John Legend concert in aid of the flood victims in the Northern regions of Ghana

What-what?!

First Shaggy, now John Legend?! Unbelievable, eh?!

Nope, it's true! My boy came to perform here in Accra on October 28!!

The purpose of his journey to Ghana was to raise funds to aid the flood victims up North. This is the worst year for record flood levels all across this part of Africa... from this side all the way East to Kenya.

So Legend performed his entire album 'Get Lifted' and some new releases he has! It was fantastic and a real treat for me to finally catch him live!

See, I tried to get tickets to see him and Alicia Keys when they came to Casino Rama, Orillia but they sold out at $30.00CDN, so it's unbelievable that I saw him for just $2.00CDN!!!!

It has to be one of the highlight's of my time here so far in Accra!!

On November 3, I went to a wedding with my co-workers for the daughter of one of our zone leader's at HelpAge Ghana. It was at an Anglican church in Korle Gonno and they had Canadian colours-- red and white!

It was very similar to our weddings back home I found.

On November 6 (Happy Birthday Wondy!), I was asked by my boss to attend the debut of a UNFPA (UN's Population Fund branch) documentary on overpopulation.

Overpopulation in Africa is one of those funny myths... if you look at the land mass as compared to the amount of people living here in Africa, you see that the problem is not that Africa is in fact overpopulated, but instead that because of industrialization, so many are migrating to city metropolis', thus making the living conditions in these cities challenging (lack of electricity, water, pollution, poor road conditions, housing shortages, etc.) which can appear as 'overpopulation' in some way I suppose.
As well, the claim is that Africans are producing too many children for what they can actually provide for, because they are so 'promiscuous'. The sociological issues surrounding this topic are almost always overlooked to appease audiences/donors.

Perhaps they should have focused more on the latter issue I raised concerning people being able to actually afford bringing more babies into this world-- here in Africa. Or how such a dense amount of people in one place is contributing to global warming...

anyway, that is just what the UN does best and it was interesting anyway to attend the documentary on his behalf because of the focus they gave to fistula's.


Miss Ghana 2007 has taken it upon herself to advocate for raising funds/awareness on obstetric fistula's affecting young, Ghanaian women here in rural area's predominantly.

For those unaware, an obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal caused by prolonged labour without prompt medical intervention, usually a Cesarean section. The woman is left with chronic incontinence and, in most cases, a stillborn baby.

This is a condition that urgently requires more attention to be paid to it, and more money needs to be channeled into the minor surgery required to repair these fistula's.

The smell of leaking urine or feces, or both, is constant and humiliating, often driving loved ones away. Left untreated, fistula can lead to chronic medical problems, including ulcerations, kidney disease, and nerve damage in the legs. A simple surgery can normally repair the injury, with success rates as high as 90% for experienced surgeons. The average cost of fistula treatment and post-operative care is just US $300. Sadly, most women with the condition do not know that treatment is available, or they cannot afford it.

Like maternal mortality, fistula is almost entirely preventable. But at least 2 million women in Africa, Asia and the Arab regions are living with the condition, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year. The persistence of fistula is a signal that health systems are failing to meet the needs of women. Obstetric fistula occurs disproportionately among impoverished girls and women, especially those living far from medical services.

I first heard about fistula's years ago affecting young, Ethiopian women and their stories deeply moved me...
imagine having no other choice but to get married at age 10 or so to bring your family some income to sustain them, then getting pregnant in your loveless marriage and not having your tiny, undeveloped body able to push through a baby unto this world. These young girls will often go through labor for days... even weeks.
Then once they develop these fistula's, they are shunned by family and friends because of the stench smell they can't control. Some families even build separate huts, yards behind where they are living for their young, rejected daughter to just suffer alone because she is disgracing the family because of her uncontrollable medical condition.

Imagine actually having to suffer through this yourself if you can...
just another reason to give Thanks for what we do have readily available in our own lives.

Westward-bound along the coast to Shama

Apologies first and foremost to my blog-followers. I have no excuse as to why it has taken me so long to post again, just reasons!

So I will rewind a bit to bring you up to what I have been preoccupied with.
October 19th saw me travelling towards the Western part of Ghana (towards Cote d'Ivoire) to a small city called Shama, near Takoradi. I went with my boss/Director of HelpAge Ghana (HAG), my roommate, Beth and HAG's driver/my brother, Nat. The purpose of our visit was to check on the progress of a corn mill that had broken down there in a rural area near the ocean.
From my understanding, HAG funded this corn mill for elderly women to bring their maize to grind themselves (it is a staple food here) and potentially sell out of a shop that is to be built onto the mill.
The whole thing was really just a foundation and looked quite dilapidated to me in fact. My roommate and I were a bit dismayed at what we saw.

We also took time to meet with a former leader of HAG for the Shama zone who appeared quite dismayed and angry at the direction HAG was going in terms of what was not happening in her community. She spoke her local language, complaining to my boss, so I missed everything...
I miss a lot here in fact.

The pollution along the coast line got to me as well. So much of the water we saw was brackish and as I mentioned in a previous blog, the ocean just churns black plastic bags, over and over again with human waste, forgotten clothing and old rice bags. It's very sad in fact b/c Ghana has the potential to have one of the most pristine coastlines but it's just not within the citizens yet to not litter and pollute their countryside. Even the gutters in Accra are just plenty full of rubbish. Nasty.

This was also the day I learned of the passing of South Africa's (if not Africa's) biggest reggae star, Lucky Dube. It came over all newscasts that he had been shot in a 'botched robbery'.
Oh South Africa... when will your people realize the potential for change is all within themselves??... I suppose when the disparity between the white and black SA's dissolves into oneness... is that even possible in my lifetime?
It saddened me and most Ghanaians here to learn of this news. Dube was a pure image of what independent Africa could and should look like. It is such a shame his life had to be spared & in front of his children--, all in the name of stealing a 'nice car'?
I continue praying for you, South Africa every day...

The final but most poignant part of my journey to Shama was one of the last activities we did-- which was to visit the Shama Castle, a former Portuguese-run, slave castle that Ghanaians were banished to before heading to the Caribbean.
Haunting is an understatement for the adjective I'm searching for to describe what was running through my veins as we went from room to room... hearing the atrocious tales of what the Portuguese did to their slaves.

One of the first things the tour guide did was show us remnants of some of the former slaves... we saw tibia bones, wrists and even someones jawline with teeth intact. It just stung my soul with deep and raw emotion and my overall being in general.

We were taken to rooms the size of my garage in Formosa where 350 men & women were forced to stay. They were held in this tiny room for 3 months before being shipped off to the Caribbean (where most would then die)-- serving the remainder of their lives as slaves (that is, if they survived the treacherous journey by sea).
These rooms had 1 air hole slit the length of a school ruler(30cm) and maybe an inch high and the slaves were kept captive in the darkness on 1 meal a day (and the 'meal' I mean was just something to sustain them for the day, & to not have them going to the bathroom too often. They were given 1 pot to use as a toilet for all those 100's of people and a slave was given the task of emptying it 1/day. Can you imagine the smell and filth that saturated that dark and dank room? As well, they were only allowed to bathe 1 time in the 3 months and that was before they boarded the ships to carry them away... and it was described as an 'assembly-line' type bath where the guards hosed them down as if they were animals.

There were shackles that remained in an archway where slaves were used as 'examples' to others who were caught doing indecent acts (such as a husband and wife attempting to have sex)-- the man would be shackled and hung there, whipped and tortured as an example to other husbands contemplating this act as well.

They called 1 room the 'point of no return' room that had a crack in the wall (man-made) where the slaves would file into when their time came to board the ships that would leave the Gold Coast (Ghana) to travel to the Caribbean.

There were underground tunnels that went from the castle to the oceanfront, so as to hide what was really happening from other Ghanaian's living in Shama, if you can imagine. So they would be walked underground with their shackles (so as to not escape), through these dark tunnels to the point where they would board the boat that would change the rest of the life they knew in Ghana, before being captured.

It was sick to have to go to the top of the castle where the Portuguese Captain slept-- in a beautiful, airy room (have I mentioned yet how HOT Ghana is?!) with a gorgeous ocean-view.

In an ironic twist, young school children attending a school nearby starting chanting to my roommate and I, "obroni, how are you!?!" Obroni means 'white person'. So there we stood... high atop this former slave castle and though they were just children, it felt strange to be revered in that moment... and there is too much of that in my opinion here... bestowing so much prestige and knowledge with white people here. We are all one and have a lot to learn from one another.

Even as I sit here typing this today-- and I left that castle over a month ago now, I can still feel the spirits of the lives lost there around me and all the stories they had to share-- but never got the chance. It is such a privilege for us to walk about this earth as free as most of us do... never fully knowing or acknowledging the plight so many of our brothers and sisters had to endure, just so we could be this free.

Before leaving the castle for good (and my roommate stole a photo of me while deep in thought which I treasure now...), I sat on those steep and dangerous steps that led up to the moment that solidified my views on slavery.
All that kept running through my mind was, 'God, will you ever forgive us for what we've done to one another'?

Will He? Can He?

October 1: United Nations Day for Older Person's (celebration at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital)

Today we commemorate the International Day of the Older Person as recognized by the UN, for all their contributions towards the respective societies in which they live.

We at HelpAge Ghana have been busy since the latter part of last week with preparations for today...

We organized a march to raise awareness on Saturday morning here in Osu. We walked hand in hand with the elderly that are part of our organization. I was so pleasantly surprised at how many elderly (and I'm talking those from 75+... even a 91-year-old!) actually completed the walk on their own-- with just the assistance of maybe their cane!
Oh, how I hope to age that well!

Sunday morning we went to an Anglican church in East Legon (where I used to live) for service. It was long and hot! They used so much frankincense throughout the entire service-- I was feeling quite euphoric by the end!

Then today we made our way to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital (the only one with a geriatric ward in all of Ghana) to the Geriatric Ward to commemorate today (the actual day as designated by the UN) with what my boss calls, 'the forgotten elderly of our society'.

A representative from the UN was there as well as government representatives from various Ministries to give addresses. A good number of our HelpAge members from their various zones all came out to mix and mingle with the patients at the hospital.
It was very nice... there was dancing, speeches, discussion surrounding the issues plaguing the Ghanaian elderly (no pensions, no health care plans/coverage, no legislation, poverty, HIV/AIDS, witch/wizard accusations, abandonment and the list goes on) and perhaps the cutest part of the day was the sharing of oranges...
My boss asked the HelpAge Ghana members to bring an orange to give to a patient at the hospital... and they did just that! It was so sweet.
I took many photo's with guess what?!... my new camera (thank you big time, Akiem)!
Yes, I have finally replaced all my stolen items from when I was robbed (a cell phone, camera and even sun visor!).
*For those interested, my cell phone # remains the same for you to call...

In speaking with many of the patients at the hospital, I found that many of the elderly were not in fact 'sick'. A growing trend in Ghana here is for grown children to 'dump' off their burdensome (usually economically) parents at the hospital... can you imagine?

Think about it...
you spend and sacrifice your best years to raise hard-working, respectful and decent children, only to have them forget all this as you transition towards the end of your life. It is almost unheard/unthought of back in Canada. At a time when you should be relaxing and enjoying retirement years, too many of the seniors in this country are struggling.
And I don't mean the frustrations that trail being a senior in North America...
I'm talking about an 80 year old woman living in a wooden shack, no income, no food and failing health. On top of all this, imagine being accused of being a witch and banned from the only community you have ever known.
Some of the stories of survival from some of these seniors is just heart wrenching.

I can't even imagine that happening to me when I grow older... or worse yet, happening to my Gramma now. It is true when they say, 'just when you think things in your life can't get worse, someone else is suffering more than you'.

One of the patients at the hospital pulled me aside and was speaking to me in french (they're very clever!), another used to be the head of the biggest hospital in London, England and now she has fallen ill and introduced herself to me as 'Rose, Princess of England'. She assured me, "I will be leaving the ward today to board a flight to Toronto"... then she began to sob. I didn't know why, so I asked a nurse what was wrong and she said, 'she's touched when people from outside take time to talk to her'.
Isn't that what we all want and crave as human beings though?

Is that not just a 'given' part of being a child of God?
For some, it is a distant dream I came to see today.

So on this October 1, I do hope you take the time to remember the elderly of the world struggling to survive and make their way with what little they have-- after all their years of toil and strife so we may live as freely as we do today.

Afterall, they were once like us and by all means, (& God willing) we will one day be just like them.

STILL missing you Robynne...

Missing you, Robynne...

Life is so unpredictable, they say.
At this moment, I can't agree more....

For those unaware, I was robbed on Sunday night.
I was travelling with my 2 Canadian roomates from Abruri Gardens here in Accra back to where we used to stay in East Legon (I moved closer to work (Osu) on Sunday as well) and had to pass through an unsafe area (that I was obviously not aware of at the time).

A drunk man and his cohorts distracted me as I was boarding the taxi to get home as there was a rush to board (this is how they operate) and he slit my bag open with a razor/switchblade and stole $1,000 CDN worth of my belongings... my camera, memory cards, cell phone, $ among other things.

I reported it to the police that night, and went to follow-up the next day, and was advised to 'take matters into my own hands' in trying to catch them! At least I can have the clarity in my mind of not having raised any alarms at the time, as the men (if caught) surely could have been lynched on the spot if I had made a big issue of it at the time. There was a reason for the way it all unfolded that night I am coming to learn...

I however can take many lessons/blessings from this experience...
I was not injured in any way physically. I am grateful to not have had my back slit open along with my bag that night. Amen for that.
Emotionally though, I am still quite shaken by the whole event as anyone who has been robbed before, would know. But I am trying to take comfort in believing that those robbers needed the $ they will collect from my belongings, more than I needed/miss my precious pictures/memories on my camera of my life since arriving here in Ghana in July.

Another blessing/hardship from that night, is that I again (as so many of you know, I did so often while in South Africa) was walking in the company of angels that night.

Though I of course accredited it to Dad, or my friend Katie, Wendell or Rosemary... I learned last night it was an angel who has just 'gotten her wings' I'm sure.

Close friend/former Professor Robynne Neugebauer that I met throughout my degree program while at Carleton University passed away Sept. 8 I was informed by best friend, Shannon last night by email. She had been trying to contact me on my cell phone which was stolen Sun. night from me, and had to email me this devastating news instead.

Let me share a bit about this inspiring woman I came to call my 'friend'...

As fate would have it, I was taking a class of hers my last year (when Dad died) in Racism and the Criminal Justice System. I had heard a lot about her and the leniant, tolerant way she taught her classes, so I thought it best for me to take on such a refreshing idealism from a new face.

Then Dad fell sick that same year, & she supported me more than I had ever expected a Professor to do-- (even though Professor Blair Rutherford acted in the same manner... a double blessing!). She was always so quick to offer me extensions, deferrals--- anything to make my load lighter. Then when it came to my graduation day back in June 2004, and she emailed me asking if she would be able to meet this 'special Dad of mine'...
Dad of course was too sick to attend so I went alone with my cousin's then fiance- now wife, Marilyn. Though it was hard not to have my own family there, Marilyn and her Mom were so supportive and wonderful to me and how grateful am I they attended!

When I told Robynne about Dad being unable to attend, she wrote to me, 'no problem... I'LL be there to congratulate you, Jody!' I was shocked a Professor would do such a thing on one of the hottest, Saturday mornings in June!
but there she was...

Looking beautiful in her red and black gown with her notoriously-known, red hair.... what a sight for my sore, exhausted eyes I promise you.
So she handed me my diploma with my other Professor and talked to me afterwards. Robynne told me how proud she was for all I had accomplished under such pressure and how proud Dad must be too that I saw his dream come to fruition. I still have the photo's of she and I from that day back home in Canada.

From then on, we frequently kept in touch and Robynne never hesitated in being the first one to email me as I progressed through my challenges and desires to leave volatile South Africa. She inspired me all the time... just by the way she lived her life. She was a strong, resilient, inspiring and brilliant woman who fought for what was right and just. I know a good part of my own strong ethics comes from the countless stories she recounted to us as her pupils, in fighting for what is deserved to every child of God-- regardless of race, creed or otherwise.
If I can manage to leave a fraction of the mark that she has left here on earth, I will do just fine I know.
*******************************************************

So this brings me back to my unfortunate situation that occured on Sunday night.
I was wondering why she was not replying to my email (she was usually the first to reply to anything I sent out-- to continue encouraging me to do what she called 'God's work') about being robbed.

Now I know why....

And I know it is only death that would have prevented her from reaching out to me... she felt this way I guess about most who crossed paths with her in life.
But I am sure that she was right there with me-- which is why I can manage to type this to you today...

Just as I have always been able to rely on her, with nothing attached to it but the act itself-- Robynne I am sure was right there with me the night I as robbed... guiding me safely into the taxi... unharmed, but robbed of some material things....
material things we can't take with us to heaven anyway. A lesson she knows now all too well.

I ask that my reader's keep her husband, Fareed Khan and her family in your prayers today... and beyond. My Dad was too young to die at 57, and now Robynne too at just 47...
it's just too young. The light she radiated while here on earth will never dim...

Life is so short my dear friends and family, which is why it can't be reiterated to us more than enough to make every, single day count in living your life as a son/daughter of God. A chosen one at that...
never live unconscious of that.

Sending you my love,

Jody

To read more on Robynne's accomplishments, go to: http://www.charlatan.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=285&Itemid=148

Blood shed

Well this definitely won't be my fondest blog-post, but it is a reality here in Ghana, so I thought to best portray life as it actually unfolds here.

If you have do have a weak stomach though, just skip this blog---

I arrived to work on Monday with my 2 roommates to a horrific scene.

There was a terrible car accident at the intersection where our office is located in Osu, so the tro-tro (similar to SA's 'taxi's') dropping us off, had to stop at that intersection b/c they couldn't even get by. There was a huge crowd of people, the police, a tow truck and the vehicle's involved were in such bad shape-- I was sure there were no survivors.

Then I found out what happened...

Early Monday morning, 4 robbers targeted a 21-year-old female student from the University of Ghana located here in Accra (near where I live in East Legon) and snatched her purse at 5am when she was getting out of a hired taxi. The 'good samaritan taxi driver' who witnessed the innocent student being robbed from his taxi chased the 4 robbers, who then robbed another taxi driver at gun-point in order for him to give up his taxi to them.
Obviously, he obliged and the chase was on.

The good samaritan taxi driver was shouting out his window at passersby, that the vehicle ahead of him was in fact stolen and robbers were driving it.

Apparently here in Ghana, there is this unwritten code that Ghanaians will do anything and everything to take the law/fate into their own hands to punish menaces of their society-- which I was unaware of?

So the taxi that the robbers were driving, collided with an innocent man's car on his way to work (if he is still alive, he must have sustained some serious, life-threatening injuries). This obviously stopped the robbers from this crazy pursuit, and when they went to run out of the vehicle, a mob of Ghanaian's from the community where I work in Osu, grabbed 3 of them (the 4th one successfully got away with her purse b/c he was wielding a gun, sending off gun shots to warn the Ghanaian mob surrounding him, that he would kill them if they dared pursuing him) and started lynching them.

They killed the 3 robbers by stripping them naked first to shame them, then using stones and machete's to beat them to death and lighting them afire with gas-filled tires afterward.

The blood from 1 of the deceased remains stained on the pavement by work (we haven't had rain in this hot, hot humidity).

My roommates and I were passing by the scene around 9am when police were working tirelessly to disperse the crowd so they could begin their investigation.

When I asked my boss if the police will go after those who lynched the 3, he said to me absurdly, "How can you ask that? Would you want them to approach you to rob you? If they hadn't been killed this morning, they would have simply continued robbing and killing innocent people. It is best they are dead".

I just gulped and walked away bewildered.

Yes, it is wonderful Ghanaian's are so protective of humanity and willing to punish wrongdoer's, but to what extent?

Anyway, I am still reeling from the whole incident as it is front page news here on the Daily Graphic newspaper- photo's included.

And for those wondering, no--- this is not one of my crazy, doxycycline-induced (malaria prophylaxis) dreams! This actually happened on Monday and the tragedy of it all still haunts me as I type this.

'Shaggy' in Ghana?!

Yes, you read that right!
I was at a Shaggy concert last night here in Accra!! Whoda thunk?!

I met a Ghanaian friend, Koffie at one of the beaches here when we arrived in July, then at a different beach again, so we all (his friends, me and my roomates) decided to go to this event yesterday! He invited us to what he called a 'funfare' at TradeFair.
Little did we know that here in Ghana, Joy FM hosts an Old Skull Reunion annually for anyone who's ever attended any high school here in Accra! You can imagine how many people were there, from all different ages! It was crazy!

A mock CNN correspondent came up and 'interviewed' us along with another media outlet (legit I think?), people were running around naked, everyone was dancing to 'high-life' (equivalent to the type of music we call 'oldskool') and so carefree... really, it was lovely.

So we wasted away the afternoon there at the high-life stage (and of course observing the chaos surrounding us!) with many approaching us 3 whites, asking which high school we attended. As a joke, Koffie told us to say we attended 'Vandals High School'. Little did we realize, this is an all-boys high school as we innocently, yet proudly said "we attended Vandals"! We were quite the laughing-stock for awhile there. Then we ate some local food and went down to the stage where Shaggy was performing. He came on-- hours later and it started raining!!
Once the rain subsided, the sound system was done for, so all his good songs were choppy. Boo.
Good times had by all though.

The more time I spend here in Ghana, the more I am looking for ways to slow down 'time'.

I had a typical work-week... me still navigating (aimlessly) my way in my role as 'Program Officer'. I did manage to go to the Ghana AIDS Commission with my boss, which was nothing compared to SA's. But it's expected as HIV/AIDS isn't the issue it is down south here.

The week was also filled with many intermittent giggles... one being when in the midst of my boss seriously explaining his stance on the new discovery of oil here in Ghana, a random bird flew in the office and knocked itself off the walls maybe 10X before crapping on the floor and flying out! I guess you had to be there-- but the look on my boss' face and the whole scenario itself, STILL has me and my roomate cracking up!

I went to church this morning, but unfortunately the sermon and entire mass was in Ga, so I didn't get too much out of it. It was a Presbyterian church near where we are living now til mid-Sept.
Then I will be moving closer to where I work in Osu. Right now I am located in a posh suburb of Accra called, East Legon.

Sorry I haven't more to report on the work-front, but alas I am in Africa doing development work, and this is just the way it goes I've learned. Patience though, is a wonderful sub-lesson in times like these!

I hope my readers are keeping well, I appreciate you dropping by to check out my latest!
Oh-- and if anyone has any tips on how to slow down 'time'- do share!

August 1?

Unbelievable how my time is going by so quickly here in Ghana...
I heard today it was August 1 and was floored! Where have these past 2 weeks gone?!

Since I last wrote, I journeyed to a (polluted) beach called La beach where the smog blurred my sunglasses I can't recall how many times and the waves continuously churned rubbish, plastic bags and even sewage. I just sat on a lounge chair, taking in the beauty (yes, there is plenty here!) of this country I am now living in, and trying to process some of the things I have been a witness to.

I have to say, it is such a refreshing change to be in the company of these wonderful Ghanaian people. I am finding it difficult to stop comparing here to my past experience in South Africa & Zambia. The people here in fact remind me of the kindness and friendly nature of Zambians.
And Ghanaian people make up for what Ghana lacks development-wise.

Everyday, I walk along open gutters, diesel being blown in every direction, heaps of garbage and just dirt on top of more dirt. I am somewhat getting used to my frequent life in the 'dark' (from power outages), my homocidal tendencies when cockroaches the size of a mouse take up residence in my bathroom and drinking from a bag (treated water)-- but at times, I find myself missing the luxuries of home. But I am fortunate to be in good company with my roomates (2 girls from the Ottawa area). We make time go by discussing anything and everything.

Many of you have been writing wanting to know more about my job, but as we have to appreciate here in Africa, I am still patiently waiting to find out myself! In South Africa, it took me a good 1.5 months until I found a niche I could then begin to spread my wings in.

I met with my boss today and he gave me the task of writing a policy to be discussed in the Ghanaian Parliamentary legislative debates on the topic of getting Ghana's elderly involved in a pension plan.
The way the elderly live here is deplorable.

So many of the Ghanaian elderly who fought so hard for this country to gain their own Independence (and this year- 2007 is the anniversary of their 50th year of Independence) from British rule, and the way by which they are being mistreated and forced to live in such poverty makes my heart ache. It is something we as Canadians, will never know the plight of unless you journey to a country such as this.

We learned today of one of the stories that comes from the day Ghana declared themselves an 'Independent' nation....
a young, educated, beautiful young girl was selected to deliver a bouquet of fresh flowers to the President of Ghana some 50 years ago as part of his election campaign.
What no one knew was that a bomb had been planted in the bouquet. An insider from the gov't got word of this and ran up before it detonated and smacked the bouquet away from the President and the young, beautiful, educated girl ended up losing her leg from the blast.

In commemoration of this, Ghana's 50th birthday, a local media outlet went to see this now elderly woman to find out how she is living nowadays after being deemed a hero by saving their then President.

Imagine...
they found her living on the dirt floor of a shack since she never had any children or anyone to look after her. She doesn't have money to cook and she uses a pot in the shack as her toilet. It was atrocious the way this woman-- who literally lost a limb in order to save the President, has to live b/c she is one of the millions of 'forgotten elderly' of Ghana.

Though I have still not yet managed to figure out why/how exactly I ended up here in Ghana on this particular internship (having nothing to do with my interest in HIV/AIDS work), my greatest hope is that I can in some way bring back even a glimmer of light to our elders here, who have been overshadowed by the darkness of age, disrespect and carelessness.

At night, I can't even begin to imagine what I have already been a witness to....

Think about it... if we continue to neglect to care for the elderly-- all their worldly experience, insightful wisdom and unconditional love will cease to exist. What does that say for future generations?

Day 5

I've been here 5 days now and the people of Ghana managed to break my heart today... and not only once, but twice.

I have spent most of this week getting oriented/acquainted with my surroundings, working environment and a vague grasp on what my job will be.

My boss wants me to focus on an HIV awareness/prevention type program that I am to design that went on the backburner up to now, since they have lacked someone to follow it through.

The more days that pass with me living in this free and beautiful country, the more I am beginning to feel at ease/at home. Ghanaian's are beautiful people. Both physically and the way they treat one another. This country is safe, friendly, patriotic, people are respectful, very professional and even go out of their way to accomodate you where they can in all capacities... even in speaking english. (For those who knew of my journey in South Africa, you will know this experience is much different!)

I keep waiting for something bad to happen, as life is very easy-going and relaxed here...
no complaints.

Give me a few more weeks and that story may change!

In the beginning I mentioned being extremely touched by some Ghanaian's I met today...

the first was this woman who we approached who was living in a shack made of wood planks on stilts, and had a plastic bag on her head for warmth. She told us of the journeys she made in her youth... to USA, Canada, Europe and was living well throughout her time abroad. When she came back to Ghana to retire, her husband left her, and she is unable to locate her 2 grown children who are expected to bear the responsibility of taking care of their aged mother. No one is to be found or located.

The second woman we met in her shack which had beams from the roof coming down atop her bed and she was an amputee with only 1 leg. I remember when our host was describing her situation, our eyes met and I smiled at her- with my eyes and she did the same, then looked down right away.

The moment in time when we made eye contact- I have to say is one of those rare moments that only we as human beings can ever experience. The only way I really know how to describe it is in saying it was a very primal, raw and emotional connection but without words.

Then the elderly woman began to cry after I looked away from her. These types of human connections are so rare in our lives, but when it happens with an elderly person-- especially an elderly African person, there is something that just reaches right into your heart and takes hold.

Both of these women moved me to tears b/c of the way age has laid its heavy hands on their tiny, frail bodies in horrible living conditions without a family member in sight. They left their footprint in my heart today.

Oh Ghana... my journey has already begun.

I just wanted to share my experience today with you so that you may be able to take a moment in your busy day of challenges, annoyances and worries-- to reflect on your blessings. These women will never have a fraction of what a Canadian takes for granted daily. Please be mindful of that today as you go about your interactions with others.

I was moved today, and hope you can be reminded today of the beautiful gifts we are blessed with daily here on earth.

Arrived alive

I have officially landed again in the beloved Motherland of Africa. Though my journey wasn't as bump-free as my one to Durban in 2006, I'm hoping a rough journey makes for a better time?!

When I got to the Toronto airport, the line was so huge and they were taking forever to check people in- so because of this, I had to literally RUN to my boarding gate, which I made in the knick of time!! My stopover in Amsterdam was fine, but my arrival in Ghana was challenging.

Firstoff, the plane was 2.5 hours late, so when I got here to Accra and looked for a sign reading, 'Jody- HelpAge Ghana' by my boss and saw no one I was slightly panicking! But before I even reached that point, I waited and waited, then waited a bit more for my 2 pieces of luggage to come off the belt... my bag pack came off quickly but my suitcase was NOWHERE to be found?? So again, just slightly freaking out (and already scared then too, that my boss had given up on me) I went to one of the baggage worker's and he went looking for it. I went to go register it as 'lost' and here he came back running, 'Miss... sissy! I have! I have' He had my bag!! Turns out some crackhead had it on HIS own cart!! Though I doubt he was trying to steal it, it likely looked like his or some nonsense.

But my heart and stomach just sank when I didn't see my boss waiting for me, now 3 hours later in this foreign country. Then by the blessing of God, I was led outside to the warm Ghanaian air in pitch dark (power outage) and he recognized my shirt and called me out. WHEW!!

He told me he had been standing there waiting the whole 3 hours b/c they don't let people into the airport for security reasons (can you imagine?) and it was 'no problem'! He also insisted on carrying my heavy-ass bags for me.
He seems very, very kind & easy-going.

I was also happy to see my roomies from Ottawa and my digs are pretty nice... TOO nice for Africa!! I have my own room, my own bathroom, toilet that flushes how ours do in Canada, my own running cold water shower and of course my friends, the gecko lizards. Oh, and a few cockroaches too.
But I am also paying a pretty price for these lovely lodgings and the girls and I are going to look into something closer to where we work: Osu... closer to the other Canadians too. But for now, this is luxury and I'm living it up!
It is part of a doctor's clinic, so of course is gated as well.

And I arrived during a power outage, but our place has a generator (another luxury) so all is well.

My overall impressions of Accra are that it reminds me a lot of my days in Zambia. And the heat reminds me of what I don't miss about Durban! But I am still so new here... my adventure has just begun.

I go into the office tomorrow with the girls and may even get a cell phone soon! Let me know if you want my number.

For my family...
I am being as mindful as I can with jetlag about that water and malaria situation. I killed 2 mosquito's last night after my refreshing shower and am drinking out of purified water bags (called 'sachet's here).

I think that's about it for my update for now, as I have emails to reply to too.

I love you all and am carrying you close at heart with all your words, thoughts, prayers and well wishes for this journey of mine! Feel free to leave your comments if you have any, it's always great to hear from you.

With love from Ghana,

Jody

Testing 1-2-3...

Well now! Aren't you eager! Check back after the weekend to see if I've managed to post something then... take care, Jody