Upper West Family Meeting

Continued…

The convoy arrived in Wechiau, in the Upper West Region, a small community affected by flooding. The project we were inspecting was a livelihood development project, to move the income dependence of the community from farming to other areas. This women’s group was going to be supported in 1) making shea butter, 2) making soap and 3) baking bread. The floods and water shortages were compromising this community, the major flooding occurred in 2007, and I don’t think the community really recovered.

We were welcomed warmly;

There was a strong emphasis on gender, and it was quite ironic that the NGO staff were all men, representing this women’s group. So we asked the ladies to talk to us. They were clearly excited about having hobs and responsibilities, and reported their husbands are supportive. The Upper West is the worst in the country for women’s rights and equality, so this was great to see.

A lady explaining the women's group to us

We inspected the building of their proposed workplace, the building is currently under construction. The women come every day but have nothing to do. The team promised to install toilets (as the town has none, and people must defecate in the open) and basic sanitation, and proposed some literacy classes which caused a stir. This moved many of the women and they were so happy, it was pretty motivating, you know, exciting to see problems being looked at and promises being made. I hope I get to see the project come to fruition, the health sector promised some nutrition education as well which I was so happy to hear, a captive audience like this could really benefit from well-placed interventions.

The new building under way

It’s hard not to be skeptical, I really hope these things are followed through, but I feel maybe some of the promises were a bit empty. Time will tell, and for the moment there’s a group of women who are being promised the world, and I hope they get it because they deserve it.

The NGO representative (male) introducing the women's group

UN country team with the women's group. Girl power!

The UN team and women's groups

Leaving the meeting and the building, back to work in the house...

Nine Car Convoy

In a village where it is rare to see a car a day, and when that car is likely to be a beaten up old taxi held together with duck-tape, it is known that a 9 car convoy of white UN landcruiser vehicles will cause a stir.

Causing a stir in the community. All in a day's work.

The UN Country Team was in the northern region for a visit, and I was able to join on behalf of Health. We were to visit key sites of the different organisations, to observe what each one is doing, and see if everyone can join together and work as ‘one big family’. Many a corny reference to the UN being a family was made... I couldn’t tell you who most of my family members were! But it was a great experience.

Opening the water flow. The lady in orange is in charge of the water flow, and charges each barrel 5 peswars (about 3 cents) to be filled. She only had 1 tap open of the 6. We asked that they are all used. We were prepping the site before the convoy arrived

Preparing the Health Facility before the 'Family' arrived. They were sticking the table together with sticky tape. The volunteers and mothers waited patiently for a few hours.

We visited Tampion in the Northern Region to look at our organisation’s work. We met the chief of the village which is an experience in itself. Talking through interpreters, most of the community came to listen in to what was going on. The media brought some awesome old school cameras and put them right in the chief’s face and other representatives. They were late but made a good deal of noise as they arrived when we were deep in discussions!

The chief and his men

The media getting right among it. Loved their camera!

The water supply had been improved in the area, and Guinea Worm eradicated because the drinking water was now safe, it was previously a large problem here. The initial intervention was supplying the school with clean water, however the community were now crowding the water tanks, as the water supply is not adequate enough for the whole community.

Collecting water for home use. Complete with child on your back. Done with such skill and ease it looks easy. I couldn't pick up that bucket I don't think, let alone lift it to my head.

The handwashing facilities that we donated to the school. The water gets pretty hot out in the sun all day, but it has improved hygiene significantly.

Clean drinking water for the kids now in place at the school. Cross contamination isn't heard of here, but it was great to watch so many kids come out and enjoy a drink.

Previously to our interventions, no houses in the community had latrines, open defecation was practiced, however now all houses had a toilet, and some communities in the district are declared ODF “open defecation free”. Inspecting the facilities at the schools brought this into perspective; urinals for both boys and girls, and a hole in the ground for other business. However it’s a vast improvement on nothing.

The Tuck Shop at school

There is a small health facility in Tampion, with two nurses and bad road access. The small building was inspected, while meeting the community volunteers that the health service relies upon to treat all children under 5 for malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia. There is also a malnutrition clinic here, with three new cases as we arrived. I spoke with one woman who asked what we are going to do about ensuring families have enough food. Simply treating malnutrition with food at the clinic is not going to stop the problem of inadequate supplies. Fortunately I have heard of some interesting schemes and programs aimed at addressing this. I hope it reaches this community.

Inside the health clinic

The mothers of the malnourished (current and cured) children, and the community volunteers on the right with their donated boxes of medication/treatment.

A quick in and out visit, but we were sure to leave our mark behind as we kicked up the dust all the way back to Tamale. The team visited the Upper East Region, complete with police escorts in the high (well, it’s all relative) risk areas, and I met up again with them in the Upper West. 

To be continued….

Neighbourhood Watch

Defining a Household:

“People who slept here last night and ate from the same cooking pot”

Does this mean that the Jenkins’ who often have three cooking pots (1 “normal”, 1 vegetarian, and 1 gluten free) is not one household? Three households under the same roof?

Defining a household is important in the nutrition surveillance system I am helping implement in the three Northern Regions of Ghana. It always brings such controversy because the living situations are so diverse here. It is not uncommon for many households to be living under the same roof (house). Hence the addition of the statement ‘eating from the same pot’. This will generally distinguish the different households, as commonly, food for only the immediate ‘family’ can only be afforded.

The average household size in the Northern Region is 6, yet the number of people living in a house can vary greatly. In one community I went to, the chief’s house contained hundreds of people, however many “households”. So it is an interesting question, and reflection of the living situation in Northern Ghana. I have been fortunate enough to go to the communities and help train the health staff on how to take height, weight, MUAC (mid upper arm circumference) measurements for malnutrition screening, as well as mortality and household data. It gives you an insight into the living conditions and cultural traditions as well.

The Dagomba tribe (Tamale area) generally give away their first girl child to a sister or brother, to help in the house. Once they are in their 20’s or so, they can go back to their family, but it seems there is always a disconnect between them.

The Upper West has the greatest gender inequality. Women may have some of their own land, however must farm the man’s land first, therefore never quite meeting the needs of their own land. I don’t think they ever can receive land through the death of their husband either, they must go to be a second (or third) wife in the husband’s brother’s household, or must marry again (which is hard when you are older).

Also the ‘community entry’ routine is interesting. You must greet the chief which means entering his home without your shoes, making sure you are lower than them, say hello (in the local language to really ‘integrate’) and clap your hands slowly. Then you ask permission, discuss, thank, and ‘dash’ or ‘give kola’ which used to mean a present or offering of kola nuts, but now it means give some cedi (money). Exiting the community is equally important and a visit to the chief must be made.

So back to the definition. According to Ghana’s standards, the Jenkins family home (when Kat and I still lived there) had three separate households living under the same roof. It's all relative, and a great lesson to learn living abroad. Never generalise but learn from your situation.... enjoy.

MUAC measurements being taken

Weighing child - with mother 'tared'

Taking household data. Under the tree in the village.

Height measurements mostly make the children cry... This one was lucky!

Community exit. Thanking the chief. and photo op!

All crammed into a 'tro tro' - a local minibus. was the way to travel!

Drive Me To Walk

I wouldn’t say people in Ghana are good drivers. And I purposely didn’t say Ghanaians, I mean everyone on the road.

Tamale just got lines marked on the road. Very exciting. But like how back in the day (not my day) the Australian population needed a TV jingle and other strategies to help the people take up the new habit/challenge of roundabouts, I think Ghana needs help on figuring out what to do with these new devices.

Here is my helping points for the campaign;

1. When laying the lines, let them dry

2. Stay between the lines, not on them

3. Use the line in the middle if you must prioritise 

No lines marked... people hazards

No lines marked... but the car is on the correct side!

Women of the West

During a field trip last week I was at a 'Work for Food' community project in the Upper West Region. The community was de-silting a dam so when the rains come the water can be collected and last a long time. In my experience people in Ghana, particularly women, aren't too excited about getting their photo taken, and you need to work on trust, rapport etc because you can get a shot. I was taking overall shots of the work scene, as time was too tight to disturb the workers and interrupt. But these ladies came asking for photos, each lady lined up for a photo, and on viewing it laughed all day! They would come up to me with great smiles and ask for a photo, and when I pointed the lense they quickly became serious and stopped smiling.  Unlike other communities I had been to, they spoke great English and I was able to interact, however they soon had to be told to get back to work by the elder after a frenzy of photographs. They were such fun and really made my day, the children too were so keen on getting themselves photographed.

Just Dozing Myself Small

I LOVE Ghanaian turn of phrase (when I can understand it), and I hope that I pick up on how to communicate in stories the way my colleagues and acquaintances do. The other morning I caught my guard sleeping, the day guard had arrived. They conversed in their language, maybe something along the lines of 'what are you doing? You aren't supposed to be sleeping?' (or maybe it was more like 'oh! you got to sleep longer than I did last week!') and the guard exclaimed;
"Oh! I was just dozing myself small"
I love it. Everything is 'small small'. I am trying to incorporate it into my general conversation, it is definitely a quirk I'd like to take back with me.

Admittedly this is not the guard that I quoted, but the one who arrived to find the guard sleeping. Catching his own forty winks.

Escaping Tamale

I took the weekend to get in touch with my creative side, skip out on expat parties, chat and boozing, and sleep under the stars. I caught a tro-tro (a minibus – in a condition that wouldn’t be up to Newcastle Car and Truck Rental standards!) to Bolgatanga, indulged in a delicious egg salad with salad cream, and a taxi to Sirigu.

Dinner is ready, and colourful!

Here is SWOPA – Sirigu Women’s Organisation of Pottery and Art. A brightly painted guest house and indulgence. After a 7 hour journey (for a distance of 185kms), I was exhausted, a night sleeping on the roof of the clay hut under the stars helped, ready for the art class the next morning. 

Sleeping under the stars

With descriptions of the interpretation and meaning of the different patterns, charcoal is used to sketch out a design.

Let the creativity flow...

Then you can use the traditional paint colours to paint your canvas (to match the décor), or add a modern twist with some additional ones.

And the creativity flows

After a 3 hour creativity-fest and many fun stories from Fatima, our teacher (many involving the role of women and why the women’s design is horizontal), it was time to jump on a local bus and head back to Bolga. This bus was playing some local music at full volume. It was traditional style, and chatting with the driver and mate, I got the name. Turns out he’s an unsigned artist, but I can chase down a copy of his cassette (does anyone have a means to play these nowdays?) in Bolga. Note to self. Follow up.

Sweet Ride

The scenery is so dry at the moment. I have said from the start, it is much like outback Australia in so many ways. Red dust and flat plains. Nothing seems to be growing at the moment, but I know come the wet season it will be transformed. The heat was amazing. This is one of the hottest parts of the country and I could feel it!

Dry farming land and few leaves. It's hot in the clay huts!

It was a great weekend, and feeling refreshed and stimulated, it only took 4 hours to return to Tamale. There, I was welcomed back home with a nation-wide power cut for the night. The forty degree heat is really stifling without any power, so when the fan came back on in the middle of the night I could faintly remember the refreshing experience of sleeping under the stars…

Arts and Crafts - Fatima mid-storytelling