot of light, which makes it useful for indoor handheld shots. But it's not very good for wide angle shots, especially on the 50D which isn't a full-frame camera. Although it's heavier- and approximately cost me 10x as much money- I'm thinking I might have done better to have brought the 24-70 f/2.8 L lens. I could have gotten some good shots of my classmates as a group listening to lectures, taking tours, and going on hikes. I'm glad I did decide to bring the "good camera" though. And when both of my batteries died in it I switched to using my iPhone camera anyway. I bet you guys can't tell what photos were taken on my phone and which were taken with the SLR. I post process both with Photoshop CS4.

Time to get back on topic: the School for the Deaf. The school was established in 1965 and it was the first of its kind. It is currently the only public non-boarding school in Ghana, although they are currently in the process of constructing dorm buildings. There is a curriculum similar to "normal" schools (see my last blog post). There are 325 students ages 4-18 years. There are 20 to 35 students and 2 teachers in each classroom. Muslim and Christian children are given separate spaces for worship in the school mornings before breakfast is served. Some of the teachers are deaf, but most are not. The government pays the students tuition, and students pay a fee for the PTA. Students get picked up by buses and are brought to school from distances as far as 20 km.

American Sign Language (ASL) is used, but there is also Ghanaian sign language. I learned how to make a few signs today, including "Good morning", "Thank you", "I love you", and "What is your name?" I should probably clarify here that not all of the students are deaf. Some are hard of hearing, and a portion of those have access to donated hearing aids.

School is held from roughly 9 am to 2:45 pm. Only one or two students from the entire school each year complete tertiary (college) education. The school helps the parents to learn sign language, and life skills are taught here, but it seems like there is no one to serve to assist the students in transitions outside of the school (such as communicating to a coworker or boss, taking a trotro taxi, etc.). This seems like a good opening for a physiotherapist or occupational therapist. There are children who have physical disabilities here as well, who could also benefit from services these professionals would provide.

The school identified that outreach programs are the thing they need the most - beyond books, computers, or supplies. They have access to computers and televisions, although it is semi-limited. There is only one private TV station in Ghana that has an interpreter and there is no closed captioning on TV. As far as computers go, there are donated ones and a computer lab which students come to twice a week. However, 20 of the 40 computers are currently broken due to the clay dust which gets into the sensitive electronics. Internet connectivity is also an issue.

On the left, a girl signs "I love you" and on the right, the boy is signing "Thank you"

We were given some time to talk with the kids before departing for our next destination. I don't know very much sign language, and could only remember small amounts of the alphabet, so I just wrote a greeting in my notebook and in return got some autographs from the students. They were very friendly, hospitable, and excited to write down their names.

Our next stop of the day was at Shai Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. While we were there, our tour guide Michael got on our bus to give us some background information. There are three types of baboons in the sanctuary, ostriches, some gazelles, bats, and more. While we were driving out to our hiking spot some baboons jumped down from the trees to see what we were doing. I saw a whole family! There were two mothers with babies who were clinging to their backs and one lead male. They all came very close (I suspect some of them were lured by the trail mix some students had) and I got a really good shot, even with my nifty fifty lens. This would have been a good circumstance for the zoom lens. We also stopped to say hello to an ostrich. I asked and was given permission to put my hand up against the fence, where it got pecked at. I can now say I've touched an ostrich. They are so huge and intimidating up close. I really felt like I was face-to-face with a dinosaur. With the lineage of birds to ancient reptiles, the truth is, I was.

We got out of the bus at a spot a good distance into the sanctuary (it must have been another half hour from the entrance) and proceeded up the trail after spraying bug spray on. The trail didn't have very clear-cut steps; at some points we had to climb up some jumbled rocks. Some of our group had sandals on which must have made it difficult. I wore long pants and long sleeved shirt and some leather boots. Wearing socks here isn't the greatest, but it was better than sandals. Anyway, at the summit of the rock/mountain we climbed, we saw a cave entrance and the ever-increasing smell of guano. 

Another time it would have been good to have the 24/70 f/2.8.

Only a few students ventured inside the cave. I was one of them. It was dark, smelly and slippery, and my shirt stuck to my back. When I ducked under an overpass and leaned against the edge of the cave I cared not to think about what I was touching. I used my popup flash (better than nothing) to get a couple of shots of the bats. There were hundreds! They were all chirping, and it was a kind of sweet sound, like birds. I wasn't nervous at all. One negative: flash photography really drains my batteries. I switched one out for the other at this point to realize I had picked up the incorrect backup battery. I had brought another low battery with me instead of a fresh one! However, it still had a little juice left.

We ate a packed lunch on the bus on our way to the next stop, which was Cedi Bead Factory. It took about an hour to get there. I had a really good time here! We learned from Mr. Cedi that there are five types of beads that he makes. They are 1.) recycled from glass, 2.) recycled transparent from coca cola bottles etc., 3.) recycled glass beads that are pounded into powder and pigments are used for coloring, 4.) glazed/painted beads (glass mixed with H2O) where the design is painted on and its fired twice, and 5.) bodom beads (special beads for the chief or God).

Raw material.

Women in Ghana wear beads around their waist. The beads are fired for 30-45 minutes in kilns which can reach temperatures of 600-800 degrees Celsius. The right hand of the worker pierces a hole in the bead, and the bead is shaped into a sphere while it is still hot. While in the kiln beads shrink about 2 mm. Cassava leaves are used in the center of the beads (for the string).

To work as a beadmaker, you have to have very good fine motor coordination skills. You'll need to have good vision as well and be able to distinguish figure from background to tell what beads need to be polished and what are complete. You would need to be able to tolerate the heat from the kiln, and to be cognitively aware of details such as time being fired, the temperature of the firing, and stringing beads into coordinating sequences as jewelry. When polishing the beads during the last step, a worker needs to not mind getting their hands wet and hearing the grating of the beads against the clay and each other. You would need to be able to cross your mid-line and use your hands independently of one another (bilateral asymmetrical movements). This would be a difficult job for someone who has spasticity in their hands (such as a person with cerebral palsy), someone who is sensory sensitive (such as some people on the Autism spectrum), and for someone who has a learning disability (such as someone who struggles with rules and sequencing). You need to be fairly high functioning in order to work as a beadmaker. Additionally, it takes someone with a creative mind and an appreciation for art to craft the beads into the finished products on sale at the showroom.

The showroom was amazing. Prices ranged from 1 cedi a bead to 1000+ cedis for rarer, more intricate jewelry. Our whole class of 20 students crammed ourselves in the little space and helped contribute towards the Ghanaian economy. We also met a US college student who was doing an internship abroad there who was working on his degree in Fine Arts (sculpting).

La Enobal, New Horizon, & Awaa Waa 2

Monday, Jan 13

Today, our class visited La Enobal Jr. High School. This is a public school whose student body comes mostly from the rural areas. Students share a desk and there appear to be approximately 20 students in each classroom. We observed sixth graders and we were able to interact with them. The students were very excited to see us. The students that I spoke with were eager to share what they were learning with us. Students have five periods a day and those include French, Worship, Social Studies, Maths and Composition. The usual school day is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Many children don’t have access to the public library because of their living arrangements. The Accra library is located near Makola market. Private schools can afford to build their own libraries but are expensive to attend. Schoolchildren wear uniforms, and pay schooling fees and for their own textbooks. Schooling is free through high school besides these fees. Lunch is not paid for most of the time for students. Parents pay a tuition for high school. There are exams at transitory stages for students to pass until they can continue their education. Students who need to be disciplined are caned.

When I spoke with some students in the class, they were eager to learn about how things are done in America. I spoke about President Obama’s goal of attaining healthcare for every US citizen. We also talked about pollution. The students were amazed to find out that there were areas of the states where littering could cause arrest and monetary fines as large as $300. The social studies class was also learning about Ghanaian culture. They were learning things like values, beliefs, and outdated practices. One student asked if it was true that you could get arrested for homosexual behavior. I said that it wasn’t done, and there were areas of the states where homosexuals could marry, but people had a lot of varying opinions about it. In Ghana, homosexuality is seen as a perversion, and in a culture where childbirth is expected of men and women, it’s understanding to see how bizarre it must seem for the US to be accepting of such things. I was personally impressed to see the sense of community the students in the classroom had. They all were big proponents of touching my arms (“I love white people!” a boy exclaimed) and our hair, which they weren’t used to seeing. A group of students clapped, stomped, and sang some songs to me. They had a contagious enthusiasm. Sweat poured off of me in rivers and down my chest, spotting my blouse. "You're perspiring!" a girl said and was quick to grab some folded paper to fan me down diligently. A boy saw the scar on my forehead from a childhood accident and said "Like Harry Potter! Harry Potter's sister!" I asked him if he'd read the books. He said no, but he had watched the movies!

Our class donated two boxes of books, art supplies, school supplies, etc. to La Enobal Jr. High before our departure. When we exited the building, a bunch of primary students from a neighboring school ran out to greet us. The young children were very excited to see us and were cheering. We engaged the children in some songs such as “If you’re happy and you know it”. The kids trailed after our bus as we departed and waved goodbye to us.

I had lunch at Melting Moments, which is a restaurant in Labone. I wanted to order steak, but they had no steak. I settled for roast beef for a second, but they had no beef, period. I wanted a banana chocolate milkshake and they had no smoothies or milkshakes. I ended up having a BLT and a coke. My stomach was upset and the bathroom didn’t work, so I was quite uncomfortable… but I digress. After lunch, I stopped at the Artist Alliance Gallery with a couple of classmates in order to look at some fine art. The center was amazing! There were three stories of paintings, sculptures, baskets, beads, clothing, fabric, necklaces, posters, books, and more. I did not leave empty handed. My classmates and I all jumped into the public bus/taxi system that Ghana’s residents use to get around. These are called trotros. They carry as many people as possible (12 or more). They’re hot, with no A/C and you have to ride very close to strangers who think it’s funny you’re riding with them. The van drops people off at various stops and each person pays a cedi for passage. We were dropped off in an unfamiliar area of Labone. We all walked for a bit hoping to recognize the restaurant landmark that is located by NYU Accra Campus, Churcheese. However, we took a wrong turn or three. After fifteen minutes of wandering around the hot street we hailed a cab and found our way to campus for our lecture.

Our class later had a lecture on Education and Curriculum Development by Professor Akosua Anyidoho, the Director of NYU Ghana.

We learned the structure of modern education is the following. First, in Basic Education, children receive 6 years of primary education and 3 years of junior high. Secondary Education is 3 or 4 years of Senior High (depending on what politicians decide is appropriate at the time). Finally, University education involves 4 years of teaching. Only ~ 3 to 5% of Ghanaian students are able to culminate their studies there.

There was a reform in 1987-1988. The objectives of this education reform was to decrease the length of pre-tertiary education from 17 to 12 years. It was also to increase access to education at all levels; particularly at the basic and secondary levels. The introduction of prevocational training and general skill training to equip graduates of basic and secondary levels for gainful employment also occurred as a result. The basic education curriculum includes English, Maths, local language, social studies, religious education, Internet tech., and Physical education. In Jr. High students add Integrated Science, Technical Drawing, and Agricultural Science. Our class learned that local language is the language of instruction for the first three years of a student’s career. After that, English becomes the language of instruction. This can be compared to immigrants in the US. There are negatives involved; namely that there is an increasing level of disconnect between elders and children. Children struggle to communicate with other people from their own region. There are approximately 250 languages in Cameroon, 170 in Nigeria, and about fifty in Ghana. There are approximately 210 districts within. If education is decentralized, only one language would be eased for each district. Others argue that problems in the country cannot be linked to languages.

In JHS students take the BECE, and must pass in order to proceed to the SHS level. SHS students take the WASSCE, which is an exam they must pass to proceed to University. Although the educational reform decreased educational duration from 17 to 12 years, some negatives of the process are poor quality teaching and learning, weak management capacity at all levels, and inadequate access to education, especially at the SHS/Uni. Levels. The average teacher’s salary in Ghana is $8,000 to $11,000.

On paper, education for children who have disabilities is required, but it isn’t enforced. Children on the streets are selling goods or begging; this is a reality. The aim of Ghana Educational Services is to decrease this.

The increase in population has increased the competition levels for getting into Universities. If a student fails the BECE (transition from JHS to SHS) they are finished. They currently cannot retake the exam at any other time. Students must receive “Ace” in all 8 subjects to be considered for a medical school interview. In University, free housing and meals are provided. Additionally, job security was guaranteed. Many graduates leave Ghana for external opportunities to make more money. Ghana has a relationship with Cuba. Doctors come in to the country to supplement the approximately 1500 doctors in the hospitals in this country. The population of Ghana is 1,000,000.

Fufu and hot soup, rice and beans, plantains, spaghetti

For dinner, I ate some Ghanaian food, because I’m too stubborn to only eat French fries and rice. It turns out it was our last night eating at Tante Marie. I had some beans and rice, spaghetti, fufu (a soft corn-like sphere) and extremely spicy soup. This was a mistake. I paid for it the next morning.

That evening, myself and 11 other classmates headed over to the seamstress’ house to get fitted in our dresses. She wanted to make sure that they were coming out the right way and if we needed to make any adjustments, she could place pins and make notes to do so. We are hoping the dresses will be completed by Friday when we are having our farewell dinner. I was unhappy because my little clutch wallet had come unstitched on one side, and the seamstress quickly patched it up for me. She refused payment, but I left her with a cedi anyway. While we waited for our classmates to do their fitting in groups of three at a time, the rest of us talked about our “life stories” and personal lives. We waited in the patio and although it took a long time I enjoyed getting to know my classmates a little bit better. I will be sad when Abigail has to go back to school. Wednesday night is our last night with her being our “guide”/helper/cultural navigator/etc. She’s incredibly kind and has a big and sweet heart.

We didn’t get back to the hotel until after 11:00 p.m. I was too tired to write.

Tuesday, January 14

In the morning the hotel served cinnamon banana crepes for breakfast. I had those, and chased down my anti-malarial medication and an Immodium pill with two or three glasses of freshly squeezed pineapple juice. I felt sick.

We visited New Horizon Special School, which is the first of its kind in Ghana. To my dismay, they did not allow any photography on the premises. It is a parent-sponsored school for children with physical and learning disabilities. There are 120 students there. It has been open 42 years now. While half of the school is dedicated to a modified curriculum, including life skills training, part of the school is dedicated to vocational training. We spoke with the owner of the school, who gave us information about its demographics. Many husbands end up deserting their wives and families thinking they are witches for birthing a disabled child. Many of the children are raised by single mothers. Because it is so expensive to attend school, about 30% of the students are supported/sponsored by a Dutch group. The youngest student is age 3. The most common populations served are diagnosed with Autism, Down syndrome, and Cerebral Palsy. At the school there are two physiotherapists (like PTs) and one speech therapist if present if they can afford to pay them. About 30 students at the school need PT. The PT helps to loosen tight joints (particularly for CP), massage muscles and accommodate students can’t sit into normative chairs. There is also a rudimentary sensory room being built, but there aren’t many supplies and there are no OTs working there.

Classes at the school are grouped according to ability and are labeled by flowers. When students display competency at one level they are moved to the next. For example, there is the Lilac class, the Sunflower class, etc. A small percentage of students are able to be mainstreamed with the “normal” students. At New Horizons there are five levels of education before moving to vocational training. There is a waiting list to go to the school because many can’t afford to go.

Broken glass embedded on top of the wall for security.

The NYU Art Therapy program was here for a residency of three weeks. I was able to see some mural work they had done while they were there and felt a little nostalgic for my art therapy education and the days when I had more time and energy to produce artwork.

The Rose Class had adult students who were 57 years old, 27 years old, etc. but too severely disabled to function in Ghana’s society. And finally, we looked at the vocational program where men were weaving baskets, men and women were dying fabric in the Petik method, and sewing/making art. Petik is when wax is applied to white fabric to preserve the white design when colored dyes are applied to the cloth. There was a gift shop available for students to purchase crafts made by the students there. We donated another two boxes of books to New Horizons before departing to our next location.

Our third school to visit, (the second of the day) was Awaa Waa 2. This is a smaller treatment center, consisting of three classrooms designed for kids with disabilities, particularly speech. Mary, the coordinator of the center, has a 10-year-old daughter with severe autism. This inspired her to open the center. Awaa Waa means “to embrace”, and the center’s goal is to embrace children with language difficulties due to Down’s syndrome, Autism, CP, cleft palate, etc.

The center runs small groups. There are 24 kids aged 3-12 years old there and 11 staff members. For those doing well, this area serves as a transitional stage to a mainstream school. Kids who come there stay for 3, 6, or 12 months. The center wants the students to increase eye contact, increase sharing of toys with others and improve socialization. Many children are non-verbal. Children may also display socially inappropriate behaviors like yelling, running in circles and spitting. There is a speech and hearing assessment clinic located behind the main building that can help diagnose those who are impaired. Unlike New Horizons, this school is open for less hours each day (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

From 8:30 to 9:30 students are given an hour of free time. This is especially useful for those that need to burn off excess energy in a productive way. Students can play inside or outside. At 9:30 to 11:00 students are engaged in academics. The curriculum was working on awareness of the surrounding world. The staff use photos and words to ID objects for the higher functioning kids. Employees are required to volunteer for 5 weeks, and then they are trained. Reports are written every day for every child. Some students leave at 12:00 noon because they live so far away from the school. Others stay to engage in other activities such as drawing and blowing bubbles.

Volunteers work as aides in the school setting for part of the school day, once or twice a week. Sign language is taught here by a woman who donates her time when she can. Volunteers are, unfortunately, often few and far between. Mary asked that we all reach out and spread the word that they are seeking people to help them.

The school runs on donations too. Chairs were donated but are already worn out by some of the more physically active children. Our class donated two boxes of books to the students. It was sweet to see one of the girls look at some of the books. Although she was non-vocal, she seemed curious about the gifts bestowed upon her.

I was feeling sick and skipped lunch today. I came back to the hotel and slept for two hours during the lunch break instead of getting anything to eat. Once we got to campus the electricity was out. Luckily, we went into a different classroom equipped with fans, and got to work.

Neila Sage, a recent Steinhardt graduate, was the guest speaker for our lecture this afternoon. The topic of today’s lecture was Girl’s Education in Ghana and the Gifted Program.

In the 1990’s and 2000s, there was a push to increase girl’s education. Educational programs for girls have been statistically shown to decrease poverty rates and contribute to the growth of the GDP. There were education reforms by the local and international NGOs (Non-Government Organizations). The NGOs help by providing school fees, uniforms, and lunches. They ended up coming up with several goals to achieve with dates as the end points. The first goal was to see universal primary education achieved for children worldwide by 2015. Their third (of 8) was to promote gender equality and empower girls. By 2015, gender equality would see an equal amount of boys and girls in school settings. By 2020, they want to see equal access for girls at the SHS level.

These are lofty goals. The current state of girl’s education is 3 boys: 2 girls ratio in Ghana. 16% of school-aged kids are not in school. We see particularly high rates of dropouts in transitory stages, such as in between Primary and JHS, JHS/SHS, and SHS/University. Girls may drop out after primary school more frequently than at the SHS level. Once a girl reaches the SHS level she is much more likely to go on to tertiary education. Speaking of girls at the SHS level, approximately 45% of them enrolled from 2012-2013 were girls. Although program options include business, home ec, sciences, accounting, and tech ed., many students follow traditional gender roles.

The following are barriers to girl’s education: Cost (fees, books, uniforms, and kids working at home. The labor law states children under 15 can do “light work” but does not define light work.), Early Pregnancy/Marriage, Traditional Gender Roles, Male-dominated learning environment, and safety/inadequate facilities. A girl who gets married early is more likely to drop out because her husband has control over whether or not her education continues. Men also have control over what opinions a woman may express to others, as was evidenced by Mary earlier at New Horizons when she treaded delicately around controversial topics.

(Side note: 52% of the population of Ghana lives on $2 or less every day. Girls on their periods are often unable to afford sanitary pads so they stay home from school. If they do have access to pads they have nowhere to discard them at school. This is one example of a male dominated learning environment.)

The Gifted Program is designed by NYU to promote female leaders. The NYU School Steinhardt of Education/Culture, Nursing School, and Wagner (public policy) contribute to this program. The program is funded by an agency in Spain and their mission statement is to promote girls’ education. The program description is that it is a 3-year grant project. There are 12 women in each cohort and 3 cohorts involved, with ultimately 36 women. Applications are accepted by NYU in groups (not individual applications). The ages of the people accepted are 28-65. The groups talk about career development plans and about a project they want to implement in their schools. These projects are designed to meet the needs of the girls in their school. Ultimately, in NYC, there are conference presentations where groups wrap up and summarize the effects of their programs. They are pressured to prove the program is successful because funding comes in for the programs which have a high level of effectiveness. The programs measure self-perception, confidence, community awareness, and self-efficacy surveys (on a LIKERT scale).

Some of the groups are the Art for Life Girl’s Club, where 20 girls ages 10-15 create jewelry to sell to afford school items. In JHS, there is the Amazing Girl’s Club, which preps girls aged 14-17 to take the Basic Education Certification Exam in Math. In Primary and JHS, there is the Girls of Difference Club, and it is composed of 75 girls ages 6-18 who are learning traditional African dance. The Primary School has the Little Gifted Girl’s Club, which helps 25 girls ages 10-14 with learning disabilities as they do tie-dye and Petik crafts. The Creative Minds Girl’s Club has two deaf girls in their group. Their topic of choice is improvement of literacy and numeracy. The final program we learned about was the GIFTED Winneba program. That includes 12 teachers who are doing a leader development program.

Our class launched into a discussion about gender and education. We spoke about the discrepancy between higher percentages of women in USA colleges than men but the glass ceiling and salary inequalities. Were men falling behind women and did they need services catered to them the way the Gifted Program had clubs for women? This was a contented point of discussion but resolved in the knowledge that women had less resources, less space and less material to work with while men had these and more. We spoke about gender roles and whether or not they truly were a barrier to women’s education. There was some debate over whether the Gifted Program was really progressive when many of the clubs focused on traditionally feminine activities. We also learned a little about allegations of child abuse in the educational system. If a child shows up to school with bruising multiple times, the teacher will ask the child what is going on and also go as far as to go to the parent’s home and talk to the parent. There does not appear to be any sort of mandatory reporting service like in the US and child services, but there is an organization which deals with women’s and child advocacy which is similar in nature.

The three tiers of our class were reviewed at the end of the lecture today. At first, we were involved in the physical/sensory aspects of disability, the social relationships within, and the learning environment. The next portion of class we broadened our focus to also include community in the classroom, family and community outside of the classroom, gender, economics, personality, and religion. This final portion of class (I can’t believe it, but we only have four days left) is focused on critical thinking to access resources, teacher training and support to implement programs, and follow through to home and community.

The big picture is that public health issues often take priority over disabilities in Ghana; water sanitation and malaria for example. However, with that in mind, the limited resources available to those working in educational programs are being channeled more seriously into the areas where there are deficiencies. This problem is not limited to Ghana; at NYU in NYC two guest speakers in another of Anita’s classes were unable to present smoothly because they couldn’t stand at the podium available. They couldn’t switch their PowerPoint slides or use the microphones which are instated there. There is a lot of work to be done close to home, even in our “developed” nation.

Tonight for dinner I had a chocolate milkshake, a coke, and a lobster and mango salad for approx. $25. I don’t feel too guilty for pigging out since I skipped lunch in favor of resting. The lobster and mango salad was served with melted butter. It was very good. I hope that my stomach settles… the Ghanaian TUMS taste like chalk.

Cape Coast

On Friday, we all took a 3-hour bus ride south to Elmina, a town in central southern Africa. The purpose of the trip was to take a tour through the Elmina Slave Castle and learn a little bit about the history of the illegal transatlantic slave trade. The trade started in 1441 by the Portuguese and was perpetrated by both the Portuguese and the Dutch who established small towns on the West African coastline. Africans were captured, at times, 300 miles from the coast (where the castle is located) and were forced to walk chained to one another, carrying the European’s belongings, to the castle. There were three ways to acquire captives: “Europeans captured Africans, Europeans collaborated with Africans to get other Africans, and Africans known as slave raiders captured Africans and sold them to African merchants, who in turn sold them to the Europeans” (Ashun, pp. 39). The most reliable way to come by captives was to take prisoners of war once tribes had been defeated as an annual tribute.

Women's Quarters.

Once slaves reached Elmina, they were imprisoned within its walls and treated barbarically. Approximately 1000 prisoners had spent their lives within the dungeon; 600 men and 400 women. Women were kept in a long dungeon where they were fed once, perhaps twice a day if lucky. This dungeon kept the women packed in together so closely they could barely walk around. There were no toilets and women were forced to urinate, defecate and have their menses on the floor in there. The unimaginable stench must have boiled in the immense heat and humidity. With no place to rest, they slept and gave birth in their own excretions. Many of them died there. When we were walking through this chamber, we were all overcome by the smell. Lingering stench of agony seemed to permeate the stones, and it was hard for me to fathom the depths of despair that had occurred.

Staircase to the Governor.

At his whim, the Governor called the women out into the courtyard to look over them. He would pick one, and she would be publicly bathed using water drawn from the wall there. She would get to eat a meal and be dressed up. There was special access to the Governor’s bedroom via a special staircase and trap door located in the women’s quarters. After the rape, she was imprisoned again. Any children that were born of these liaisons died shortly after birth or were instituted on small cities in West Africa (the Europeans occasionally took care of their own).

“When the ships came, the women sold were exited to a room. The men were made to join them after passing through a transit dungeon. The men and women finally entered a room now known as the “room of no return.” It was in these last rooms that the men and women saw each other for the first time since they had been brought to the dungeons. It has been said that sometimes kin saw each other there” (Asun, pp. 46).

View from the exit of the room of no return.

View from the exit of the room of no return.

Middle passage – to the Caribbean’s, Americas, etc. was even more tortuous, with slaves being forced to lie in holding passages 20-25 inches high, and worked in between. Some women had to give birth while working, chained to corpses. And others were sexually abused to the death.

Locked into the death cell.

Back at Elmina, there were two special cells adjacent to one another by the castle entrance. One was for rough and rowdy Europeans who had drunk too much, and it was adequately ventilated. The other was marked by skull and crossbones. It was for slaves who attempted to rebel and escape. They were left into the tiny dark cellar until they died. Sometimes they were forced to keep company with the rotten corpses of their brethren.

Elmina is open to the public for a fee and the museum sells a history book there as well as some paintings. People leave small offerings there as a way to pay tribute to their dead ancestors.

Our second destination of the day was at the Kakum National Park where we climbed what felt like 15 stories of stone steps to the top of the forest (is ‘jungle’ appropriate to use here?). Students were encouraged to wear long sleeves and pants because of the many mosquitoes and insects in the forest. It was past 90 degrees, humid, and we were climbing step after step until finally we arrived at the canopy. Students walked out on the ropes and boards that were up to 40 meters above ground level to get a unique view of the tops of the trees. There were a total of 7 bridges that we crossed.

Abigail on the canopy walk.

Alex on the canopy walk.

The walkway are ladders with boards on top of them.

40 meters up.

A coconut I bought at the peak for 1 cedi (50 cents). Chopped open with a machete. Delicious.

I was totally drenched in sweat at the peak. Never has an anthropologie shirt been so abused. The total canopy walk took about an hour. We learned that the forest is home to over 600 species of butterflies. It’s also home to bears, monkeys, and scorpions. I was a little nervous walking on the canopy trail but I was more excited than scared when I got a photograph of a scorpion. 

The darker ones are supposed to be less poisonous. Who knew?

Kakum National Park sells mancala sets in their giftshop.

Animal skins for sale by the roadside in Elmina.

Town life in Elmina.

The symbols on this mask's cheeks mean "accept God."

Finally, we made our last stop of the day, Coconut Grove Beach Resort. This was a lovely hotel with plentiful accomodations. The beach had coconut trees lining it and not a speck of garbage was in the sand. The ocean had rolling waves crashing on the beach. The beach had little sand crabs skittering back and forth. There were two pools with a bar located nearby (drink prices were about $6-8 for cocktails). There was an 18-hole golf course. The rooms had working televisions. We could watch African soap operas! The water pressure in the shower was excellent, and the showers were roomy. They even had water heaters that didn’t take 20 minutes to work, so that our showers weren’t icy – which was appreciated, when the air conditioners worked so well.

I've ridden horses since I was six and in college I was a captain of LIU's equestrian team.

There was also horseback riding. While my classmates stripped to their bikinis and cooled off in the pool, I stayed in my totally sweat-soaked clothes and boots in order to ride. We were back at the hotel by 4:20 p.m., so I had time before dinner to go. I paid 20 cedis (about $10) at the reception desk. I was not required to sign any liability forms, the way you would in the United States. To trail ride in Long Island the price ranges from $40 to $150 -- not including your tip. This is for those who aren't familiar. In other words, I got an amazing price. After paying, I met with the man in charge of the stables on the resort. He brought up a saddled bay horse for me to ride and we set out to the beach (him on foot). I was excited because the saddle was an English style saddle which is the style in which I am accustomed to riding. I talked to him a bit about horses, and riding, and polo. Polo is played in Africa and there is actually an Accra Polo Court located not too far away from Afia Beach Hotel. The man said that he would watch me ride and after a little while he let me ride out on the beach by myself.

Spirit, the stallion. Oil painting hanging in reception.

The horse I was riding had a rough mouth, maybe from too many inexperienced people, but was patient, even when three skinny dogs ran up to him and snapped at his legs. We walked and trotted through the surf as the sun was setting. It was beautiful, and I can truly say I have never experienced anything like it in my entire life. I was able to ride as long as I wanted. I could ride out into the Gulf of Guinea ocean. My horse’s training was rudimentary, but he eventually grasped that I wanted a canter when I nudged him behind the girth with one heel. He liked to splash in the water while we were riding through it. I worried that I’d work him too hard in the tropical climate; he had worked up a bit of a lather. I walked him out for a bit and back to the stable man who had been watching us. He asked me – “can we go back?” and I realized I had forgotten to ask about how long I could ride. Oops. A classmate Liz was out on the beach in her swimsuit and luckily snapped a shot of me riding in.

Photo credit: Liz Dehner.

When I rode the bay back to the stable area I noticed a donkey wandering around with a long rope attached to his halter. An amusing series of events unfolded in which the stable man chased the donkey around until he caught him and was able to tie him to a fence there. By the stable area there are some rabbits in a pen. There are peacocks caged. The stables have a couple of other horses there, too. I helped to untack the bay and noticed at that point in time he was intact (a stallion). I was even more impressed by his manners seeing as how he had mares next to him and even two foals there.

I took a much-needed shower, as by this point I had been trekking through the Slave Castle (only for an hour, and I was extremely uncomfortable. I would have not made it there.) hiking through the African jungle and horseback riding for an entire hour. I don’t think I have been so dirty in my entire life. Us students all had dinner at the hotel, and they had good chicken, coconut rice (one of my favorite ways to eat rice), and even French fries. I shied away from the fish soup, though, on account of it being spicy.

After dinner, we mingled around a bonfire on the beach. We sipped freshly brewed coconut wine from halves of coconuts. It was a very unique, slightly tangy taste, which I find hard to describe. Abigail showed us some traditional African dancing and taught us some moves. She also taught us some lyrics to traditional African songs. Abigail has a beautiful voice and is very graceful. Anita told us on the bus earlier that if we had any questions regarding etiquette we should look to her in terms of what we do. As per her request I have taken the video down from Instagram that I shot (but still have access to it for interested friends and family).

The next morning after breakfast, I set off to the stables again with sugar cubes in tow from the buffet. I was happy to see that the stable man had a dandy brush in hand and was brushing one of the horses. The others were tied outside. I was curious about the condition of one particular mare, whose ears seemed to flop/fall at a strange configuration around her poll. I wondered if she had some sort of neurological problem or if maybe someone had hit her over the head. She had a shy baby who came up to me only after I had given mom a sugar cube, and I exchanged breaths with him. I noticed they both had parasitic worms… not from a swollen belly, I actually saw them. It turned my stomach. I left after giving the rest of the horses sugar cubes.

Today we stopped at Bojo Beach on the way back to Afia. It was a long bus drive to get there. At the beach I got into the ocean for a little while and played in the waves. The beach huts had palm fronds on top of them, such that you’d imagine on a post card. It was extremely hot so I stayed in the water most of the time. I didn’t have a towel, so I used my skirt as one. I ordered a Ghanaian pizza while I was there. I also had some hard cider and a sunrise drink (gin, grenadine, pineapple juice, and orange juice). I was ready to go when we left; laying out on the beach for a long period of time made me nervous even with SPF 110. 

When we got back to Afia many of us were exhausted. I stayed in and worked on editing photographs while my classmates went out. I tried to Skype my dad but Skype is not working. I haven't talked to my parents since a week ago exactly (last Sunday night). 

Sources

Ashun, A. (2004). Elmina, the Castle and the Slave Trade. Accra, Ghana: Ato Ashun.