Exploring Volta Region

Janna and I are on Christmas break between December 16, 2012 and January 9, 2013. Given the length of time we decided to do some exploring as we have been mostly just in Accra since arriving outside of our one trip to the Cape Coast region. We decided to explore Ghana's easternmost region (which is actually east of the region actually called Eastern region). Volta is home to a major tribe called the Ewe whereas much of the rest of Southern Ghana is peopled by Ashanti tribes, more on them in a future post. The Ewe people were, as is so common in former European colonies, split apart by colonial borders and many Ewes are found in neighbouring Togo. During the late 19th century European scramble to establish colonies in Africa the British and French were taken by surprise when latecomer colanizer Germany signed a treaty with the paramount chief (king) based in present day Benin creating the protectorate of German Togoland. This colony only was the hands of the Germans for about 34 years before the League of Nations (the often ineffectual World War 1 predecessor to the United Nations) split the colony between England and France as victor's spoils. The westerly section became known as British Togoland eventually merging with the British Gold Coast colony, both eventually becoming part of modern day Ghana. Volta region lies to the west of the Togolese border and to the east of Ghana's Lake Volta, the world's largest man made lake. It is a beautiful, hilly waterfall full area that is a must see if one has the time when in Ghana. Janna and I began our journey by heading from Accra to Hohoe. We stayed in Taste Lodge for 40 cedi a night for 2 nights. The food was simple but good and the hot water buckets available upon request, when used with the unheated showers made for a pleasant experience (we have no hot water at home in Accra, and often no water at all). On the first full day in Hohoe we hiked the nearby Wli falls. There is a low falls hike (relatively easy) and a high falls hike (strenuous and sweaty!). We did both, the views were amazing, the tropical vegetation luxurious, and the waterfall was spectacular. It is the tallest in West Africa but is quite thin being approximately 6 m wide. We swam in the pool at the base of the lower falls. The water was refreshing and the extreme vertical fall of the water created a surprisingly strong wind/spray blowing out instantly cooling our overheated bodies. The waterfall cliffs were covered on either side with large, golden fruit bats which are sacred in this are. The fruit bats in Ghana are harmless, while still being alarmingly large. They have bodies the size of a good sized squirrel and a wingspan of about 2 feet. Just outside the entrance to the waterfall hike is a delightful German owned place called Waterfall Lodge. The view is amazing and the food is good. We did not stay there but rooms were 32 cedi. Late in the afternoon we returned happy but a little tired to Hohoe.
From Hohoe we headed to Mountain Paradise Lodge near Fume. While we did not visit on this trip there a two shrines to the Virgin Mary nearby. At one of the grottos some children a few years ago reported to the local Catholic priest that the statue's solid, carved robes were blowing miraculously in the wind. The local priest interpreted that the robes in their fluttering were pointing towards a local palm tree. From this it was assumed the tree had healing/blessing properties and it was not long before the tree had been so carved up for relics that iit died. Also nearby is a second interesting Virgin Mary shrine. This religious retreat/contemplative centre is called the Blues of Ur. Ur is the ancient city in present day Iraq, formerly ancient Mesopotamia where Abraham, the father of Judeo-Christianity-Islam was from, at least 1500 years before the Virgin Mary was born. Blues refers to followers of the Virgin Mary in Catholicism, for instance a group of Virgin Mary focused Catholics in Canada has the name the Blue Army. This contemplative centre has an interesting start, supposedly a local Ghanaian Catholic saw a blue star flying above the jungle and followed to where it landed on top of a cliff. It was at this point the centre was founded. Definitely not something I expected to find in Ghana, especially in a remote area!
Janna and I for exercise (and for budget :)) decided to walk the 2 km from town to the lodge. This may have been a better idea in theory then practice as it ended up being a very steep 4 km walk under a blazing sun with no shade, along a road under construction. Just to paint a picture, when you see the words "road under construction" in Ghana picture a strip of land seemingly purpose built for one thing and one thing alone, the production of dust that covers everything in sight, especially and insidiously the dust infiltrates your clothing, hair, nose and throat. It is this type of road we walked up all while large construction trucks and vehicles drove periodically past. To be continued...

WUSC, Gender Equity and Corporal Punishment

An important part of WUSC's and the Uniterra program's mandate is to work for equity for women. Studies and field experience have shown that improving the conditions of women which is necessary from a rights based approach also has a multiplier effect on development. Part of every Uniterra volunteer's mandate is to work on gender equity and development. While my primary mandate is to strengthen the NGO I am placed with my gender component is focused on reducing violence against girls especially in schools. Studies show that the threat of violence is one of the barriers to increasing the number ofi girls in school as well as the quality of their educational outcomes. I have been working with my GNECC colleagues on a multi-year project that has focused on various forms of violence particularly sexual violence against girls. The current phase is focusing on alternatives to corporal punishment. Physical (and also mental and emotional) punishment/abuse is common and culturally accepted by many. Over 95% of both boys and girls report having experienced corporal punishment. It occurs in the home, in the community and in school. There is no law against corporal punishment in Ghana though there are laws against both physical and sexual assault. Corporal punishment of children though is not considered assault unless it passes an undefined line of excessiveness. In the school setting one the most common techniques is to beat children using a cane. GNECC in partnership with Action Aid
, UNICEF and the Ghana Education Service developed a Teacher's Code of Conduct which was in theory enshrined as an official human resources policy. This code forbid the use of corporal punishment by teachers with progressive discplinary outcomes for teachers up to and including dismissal and reporting to the police. Despite this code though corporal punishment continues. This is a classic case of implementing a regulation where there is not yet cultural acceptance. In multiple conservation I have had with teachers, NGO staff and even students I have been told that corporal punishment is a necessary disciplinary tool. One teacher told me, after asking if teachers in Canada practice corporal punishment, and I said no,that what I did not understand is that children in Ghana are so much more misbehaved than in Canada that caning is necessary. I assured him that while I had limited experience obseving Ghanaian children from what I had seen they were extremely well behaved. Children in school, and in Ghana as a whole fit in a hierarchy that values elders, adults and men. Classrooms often resemble those in old British movies where everyone sits up straight, calls teacher by madam or sir and repeats back desired responses in rote unison. I asked what are examples of misbehaviour and the examples given to me all focused on failing to satisfactorily complete homework. Contextually this is important as there are so many reasons that may impact the completion of homework.
These can include improper nutrition, illiteracy, chores such as fetching water or farming, jobs to supplement the family income or learning disabilities. The reasons behind failure to adequately complete homework are not investigated. Instead the teacher sees their role as to correct the misbehaviour through caning or other methods. We visited three schools to discuss punishment with the students. We excluded the teachers so the students would feel freer to speak. First we asked them what punishments they were familiar with. Examples included caning, hitting, kneeling on hard floors, weeding, garbage picking, digging of holes and then filling them in again, standing outside without being allowed to move under the hot sun, washing the teacher's car and working during school time on the teacher's farm amongst many others. Some punishments also included various exclusions from the classroom. We then asked the children what they thought of these punishments. By far the majority wished for alternative, more positive methods to be used. Many students felt that it was important for teachers to take the time to understand what barriers were preventing the completion of homework. Also interesting was the near unanimous condemnation of caning and also punishments that excluded students from class. Some even questioned if punishment was necessary at all as there could be more positive, reinforcing techniques that could be used. The thoughtfulness, engagement and commitment to learning 
so refreshing and exciting to see especially given that these students are immersed in an adult culture that insisted that techniques such as caning are indispensable. GNECC will be using the testimony of these children in an upcoming advocacy campaign focusing on positive alternatives to punishment. By providing parents and teachers with positive, proven successful techniques at bringing the best out of students we hope to begin to get teachers to buy in to these changes. We are working with some great Ghanaian educators who have used these techniques resulting in improved outcomes and a more positive experience for everyone. By removing the use of violence in school, the lesson that violence is a way to solve problems is removed leading to a less violent, more positive future.

Sorry for the break, blame the Masters!

I have been away from the blog for a few weeks as I have been wrapped up in both work and schoolwork. The course I have been taking has been towards completion of my Masters. As many of you know when Janna and I returned from living in Malawi in 2009 we decided to start Masters degrees part-time. We wanted a flexible option so we decided to take our degrees by distance education via Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada. Both of us are pursuing degrees in Integrated Studies which pursues an interdisciplinary social science approach. The idea is that the narrow disciplinary focus common in university is not necessarily the best approach to tackle today's complex problems. In the public policy world these are often called wicked problems, examples include tackling poverty, climate change, and international governance. These are problems that have so many layers, factors and players that it is necessary to have a broad understanding of a lot of disciplines as opposed to a narrow but expert understanding of one discipline. We each have areas of focus though. Janna's is equity studies and also community development. My area of focus is global change, basically a study of globalization, it's effects and ways to effect a positive, equitable future. The course that has been absorbing all of my non-work time for the last few weeks has had the very broad topic of What is Globalization? I was late getting started with the course as it officially started in the beginning of September while I was trying to wrap up my Ministry of Labour work and get ready for our move overseas. Then I took a few weeks getting settled here in Ghana. I had to write 3 papers. One on what globalization is, one on how power is practiced in our networked society and one examining the recent resolution of the longest trade dispute in the history of the World Trade Organization dealing with bananas. It is nice to be done as interesting as the course has been just in time for the Christmas break. More on our travels during the break soon.

A Day in Accra, Ghana (Tuesday, November 27, 2012)

Tro-Tro (beaten up minibus made out of an old van) for 4 km trip moving slower than the walkers streaming past us avoiding the traffic nightmare that is Accra, $0.25.

Workshop on inclusive education and students with special needs. Committed, passionate civil society members and civil servants.

Workshop starts at 10. Agenda says firm start at 9.

Indignantly insisting on being the meeting note taker after a female participant asked me to especially after she was scolded by a male colleague who told her that you don’t delegate work upwards.

Ghanaian art gallery with amazing paintings and sculptures. Beautiful pots as low as $10.

Delicious skewers of sausage (thick hot dog would be a better description) from a charcoal brazier sitting beside an open air bar while enjoying a cold beer with Janna. Sausage, $0.75, 1 litre of beer, $2.50.

First place at pub quiz.

Taxi home without seatbelts for 5 km, $3.00.

A man wrestling on the edge of the road with a fully clothed man, wearing nothing but his underwear late at night.

Bouquet of raw sewage wafting up from the open trenches running along every road.

Buying eggs and freezies of frozen strawberry yoghurt called Fan-Go from a shop built inside a shipping container. Eggs, $0.17 each, Fan-Go, $0.50. 

TV show via the wonders of online streaming.

Views of GNECC

Views of the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) where I work.

 

Boundary Road, the street my office is on looking South

 

Boundary Road, the street my office is on looking North towards my office

 

The outside wall of GNECC

 

GNECC's gate

 

GNECC, yes my office is in a house. My office is attached to the garage on the left under the outside stairway you can see

 

My humble desk

 

Posters on the walls of GNECC

Sighted in Accra

I thought that I would post some pictures to give a visual dimension to Accra where Janna and I are living.

Religious signage is very common, even when the product is not religious. Here is the local auto parts shop

Chickens are everywhere, kind of like pigeons in Toronto

In case you wondered where Obama eats fried chicken in Ghana, it is only 650 m from my work

Note that each small black dot in the sky is actually a large bat.

One of my local variety stores

For my Ministry of Labour colleagues, inspection time? 

Just in case you were looking for Einstein college it is here in Ghana

Lord's Triumph is you place for coolers

Walls are not the most welcoming things to climb over here, this one sports razor wire beside spikes

And in case razor wire just doesn't quite do the job, this one has electrified their razor wire. Gives a new meaning to thoughts of hopping fences

First Road Trip

Janna and I had our first trip together outside of Greater Accra over the October 26-28, 2012 long weekend here in Ghana. We spent the first night at a nice place on the beach just east of a town called Elmina. On the Saturday we toured two towns, Elmina, and Cape Coast, which was my first exposure to some of the colonial history here in Ghana. Cape Coast was the capital of Ghana until the capital was moved to Accra in 1877.  Both towns have varied histories passing between the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Swedes, and the British.

Here is a view of Elmina.

Elmina Panoramic View

And here is a view of Cape Coast.

Cape Coast Panoramic View

I will write more about these two towns in a future post especially their role in the transatlantic slave trade.

On the Sunday Janna and I visited our first Ghanaian National Park, Kakum. It is a beautiful remnant of the once extensive rainforest that could be found along the coastline here in Ghana. Our guide was great, explaining many of the botanical specimens we could see in the forest giving us an ethnobiological insight into how the trees fit into the Ashanti culture. We learnt about medicinal properties, uses for the different woods and even how on one type of tree you could bang on their buttresses in order to communicate over long distances via the booming sound that would result. The highlight of the visit though was the canopy walk which is a series of rope bridges that allows you to access the top of the rainforest canopy, at times greater than 40 m in the air. I loved it and could have spent hours up there.  Below is a video (not taken by me, you can find everything on YouTube) that can give you a taste of the bridges. Janna did really well on the bridges considering heights aren’t really her thing. I am really glad that we got to experience the rainforest especially as I have to date been immersed in the hectic urbanness of Accra.

Kakum National Park Canopy Walk

World to fall short of Millennium Development Goal on Education

As I discussed a few posts back the global community committed at the beginning of the new millennium to 8 overarching goals with regard to development.  As you know, Janna and I are both volunteering under Uniterra’s Education sector and therefore the progress towards goal number 2 is extremely relevant to our work here. Goal number 2 is as follows:

Achieve Universal Primary Education

TARGET

1. Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

Ghana is working hard on this goal, both through the voluntary sector such as my work, but the government also sees education as a primary focus.  Below you will see that some of the steps Ghana has made are recognized in a positive light by the United Nations but despite this there still is a lot of work to do. Additionally, enrolment is only part of the problem, what the real outcome needs to be is education. What matters is that students are actually learning, and learning skills that they want and need to learn. Quality of the education received is a major concern of my organization, the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition.

Quick Facts

* Enrolment in primary education in developing regions reached 89 per cent in 2008, up from 83 per cent in 2000.

* The current pace of progress is insufficient to meet the target by 2015.

* About 69 million school-age children are not in school. Almost half of them (31 million) are in sub-Saharan Africa, and

more than a quarter (18 million) are in Southern Asia.

WHERE DO WE STAND?

Despite great strides in many countries, the target is

unlikely to be met. Enrolment in primary education has

continued to rise, reaching 89 per cent in the developing

world in 2008. Between 1999 and 2008, enrolment

increased by 18 percentage points in sub-Saharan Africa,

and by 11 and 8 percentage points in Southern Asia and

Northern Africa, respectively.

But the pace of progress is insufficient to ensure that, by

2015, all girls and boys complete a full course of primary

schooling. To achieve the goal by the target date, all children

at official entry age for primary schooling would have had

to be attending classes by 2009. Instead, in half of the

sub-Saharan African countries with available data, at least

one in four children of enrolment age was not attending

school in 2008.

About 69 million school-age children were not going to

school in 2008, down from 106 million children in 1999.

Almost three-quarters of children out of school are in sub-

Saharan Africa (31 million) or Southern Asia (18 million).

Drop-out rates in sub-Saharan Africa remain high.

Achieving universal primary education requires more than

full enrolment. It also means ensuring that children continue

to attend classes. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 30 per

cent of primary school students drop out before reaching

a final grade.

Moreover, providing enough teachers and classrooms is

vital in order to meet demand, most notably in sub-Saharan

Africa. It is estimated that double the current number of

teachers would be needed in sub-Saharan Africa in order

to meet the primary education target by 2015.

WHAT HAS WORKED?

• Abolishing school fees in Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana,

Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Nepal and Tanzania:

The abolition of school fees at primary school level has

led to a surge in enrolment in a number of countries.

In Tanzania, the enrolment ratio had doubled to 99.6

per cent by 2008, compared to 1999 rates. In Ethiopia,

net enrolment was 79 per cent in 2008, an increase of

95 per cent since 2000. But the surge in enrolment in

developing regions has brought a new set of challenges

in providing enough teachers and classrooms.

• Investing in teaching infrastructure and resources in

Ghana, Nepal and Tanzania: Ghana has recruited retirees

and volunteers to meet teacher demand. Additional funds

have also been allocated for the provision of temporary

classrooms and teaching materials. In Nepal, investment

has ensured that more than 90 per cent of students live

within 30 minutes of their local school. And Tanzania

has embarked on an ambitious programme of education

reform, building 54,000 classrooms between 2002 and

2006, as well as hiring 18,000 additional teachers.

Promoting education for girls in Botswana, Egypt and

Malawi: Egypt’s Girls’ Education Initiative and Food-for-

Education (FFE) programme encourage girls to attend

school by providing free education and by constructing

and promoting ‘girl-friendly schools’. By 2008, more than

1,000 schools were built and almost 28,000 students

enrolled. In conjunction the FFE programme provides

school meals to 84,000 children in poor and vulnerable

communities. Botswana has reduced female drop-out

rates by half by implementing readmission policies.

Malawi has been promoting girls’ education in grades

1-4 by providing learning materials.

• Expanding access to remote and rural areas in Bolivia

and Mongolia: Mongolia has introduced mobile schools

(‘tent schools’) to reach children who would otherwise

not have regular access to primary education. One

hundred mobile schools have been providing educational

services across 21 provinces. In Bolivia, a bilingual

education programme has been introduced for three of

the most widely used indigenous languages. It covered

11 per cent of primary schools in 2002, expanding access

to education for indigenous children in remote areas.

Below is a link to an article if you would like to see where the achievement of the other Millennium Development Goals stands.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/oct/31/millennium-development-goals-key-datasets?goback=%2Egde_146958_member_182523056

Gee, it isn't a little chilly in here.

A little weather, or what is Ghana’s climate like? I thought I would compare and contrast Toronto, where I come from so those who are here in Ghana and those who are back home in Canada can see the differences.  As you can see, Canada being temperate rather than tropical, shows quite a large swing in temperatures over the year.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Accra, Ghana

Record High Temperature: 40.6 degrees Celsius Record Low Temperature: -32.8 degrees Celsius (Canada record low is -63 degrees and record high is 45 degrees Celsius) Toronto's climate is among the mildest in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains, where the annual average temperature exceeds 9 °C (48 °F). There is a high degree of variability from year to year and sometimes even over a period of days, particularly during the winter months. Springs and autumns feature varied weather with alternating periods of dry, sunny weather and rain. These seasons are brief when compared to summer or winter seasons, many days in these seasons are sunny with pleasant rather than warm or cold temperatures. Nights are generally cool, but frosts are rare. Snow can fall in early spring or late fall but usually melts quickly after contact with the ground. At these times changeable times of the year, temperature contrasts (up to 30 °C (54 °F) in extreme cases) can occur within a short time frame due to rapidly changing air masses that sweep across the continent, Annual average precipitation is 834 mm (32.83 in). Winter and snowfall Despite being cold, extended snow free periods occur in most winter seasons. Average winter snowfall is 133.1 cm (52.4 in) at the weather station in Downtown Toronto. The average January maximum/minimum is −1 °C (30 °F)/−7 °C (19 °F) in the city. There are usually a few colder periods where temperatures remain below −10 °C (14 °F) and less frequently below −20 °C (−4 °F) at night(especially in the northern suburbs), with wind chills making it feel like −30 °C (−22 °F). Summer Maximum temperatures typically range from 23 to 31 °C (73 to 88 °F) with moderate to high humidity, proximity to Lake Ontario and the other lakes contribute to summer moisture content but far away sources like the Gulf of Mexico also factor in. Temperatures over 32 °C (90 °F) occur but usually no longer than over a period of a few days and they very rarely exceed 38 °C (100 °F). Night temperatures generally hover close to 20 °C (68 °F) in the city but during hotter spells can remain closer to 25 °C (77 °F).

Record High Temperature: 38 degrees Celsius Record Low Temperature: 15 degrees Celsius (Ghana record low is 8.9 degrees and record high is 47.2 degrees Celsius) Owing to its location in the Dahomey Gap, where the coast runs parallel to the prevailing moist monsoonal winds, Accra features a tropical savanna climate that borders on a semi-arid climate. The average annual rainfall is about 730 mm, which falls primarily during Ghana's two rainy seasons. The chief rainy season begins in April and ends in mid-July, whilst a weaker second rainy season occurs in October. Rain usually falls in short intensive storms and give rise to local flooding where drainage channels are obstructed. There is very little variation in temperature throughout the year. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 24.7 °C (76.5 °F) in August (the coolest) to 28 °C (82.4 °F) in March (the hottest), with an annual average of 26.8 °C (80.2 °F). It should be noted, however, that the "cooler" months tend to be more humid than the warmer months. As a result, during the warmer months and particularly during the windy harmattan season, the city experiences a breezy "dry heat" that feels less warm than the "cooler" but more humid rainy season. As Accra is close to the equator, the daylight hours are practically uniform during the year. Relative humidity is generally high, varying from 65% in the mid-afternoon to 95% at night. The predominant wind direction in Accra is from the WSW to NNE sectors. Wind speeds normally range between 8 to 16 km/h. High wind gusts occur with thunderstorms, which generally pass in squall along the coast.

 The key thing that one notices here in Accra is that little thought needs to be given to the weather at least during the dry season.  Basically the temperature is the same everyday, and no need to pack an umbrella.  In the rainy season the same goes, except that it is good to carry an umbrella with you.  Unlike Canada though rainy days don't generally last all day, but rather there are intense showers for a few hours then the sun comes out again.

All in all, it is pretty sweet to move from our warm Canadian summer straight into a continuous summer here in Ghana. :)

GNECC AGM Communique

Last week the Ghanaian organization that I am placed with, the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), held its Annual General Meeting (AGM), and out of that a communiqué was drafted to state the position of the coalition especially during this critical election time in Ghana.  I was part of the drafting team for this communiqué, which has now been published in the newspaper.

The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC), a network of civil society organizations and individuals in all ten regions, that focuses on the right of every Ghanaian child to enjoyable free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE), held its Annual General Meeting from the 11^th – 12^th of October, 2012 at Kingsby Hotel, Accra under the theme, Emerging Education Needs: How Equipped is GNECC/ Civil Society?

The meeting recognized the efforts already being made by government and other key stakeholders in Ghana towards ensuring access to quality basic education through pro-poor policies such as:

- The increase in the Capitation Grant

- The School Feeding Programme

- The provision of free school uniforms and exercise books

- Improvement in basic school infrastructure

GNECC reaffirms the important contribution that civil society can make towards this goal through research, advocacy and mobilization.

In order to further the goal of FCUBE, we advocate the government and other key stakeholders for the following:

- That all political parties adopt the recommendations  contained in the Civil Society Education Manifesto 2012, particularly the sections related to basic education including;

- Improved infrastructure that is disability friendly,

- Attracting and retaining trained teachers, especially at the KG and lower primary level, particularly in deprived districts,

- Improved teacher supervision to reduce teacher absenteeism and laxity on the job,

- Addressing the low BECE pass rates due to poor foundation in numeracy and literacy.

- Government support for local level school governance structures (PTAs, SMCs) in education delivery for improved community partnership and ownership.

- Strengthen collaboration with civil society for effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of education programmes, especially the newly approved Global Partnership for Education (GPE) fund of $75.5 million for improving education outcomes in 57 most deprived districts.

As guaranteed by our Constitution, free, quality, basic education is a right of all Ghanaians. GNECC and civil society, at both the national and local level, are ready to play their proper role in ensuring that this becomes a reality for all our children.

To the Gold Coast for Gold

An excerpt of a description of Ghana through the eyes of a Victorian British explorer, Sir Richard Burton most famous for translating The Arabian Nights into English, during a visit in 1862.

TO THE GOLD COAST FOR GOLD, Volume 2

CHAPTER XIX.

TO PRINCE'S RIVER AND BACK.

On February 15 we proceeded down coast to inspect the mining-lands of

Prince's River valley, east of Axim; and this time it was resolved to

travel by surf-boat, ignoring that lazy rogue the hammock-man. Yet even

here difficulties arose. Mast and sail were to be borrowed, and paddles

were to be hired at the rate of a shilling a day each. They are the life

of the fishing Aximites; yet they have not the energy to make them, and

must buy those made in Elmina.

The eastern coast, like that of Apollonia, is a succession of points and

bays, of cool-looking emerald jungle and of 'Afric's golden sands' reeking

with unkindly heat. Passing the long black tongue of Prépré, or Inkubun,

and the red projection, Ponta Terceira, we sighted the important Ajámera

village, so called from a tree whose young leaves show a tender

pinkish-red. On the Awazán Boppo Hill, about two miles from the

trial-shaft of his concession, Dr. Ross found a native 'Long Tom.' It was

a hollowed palm-trunk rotten with age, closed at one end and open at the

other, with a slant downwards; two forks supported it over a water-filled

hollow, measuring ten feet each way by three deep. Ajámera lies a little

west of the peninsula, _Africanicè_ Madrektánah, a jutting mass of naked

granite glazed red by sea-water: on either side of the sandy neck, pinned

down, like Pirate's Bay, by cocoa-nuts, there is the safest landing-place…

The chief of Prince's Town, Eshánchi, _alias_ 'Septimulus,' a name showing

a succession of seven sons, not without a suspicion of twins, would have

accompanied us up stream. Guinea-worm, however, forbade, and he sent a

couple of guides, one of whom, Wafápa, _alias_ 'Barnabas,' a stout, active

freedman of the village, proved very useful.

We resolved to shoot the banks going, and to collect botanical specimens

on return. The land appears poor in mammals, rich in avifauna, and

exceedingly abundant in insect life. Of larger animals there are leopards,

cat o' mountains and civet-cats, wild hog and fine large deer; we bought a

leg weighing 11-1/2 lbs., and it was excellent eating seasoned with 'poor

man's quinine,' _alias_ garlic. Natives and strangers speak of the

jungle-cow, probably the Nyaré antelope (_Bos brachyceros_) of the Gaboon

regions, the _empacasso_ of the Portuguese. Two small black squirrels,

scampering about a white-boled tree, were cunning enough never to give a

shot. We sighted only small monkeys with white beards and ruddy coats. 'He

be too clever for we,' said the Kruboys when the wary mannikins hid in the

bush. I saw nothing of the _kontromfi_, cynocephalus or dog-faced baboon,

concerning whose ferocity this part of Africa is full of stories. Further

north there is a still larger anthropoid, which the natives call a wild

man and Europeans a gorilla. The latter describe its peculiar whoop, heard

in the early night when the sexes call to each other.

Our results were two species of kingfishers (_alcedo_), the third and

larger kind not showing; a true curlew (_Numenius arquata_), charming

little black swallows (_Wardenia nigrita_), the common English swallow;

a hornbill (_buceros_), all feathers and no flesh; a lean and lanky

diver (_plotus_), some lovely little honeysuckers, a red oriole, a fine

vulture (_Gypohierax angolensis_), and a grand osprey (_hali[oe]tus_),

which even in the agonies of death would not drop his prey. Many other

birds were given over to Mr. Dawson, who worked from dawn till dusk. Mr.

Grant dropped from the trees three snakes, one green and two

slaty-brown. The collection found its way to the British Museum after

the usual extensive plunder, probably at a certain port, where it is

said professional collectors keep customhouse-men in pay. Mr. R. B.

Sharp was kind enough to name the birds, whose shrunken list will be

found at the end of the volume.

Cameron, observing for his map, was surprised by the windings of the bed;

we seemed ever within hearing of the sea. Where a holm of rock and bush

splits the course its waters swarm with fish, as shown by the weirs and

the baskets, large and small; some of its cat-fish (_siluri_) weigh 10

lbs. Every shoal bred oysters in profusion, young mangroves sprouted from

the submerged mollusk-beds, and the 'forests of the sea' were peopled with

land-crabs.

At first the vegetation of the banks was almost wholly of rhizophores,

white and red; the wood of the latter burns like coal, and the bark is

admirable for tanning. In places their long suckers, growing downwards to

the stream, resembled a cordwainer's walk set on end. A bush of

yellow-flowered hibiscus clothes the banks that are less level; and,

higher still, grows a tall and beautiful mimosa with feathery web and

pendent pods of brightest green and yellow. Then came the brabs and palms,

fan-, cocoa-, oil-, and bamboo-, with their trunks turned to nurseries of

epiphytes and air-plants. The parasites are clematis and a host with hard

botanical names.

Towards evening, as the stream narrowed, the spectacle was imposing. The

avenues and trees stood up like walls, but living walls; and in places

their billowy bulges seemed about to burst upon us like Cape-rollers.

Every contrast was there of light and dark, short and tall, thick and

thin; of age and death with lusty youth clinging around it; of the cocoa's

drooping frond and the aspiring arm of bombax, the silk-cotton-tree, which

rains brown gossamer when the wind blows; of the sloth-tree with its

topping tuft, and the tangled mantle of the calamus or rattan, a palm like

a bamboo-cane. The bristly pod of the dolichos (_pruriens_) hangs by the

side of the leguminosæ, from whose flattened, chestnut-coloured seeds

snuff-boxes are made further east. It was also a _floresta florida_, whose

giants are decked with the tender little blossoms of the shrub, and where

the bright bracts and yellow greens of this year's growth light up the

sombre verdure of an older date. The type of this growth is the red

camwood-tree, with its white flower of the sweetest savour. Imagine an

English elm studded with pinks or daisies, gardenias or hyacinths. There

is nothing more picturesque than the shiftings and changes of aspect upon

these African streams, which at first seem so monotonous. After dawn the

smoking water, feeling tepid to the hand and warmer than the atmosphere,

veils the lower levels and makes the forest look as if based on air. Noon

brings out every variety of distance with startling distinctness, and

night, especially moonlit night, blurs with its mists long tracts of

forest, rains silver over the ridges, and leaves the hollows in the

blackest shade. Seen from above, the sea of trees looks like green water

raised to waves by the wind, and the rustling in the breeze mimics the

sound of distant surf.

A catamaran of four cork-trees, a cranky canoe, the landing-place of a

bush-road, a banana-plantation, and a dwarf clearing, where sat a family

boiling down palm-nuts for oil, proved that here and there the lowland did

not lack lowlanders. The people stared at us without surprise, although

this was only the fourth time they had seen a surf-boat. The river-bed,

grid-ironed with rocky reefs, showed us twenty-two turns in a few miles;

some were horseshoe-bends, sweeping clean round to the south, and one

described a curve of 170º. After slow and interrupted paddling for an hour

and a half, at 6 P.M., when night neared, we halted at the village of

Esubeyah, or 'Water-made;'

And now about Uniterra and the MDGs

Last week I told you all about WUSC, the Canadian NGO with roots going back to the 1920’s that is supporting our volunteerism here in Ghana.  I want to flesh this out a bit by talking about the Uniterra Program, which is what Janna and I fall under (Uniterra 1 brought us to Malawi, this is Uniterra 2) and more broadly I want to speak about some of the higher level development goals that guide our work.

Uniterra is an innovative co-operation program between two Canadian NGOs, one from Ottawa (WUSC) and the other from Montreal (CECI). CECI  stands for the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation and they have been around since 1958.

Uniterra is a major Canadian program of international volunteer cooperation that helps reduce poverty and inequalities in 12 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Uniterra supports organizations in developing countries that work to improve living conditions in their communities. Its actions involve:

                  Equality between women and men

                  Economic development

                  Health, HIV and AIDS

                  Education (This is the sector Janna and I are under in Ghana)

                  Governance

Uniterra gives volunteers like Janna and I the means to take concrete action and to make a real difference by applying our skills and experience.

SINCE THE START OF THE UNITERRA PROGRAM IN 2004:

                  2,300 Canadian men and women have made the international leap as volunteers.

                  600 organizations in 13 countries have been supported in their development initiatives.

                  160,000 people in developing countries, 60% of them women, have enhanced their skills in various fields thanks to exchanges with volunteers.

                  470,000 people in developing countries have improved their living conditions, benefiting directly from the support of the program.

700,000 Canadian men and women have been made aware of development issues.

The five action areas mentioned above fit into the worldwide coordinated goal of achieving the Millenium Development Goals which 189 countries made a pledge to implement 12 years ago with a target completion date by 2015.  Unfortunately, if any of you do some further reading you can see that there is a long way to go with just over 3 years left.

Uniterra is a major transfer payment program aimed at achieving the goals of the Canadian government, and Canadian tax dollars through pursuing results that meet the aims of the Canadian International Development Agency.

I think it is a great program and Janna and I are really happy to be chosen to make an impact on reducing world poverty and improving gender equity.

Who is WUSC, and Why do they send people like Janna and I overseas?

I thought it would be good to give some background with regard to the organization that is supporting Janna and I during our volunteer opportunity in Ghana.  The name of the organization is World University Services Canada or WUSC.  This is the same organization that supported us when we were in Malawi in 2008.

WUSC Is…

A leading Canadian international development agency with over 60 years of experience.

A network of individuals and post-secondary institutions who believe that all peoples are entitled to the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to a more equitable world.

Their Philosophy

They believe in the potential of all people and we trust that with the right knowledge, skills and experience, people will find ways to provide for their families, build strong communities, and affect positive social change for future generations.

WUSC provides education and training to improve livelihoods, balance inequities, integrate vulnerable communities, promote health and foster social and economic development.

Their Mission

To foster human development and global understanding through education and training.

Their History

With origins dating back to the 1920s, WUSC is a leading Canadian development agency, which focuses on human development and global understanding through education and training. Founded by students and academics committed to social change after World War I, they continue today to build the capacity of people through the exchange of knowledge and skills. Through their long term commitment and expertise in many development areas, they have achieved solid results in the countries where they work.

What they do

Design and manage international sustainable development projects

Mobilize volunteers, experts and students

Partner with universities and colleges to support the internationalization of campuses

Inform and engage the Canadian public

WUSC At a Glance

24 COUNTRIES

500 OVERSEAS VOLUNTEERS A YEAR

+22,000 VOCATIONAL & TECHNICAL TRAINEES

1.3M BENEFICIARIES RECEIVING CLEAN WATER

90 CANADIAN CAMPUS PARTNERS

+1000 REFUGEES SPONSORED SINCE 1978

1.4M CAMPUS POPULATION

240 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MANAGED

Where they Work

Asia

Afghanistan*

Nepal

Sri Lanka*

Vietnam*

Africa

Botswana*

Burkina Faso*

Ghana*

Guinea

Kenya

Malawi*

Mali

Senegal

Sudan

Tanzania

Uganda

Americas

Bolivia

Canada*

Guatemala

Haiti

Peru*

Europe &

Middle East

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jordan

Kosovo

Serbia

* WUSC Overseas Office

WUSC designs and manages sustainable development projects in five core sectors

Education, Health, Refugee Issues, Livelihoods, Gender Equality

Uniterra

Joint initiative with the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI)

Mobilizes 400 volunteers annually from Canada and developing countries

Increasing public engagement in Canada

Private sector, civil society and campus engagement, volunteer and constituency networks, communities

13 countries

Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Vietnam, Peru, Senegal

4 key sectors

Economic Development, Health (HIV and AIDS), Governance, Education

To find out more about this great NGO visit them at http://wusc.ca