Letters

So, I've been writing letters to a class back in the States, and there's been a request to post these letters on my blog, so without further ado!




Maakye! (Goodmorning!)
8 November 2008

I hope this letter finds you all well in the U.S! I guess, I will
start by introducing myself. My name is Cynthia, though many people
in Ghana call me Ama or Ama Cynthia. Ama means daughter born on a
Saturday, and everyone in Ghana has a name like this that corresponds
with their birth day. I grew up in the Pittsburgh area. I have one
sister and one brother. I love to dance, act, read, and run to name a
few of my interests. I went to college in Washington, DC; and, in
September of my senior year, I decided to begin the application
process for the Peace Corps. After the interview and medical exams, I
received an invitation to Peace Corps Ghana; and on September 30,
2008, I took off for Accra (the capitol of Ghana)!
Two-thirds of the Peace Corps mission is about cultural exchange
between the United States and other countries all around the world.
So, in writing these letters, I would like to share a bit about
Ghanain culture with you, as well as try to answer any questions you
may have. In many ways, Ghana is very different from the U.S., but
there are also many similarities.
The most notable differences for me living in Ghana so far are the
changes in priorities. When I wake up in the morning, I no longer
think about putting on make-up (almost no women in Ghana wear
make-up), fixing my hair just right, or matching my clothes perfectly
(very few homes have more than a small, facial mirror for seeing
yourself). While Ghanaians prize a well-kempt appearance, they are
far less worried about these smaller things (i.e. make-up, hair spray,
curlers, gel, cologne, perfume, etc.). Clothing is more about
function in Ghana, than about keeping up with the latest styles and
trends. Most Ghanaians do not make enough money to enjoy many of
these amenities we are used to in the U.S.
Instead, when I wake in the morning, I make sure to sweep my
room. The floor is made of cement and easily collects dust and dirt
throughout the day. Ghanaians typically sweep their floors every
morning to get rid of this dust. Their brooms are different from
ours, as well. They are much smaller, and to sweep with them, on must
bend over or kneel. After sweeping, I collect water in a bucket
(water is gotten from the nearest river, pipe, or borehole) for my
bath, which I take in a small room with a hole in the floor where the
water can drain. If I need to, I use the latrine, which I must walk
outside to reach. It is important not to forget my toilet paper (or
t-roll, as they call it here) and flashlight (if the sun has not yet
risen). Some mornings, I wash my clothes by hand in a bucket or bowl
of water. I try to do this a couple of times a week; otherwise, it
takes a very long time. It's best to wash clothes in the morning when
the sun is strong, so the clothes will dry quicker. I also try to
wash my shoes every morning, as they often get covered in dust
throughout the day from the dirt roads. By in large, simple tasks in
the U.S. take a lot longer in Ghana without washing machines, dryers,
vaccuums, flushing toilets, electricty, or running water. I've
learned to appreciate the work that goes into these tasks a lot more
since being in Ghana.
Well, that's all for now. Please, let me know if you have any
specific questions you'd like me to answer, or if there's anything in
particular about Ghanaian culture you'd like me to write about. And,
if you'd like to figure out your birth day name in Ghana, I've
included the chart below!

Sincerely,
Ama Cynthia


Girl Boy
Mon Adwoa Kwodwo
Tues Abena Kobena
Wed Ekua Kwaku
Thurs Yaa Yaw
Fri Efia Kofi
Sat Ama Kwami
Sun Asi Kwasi


Hello Ama Cyndi,

Thank you for writing our class. We are excited about continued correspondence with you and possibly some of your community members once you move to the Upper Volta Region. We have a ton of questions for you about Ghana and the culture:

What do people eat?
The diet here is very starch and carbohydrate heavy. People eat a lot of yams, plantains, corn, and cassava, because they are so widely available and very cheap. They often mash these foods with a large mortar and pestol in large balls (the consistency of mashed potatoes almost) and eat them with a tomato, ground nut (like peanuts), or palm nut stew or soup. Mashed yam is called fufu, as is mashed plantain and cassave, mashed corn is banku or kenki (depending on how it is prepared). It's definitely an aquired taste, but I'm starting to like them. Yam fufu is definitely my favorite. It is the closest to mashed potatoes.


Do your vehicles run with gasoline? How much is gas?
Yes, the run with gasoline, however, gas stations are nothing like they are in the states. The gas is often held in large aluminum barrel and pumped into the car or a small bottle, which the driver then pours into the car. Also, cars are not in as good of condition here as in the states. In road in one car in northern Ghana where the fuel was stored in a bottle sitting in front of the passenger's seat. Gas is very expensive for Ghanaians. It's actually only about $1.09/gallon in US money, but that is about 5 times more expensive for the average Ghanaian (when you compare it to their average wage and cost of living) than it would be for the average U.S. citizen. So, it would be closer to $6/gallon in the U.S.




Do you have MacDonald's or any fast-food restaurants?
No, there are no fast food restaurants in Ghana like we know in the U.S. Though, people do sell food (like fried eggs, rice, boiled or fried yam, etc.) on the side of the road that you can get made fairly quickly. They call this food "chop."


Do people use drugs?
Yes, some people do use drugs in Ghana, most commonly marijuana. However, there is a very bad stigma associated with it, and the people take it very seriously. Most Ghanaians I've talked to do not even want to talk about drugs, for fear of being associated with them.


What kind of footwear do they use?
They wear sandals or go barefoot for the most part. In the urban, more developed areas you see more sandals and shoes than you see in the more rural areas (like where I will be living). Shoes are very expensive here, though. So, if you were shoes you are viewed as very wealthy.


Do they have jobs? What kinds of jobs?
Almost everybody is a farmer here, so they work very long, hard hours. Sometimes 16 hour days. However, in the more urban areas people have jobs at banks, post offices, or schools. Trading is also a common occupation. The family I am staying with now owns a store where they sell soda, soap, toilet paper, water, some canned foods, and chop. Stores here, however, are not like stores in the U.S. You can't really walk inside of them. Instead the trader displays his/her good on a shelf behind the counter, you tell them what you would like to buy, and they take it down and sell it to you.


Do they have television? Is there cable?
Some people in the more urban areas have televisions. However, it's fairly rare. They do not have cable, for the most part. There are only a couple of channels, and they rotate the programs that they air on each channel. There isn't really a schedule of programs like we have in the U.S.


What are the main similarities between Ghana and the US?
They are a primarily Christian nation. While the culture is very different, it is the people that are primarily the same. Just like us. they want to earn higher educations and get good jobs so they can make money and support their families. They want to be surrounded by friends and family. They want to have fun and experience new things.



What do children do for fun?
Children in Ghana work a lot. They are often expected to go to farm with their families, cook, and clean. This doesn't leave as much time for playing as kids in the U.S. might have. They also do not really have toys, because it's simply too expensive. However, they are very creative about making their own toys out of garbage or anything they find lying around. One of the most common of these home-made toys is what they call a car, which is an old bicycle tire that they push with a long stick. They like to race their cars down the streets.


What do they have in Ghana that we don't have in the US?
They have many, many goats and chickens that roam the streets unattended. They have a lot of waterfalls, a lot of farms, very hard rains, and a lot of warm weather. They also have a lot more handmade goods-- baskets, cloth, beads, etc.

What is a teenagers social life like?
There aren't as many things for a teenager to do here like in the U.S. But teenagers here still love to socialize with one and other, like they do in the U.S. Boys usually love to play soccer, which they call football here. Girls usually have more chores to do at home, but they often visit one and other to talk and gossip. Word spreads very fast in the small towns in Ghana. Everyone knows almost everything about everyone within their community. They have a very communal way of life and a very large extended familial tradition. Extended families often live in the same house or on the same street. In my homestay family, I live with my homestay grandmother, brother, aunt. and four cousins. My homestay mother, father, two sisters, nieces, and nephews live in another house a couple houses down from us.
Teenagers usually go to highschool, but this is definitely more common for boys than for girls. In the more rural areas, most girls only complete the third grade. After highschool a select few end up going to university. They must take a long exam to get accepted, and it takes about one year to get your results. My homestay brother took his exam this past June, and he's hoping to get his results in time to go to university next september.



Is marijuana legal? Do people smoke it?
No it's not legal, but just like in the U.S. you find some people who still smoke it.


Do they have jails?
Yes, but I do not know much about them. I will find out more, so I can let you know more about them.


Dear Class, November 22, 2008

You all asked some really great questions. I hope my answers were helpful. To follow up on a couple of the questions, first, dealing with prisons in Ghana: as I said, there are some prisons in Ghana—or at least one in Accra. It is often difficult to get complete answers from people here about things in Ghana, because traveling is very expensive for them. To get from the southern-most part of Ghana (where I’m staying now) to the mid region costs about 15- 20 Ghana cedis, which is more equivalent to $100 U.S. dollars. That is a lot of money when the average farmer in Ghana only makes maybe 1,400 Ghana cedis a year = $7,000. Simply put, most Ghanaians don’t travel much, so they don’t always know much about places outside of their town or neighboring towns. But I do know, there is at least one prison. I am told it is a little different than our prisons in the U.S. The cells are completely bare—no running water, toilet, bed, or electricity. People are held there for many of the same offenses as in the U.S. Theft, however, is a much graver crime here. It is perceived on the same level as murder, in some cases.
I would also like to talk more about the differences between Ghana and the U.S. There are no trains or intra-national planes in Ghana. All transportation happens by car, bicycle, or motor-bike. Most people don’t own their own cars, but instead travel by a system of cars and vans to move about Ghana. This is similar to taxi systems or the Greyhound in the U.S. These vehicles, however, do not move on a time-based system. They only leave their station when all the seats have been bought. I once waited for three hours in Hoehoe for the car to fill and move to Nkwanta (a 3-4 hour trip). I know people who have eight hours. Trips are also lengthened by the lack of paved roads. Drivers must drive slowly to avoid large potholes in the road. So, inevitably, traveling in Ghana is often lengthy, taking an entire day or two to get from one town to the next. The nice thing, however, is that when you come into a town, traders often run to the car, carrying their goods (often food) on their heads. You can buy a meal without leaving your seat. You can also request that the driver stop in front of a particular stand so you can buy whatever you may be looking for. I don’t think we have anything like that in the U.S. I suppose, it is similar to fast food, but I’ve even seen people ask the driver to stop so they could pick up some small trees for planting.
I am currently visiting my permanent side in Ghana—Ofusu. It is very different from where I’m staying now in the southern part of Ghana. There is no electricity, and the water sources are very far from the town. There are a few boreholes (water pumps), but not enough to service the whole town, so many people go to the rivers (there are two on either side of the town) to collect their water. During the dry season, however, these rivers often dry up into stagnant puddles. We are now at the beginning of the dry season, and the rivers are already about five feet shallower than during the rainy season. With no other source of water, people will continue to collect their water from these stagnant rivers, facilitating the spread of diseases. When the water is flowing, it is safer for consumption, but diseases breed in stagnant water, which really becomes a health hazard for the community during the dry season. Part of my job will involve working with the community to try and find a solution for this problem.
I will also be working on a few other projects within the community, namely private latrine construction, child malnutrition/ maternal health, and malaria prevention. There are only a handful of private latrines in Ofusu, which means that many people are “free ranging” or defecating in the open. Needless to say, this is another health hazard for the community. Malnutrition is another problem the community faces. The Peace Corps is now heavily promoting moringa farming to combat this challenge. Moringa is an edible plant containing a number of nutrients, namely Vitamin A and protein (two of the most commonly missing nutrients in malnourished people). And lastly, malaria is fairly prevalent in Ghana and in Ofusu. I’ll be working to educate the community about the benefits of sleeping under mosquito nets, as well as maintaining their grasses and water sources. Mosquitoes are drawn to stagnant water and bushy areas.
I’ll also be doing general health education in the school about HIV/AIDS, hand-washing, environmental health (there is currently no means for trash disposal in Ofusu), and whatever other health needs arise. It’s sure to be a busy two years!
Despite all of these things, however, I’d like to note that Ghanaians, from my experience, are an incredibly happy, friendly, and hospitable people. The community has taken care of me completely during my five-day stay here, offering me food, shelter, water, and even sweeping my room for me. They know they have problems, and they’re slowly trying to identify and solve them. However, development is a very slow, difficult, and expensive process. That is one thing I’ve learned time and time again so far here in Ghana. It’s a constant reminder for me to be grateful for living in my own country.
People’s faces light up here when I tell them I’m from the U.S. America is equivalent to an unattainable paradise for them. They way to know everything about it, and they dream of going there one day. They don’t even know much about it. They have little to no conception of the kind of electricity and electronics we have, nor the running water, flushing toilets, or accessible food/clothing/etc. Yet, they’re still excited by the very thought of “America.” I try to explain that we have our problems too—pollution, poverty, floundering economy. They try to understand, but I don’t know that they always believe me. However, they don’t resent me for it. They don’t even act jealously. They simply welcome me into their community and culture with open arms. I’m grateful for that.
So, I hope the beginning of this holiday season finds you well! I’m looking forward to hearing any more questions or comments you have.

Sincerely,
Ama Cynthia


Hi Cyndi,
>
> We went over your letter today. The kids are really having a great time
> learning about Ghana.. it is a lot of fun! We have a couple more
> questions...
>
> In your new home:
> How big are the 2 rooms?

They are each about 10 feet by 6-7 feet.

> What are they made out of?

It is the Peace Corps standard that my house must have a cement
exterior to prevent it from falling during the rains. However, this
is not the standard in my northern community. Cement is fairly
expensive, so most of the homes are simply made of clay that is baked
by the sun. This presents a lot of potential hazards for the families
during the rainy season. Accidental casualties or deaths are not
unheard of. The rain re-liquifies the clay, and the houses begin to
collapse, sometime with people still inside of them. Cement housing
is more common in the more developed, souther parts of Ghana.

> Is it like a house?

It looks like a house more or less, but it's all one-level and
fairly narrow. Most houses in Ghana are square or L-shaped with the
rooms lined up along the outside and an outdoor courtyard in the
middle. Kitchens are generally in this center courtyard, consisting
of a coal pot or fire pit. Rarely do people cook inside. The weather
is simply too hot, and the fumes from the fire would be awful.
>
> What kind of animals are around you? What kind do you commonly see? Are
> there any snakes, sropions or spiders? Is there anything poisonous that you
> have to look out for?

There are many goats, pigs, cows, and chickens that roam freely.
They belong to nearby families, but they are rarely kept penned up.
In order to tell whose chickens are whose, families will dye parts of
the animals (I've seen hot pink and green chickens.), shave various
parts of them, tie their legs together, or even cut one or both their
legs off. I've also seen some really beetles, cockroaches, lizards,
and gechos. I've seen a few small snakes, and I've heard of people
who've ran into scorpions. There are some poisonous snakes, but Ghana
is currently facing a huge de-forestation problem that has killed off
most of their wild life. Consequently, it seems pretty rare to run
into anything too dangerous.
>
> Also... We are doing a cultural comparison... Could you answer the following
> questions for us:
>
> 1. Celebrations: What kinds of celebrations are important in your
> home-stay family? In Ghana?

Ghana is primarily a Christian nation, so Christmas is a pretty
big holiday here. In my village up north, the celebration is carried
over three days (December 25-27). I've also heard that the date of
Christmas changes from village to village. In another village up
north it's celebrated on January 3rd. Most of the very northern part
of Ghana is Muslim, so Ramadan is big holiday for them. I don't know
much about this, but it's about a month of fasting and prayer, with a
celebratory breaking of fast at the end.
The new year is also widely celebrated. I've heard it's even
bigger than Christmas, but I haven't yet experience it.
There are also many other festivals celebrated throughout Ghana,
depending on your tribe in village. There's harvest festivals--like
the yam festival, coacoa festival, etc. I've also heard of a fire
festival in the Upper West, where there are big bon fires and people
run around with torches, singing, dancing, and eating. It's a
celebration of the fire gods, I believe.
Lastly, funerals are a huge celebration in Ghana. They involved
singing, dancing, eating, and a lot of money. Families will save
money for years if they have to in order to host a proper Ghanaian
funeral. They generally spend hundreds of dollars on accomodation for
all of their guests who come from all over Ghana. Saturday is
typically funeral day, at least during harvest season when people have
money. You will see everyone dressed in black and red, and you'll
hear blaring music along with many other noise-makers. People who
attend the funerals are also expected to give money to the family of
the diseased. This helps deflect the cost of the funeral. The last
funeral I was at raised 600 Ghana cedis. Funerals aren't quite so big
in the north, because people don't have as much money. However, the
importance of the funeral remains the same from what I can tell.

> 2. Greetings: How do you generally greet people you don't know? People
> you do know?

In Ghana everyone greets EVERYONE. Even if you don't know them at
all, it is standard to say good morning/afternoon/evening to everyone
you see, along with asking them how they are doing. You should always
answer "I'm fine, and you?" It's not proper to say anything else than
"I'm fine," unless you know the person very well and feel comfortable
explaining your concerns to them.
Also, when you're eating, you must invite everyone you see to eat
with you. It's very rude if you don't. Rarely will they take your
invitation, but it's always appreciated. Likewise, you will always be
invited to eat. You can simply say "Thank you," and decline or
accept. Either one is fine.

> 3. Beliefs about hospitality: How do you show hospitality in your
> community? In your school? In your home?
Hospitality is very big Ghana. You must always received a guest
to community with open arms, providing food, drink, room, and any
other services. I've had people sweep my room, fetch my water,
prepare my food, clean my clothes, etc.
Teachers are held with great regard, and students are expected to
fetch their water and tend to their farms whenever needed.
Occasionally, you will also see students taking large pieces of fire
wood to school for their teachers. I guess it's akin to "an apple for
the teacher."

> 4. The role of the family: Is there a particular age at which you
> celebrate an important event in your life with your family or community?

Traditionally, there was a "coming of age" ceremony for boys and
girls when they reached puberty, but I've heard that it's very rare
these days. I think one of the most notable differences between the
U.S. and Ghana on this subject, is that birthdays are not at all a big
deal here in Ghana. Only recently did people start documenting their
birthdates, and that's only in the more developed areas. In more
remote villages, people rarely know how old they are.

> 5. Attitudes about personal space and privacy: How important do you feel
> it is to have personal space and privacy?

There is definitely a different attitude towards personal space
and privacy here in Ghana. Sometimes it seems there's no such thing.
Often people here think if you are alone than you are unhappy. I've
been at my house reading, and people will come in and watch me read
just to keep my company, because they don't want me to be unhappy.
It's very difficult to spend anytime in your room without having a
number of people come greet you and ask if you are okay. People
rarely stay inside here. They're always outside sitting together,
regardless of if there doing anything together.
Also, since this just happened while I was writing this e-mail,
when a person turns on the radio or television, it is custom for them
to turn the volume up very loud. They idea is that everyone should be
able to hear what they are listening to. They're sharing the music,
news, or television program.