Leaving Ghana

I was a lot wiser when I left Ghana. Visiting Ghana made me rethink about Africa and its people. It is clear that Africa has been misrepresented big time. Africa is everything but the outdated images that one sees in the media. Ghana had little jungle and no jungle folks. National geographic by condensing information paints pictures of worlds that are not true.

Also realized that Kwame Nkrumah has not yet taken his rightful place in history. Amazing man and visionary. Some day Ghana will follow the trend set by Nkrumah
and find real prosperity.

Independence day parade

6 th March was Ghana's independence day. We went to see the parade. One wonders when nations did not have freedom, the leaders were so accessible. Their lives were a lot threatened then. But leaders of free nations seem so distant and afraid. The president was recognized by the amount of security surrounding his car. The ex president could be seen from the window of his car and he waved to the crowds. But the traditional leader walked bare feet among the crowds. I realized then that I can only connect to a leader who connects to me in the crowd.

The search for fresh fish

Accra is coastal but fresh fish is hard to find. Unlike other coastal towns there are no large fish markets around. I need to get to the bottom of this. My search for fresh fish took me to a market behind a castle. The squalor was heart rending. I came back disturbed. The music, the art, and the manners of the people camouflage the material discomforts. The initial awareness of problems dims as time goes by. The trip to find fish brought me back to reality again. No people should be treated thus. The government must act and clean up the drainage system at once. Clean surroundings
brings in prosperity along with it.

Music in Ghana

Music in Ghana is awesome. The place can easily become New Orleans.

Public transport in Ghana

Public transport in Ghana is mostly taxis and tro tros. There are buses too but it is difficult to find any information about it. Yesterday, we decided to go to Koforidua using a STC bus. We got to the Bus station and there are no people manning the information counter. The lady at the ticket counter only said "Go to the circle" and she would say nothing more. Miss the US VTA systems, where the person on the other end of the phone line, will give you the best possible routes, and more than one option. So then we went from one bus stop to the other. Finally, we went to Nkwakwa instead of Koforidua. It was 4 hrs each way and it was really late when we got back home. When on work vacation, the best part is going any where is quite fun. But I need to find a way to extract information from non cooperating STC employees in Ghana.

Art in Ghana

Art in Ghana is sophisticated, contemporary, and affordable. I hope it always stays so. Its quite a thrill to explore art in Ghana.

The new site for Ashesi university

Ashesi university is shifting to a new site on the outskirts of Accra. Ashesi means
"The beginning" in Ashanti language (Tre). I think it is a start too. When I look at my students I am kind of sorry because they carry a burden of expectations. The expectation to change Ghana for the better. It a humongous task. We all expect them to measure up.

Witchcraft and tradition

Yesterday I watched the documentary "The Witches of Gambaga" at Ashesi university and got a chance to speak to the director of this documentary. The documentary was very disturbing and I did not sleep a wink last night thinking about the women who were branded as witches and living in camps for witches. Any woman can be branded as a witch and when she is branded so, she has to leave home, family, and land, and go live in a camp for witches. If men are found guilty of witchcraft they do not have to leave anything. Every woman in Northern Ghana may be afraid that this could happen to them.

This is injustice. When I asked whether there is a punishment for people who treat women so, the director said this was tradition. And change will be slow. People want to preserve tradition. I do not understand this. If something is wrong, the culprit needs to be punished. I do not care if the crime is traditional or not. All the people who are involved in making women suffer after branding them a witch must be punished.

Moreover, if a woman needs to leave home for being a witch, she should be allowed to take her children with her. These women witches who do not seek justice, and have no desire for revenge against society who treated them so, kept me awake last night. I am seriously touched and concerned.

Slavery and West Africa

West Africa was worst hit by slavery. The Cape Coast castle is a grim reminder of a horrific past. The dark dungeons where slaves lived among defecation, or the coffin ships (in which slaves were packed like sardines) that carried slaves far away from Africa was inhumane. The slaves had to lie down for the entire journey. In no trade even of the worst kind, did so many people die. It was a dirty war on these people. As we witness the door of no return for a slave, we are relieved that slavery is abolished and will never return.

Cape Coast Castle