Amy’s adventures in Ghana

Monday was the Dagomba fire festival.  I’d been looking forward to it for ages as I haven’t really seen many cultural events here in Ghana.  All Dagomba events have been banned by the government since the Yaa Naa in Yendi was murdered 4 years ago. But the funeral took place last year so cultural events are allowed again.  Apparently it was during  the Bogum festival that the chief was killed so it is especially feared by authorities.  Anyway, we were all planned to go when it was announced on Sunday that the local authority had decided to ban any celebrations taking place in Tamale.  How annoying. So we were frantically asking everyone where we could go to celebrate Bogum. Eventually we found out that it would be taking place in nearby Nanton, so Pam and I travelled there on Monday evening for the celebrations.

It started about 9.30pm. The Chief starts the first fire and everyone picks up torches made of dried grasses and lights them from the Chief’s fire. We then marched in a big line singing and dancing to a tree which is symbolic for that community.

The story is that the Chief lost his young son. In the night he gathered together the whole community to look for him with torches.  He was found sleeping under a tree. The Chief said the tree was hiding him so the people should punish the tree by throwing their torches at it.

After throwing the fire at the tree we all marched back to the village holding branches with green leaves to show the fire had been overcome.

It was great, I’m so glad we got to experience it!  It ended around midnight. 

We stayed in the village of Kpanu which is a Simil Aid community. The next day we met with the village women and elders about Simli activities. They have loads of Shea nut trees in the area, so we are looking at finding a market for Shea butter so they can produce that to sell.  They know how to make it but they cant sell it. I know that The Body Shop uses Shea butter in lots of cosmetics, so am going to try and get in touch with them. It is such a nice community and always so welcoming.  Last time I was there a baby was born and I met it again and it’s massive!  Really goes to show how fast time is passing. Quite scary really!

I travelled to Accra for Christmas and New Year.   I only just made it though, because by the time I’d decided I would travel all of the busses and planes were fully booked!  I managed to get a seat on the military helicopter to Accra which was possibly the most bizarre transport related experience I have ever had!   Squashed inside were about 25 adults and 20 children all sitting on benches intended for about 20 people.  As well as this we had sacks of corn, yams, watermelons and a corpse (in coffin)!  Wished I’d had my camera as fear people wont believe me.  It was very uncomfortable, noisy and hot but it was free, fast and funny!  Most importantly it took me to Accra for my holidays.

Every time I go to Accra it shocks me by how developed it is compared to Tamale.  You can buy anything.  There is a shop that sells imported food and lots of the items are marked in pounds.  I wandered around for about half an hour then left without buying anything as there was too much choice.  I later went back and bought, after much consideration, brie, pesto, yoghurt, mueslie, pickled onions, tetly teabags and shampoo.

Also Accra is massive!  Every day I visited somewhere new and there are so many people. It’s pretty crazy and I was happy to be with Ghanaian people most of the time.   I was also happy any time I saw a Dagomba.  I think it’s quite easy to tell if someone is a Dagomba- especially women as they nearly always wear head scarves and brightly coloured clothes.  A lot of young girls go to Accra to work before they get married - they end up doing menial work like carring goods for shop owners.  Any time I saw a Dagomba, I’d greet them in Dagbani and they’d be so suprised and happy! 

One time we met a Dagomba Cheif in the street - he was carrying a Cheif’s stick -so we greeted him by crouching down. I think he and the other people who saw us were surprised.  If that was in Tamale or a village, everyone would have crouched down and it made me miss the North and it’s culture.

Christmas day was spent on the beach near Accra with 3 Ghanaian friends, Abdul-Basit, Fadilla and Huda, who are like family to me. They are lovely and I didn’t feel homesick, party cos it didn’t feel like Christmas at all, and partly cos they make me feel so at home.   I took them out for an Indian meal in the evening, I fancied something different. It was very funny as none of them had tried Indian food before and didn’t really like it.  We stopped on the way home for some banku as they were still hungry!

Abdul and I went to Koforidua for a day, about 2 hours north of Accra.  It’s famous for making glass beads and there is a huge bead market which was colourful. The beads are very beautiful and distinctive - some are made from recycle bottles.   Certain tribes wear them as bracelets and most girls wear beads round their hips.  I bought loads.  Again, sorry I didn’t have my camera…

Surprised to find myself in Accra for Sala day, I thought it was in January and really disappointed that I wasn’t in Tamale.  I’m sure I asked before and I was told it was after New Year.  There are not so many Muslims in Accra, so not much really happened.  It’s the festival of sacrifice, so in Tamale lots of cows and goats were sacrificed and then roasted and big feasts.   Everyone seemed angry that Sadam Hussain was killed on Sala day, as it’s very holy for Muslims.

I had a typical New Year spent waiting for people, wandering around in uncomfortable shoes and not getting into a nightclub!  It wasn’t bad though, just amused that New year is the same all over the world!