Refugee Camp

I haven’t told you yet about the Budumburam Refugee Camp. Referred to in Ghana as Liberia Camp, and situated about 2 hours (give or take an hour, depending on traffic and time of day), this is a settlement of at least 42,000 people from all over West Africa, including Togolese, Cote d’Ivoirians, Nigerians, Ghanaian (we’ll get to that later), and last and most prevalent, Liberians. The camp was established originally in 1990 as a refuge for Liberians during the conflicts there in the 1990’s, and then 2000’s as well. Most of the inhabitants of the settlement are Liberian.  The camp was sponsored from 1990 to 2007(ish) by the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission on Refugees), but since the conflict in Liberia ended, they have since begun to pull their support. We’ll come back to this. The camp is situated on Ghanaian land leased by the UNHCR, and has a designated Ghanaian government official that has an office there and is responsible for all the workings of the camp, but obviously non-citizens don’t have access to the public education that is available in Ghana. There is a Government Social Welfare office that operates in the camp, but they seem to have little resources, and honestly, there isn’t much they can do.

So, Question One: How did I end up at a Liberian Refugee Camp two hours away from where I live? Answer: An organization called WISE. Women’s Initiative for Self Empowerment is an organization that works in Accra as primarily a domestic-violence combatant. It provides counseling and help with finances (micro-loans and business planning) for women (and men) that are survivors of domestic violence. WISE has developed a network of partners all over the area that includes the police, doctors offices, hospitals and lawyers that they work with, both to find women who might be in need of services, and to provide those services. A woman referred to WISE through the police station because of a shady story or report of violence would be provided counseling and medical care through WISE’s partners. They have several new initiatives they’re working on as well, including mentoring programs for boys (to address the root of the problem, before it’s a problem) and aid for youths in difficult or abusive situations. Awesome organization, for sure. One of the places they work is the Camp. They have counselors there three days a week available for residents of the camp to come in and receive help. These clients can walk-in, or be referred by the clinic or social welfare office.

The problem, however, is the social situation of the camp. Psycho-social counseling aims to address the psychological impacts of a situation, and also the social aspect of their life. Well, a person living in a refugee camp encountering a domestic violence situation has more to deal with than simply that horror and difficulty; they probably need food, access to clean water, and a way to educate or take care of their children. Keith, a Liberian who began working for WISE almost five years ago said it best, in that counseling can meet their psychological needs, but they literally can’t do anything about the social deficits. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls this the Social Determinants of Health. The theory is that even if you can treat someone’s medical problems, sending them back to the social situation in which that problem began will likely end with the same result, again. It’s the idea that the environment is highly influential of health, both mental and physical. Case in point; Liberia Camp.

Keith was saying that WISE was having trouble getting people to come in for counseling. This isn’t exactly surprising; while I definitely understand the importance of counseling and concentrated mental health, especially in instances and situations involving domestic violence, how likely is it that a person who can’t eat or feed their children will come in to talk about their emotional issues. They literally have more important things to worry about, or at least that would seem to be the case. Maslow’s hierarchy rates physical needs above emotional ones – shelter, food – these are necessary for survival.
Question Two: What goes on in the camp, and how do people survive? These are questions that we asked (five of us are attached to WISE, and four of us will be working at the Camp) as well, and I’ll give the best answer I can. From what we can gather, (and this has been pieced together from the five of us talking to different people), Liberians produce and Ghanaians buy, remittances are sent from family abroad, and some of the Liberians charge rent for spaces they acquired in the early stages of the camp. So there is money, just not enough of it. Ghanaians are in the camp (which is weird, right? That Ghanaians would be living in a refugee camp in their own country) because it’s cheap living space, and there’s a market to sell to. So, in addition to buying goods from the refugees, they supply their own market as well.

Question Three: What does it mean that the UNHCR is pulling out of the camp? Well, I think it’s going to continue meaning more and more as time progresses. The UNHCR was the main funder of the camp, and it’s overarching organizing force. This is not something to take lightly, because it is a huge amount of people – at least 42,000. One implication of the UNHCR’s withdrawal is the lack of recognition for the refugees. Because the UN ran a Voluntary Organized Repatriation operation back to Liberia, and it is considered now a peaceful state, the UNHCR doesn’t recognize anyone new coming into the camp. Previously, they would be issued a UN ID, and be granted official refugee status. Now people who repatriated are coming back to the camp, and more people continue to flow in, both from Liberia and other nations in turmoil. Any newcomer after 2009 was not recognized, and is not included in the 42,000 number that’s often tossed around. Another implication of the UNHCR’s withdrawal has been seen at the clinic. There is a Catholic Clinic on the camp (the only medical facility) that lost it’s funding for drugs and supplies, and is now having to find alternate sources of funding. Also, the HIV/AIDS clinic at the camp was funded by the UNHCR, but since funding is being cut, they are integrating into the Ghanaian government, with the understanding that they will now provide services to not only the camp, but surrounding Ghanaian communities. I’m not sure what else will happen, but eventually it stands to reason that the UNHCR won’t rent the land from the Ghanaian government, and then these people will either need to integrate, or move on from their home of 20 years.

Something I realized, and it’s part of the reason I haven’t written about this yet, is that there is no solution. Massive, systemic change impacting political and international law is needed to adequately solve the problem of displaced persons. Sadly, this is not the only congregation of people alienated from their destroyed homes and forced into a stable-temporary exile; it is occurring all over the continent. Services are needed, yes; medical care, food, clean water, bathing and toilet facilities – but ultimately there needs to be a solution. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know how to go about it. I have absolutely no idea. Right now, all any of us can do is try to help who we can; education, supplies, materials – whatever they need. A few of us are working on potentially setting up a donation drive or some such fundraiser – rest assured the details will be here.

On that note – think about what you have, and what we take for granted. It’s easy to think about situations like these; much harder to walk into them and realize that there is absolutely no solution. Comments, thoughts and insight are welcome.

Friday (note that this is the fourth post this week...applause is appreciated!)

So, let me tell you about my Friday, from start to finish.

6:00 Wake up

6:30 Leave, take a taxi (bartered down, of course) to University of Ghana, Legon for my 7:30 AM class

8:05 The professor shows up and says we won’t be having lecture today. The rest of the classes starting in two weeks will be seminar style, with a group of students presenting a topic each week. The groups will be posted on the notice board later that afternoon; he would have had them up earlier, but he can’t get a complete class list from the registrar’s office, because some software crashed. The groups will be 15-20 person in size (this follows, because it is at LEAST a 400 person lecture), have to write at least a three page paper TOGETHER, present it seminar style and field questions on the topic for a grade. Also, all of this presented information is exam-able at the end of the term. We get graded on participation in the group work as well; we’re to find our group by writing our number on the notice board next to our name and then calling everyone else. They did say it would be a different style of education; they were right.

8:30 Lecture is released, and I go mail letters and find the examination time for the class (7 AM the day before I fly out)

10:30 Gym to run with Nisha

1 pm At WISE (Women’s Initiative for Self-Empowerment) for a case conference that occurs every week with a psychiatrist from Military Hospital 37 named Erica Dixon. We hear cases from each counselor and discuss them, courses of action and potential issues. There’s also a lot of laughter and frank discussion of sex as it relates to the cases. Never before have I been in a room with so many women who could be my mother talking and laughing uproariously about sex. Great experience, I tell you what.

3 pm Fan Ice at Fan Plaza (right next door to WISE) with Lizzie and Nisha (there is a Lizzie, Liza and Elizabeth/Liz [the last one is me] and Lizzie and I ALWAYS wind up next to each other, usually introducing ourselves to confused looks) – we had a vanilla Fan Ice, a Fan Yogo, and a tropical fruit drink that was super sugary and definitely supbar. Better luck next time.

3:45 pm Sitting at a table at Tawala Beach overlooking the ocean, having a drink (Fanta’s in a glass bottle – so good!), and almost doing homework. We talk for a while before reading for class and then napping. Shaggy was playing from the “bar”, that also has an incredibly and obviously slanted pool table, yet it’s never really free. We sat there, looking at the ocean, and really seriously wondering how we got there – sitting on the West Coast of Africa, reading about Pan-Africanism and African philosophy and legitimately living in Ghana. Thank you, Study Abroad.

6 pm Nap before dinner

7 pm Dinner at Tante Marie’s, on the upper deck because of another group below (in our usual spot). They served rice, pasta, salad, chicken kebabs, some sort of maise and palm oil paste (great though), boiled/seasoned vegetables and keiley-weilly (Kelly welly, I don’t really know the spelling) which are seasoned/fried plantain cubes, with mixed fruit for dessert.

9 pm Reading Kurt Vonnegut and hanging out with Nisha and Kaivan in our room, listening to some music

10:15 pm Going to Osu with Nisha to meet a Ghanaian student at a sushi place/bar/club place called Monsoon. They played (amongst some other songs: Mambo No. 5, No Satisfaction, I Gotta Feeling, I’m Blue (yeah, Eiffel 65?), YMCA and some Ghanaian hit songs. It was an interesting, eclectic mix.

12:30 am We got tired and went home, bartering for a taxi again, after two different cabbies deliberately tried to way overcharge me – I got them down though (taxi fares are not fixed here. There’s kind of an understanding of how much one should be, but it can really vary depending on distance, time of day, traffic and the amount of people. By now I know how I can bargain with the drivers, when to just say “keep moving, I’ll get the next one” and when to quit and take the price. It’s a lot of fun, actually – I’m enjoying myself) and we went home.

1 am Sleep?

So that’s a day – oddly enough, Friday’s are really busy – start early and end late (usually) – every now and then when I’ve had a great day, I’ll post one of these, just for a little insight. 

Part III of III

Ok. Part III of III. This clearly won’t be as charged as Part I, and probably not as weird as Part II. Some of you have reacted to the information included in Part I, and I encourage that. Talk about it with your friends, with colleagues, do research on it, and think about it. Don’t brush it aside; let it hurt and sting a little bit, because it should. Part of coming to Ghana for me was to learn about another culture, and in addition to that, I’m learning history that shouldn’t be ignored, not only because it is true, but because it has contemporary implications. As I continue on my trip, I’m  going to keep using this medium to share the knowledge that I’m learning, and the experiences I’m having; both the fun and the serious. I hope you’re enjoying the updates so far, and I invite you into discussions about the topics I’m seriously talking about – they really do deserve it.

Canopy Walk, the Beach and Cape Coast(I guess I should have come up with some clever, witty transition from serious “think about life!” spiel to an airy, jealousy-inspiring description of palm trees and the ocean, but alas…)

So, after we saw the crocodiles on Saturday, we went as a group to what everyone kept calling a Canopy walk. We didn’t really know what that meant, but we arrived at Kakum National Park and began walking through the rainforest. There were so many crazy trees, absolutely gigantic patches of bamboo and just really cool looking branches and such. Next came the canopy walk. What they mean is that you walk along a series of bridges rigged between trees over the canopy of the rainforest, so above a majority of the trees. When I say ‘bridge’ I mean literally an aluminum, horizontal ladder about ten inches wide covered with wood boards with rope sides rigged between iffy wooden platforms between huge trees. We started low, and everyone was commenting on how they thought the bridge would be higher off the ground…they only had to wait about five minutes for that to be realized. All of a sudden, we were walking across this swaying structure of a bridge high above the tops of trees we knew had to be stories tall and yet there were still ones towering over our own heads. Looking out, all we could see was the misty top of the rain forest, with a lone tree poking out once in a while across the horizon. It was really amazing. We kept walking and crossed about six bridges before winding up close to where we started. It must have crossed out over a valley, and we came back to the ridge. It was just really really awesome. Kind of scary, but really cool.

That evening, we had dinner at the place we stayed right on the beach, and then watched as three guys lit a bonfire with a cardboard box, matches and a bottle of palm oil until the pile of stacked wood blazed by the ocean. It was a really relaxing night, though we were exhausted emotionally and physically from the day. Many of us used the evening to talk and process about what we had seen and learned earlier in the day; we continue to do that in small groups and classes throughout the week as well.

We could see stars! Where we live in Accra, because it is a city, the stars are usually shrouded in clouds and smog. Here though, on the coast, and isolated from any major metropolitan area, we could see stars as they faded into the black of the ocean.

This was an absolutely beautiful beach, and I’ve realized the ocean at night is one of the most calming experiences. Nisha and I got up the next morning to watch the sunrise, and were told that it goes from about 5 to 6. From five fifteen to six we hung out on the beach as most people slept, the sky got lighter and the ocean just kept on keepin’ on. The sun didn’t show itself until about 6:45, but it was totally daylight out by 6 or so, which was kind of weird. When the sun did finally show up, it just appeared out of the fog that had settled on the coast in a really eerie, silent manner. It was a great way to start the day.

Later that afternoon, we went into Cape Coast town, just a half hour down the road from Elmina, where we were staying. We walked around, talked to people, and played with little kids, and generally took in the scene. Most people were out and about, doing chores, laundry, cooking or just sitting and talking. The kids wanted nothing more than to get our attention and play and practice their English. Their parents smiled at us. Their grandparents, and clearly the elders of the town simply stared as we walked by. This is an interesting, but unsurprising observation. Ghana is an incredibly young country – it declared independence in the late 1950’s, so many people living in Ghana today were not born in “Ghana” because it was still under British colonial rule. Obviously there are different attitudes held by the new generations indoctrinated in a western-idealizing world where globalization and the West are valued above local goods and those born into colonial rule that have lived through the independence movement, four republics and three coup d’états. This is something that I often neglect to think about, coming from a country that is relatively much older than Ghana; America even considers herself a “young” nation, in comparison to the European empires established so many centuries ago.

So there we go. Part III of III. If you’ve managed to bear with me for the whole series, congratulations to you, I realize it was long. Feel free to comment, or email me – I’m always open to feedback, questions and general discussion.

Part II of III (Animals!)

Pigs, goats, dogs, lizards, chickens, crocodiles, bugs, horses, cats, bats, fishies, crabs. So this is the wildlife I’ve come in contact with so far in Ghana. Goats actually just roam free, grazing where they can; by the side of the road, in gutters – wherever. They’re big ones, little ones, grey ones, black, brown and spotty ones. So many goats! We were sitting on the beach on a Friday afternoon and all of a sudden, out of nowhere (sounds like a horror movie, right?) a really big pig comes jogging along the shoreline. No kidding. It was a good size porker too – as big if not bigger than the ones caged up in pens in good old PA. Not long after, a little one trotted after it – curly-cue tail and all. I don’t know where they came from, or where they were going, but we saw pigs on a beach. There are lizards everywhere here. Purple and orange ones, greet ones, and ones that waddle and ones that sorta hop/skip/jump from place to place. Super cute and adorable, I kid you not. Chickens, dogs and cats all roam free – most are mangy looking, kind of skinny, but generally peaceful, not scrappy at all. Some dogs are pets; I’ve yet to determine about the status of the cats. The dogs are pretty cute – I think it’s too hot for them to do much besides lay around, and they do that quite well. Crocodiles – we see them in the lagoon we pass everyday on the way to school. Just kidding. J We went to a crocodile sanctuary type place this past weekend – it was really really cool. We saw a baby croc, and then two big ones. One of the big ones was sunning itself by the path – we actually thought it was dead….and then it’s head moved, and we booked it. Craziness, I tell you. We’ve seen some pretty trippy bugs – lots of bright colors and cool wings and such. We also have mosquitoes. These are straight up pests. They carry disease and leave uncomfortable bites – think midsummer at home, except all the time here. Bleght. We have this stuff called Odomos that keeps them away better than anything you’ll find in the states. At 1GHC a tube, I’ll take orders to bring some back should anyone so desire. Horses, crabs and fish we found at the beach. Well, horses are everywhere and tend to just kind of roam – most are thin, but they seem to be happy and have the run of the place, which is nice I guess. Kind of disconcerting at first, but still neat. Fish and crabs are pretty much exclusive to the beach, as you can imagine. Hard to catch, but fun to watch; especially the crabs. They would run along the beach dodging upcoming waves – sometimes being not-so-successful. Bats are just everywhere. There’s actually a place in Accra where they all congregate for no particular reason. While bats are nocturnal and usually find dark places to roost during the day, some of these bats roost in these tall, sunny mahogany trees while others fly around. Super weird, and no one really knows why this happens. So there you go. An overview of  the animals and wildlife so far in Ghana. I’ll keep you posted. J Monkeys and elephants are on my list to see as well. Any other requests or challenges? 

Part I of III

Introduction:

This past weekend was too incredible, interesting and indescribable to fit into one entry that you will all actually pay attention to. So I’m going to break it up into three. I’d love to say they’ll all be posted by this weekend, but I refuse to make any promises. Part one will talk about Elmina Castle, my frustrations with the world, and some historical facts you may not know that may change how you look at things. These facts will be incorporated from what I am learning in classes (Yes, I am attending those here, for the record), as well. This entry will not be fun to read, but please do so anyway. Part two will talk about all the animals (this one IS fun)! Part three will recount the beauty of the ocean and a canopy walk through the rainforest, which should pique your interest, even if you’re going to skip the one about the animals (which you shouldn’t; it promises to be entertaining, at least). So. Bear with me and enjoy. As always, comments are welcome and appreciated, especially if you have ideas for posts, or if there are certain things you want to know about, feel free to let me know.

Part I

Elmina slave castle is on Cape Coast; Elmina means “The Mine”, because of the potential riches (gold) to be exported at this site. Exports turned from gold and goods to human beings. Portuguese, Dutch and English slave traders used this Castle as the largest of many outposts from which to hold and transport slaves to the West, mostly Brazil, the Caribbean and the United States. [Fact: 6% of Africans traded in the Atlantic Slave trade wound up in the United States.] Aesthetically, this is a beautiful structure. White washed walls, wood floors, overlooking a dark blue ocean, palm trees thriving in sandy beds by the water; there is nothing beautiful about Elmina, however. There is nothing pleasant about what happened in the confines of those whitewashed walls. Separate dungeons for men and women; both without windows for light or ventilation, not to mention the blatant lack of sanitation facilities. There was a minor trench along the edge of the dungeon wall for the human waste of hundreds of people. This was a chamber used to force survival of the fittest. Those without the ability or will to live through excruciating, humiliating and inhumane conditions died; starved; became infected with diseases of filth and malnutrition. Those that did survive were loaded like cargo into a ship to be sold as goods to purchasers across the ocean through a short narrow door called the Door of No Return.

           Words cannot do the inhumanity justice. Even walking on the ground these people sold into slavery stepped on, lived on, and died on could not do the inhumanity justice. 60 million Africans were sold as commodities during the slave trade. 20 million of them died before they reached the Castle, on the treacherous journeys from their homes to the coast. 20 more million would die before they reached the West. The slave trade existed for approximately 200 years – 60 million lives were lost; either to death or to enslavement. This is a sombering thought, something that is impossible to change, but nearly impossible to reckon with as well.

          Visiting the Castle was a lot to take in, a lot to think about; I encourage you to do research and find out more, although it isn’t a popular subject of history. Africans who were enslaved (using the word ‘slave’ applies their state of captivity to them as a person; while they were slaves, it is important to remember it was not their choice, and not their only identity) helped build the United States, although no one likes to admit it. Often our success is attributed to our isolation from potential attackers, raw materials for trade and expansive crop lands. Ommitted is the immense contribution that slave labor had in the development of this nation. Let’s think about how the wealthy entrepreneurs accumulated enough wealth to start the industrial revolution; it’s easy to get rich when you don’t have to pay workers. Did you know there is an African Burial Ground in New York City? I didn’t either, but there is - right under the financial district, stretching for acres and acres. Slave labor physically helped build New York City, a metropolis seen as one of the most progressive, liberal and opportunity-rich places in the world. Have you ever read about that in History text books? Have you ever been taught that slave labor was a primary reason for the economic success of the United States? Have we taught our children that the largest trans-Atlantic migration ever was the forced relocation of 60 million Africans? Have we taught them that this still goes on today? Slavery is not over. Child slave labor and human trafficking for labor and sex work still exist today, and companies and individuals are profiting. This isn’t easy to think about either. We want to say we would never let slavery happen again; but we do. People are sold into situations, stripped of their rights and exploited with our permission. We give permission by buying goods, by being complacent with a system that prosecutes and criminalizes people who are being trafficked.

Like I said. Not an easy day, and quite enough thinking for one blog post. I encourage you to ask questions, to read and research and find out what we can do today. Humanity is not something to be taken lightly. Regardless of the color of your skin, background, religion, ethnicity, sexuality or gender – you are a human being. We all are. 

Adventure Time

First of all – Dad, I always thought it was gross when you opened bags with your teeth. No longer – this shall be explained in due time. (see how I give you a little tid-bit to keep you reading? Strategies, strategies…)

So, yesterday Nisha, Kaivan and I went on an adventure. We were tired of staying in Labone (fairly ritzy neighborhood right outside of Accra) and wanted to take a tro-tro (vanish bus type things that transport loads of people between designated spots. I use ‘designated’ loosely – the only maps we had were the gracious words of locals bestowed on three lost-looking Obrunis [term for white person/foreigner]. Think 1960’s hippie van – most are Mercedes-Benz or Volkswagens – and think of something that looks like it’s from the 60’s) to explore the greater Accra area. Explore we did! We took the first tro-tro that showed up to a place we now know to be New Town. Here we just started walking – there were little street stands and plenty of people, until we came across the mobile phone district, apparently. Then there were a bazillion people and phones everywhere. We just kept walking down streets that looked interesting. We stopped at a chop bar (little, really cheap food place) for a drink and a break from the sun. We drank fanta and sprite out of glass bottles (that’s almost all that’s served here, and you leave the bottles) for 75 pesuos [pess-oo-ays] (kind of like cents) apiece. We walked for a while longer and then decided to take a tro-tro to somewhere new. We came across one going to Accra and got on. These first two tro-tro trips were fine experiences. The bus was nice, not too cramped or crowded and the three of us rode for less than a dollar each time. Arriving in Accra, we went to find a place to eat, and were successful – all three of us had fried rice and chicken plus a drink we thought was juice but was actually just high fructose corn syrup with food coloring. Had to be. Ew. We kept moving and exploring – we found more markets, but best of all, we found Fan Ice.

Here’s the bit about the bags. So, Fan Ice is this ice cream type substance that is packaged in bags. Nisha and I quite enjoy the stuff, and purchased a package of it for 40 pesuos each. The only way to open the bag is to tear it open with your mouth – good life skill in Ghana, I tell you what. Water is also sold in plastic pouches on the street; again, the only way to effectively access this thirst-quencher is to tear the corner off with your teeth. So, Dad – no longer a gross practice.

Continuing on our journey, I bought a bag of tomatoes (about 15 small ones) for 1Ghana Cedi, and some garlic for 30 pesuos for Family Dinner tomorrow night (on Sunday nights, our house cooks and eats dinner altogether – last week was Quasi-Mexican night (we really just had rice, guacamole, plantain chips and French fries), but this week is Italian, and we’ve assigned everyone duties, so hopefully it works out. It was about three in the afternoon by this point, my shoulders were starting to redden (don’t lecture me on sunscreen, please) and we were ready to head home. Somehow. We knew we wanted a tro-tro to Labone. But that was where our knowledge/plan ended. We asked people and walked for about a half hour to another part of town (I think it was Nkrumah Cirlce) to find a tro-tro that would get us to Labone. We found a bunch of tro-tros, but none that were heading our direction until a driver pointed to a little purple one and said “Labone”. Yes! Success! We got in, and waited for about fifteen minutes for it to be sufficiently full enough to go.

This was the most unstable car I think I have probably ever been in. My head almost touched the cieiling, which had the metal bars exposed. We were sitting in the fourth row of bench seats…I’m not actually sure they were attached…as we shifted speeds, the whole car rattled – talk about an experience. It was great. We were safe; if that car was still together, it was going to last one more trip – and so it did. We paid our cedi to ride, played peek-a-boo with a tiny little girl, and got off where we started our adventure. Success! It was a great day – we bought food, took three tro-tros, were in three different locations, had lunch, found ice cream and drank water out of bags for the first time ever. So, so cool.