Asogli State Yam Festival, Town of Ho - Volta Region,Ghana, West Africa

Yam is called "ete" in Ewe. The word ete literally means it is bloated. Oral history has it that a hunter on his normal hunting expedition discovered the crop in the forest. It was during the famine period but instead of taking his newly discovered tuber home, he decided to hide it in the soil for use some other time. When he later went back for it, to his dismay, the tuber had germinated and grown bigger. This was how the cultivation of yam started.

The celebration of yam festival by Ewes was brought down from Notsie in the Republic of Togo where it is still celebrated. During the harvest time which is normally in September, the gods and ancestors are served first with the boiled and mashed yam normally white and palm oiled, called "bakabaka", before any living being tastes it. This rite is called "Dzawuwu". After that, the rest of the mashed yam is eaten as a communal meal. A symbol of unity and reconciliation of families, clans and the entire community.

Objectives of the Celebration:

-As thanskgiving to God, and also to the gods and ancestors for a bumper harvest, and as an occasion to offer prayers for good health and prosperity for all.

-To foster unity through forgiveness and reconciliation.

-As an annual stocktaking event for all occupational endeavours, especially farming.

-To mobilize both human and material resources of Asogli State for job and wealth creation.

-To serve an an annual re-affirmation of allegiance by all chiefs and their subjects in the Asogli State to the Agbogbome stool.

On Our Way

We got a nice tour of the town of Ho as we made our way to Jubilee Park where the festival was held. Also part of our group were five students who were also studying at the University of Ghana. They do not live on campus, but live with host families. It was very interesting meeting and talking with them about their experiences living with Ghanaian families.

Our Guide

Wisdom organized the trip from Accra to the Volta Region. The ride took four hours and the ride was so beautiful!!!!!! The festival was held in the town of Ho. Wisdom is from there so we got a tour of the town and the festival as well. He also teaches in the Music and Dance Department at the University of Ghana.

These ladies were members of a dance group. Our guide, Wisdom, had performed with them in the past.

The performances were beautiful!

Me and Rehema

Rehema is a graduate student from San Francisco State. She also attends my church in Oakland. This is us on our way to the Yam Festival.

Volta Region

Orientation Pictures

This was taken at Lake Bosumtwi.

This young lady and her mother own a fruit stand at the night market. I get cut up pineapples everyday and they are so delicious. Her mother kindly helps me with my Twi.

A Beautiful Evening

What a beautiful evening I had tonight. The Dance Department put on a recital and it was wonderful!!!!! The dances were all so beautifully done and all of the pieces were choreographed by the Graduate students. It was a beautiful evening. It was warm outside the entire evening, and I felt so peaceful and happy sitting under the stars and the beautiful night sky. As I sat and watched the performances, I had to pinch myself again because it seemed so surreal. On my way home, saw a friend and he walked me back to my dorm. It feels so good to be able to walk around campus again. I don't think I'll ever take walking for granted again. It was a perfect evening!

National Holiday

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Tuesday was the birthday of the late Kwame Nkrumah. Schools and places of business were all closed. There were memorials and celebrations aross the city.

Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah (21 September 1909 - 27 April 1972)Was an influential 20th century advocate of Pan-Africanism. He was the first President of Ghana, the first Prime Minister of Ghana and a founding member of the Organization of African Unity. Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966, and was the winner of the Lenin Peace Prize in 1963.

As a leader of this government, Nkrumah faced three serious challenges: first, to learn to govern; second, to unify the nation of Ghana from the four territories of the Gold Coast; third, to win his nation’s complete independence from the United Kingdom. Nkrumah was successful at all three goals. Within six years of his release from prison, he was the leader of an independent nation.

At 12 a.m. on 6 March 1957, Nkrumah declared Ghana independent. He was hailed as the Osagyefo - which means "redeemer" in the Twi language.

Some Tings

On Saturday, I went to the W.E.B. Du Bois Center for a meeting that is held once per month by African-American expatriates. I read that there is estimated to be around 1,000 African-Americans living here. I read an article before I left the States on the founder of the organization and how she relocated here from Philadelphia. I corresponded with her via email and was excited about attending the meeting.

Not knowing where the place was, I left early and I am proud to say that my foot is almost all better. I walked to the front gate and got a taxi. He eventually found the place which is located by the U.S. Embassy. It had been raining all day and when I got there, the security guard dialed up another expat. who told me that she did not think that the meeting would be held today because of the rain. I was disappointed as I was really looking foward to meeting some Brothers and Sisters from home and getting their take on life here in Ghana and the relocation process.

Not knowing my way around the Center, I asked this Brother if he knew where the meetings were held. He said he thought they were in the back and walked with me to the back of the Center, (through the mud, mind you) and waited for me to find out whether they were going to meet or not. He then walked with me to the front to get a taxi. He was there for a funeral that was being held at the Center and totally blew me away that he would go out of his way to assist me. I mentioned that to say that I have received so much kindness since I've been here from so many people and it has renewed my faith and is helping me to be a kinder, more helpful person as well.

I was talking to a friend yesterday and he said that you need alot of patience to live in Ghana. I am really seeing that more and more as the days go by. The Western style of rushing, being impatient and wanting instant gratification does not work here. Either you will slow down and appreciate the system here for what it is or you will be mad and frustrated alot of the time. I'm choosing to slow down and while I don't understand how or why many things are done here, I have to admit that it works for them, and I have to respect that.

Getting used to men calling out Rasta when I past by. Because of my locs many here think that I am one. I was surprised to learn that locs are frowned upon in employment and school here. I've only seen a couple of people who wear them. The women who maintains my locs said that Ghana is behind the States when it comes to embracing natural hair. I was surprised to hear this, but when I refelected on it, Africans were subjected to the same racist ideology as African-Americans and are having to fight to reclaim many of their indigenous practices, such as utilizing their African names and embracing their natural hair. Like Blacks all over the Diaspora, Africans are having to throw off the yoke of colonialism and racism.

The Gutters

A couple of people asked me about the gutters that I spoke about in another entry, so I thought I'd post a picture so you could get an idea what they look like. They seperate the street from the sidewalk and you have to cross over them. If you're not paying attention or if you're walking at night you can have an accident. Some have waste or debris in them while many are dry like this one. I almost dropped my keys in one and had a couple of near misses. I have to pay extra attention if I'm walking around at night.

Random Thoughts

Yesterday was a down day for me. It would have been my grandmother's 86th birthday. Her Spirit is very much with me this year. Her name was Lucy Mae Patterson and everyone in my neighborhood called her Mama Lucy. I went into a store and on the counter for sale were cookies made by Mama Lucy. After class I went back to my dorm and reflected on how grateful I am that she raised me after my mother passed away. You don't really appreciate your parents until you are grown and realize how many sacrifices they made for you.

Another young man preached a sermon before my Anthropology class began yesterday. I really am getting used to the sermons now and I really liked this young man's topic. It was more metaphysical in nature and less of the fire and brimstone message that the others were relaying. In my other anthropology class the teacher was talking about evolution vs. creationism and he was saying that he very much believes in evolution being an anthropologist, but he believes that there is a God that started the whole ball rolling. I don't think I've ever had a teacher in any of my anthropology classes state their religious leanings before. Ghanaians are very religious and you see signs everywhere attesting to their belief in God. He went to school in the U.S. and is constantly regaling the students about life there and all the technological advancements that exist in America. One thing I like about him is that he always urges us to think and not to take anything at face value and critically analyze life. I'm learning quite a bit.

My foot is mending. In fact, it is not as difficult to walk on it. I went to the track for the past two days and walked slowly around on it. It is still a bit sore, but I can tell that it is on the mend. Found a Nurse's station at the mall the other day and went in to get my vitals checked. The good news is that I've lost 15 pounds since I've been here. The bad news is that I have another 50 to lose. She gave me some tips and I'm following them closely. Once I'm able to exercise again, the pounds should drop off.

Really bummed that I lost my ipod the other night when Latisha and I went out for dinner. I checked on a replacement here and it is going to be quite a bit to replace it. Apple does not ship outside the U.S. so I'll have to purchase one from here. I don't trust anyone to mail me one because I've heard that if the package has to go through the main post office, they can take months to notify you that it is here and often you'll have to pay a bride in order to get your packages. I also messed up the DVD player on my computer and now won't be able to watch any of the DVD's that I bought with me.

This whole experience is teaching me that God is the Source and Substance of my supply. I've been saying that for the past two decades, but being here has taught me the truth of these words. When everything around you is so radically different from everything you've ever experienced, you have to go deep and realize that your life is rooted in something beyond the physical. Then the foreignness of the whole experience, the stares, the cheating, and the misconceptions about you because you're American don't even bother you any longer. What a complete blessing to have this experience at this stage of my life. It is funny because in the U.S. I never felt old, but here everyone calls me Mother, offers to hold my packages and let me sit. While it is nice and I appreciate it, it is making me feel so old.

Other than that life is going along here. My friend Martin told me about the gym on campus, which is 20 cedi a month and I'm going to start going there. It is reggae night at the beach and he is insisting that I stop using my foot as an excuse and go, so we'll see.

Blessings All.

Water

Well, today is the second day without water here. They warned us during orientation that water could go out for days at a time. The lady at the front desk said that someone went to see about it and it should have been back on yesterday, but I'm beginning to get used to the concept of time in Africa, so who knows when that will be. The bathrooms and kitchen are pretty nasty at this point. There is a reservoir on the first floor, so everyone is taking their buckets down there and filling them with water to take bucket baths or wash dishes.

This is the end of Ramadan and celebrations are going on all around. Last night I stopped and watched thirty men as they did their evening prayers outside the mosque. Was taken in my the beauty of this timeless ritual.

Hope everyone has a good week.

Adwoa.

Back of My Dorm

Today is Sunday and I decided to skip church. The thought of venturing out into the city is a bit much. So far the water has been off all morning so it's a good thing I'm staying put. Latisha and I went out last night with a friend of her's for drinks to a club called Cafe Afrique. They had a fantastic band from South Africa. It was actually cool out last night and regretted that I did not wear long pants and long sleeves. I put enough bug spray on so that the little buggers would not eat me alive. Today, it is warm and sunny and I have my ceiling fan on high so I can tell the days are getting hotter. After living in the Bay Area for 18 years, I don't tolerate heat well.

Hope everyone has a good Sunday.

Adwoa.

Lines

Been here over a month and noticed that cutting in front of people in lines is a common practice here. At first I was in observe mode and just taking in everything around me. "Pass the line" is the phrase that is used. The person always looks back at you like, are you going to let me get over, so I know they know better. If you appear angry then they say "are you waiting in the line?" No, I'm just standing here because I have nothing better to do with my day.

So, last night while at the mall I was purchasing a book from the bookstore and once again a "gentleman" and lady cut ahead of me. She looked back to give me that look like am I going to let them do this. I read that there is a hierarchy in Ghanaian society where the men are on top and feel it is o.k. to jump ahead of a woman in line. Well . . . not being in the best of moods yesterday, I went around him and placed my mercandise directly in front of the cashier and said, "I was next." You should have seen the look on Dude's face. Complete shock. He mumbled some words in Twi all the while glaring at me. LOL, it was priceless!!!!!

The Weekend

Well another weekend is upon us. The weeks are going by so fast. Plan to take it easy this weekend. I got a fever last night and woke up feeling not so hot. Plan to stay in most of the weekend to rest and study. Many of the kids got sick this week so a few of us are feeling the pain. Feel really frustrated that my foot is not healing as fast as I would like, but it is what it is. The Doctor that saw me at the clinic recommended I approach the teacher about possibly writing a paper for the course as he said it is going to take a minute for this foot to heal.

Finished writing two papers for my Ghana Culture and Society class. One was on the differences and similarities found in the production and functions in Adinkra cloth and Kente cloth. I learned so much and I am simply loving my classes!!!! I dropped the Geology class (too technical and I did not need it for graduation), and picked up Introduction to Religious Studies. Love this class and my Archaeology classes are so interesting!!!! We have a field trip upcoming to an archaeological site which I can't wait to attend. Studying Archaeology in Africa is unbelievable!!!!! There are sites locally that date back more than 50,000 years. My Intro. to Archaeology professor stated that all of Legon (where the school is located) is an archaeology site. I must admit that it is hard paying attention in class when my instructors are so fine!!!!!

There is a play being held in the Drama Department on Sunday and me and my adopted daughter, Trisha, are going to attend. It is only 5 cedi and it looks like it will be good. So, today, I just downloaded Kem's new CD, Intimacy, from itunes, which is really nice by the way, and I'm going to take it easy. Listening to Kem’s CD makes me really miss the Long Beach Jazz Festival and Russian River Jazz Festival which are all going on in California during this time of year.

Found a woman on campus that does Sisterlocs (thank God!!!!!!), and I have my first appointment tomorrow. I was going to try to maintain them myself, but so glad to have someone else do it for me. I went to the Sisterlocs website and found a woman here. When I emailed her, she said that it was someone right here on campus that does them, so I'm really happy to have this pampering while here in Ghana.

Well that's it for now. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I took an African name. The Asante of Ghana give their children names according to the day of the week on which they were born. As I was born on Monday, mine's is Adwoa (ad-dwa).
Boys:
Sunday - Kwasi
Monday - Kwadwo
Tuesday - Kwabena
Wednesday - Kwaku
Thursday - Yaw
Friday - Kofi
Saturday - Kwame

Girls:
Sunday - Akosua
Monday - Adwoa
Tuesday - Abenaa
Wednesday - Akua
Thursday - Yaa
Friday Afua/Afia
Saturday - Amma

The picture attached is from Lake Bosomtwi. We went there during orientation and it is in the Ashanti Region. I found out while doing my paper that the lake was formed 1.7 million years ago when an ancient meteorite hit the earth.

One of the CSU coordinators took me to the seamstress at the women's dorm. I got a couple of dresses and skirts made. I got this outfit to wear to church on Sundays.

It's Been A Month

Since we arrived in Ghana. I feel like so much has happened in this short period of time and the time is going by so fast. I feel like I'll never be that woman who left San Francisco in August again.

Slowly getting the hang of life here. As I rode on the campus shuttle tonight, the campus is starting to seem more familiar and more like home. Since I have to stay off my feet, I had to map out where to get off the campus shuttle tomorrow morning when I attend my class. The shuttle operator just laughed at me when she realized what I was doing and waved at me when I got off at my Hostel.

The weather has been so nice since we're been here. This is the end of the rainy season, so we have had a few rainy days, but it is not too hot and not too cool--just right. Unfortunately, each day is beginning to get warmer and warmer as we move into the dry season and the coming of the heat that I have been wishing to avoid. Just glad I got a chance to get used to the campus and life here before the days turn hot.

Yesterday we had a power outage and the electricity was off for most of the day. As I sat in my little room and studied by flashlight, I thought how life here reminds me of my humble beginnings growing up in New York City. Before my working years, a mortgage and 401(k)'s consumed my adult life. I feel so blessed to be able to get off the beaten path and feel a freedom I have not felt since I was a kid. This whole experience is making me appreciate the simple things in life once again and appreciate just being alive. When you see how hard some people here have to work each day just to survive and the immense poverty, it gives you a new outlook on life and you begin to realize what a blessing your life really is.

Two of the CSU students fell into the open gutters that are everywhere in Ghana. I felt so bad for them and a couple of us are now limping around campus. I used to fear falling into one of the gutters and have had some close calls, but I am getting much better in walking on campus, even at night. When I run into students in my group, everyone looks so different. We are all learning alot and growing through this adventure. Even the kids in my classes seem to be getting used to me and one of the ladies who is active in the Archaeology Department has taken me under her wings and is showing me the ropes.

Somedays I miss California so much--driving my car and heading down to Whole Foods Market or my favorite Ethiopian restaurant on Telegraph or spending time with my favorite girl, Mezzy, and want to pack my bags and leave; and then other days I love it so much here that the thought of leaving makes me want to cry. The gentleman at the front desk said that I would cry when it is time to leave, and I know he is correct.

Lastly, It is so empowering living in a Black nation!!!! Everywhere you go there are billboards up with Black people gracing them. The doctors, x-ray technicians and all the personnel at the clinic where I was seen, soap operas, award shows, commercials on t.v. are all Black. It is hard to describe what that does for your self esteem and sometimes I just well up with pride living in Africa and seeing all of the beauty that exists here. There is a simpleness to life here that does not exist in the U.S. Though I realize that it is incredibly hard for many people in Ghana, you feel the spirits of the people and they contain alot of joy and peace. Everywhere you go, people are constantly saying "God Bless You."

This whole experience has taught me alot about myself and made me realize that I am alot stronger than I have ever given myself credit for.

Cape Coast Festival

We left Accra today for the Cape Coast Festival. It was good taking a trip together again and everyone was excited. Cape Coast is about a three hour drive drive from Accra. The frist night there was alot of fun. We explored the area and saw many kids running and dancing in the streets. Many of the CSU kids danced and ran with the crowds. The hotel we stayed in was pretty decent and to my utter shock, they had hot water. I was able to take my first shower with hot water since I've been in Ghana. Oh, the simple pleasures of life.

Farita found this great health food restaurant and we ordered smoothies and they were delicious. The next day the festival began and as I was having alot of problems walking because of hurting my foot about a week ago, I returned to Accra and consulted with a doctor. He ordered x-rays and stated that I should stay off of it. He gave me some medications to alleviate the pain. Not sure how to stay off of it with five classes and a big campus to get around every day though. I have to go for a follow-up today so that the Doctor can view the x-rays. So, for now, I'm having to rely on Taxi's again as the Tro Tro's are too much for me right now.

Here is a short blurb about the festival:

Fetu Afahye
when: Sep (annual)
where: Cape Coast
Ghana's colourful Fetu Afahye festival is celebrated with gusto in the Cape Coast Traditional Area. Not for the faint-hearted, it involves the ritual sacrifice of a cow, slaughtered as an offering to the 77 deities.

If you are undaunted by the sight of bovine blood, make an effort to see this festival because it is spectacular. There is a durbar, where chiefs formally meet at a public reception, followed by processions of warrior groups known as the Asafo companies, whose unique costumes fuse the Fante and European cultures that have influenced Ghana for centuries.

Colourful crowds join the Saturday procession of chiefs carried under sunshades, as the people of Oguaa (Cape Coast) give thanks for the yam harvest and the herring season. Everyone dresses in colourful clothes - indeed, the festival literally translates as the "adorning of new clothes".

First Day At Cape Coast

After we arrived, we took the bus to a main street, walked, ate, danced, people watched and had a good time. Everyone was so tired returning to the hotel for the evening.

Getting The Hang of It

Grace And Irene

Everyone was so happy to see Grace, Irene, Richard and the CSU staff. We have not seen much of them since orientation ended.

Melissa And Dena Getting Down

On Our Way To Cape Coast

No matter how many times I ride around Accra, I still can't believe that I'm here in
Africa. The traffic is like any large city and can be quite a headache at times.

Our Hotel

Farita, Me And Owner

This woman served the best smoothies and vegetarian food!!!!

Dustin And Grace Getting Down

Erin Chilln'

Melissa And Denise

More Random Thoughts

Last night I chaperoned Trish and a young man as they went out for Pizza. We picked it up and returned to the dorm, ate with another student, laughed and had a good time. I am enjoying being around these young people so much. I've always heard that they keep you young and I see why now. Had to intervene and counsel Trish about this young man and I am becoming quite the dorm mom.

My feet have swelled up so bad that it is difficult to wear anything but my sandals. Somehow, I sprained my ankle (I think it was when I was getting out of the Tro Tro this past Sunday), and it has been difficult walking for the past couple of days. I had made an appointment at the health clinic and was returning to my dorm when I ran into this young man I met on campus (one of my other children) and he got this balm from the market and put in on the area and it is feeling a little better. Having to miss out on African dance class and kind of stay off of it for awhile. In Ghana, if you are an older person, you are afforded alot of respect. People call you Mother, hold your packages, hold your hand or arm when crossing a difficult patch of road, and really treat you kindly. I am receiving alot of this treatment since I've been here and I must admit it feels so good!

While walking on campus yesterday, I ran into a gentleman that works at the copy center. When I see a familiar, kind face on campus I get really happy. We stopped to chat for a minute and he asked how I was and I said o.k., though I was not feeling good at all. In usual Ghanian flare he said, "your life is a blessing" and walked away. I smiled the rest of the day thereafter remembering his kind and true words.

The CSU group is going away for the weekend to the Cape Coast Festival. Every region has these seasonal festivals. We are leaving tomorrow, Thursday, and will return on Sunday (I'll be coming back early as I need to be at church on Sunday to start the Foundation Class which I'm so excited about). Anywho, I'll post pictures when I return and let you know all about the festival.

Blessings.