At 11.57am this morning I received the following text message from a fellow volunteer which typifies the kind of things which delay work in Ghana but also give it it's vibrant cultured and lead us to profess 'This is Ghana'
TEXT: So Iv'e just been told our office is closing at 12 because the local community are doing some ritual sacrifice outside our office and no one is allowed to watch especially women. If a woman sees the animal then she is cursed never to have children! Only in Ghana hey?'
It raises a number of questions for me ... I wonder how many it raised with you and if indeed they were the same;
1. Why was my friend told only 5 minutes before the minute she was supposed to leave the office?
2. Why was the venue not chosen somewhere away from work places (of women)?
3. What animal?
4. Why a sacrificial ritual at midday on Feb 25th (which just happens to be my brothers birthday - is there a link?!)?'.
5. Does the animal curse the woman?
Many questions raised in Ghana by us volunteers start with 'Why?' and more often than not a fellow volunteer will interrupt the sentence with a simple 'This is Ghana.' Sometimes these questions are best left unanswered.
I'm off to work in Ghana for a year with the Ghanaian Education Service supporting Science teachers in the Upper East Region to do more practical and active lessons for the extraordinary number of students they have per class! It's organised through VSO. The work they do is fantastic and I feel very privileged to be able to help. Thought I'd blog my exciting adventure...
It sounds so familiar, not the details as such (ritual sacrifices aside) but the conversation. Many a time I find myself exchanging a "only in Sri Lanka" with a fellow volunteer accompanied with a weary sigh, wry smile or gentle disbelieving shake of the head. Hope all's good with you. I am pleased to report (whilst I remain jealous of your moto mobility) I have enjoyed many a chance to ride pillion whilst out here. The gentle rural scooter rides are rather more fun than the city motorbike death defying dashes. Take care - Beth x
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