Today I went to a meeting of the African-American Association of Ghana. There were about 20 members there. They have alot of functions and do volunteer work. Most of the members are retired and moved to Ghana permanently after retirement and others are younger. All of the members have been living in Ghana from two to 27 years and the founding member who has lived in Ghana for 27 years was also there. It was nice hearing their stories about living in Ghana and I took in some of the tips the members gave regarding adjusting to life here. The President of AAAG said it took her about three years to really get used to living in Ghana. I met a woman there who helped me find a volunteer opportunity at a Girl's home. They meet once per month and they were planning their Giving Thanks celebration which would be around Thanksgiving in the States. They will be having a catered meal this year with all the favorites from back home. Can't wait for the Giving Thanks celebration and getting to know the members better. They are also having a fund raiser to raise money for the organization which will be a concert featuring a local Ghanaian artist, KSM featuring his work, "Saga of the Returnee."

I spoke to a couple of people about how they liked living in Ghana and the areas they lived in. Some invited me to call so that they could show me where they lived. The meetings are held at the W.E.B Dubois center and their office is in the back of the complex. We sat outside in the courtyard and these very interesting birds were making wonderful sounds in the trees. It was so nice sitting out there with the beautiful breeze blowing through. The more I'm here, the more I fall in love with Ghana!!!

This is the mission Statement for AAAG:

The African-American Assocation of Ghana (AAAG) is an association of Africans born and raised in America, who have repatriated to Ghana. It was formalized in 1991, although African-Americans have been living and working in Ghana since the 1950's. Some came at the invitation of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, to assist in Nation Building at the dawn of independence. African-Americans continue to make great contributions toward developing Ghana through a broad array of businesses, products, and services.

AAAG:

-Is the official information source for the African-American community in Ghana.

-Serves as a support system for Diasporan Africans who are coming to live, invest, or visit Ghana.

-Is a resource center for public information about the African American community in Ghana.

-Intend to create a positive image of African-Americans in Ghana, by promoting and honoring our positive values that evolved from the African-American experience in the United States.

-Educate Ghanaians about African-Americans; our experiences, our heroes and sheroes, our culture.

-Promotes the re-integration of Diasporan Africans into Ghanaian culture and society.

-Encourage and practice respect for basic civil and human rights of all Africans.

-Promotes universal spirituality within the organization.

-Embraces Pan-African Nationalism, broadly defined as recognizing all Africans as one family, and being patriotic to our Motherland.