Hide and Seek

Floating head?...Curtains?...Or Skirt? 

Ghana cloth is so much fun. Matching is highly regarded. Shirts and pants. Shirts and skirts. Headscarf and dress. All matching. And no, it doesn't look like pyjamas. Surprisingly. I'm not sure about matching curtains and skirt yet.... I'm all for it!

Affrika

An attempt at starting a book club in Tamale brought my attention to an article  about writing about Africa. I loved it, and find it so interesting now I’ve been writing myself about Africa, reading about it, and actually experiencing it.

My favourite points;

Africa is a continent, not a country: even the Australian government has made this mistake on their websites. I have heard using the term ‘African’ is sometimes controversial, as Sudanese people are so different to Boers, as to Algerians. “In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn’t care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.”

The mention of the African sunset in literature. “Readers will be put off if you don’t mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky.” As my roommate pointed out (and not to sound too cynical); the sunsets are beautiful, however I’m not too sure on the difference in appearance here to the sun setting in Australia (or the rest of the world for that matter).

And of course, generalisation; “Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.”

I hope I haven’t made any of these mistakes, and I do take time to be critical of my judgements and thinking. It’s hard not to stereotype a country or continent that you have never been to, and is widely romanticised in literature, press and cinema. Also it is something that is so different to what we know or have experienced. Having said that, I’ve been lucky to lead a relatively ‘normal’ life in Ghana. It may be different to the Ghanaians living in the small communities, but it is the same as my UN colleagues living in Tamale. So I can’t say much for Africa, as my experience is one fifty-fourth of the continent. But I am quick to dispel the stereotypes that are mentioned in the article, and I cringe when I see donor campaigns or advertising that paints Ghana and Africa in the ‘desperate’ light. Although there are some serious human rights abuses and humanitarian crisis happening that you cannot ignore, there are also so many wonderful developments, ‘normal’ living and enriching experiences that are much better to mention.

I highly recommend you read the article, it’s an easy read and from an African person (which is actually quite the change; most things you read about Africa are written by foreigners). While here is a good example and critique on aid campaigns. And here is a fabulous TED talk about the dangers of a single story.

There is a long list I could write about books/articles/movies NOT to read about Africa. I’ve read my fair share of them already and they make me cringe.

There’s your homework for the week – class dismissed!!

Yes, I'm guilty of it. Stereotyping: the token white person with all the 'local' ladies, and malnourished children... did I really do that??

Clearly I got awkward with the situation, and decided it wasn't for me

The 'Forgotten Killers'

Have a guess at the world’s biggest infant killer? Something scary, something unpredictable, something out of our scope to help with???

Pneumonia.

Closely followed by Diarrhoea.

In Ghana the problem is the same. Diseases that don’t really scare you at the thought, or make you think of death. But they are killing children in Ghana and the rest of the world, yet have such simple solutions.

You can  prevent pneumonia by washing your hands before eating. It’s not expensive, out of reach or ‘innovative’. To cure pneumonia you take some antibiotics. In Ghana they can cost as little as AUD$1.00 or if you can’t afford that, it’s free.

Diarrhoea can similarly be prevented and easily treated, again, hygiene and sanitation is key. But these diseases reflect more than just the diagnosis, it shows the living conditions, poverty, and healthcare accessibility of those severely affected. When you think about #1 cause of death in Ghana (or Africa in general), the cliché is to blame HIV/AIDS, maybe conflict, or some obscure disease like Nodding Disease. These are all difficult things to tackle, with big social impacts, or costs involved. But HIV rates in Ghana are 1.8%. The percent of children with suspected pneumonia receiving antibiotics is just 24%. The percent of children with suspected pneumonia taken to an appropriate health care provider is 51%. It is clear where the biggest impact can be made in health.

Ghana has just introduced 2 new vaccines to help prevent both diarrhoea and pneumonia. There has been much media coverage, and here is a great video about it.

Other things that are being done are;

1.  Promoting exclusive breastfeeding – by giving nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months in life it prevents infection, contamination and malnutrition. A simple, but effective way to ensure good health for your under 6month old. The problem lies in the following years where food is introduced, and it is often inadequate or insufficient.

2. Sanitation and hygiene. Ensuring all households have access to safe drinking water.

3. Community-based treatment of childhood illnesses. A program where volunteers in the community bring diagnosis and treatment to hard to reach places.

4. Promoting handwashing with soap. Massive campaigns and strategies are in place to improve handwashing. A study I worked on recently found that just 6% of people use soap. And then it mostly was for washing clothes rather than hands.

Wash those hands!

And for the final say, here is a news story on the current situation.

That's Rubbish!

The rainy season makes everything look so nice. The maize is two times taller than you and as green as can be, so you just think fertility, new growth and all these positive nice things. Then comes the dry season. Everything dies and Tamale is all red dust and plastic bags. I didn’t realise how the trees and bush was hiding such a mess!

The rainy season - the maize hides this... until you turn the corner and are standing on it! The pigs do a good job of halving the size of it daily

When you buy something here it comes in a ‘rubber’ or plastic bag. I heard the black bags are used so people can’t see what you have purchased. Because you may get jealous if you can see someone’s egg and bread – better hide it in a black plastic bag. Fine. But then what happens? You chuck it out the window into either a pile of already discarded rubbish, or start a new pile of rubbish yourself. It’s easy!

And often it’s not just one or two plastic bags you get with a small purchase, but my personal favourite is a pack of lollies you get here – guide to opening them;

1.      The lollie is encased in it’s own individual wrapper for each lollie

2.      About 10 of these are encased in a paper wrapper

3.      This paper wrapper is encased in a plastic wrapper

4.      You will be given a plastic bag to carry this small lollie treat home

So there is rubbish everywhere and of course no recycling. If you are lucky enough to find a bin to dispose of things, you watch the men come and collect the bin, and see it just goes to a larger pile somewhere else and burnt. The educated answer here so far is to just burn all the rubbish. Including the plastic. Makes for a lovely aroma, especially on dinner time. The rubbish near my house creates a large pile for the animals to fossick through and get the best parts, but there is no end in sight for the plastic bags. It is interesting how revolutionary the plastic bag has been for people here (making things so accessible and easy to sell/buy) however, the bigger, longer problem of waste collection is a long way coming. I take a stand and collect my bags, and give the re-useable ones to the ladies who run the shop down the street. But Ghana is choked by rubbish and no means to deal with it.

Sheep spotting - is it an animal or rubbish?

A pretty standard/clean sight. The view from my guest house. oh, the guest house didn't have a washroom, so this was also the toilet...

A Fish Out Of Water

Drinking...
You drink at a 'Spot'
Many drinks will be 'finished' so check that there are plenty in the fridge or even freezer at the spot if you are out for a big night or there are many of you.
If you are drinking beer you can choose from; Star, Club, Stone (heavy), Castle (dark), Goulda and Guinness (nothing at all like real Guinness). All pretty bad, but everyone has their favourites. and you sort of move through them as the months pass. You can't look at the Star anymore... so you try Club. and they all come in long necks. For GH2.50 - about $1.70.
You can go upmarket and get Heineken or Peroni sometimes, but you will probably drink them out of it, and you have to pay the premium price - of GH3.00 for a small bottle (about $1.50!).
If you drink spirits you can choose from having a 'tot' out of a bottle eg. Gordon's Gin, or a fairly good vodka. Or you can choose to have a shot from a sachet. This costs around 40c.

This was only drunk to show you readers how it's done....

For the non-drinkers out there: Pure Water (sachet water) is free. and minerals (fizzy drinks) are GH1 (about 50c). Note I didn't say drivers. Because drink driving is ok here (not that I'm okay with it).

and the essential component of a good Spot out: LOUD music!

Ghana Quirks I Enjoy

Some are funny, some are just interesting to me….

1. Using old diaries as a note pad, I’ve seen as far back as the 1990’s. It’s really common, and I just am not sure why… recycling?
2. Painting the nails on the left hand only, not the right
3. Taking multiple solo photos of yourself or friend in front of anything, no smiles allowed, very serious business (in the south, this is done often with an iPad in your face, always an amusing sight)
4. Either not wearing makeup at all, or makeup applied drag queen style
5. Playing ‘background’ music as loud as the volume possibly goes. Makes small talk easier, you sit in silence!
6. Washing your hands before eating with dishwashing liquid and water. Why not soap?
7. Dinner parties mean come, eat really really fast, and then leave… without paying the bill (and with taking a take-home pack). A friend negotiates this at work functions by doing presentations and everything before the food is served. I can never keep up with my colleagues – maybe because I chew things like fufu, the Ghanaians don’t chew, just put-in-mouth-and-swallow
8. Not waiting for the current conversation to finish before butting in with a new conversation
9. Hanging your handbag over your bottom – sort of bumbag style. Literally flaunting your curves. People here love to keep their hands free – handbag often goes on the head too.
10. Using the word ‘sh!t’ in a formal meeting to describe, well, sh!tting in public. I was with a national minister, and I was shocked we were talking about trying to stop people sh!tting in the open… I find ‘defecation’ (often used as well) so formal… but then sh!t is the complete opposite! My guard also talks about how our chickens ‘sh!t’ the eggs… I tend to get the giggles...

     To leave you now with a song that is often guilty of point #5. I tried to buy some things from a shop the other day, but the lady serving had to dance to the entire song first before we could exchange any money, it was worth it. It's my favourite song here, maybe because I think it is so funny. It's a guarantee you'll hear this if you leave the house in the morning.