Tamale Fire Festival

I was fortunate to have been in Northern Region during the first two weeks of December. Nothing struck me as out of the ordinary on December 5th. People were doing their usual things, wearing their usual clothing. Nothing would have prepared me for the spectacle that was awaiting me upon our return to Tamale.

Tamale December 5th

Bugum or the the fire festival takes place in December each year in the Northern Region of Ghana. According to the internet, it is celebrating the arrival of Noah’s Ark after the flood. The festival draws people from many ethnic groups and religions (both Christians and Muslims take part). It is the view of many Muslims that because the Ark landed at night, torches were lit to allow Noah and his people to tell if they had reached land. An opposing view is that a son of a great king was lost during the night so people lit torches to search for the missing prince at night. In short, it is an important night for people in the region, regardless of their faith.

Procession in Tamale

As we were driving back to Tamale in late afternoon, I noticed that in each village we passed, children were running around holding bundles of grass in the air while singing and yelling. I wondered if it was some Ghanaian version of Halloween because some of the children were wearing white face paint that gave them a skeletal appearance. The bundles of grass are prepared during the afternoon as the festival takes place after nightfall. Part of the festival includes offering some of the dinner prepared for that evening to their departed ancestors. Families will pray for prosperity and good health for the coming year.

Procession through the streets of Tamale

The main event of the festival is a procession through the streets once the torches are all lit. People are singing and drumming and dancing along the street. The youtube video I found (below), gives an excellent indication of the festival procession so please watch it. I am assuming this person was fortunate (and brave!) enough to walk through the streets. As we were driving through Tamale I was able to take a few pictures. I know the quality isn’t the greatest but it gives some idea of the festival. 

In Tamale the noise was incredible for a city that goes very quiet after nightfall. People were setting off fire crackers and other items that made huge ‘bang’ sounds. It was really pretty to see some fireworks being lit, despite the fact that they exploded too close to the ground for my comfort! I asked (rather jokingly) if alcohol was involved in getting the crowd riled up for the procession and other activities and I was told it absolutely was. It was really cool to see people of all ages celebrating their festival happily and peacefully. It was an adventure trying to get back to the hotel from the small market so we wouldn’t get stuck in the procession so our driver took back roads to get in front of the procession. Part of me wishes I had been gutsy enough to try and join in however I enjoyed watching the procession pass by my hotel.

The internet also tells me that part of the festival is for people to test their magical power and to pacify the gods. Several news articles about Bugum indicate that people sometimes die when they try to ‘test’ their magical powers by stabbing themselves however I didn’t see any of that going on.

It was amazing to see that many people walking
through the streets

Regardless, I was really fortunate to have been able to experience some of the awesomeness that is the Tamale fire festival.

Another Tale of Broken Electronics

Having a cellphone while in Ghana is very important to me. Really, it’s my lifeline. I use it to communicate to people at home and in Ghana in addition to using it for e-mails, internet, homework and work documents. 

You might remember me discussing my great used Blackberry purchase at a special place in Accra called Kwame Nkrumah Circle (locally known as Circle). In my first post I mentioned how overwhelming Circle was on the first day I was in Ghana - in hindsight, perhaps not the best choice to go to Circle while jetlagged and absolutely clueless but we managed. Circle is essentially a central transportation hub with a huge tro tro station (and at least 3 auxiliary stations that I have stumbled upon), STC and VIP buses have stations here, there is a Post Office and several markets. Circle is also a great place to buy used things like cellphones and bicycles. 

The purchase of my used BlackBerry Bold 9000 for what I thought was a pretty reasonable price was amazing. I couldn’t ask for more from a phone. It was pretty banged up when I bought it and it was quite remarkable that it worked perfectly despite its age. I will admit that it was very big and heavy and often got dropped but I tried to take care of it. I was hopeful that it would last the 8 months of my placement. Sadly, that was not meant to be, as it died forever on Sunday February 26. I couldn’t believe that it was dead dead even though it resetting itself constantly over the weekend. This was a bit of a problem because I had been working on an assignment for work on the phone and lost all the work. A reminder that relying so heavily on electronics is perhaps not the smartest thing (eventually I will learn this).

I had to do a great deal of soul searching about what kind of phone I would purchase for the remainder of my placement. I had two options: buy another used BlackBerry and run the risk of getting a garbage phone or buy a cheap, disposable phone to text and call without all the fancy extras. In the end, I decided the BlackBerry was the best option for me despite the fact that I will only be in Ghana for another 52 days. Could I have survived without the fancy phone? absolutely, but I didn’t want to.

So decision made and with my budget in mind, off I went with a friend to Circle Tuesday morning to once again buy a phone. I promised myself that this time I would shop around and not buy the first phone I saw like last time. I promised not to buy on impulse and make sure it was worth buying before handing over my Cedis. Ian and I hadn’t gone too far down the road before we saw a guy with nice looking BlackBerrys in his little glass case. We stopped to talk to Isaac and saw a BlackBerry in good condition that looked alright. Bargaining is like a sport and it is quite addictive. Within a few minutes we got him to cut the price from 200 to 150 and we quickly tried making a phone call and making sure all the buttons and camera worked.

I lost my desire to shop around and handed over the money and became the owner of my new BlackBerry. I didn’t realize until I got on the tro tro to come home that the buttons have what looks like Arabic characters in addition to the regular characters on the buttons! woops!! Never mind, I replaced an ancient Bold 9000 with a Tour 9630 2009 model.

So far, the Tour has been alright. It seems to be a cross between the Curve and the Bold. Having owned both models before, it seems to combine the features of the Bold in a smaller, lighter handset. So far the Tour is alright, it isn't my favourite model and I miss the bigger screen of the Bold but really, I can't complain.

My wonderful little purchase will only be mine until the day I leave as I’ve decided to return to Circle and sell it back to one of the boys on the street so that someone else can enjoy it. Right after buying it one of the other boys asked me if I was interested in selling it. I’ve got a better idea of how much I can get for it so we’ll see what happens when the time comes!

Western Region: Butre & Busua

Sarah and I decided last minute to organize a trip to Western Region to visit Butre and Busua the Weekend of November 18th. Sarah was eager to try surfing and Busua is one place in Ghana where you can arrange to take surfing lessons at the Black Star Surf Shop. Our trip to Takoradi Friday evening was far from easy because of on-going construction at Mallam Junction which has been causing huge delays for people leaving and entering Accra from this direction. Our hotel in Takoradi was inexpensive but still felt slightly overpriced. 

Fort Batenstein. Butre

Saturday morning we set of for Butre, our first stop of the day. With a bit of effort, we managed to get on a tro tro to Agona where we would take another tro tro to Butre. I assumed that based on the information provided by the travel book, we would join a shared taxi to Butre however we got on the most dilapidated tro tro I’ve ever taken. The engine was visible and I could see ground beneath my feet. Thankfully the road was a winding dirt track so the tro tro never gained enough speed for me to feel unsafe. If you are ever in Western Region with a few hours to kill, Butre is well worth the trip, if nothing else to appreciate the beauty of this small settlement with beautiful hills and a stunning beach as a backdrop. A community-based tourism project was set up here a few years ago to ensure that the community benefits to tourists in the area and it seemed to be working well and was well organized.

View of Butre from Fort Batenstein

We elected to visit the fort located on the top of a hill. Restoration efforts were undertaken from December 2010 and January 2011 with funding from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs however, Fort Batenstein remains in its natural state. Our guide accompanied us to the base of the hill and then left us to climb to the top (backbacks in tow), of the very steep path. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to take pictures at the Fort because it was picturesque and the weather was flawless. We also had the option of taking a tour through the village or taking a canoe trip around the lagoon however we needed to get going to Busia so we left after visiting the Fort.

Sitting on the steps of Fort Batenstein

Fort Batenstein was originally established as a trading post by the Dutch West Indian Company in 1598. The Company built the Fort between 1654 and 1656 after demolishing a lodge built by the Swedish African Company. The Fort was finally abandoned in 1872 has has remained a ruin ever since.

Fort Batenstein

Upper level of Fort Batenstein

Fort Batenstein Courtyard

Stunning lagoon in Butre

Getting to Busia was easy as we joined a shared taxi and got there quickly. With a bit of effort we found the hotel that Sarah had booked. Back home getting a hotel room for $60 is a good deal, this hotel cost a total of 20 cedi or $14. The beach was a wonderful break from the chaos of Accra and Sarah enjoyed her surf lesson. It was obvious that Busua was a hub for ex-pats and volunteers (similar to Kokrobite) and for good reason. The beach was very clean and free of hawkers (always a plus). The food at the surf shop was tasty and reasonably priced. The beach had a great vibe, thanks to the surf shop and the people who work there. Busua was well worth the trip.

Busua Beach

Surfing

Goodbye beach

Sand Winning & Property Damage in Elmina

The beach in Elmina

You don’t often think about sand as being a commodity worth stealing, however sand winning is a growing problem along the beaches of Ghana. Enterprising individuals are collecting sand to sell or to make into cement blocks. The impact of this activity is very pronounced on some of the beaches I have visited in Ghana. Some beaches are worse than others while some, particularly Bojo beach (which is inaccessible without taking a canoe from the coast), are pristine. A quick internet search provided several newspaper stories of reporters investigating situations of sand winning going unstopped by law enforcement and also by local communities who self-regulate many other economic activities like fishing. From my research and from talking to a hotel owner currently dealing with this problem, it seems the responsibility for stopping this activity lies with traditional leaders and also with individual property owners. A case study in Odumasi indicated that this formerly productive area of farm land is barren and can no longer be used for agriculture because much of the top soil has been ‘won’ or removed. The reporter visited the area and witnessed a truck being filled in the presence of a community leader which indicates that the leader was aware of their activities despite his insistence to the contrary. Similarly in James Town in Accra, fishermen went about their daily activities ignoring individuals removing sand from the beach or bringing supplies to the beach to make cement blocks with the sand.

The hotel is taking steps to protect their property
 however it is unlikely to resolve the issue

The restaurant building at the hotel in danger of being
damaged from the erosion

I stayed at a hotel in Elmina over the holidays and the erosion from the sand winning that continues on this beach was extreme. The hotel is no doubt going to lose their restaurant as the foundation is being eroded due to the lack of beach sand protecting it. They were busy constructing some barriers however their efforts are going to be in vain.  I have never before seen a beach with such a significant lack of slope. It was very obvious where the dump trucks had been backed up to collect sand. The hotel said they had been battling with local government officials to take action against the sand winners because of the property damage it was causing and also the environmental costs of destroying the shoreline. Sand winning contributes to coastal erosion. It took three years to get government to take their concerns seriously and even after they had blocked the paths the dump trucks had taken, the trucks had simply gone around the barriers to reach the beach. The hotel is new and is still under construction however the damage to the beach will severely impact their property. They are quite limited in their options to remedy the situation. Short of having armed guards patrolling the beach and running the risk of the sand winners bribing the guards, not much can be done. 

You can see the efforts of the hotel to try to protect their property. Hi Mom!

Illegal ‘entrepreneurs’ is a very common problem in Ghana which I have previously written about in the case of illegal miners. People are willing to take drastic and even deadly measures to keep people off their land. This response is hardly unusual and sadly, government seems to lack the capacity and will to take action against illegal entrepreneurs. On the other hand, it seems grossly unjust to prohibit people from earning an income (albeit illegally), when there are no other jobs available in the area. There seems to be a lack of education about protecting the environment and indeed alternative materials in construction. Poverty plays a major role in encouraging people to engage in illegal activities because there are few alternative employment opportunities. Perhaps if there was increased investment in creating jobs for people they would be less inclined to engage in illegal enterprises.

Malaria

As most people already know, I contracted malaria during the last couple weeks. Based on my symptoms, I have been exhibiting symptoms of malaria for the last three weeks without seeking treatment. In keeping with my uncanny ability to contract illnesses in a very unconventional way, I did not have a fever or vomiting, two of the most common symptoms of malaria. I was however, very exhausted and had a constant headache. Neither of these symptoms were alarming for me because I had been traveling for a month for my Christmas holidays. So I thought I had a cold and rested as much as possible and didn’t think much of it. 

My second week back at work after my holidays I really struggled to get out of bed in the mornings. Instead of arriving at work shortly after 9am, I was now arriving after 10am and truly failing at accomplishing anything because I couldn’t keep a thought in my head for more than a few seconds. My doctor in Canada gave me a course of antibiotics to take in case I suspected I had an infection or something so I decided to take them and see if it improved my symptoms. I also resumed taking my iron supplements as I suspected that I was once again anemic because I know I am not getting enough iron from diet alone. The antibiotics seemed to help somewhat and I felt a bit more energetic for a few days.

Last Wednesday night, I was once again feeling worse and my wonderful American friends convinced me that it was time to go see a doctor. From a suggestion from a fellow Canadian volunteer, I went to the small clinic at the A&C Mall in East Legon. I was surprised at how clean and quiet the clinic was. It was comparable to any other clinic I’ve been to in Canada. The biggest difference was that I didn’t have to provide any identification or health insurance. I simply filled out a small form and waited to see the doctor. The doctor recommended a blood test for malaria which was done in the clinic by a nurse. It did freak me out that the nurse didn’t wear gloves while pricking my finger. Apparently this isn’t uncommon in Ghana but it was certainly uncommon for me! The results came back that I did have malaria so I was prescribed a three day course of anti-malarials and told to go home and rest. In total, the doctor and blood test cost me 26 cedi ($17), and the pills cost me 10 cedi ($6.60). 

It freaked me out that the pills made all my symptoms worse instead of better. By Sunday, when I had completed the medication, I was feeling pretty awful. I knew beforehand that taking my daily doxycycline would suppress my symptoms if I contracted malaria but I wasn’t expecting to be as uncomfortable as I was while taking the medication. I was unable to regulate my body temperature so I would be freezing cold but sweating profusely. My appetite wasn’t great and I felt weak and sore. I finally got the fever however I wasn't vomiting as I was expecting. I am grateful to have good friends who checked in on me to make sure I was alright. 

I decided to go back to the doctor on Tuesday because I was still feeling unwell and wasn’t convinced that the malaria was gone. To me, a three day course of antibiotics isn’t enough to cure the ailment however that seems to be the magic number here. I had another malaria test which came back negative (yay!) and my iron levels were only slightly low. Basically I just needed to rest and start trying to resume a normal schedule. I am still having pretty low energy levels however I am hopeful that I will be feeling my normal self by next week. The heat is absolutely contributing to my slow recovery. 

For the record, the common symptoms of malaria are:

• fever
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting diarea 
• sweating/chills
• muscle aches and pains

The best ways to prevent malaria are to take prophylaxis medication, sleep with a bed net, wearing bus spray and most importantly wearing long pants when the mosquitos are out (dusk-early evening). If in doubt, go see a doctor. I hate going to doctors as a general rule however having a friend take me for moral support was helpful.

Finally, take the advice available on the internet with a grain of salt, I found some useful information but mostly I got increasingly freaked out by the horror stories of people with severe malaria.

The Toronto Zoo

Most Canadians will remember when the Toronto Zoo decided to separate the much loved gay endangered African penguins last November. Buddy and Pedro were paired with females as part of a breeding program to help the endangered species of penguin to survive. Some people believed that the penguins should have been left together because they were a pair while others recognized the necessity of ensuring the survival of the species. In the end, Buddy was paired with Farai and Pedro was paired with Thandiwey. Reports over the last few months have indicated that the penguins are adapting to their new pairings and are doing well.

Eggs were laid last week in the penguin house at the Toronto Zoo and the question now is who do the eggs belong to. The Zoo has yet to provide further details about the eggs however in the coming weeks I am sure we will know more about the parents of the eggs.

As a Canadian overseas, it has been really wonderful being able to follow the news back home. Last time Buddy and Pedro were in the news, a study was published in the newspaper about the value Canadians put on our polar bears. The study findings indicate that Canadians are willing to spend $6.3 billion per year to make sure that the bears do not disappear. This amount is about the equivalent of an iPad per household per year. Each bear is 'worth' $420,000 which is more than a house. The polar bear is an iconic and very Canadian symbol and it would be a huge loss if the bears became extinct. I had a good laugh on this particular day because one of the staff members at my placement came downstairs and asked me what was making headline news back home. I told him about our polar bears that are worth more than a house and the fact that Canadians were quite upset about the separation of our gay African penguins. I love my country.

Apple Disaster Averted

It is no secret that I am extremely tough on electronics. I have managed to break most electronics that I own to some extent. It is also no secret that I adore my MacBook but I have also broken pretty much everything on it at least once, some people might remember the time I drowned my laptop but Apple durability won and my laptop worked perfectly fine within 24 hours. Or the time the fan broke or the time I managed to break the harddrive or the time the power cable had to be replaced (among other things).

Being unable to repair my beloved MacBook when the inevitable happened was of concern to me while on placement. The dust and heat have not been kind to my laptop despite my best efforts. I found it really exciting that an Apple store opened at the Accra Mall which would make ordering new parts easier than having them shipped from the UK or North America.

The real story began yesterday morning when I yanked on my power cable while packing my bag to go to work. I didn’t think much of it until I went to plug my laptop in to the wall and the battery wasn’t charging. As my laptop was dead and thus I couldn’t do any more work that day, I went home to try and fix it. This isn’t the first time I’ve had trouble getting the cable to work but this time, none of the usual tricks could get it to work again. Time for Plan B.

I went in search of one of my new ISH friends because I didn’t want to deal with this problem alone. Luckily Collin was around and he offered to go with me to try and track down a new charger. There was two options; either the store at the Mall had one or we could go to a store at Circle that carries Apple accessories. I was expecting to have some difficulty trying to find this because it has been my experience in Ghana that things are easy to find until you really need to find something specific. Ghana took pity on me this particular day. The sales associate at the Apple store said that yes, they had a new charger in stock and within five minutes I had it in my hand. I was really really surprised at how easy that was! I was really expecting to have a bit of a tough time finding one, assuming the Apple store didn’t have one in stock. The fly in the ointment was that it was quite pricey costing 250 cedi or approx 170 USD. In theory we could have gone to Circle to see if it was possible to get the cable for less but I decided to spend the money and avoid the possibility of not being able to get one at all. 

So thank you Ghana, I really appreciate your kindness on this occasion.