Work was perfect. It's exactly what I wanted out of coming and volunteering here. It’s what I was expecting from the beginning. The farm is an hour away from where I live, in a small village called Dwenasi. It was all clay hut houses and large amounts of overgrowth of trees and plants. It was breathtaking. We went to the farm and got shown where we would weed the garden and take care of that land. But then they walked us to the big land where they have plantains, cocoa trees, coconut trees, papaya trees, orange trees, avocado trees (avocados are known as pears here), and so many cassava plants. It was amazing! The walk was about 2 miles of trail through this huge farm land that was all grown over. It was like a forest with plants in it, not like a farm field in Western New York. It went on forever too; we didn’t even walk the whole thing. The name of the farm translated from Fante is “land is available”. It was seriously the best thing I've ever seen. There were trees that produce the fruit that is used to make rubber, trees that produce the fruit that is used to make pill capsules. Everything was so gorgeous. We would walk up a long hill and at the top you could see the road winding down and then for miles in front of you, so much growth and large hills above all of that also covered in trees and plants. It was so amazing! The local village is also exactly perfect in my mind. The earth is richly red and the houses are made out of the same clay-like material. The bathroom is a bunch of sticks tied together outside with a piece of cloth over the top and no hole in the ground either, just ground to pee on. I love it! This is what I wanted. I guess that’s why I was so shocked by the conditions here. Seeing what was trying to be an advanced society but still so far behind us made me make too close of a comparison between our standard of living and theirs.
The farm was so cool. The labor we are going to be doing is really hard and exhausting. Outdoors all day in the sun, actually toiling away for 6 hours a day, walking all the way out to the fields to pick cassava. But even though it sounds hard, I know its going to be amazing. I don’t mind at all. We get to be involved in the whole process of picking cassava, peeling it, and then milling it into flour. It’s a root plant that is similar to a potato, but then is turned into a flour like substance at the end of the process. Its so cool because the machinery that is used to process it all is so antique. The head of the project at the farm is Reverend Sam Mensa. The people in this area could not afford to go to school. Also they did not have time to go to school because they had to cultivate the land. The reverend plays a role by buying the products from them, the fruits and cassava etc, overseeing the whole process of turning cassava into gari (the name for cassava when it is a flour like powder, and then selling it. In playing the intermediary role of buyer and seller, they are able to send their children to school and provide for their family by having a farm. He also does a lot of community development and outreach programs for the local schools. Its really amazing.
Later at work, another fascinating experience happened as Drew and I were walking to work. All the children came out of their classroom and cheered and clapped. It was like we were celebrities.
Today I learned that cocoa beans actually come inside a fruit that looks like a squash. Inside is what could be compared to a large pomegranate. You take out a seed and its covered in white liquid that is fruity and delicious. You suck on it and then underneath the seed is actually cocoa beans. It blew my mind because I had no idea. The fruit here is unreal. I had mini bananas and the best pineapple of my life last night. It was so juicy, white not yellow, and so delicious.
Later on I pooped and showered for the first time. It seems like too much information but its kind of a big deal because everything is a process here and how frequently you poop and the state of your poop becomes a big deal because it is proof of your health and well being. It's very important stuff to be concerned about. So far everything is normal. Showering was awesome. It felt really good to be clean. I also have been able to eat a little bit more than before. My appetite is coming back a bit.
Later after work I went for a walk around my town to look at the shops and buy some fruit. I bought an orange and some baby food like cereal that we eat for breakfast because it slightly resembles oatmeal and is good for you. If you don’t eat that, they’ll try to feed you fish and weird dinner foods for breakfast that I can't yet stomach. On my walk, suddenly I encountered tons of people in the street, crowding around, dancing, playing music, and setting up chairs. It was quite an event. Apparently, they had just built a large set of steps that people can sit on, kind of like large wooden bleachers that they will be able to use these for future important festivals. So today’s festival was the ribbon cutting ceremony for this new set of bleachers, to celebrate future festivals. Everyone seemed really energetic and happy and dressed up. It was really cool. Someone turned a corner and jumped in fright and shouted “WHITE!” at me. It was kind of funny. The little children here stare in awe at white people. Sometimes if in groups they clap and scream in excitement. They also all say “bruuuunnnyyy! Obrrunyyy! Brunny bruuuuny brunny”. This means “white person” in their language, Fante. Its really silly, but also adorable when children do it because they will come up to you so excited and try to hold your hand and touch you and ask you your name. Everyone here says bruuuny, but not the way little kids do excitedly. But its good to know when people are talking about you. The real word is Obrunye. Nye means you. Obru means white man. At the festival I met a black guy who talked to me about wanting to go to school and study. We also talked about the festival. He told me how to say black person. Brurinye, I think. So many people will talk to you here, especially because I'm white. They ask me what my name is and where I'm from and why I am here. They want to know everything. People here are really nice and want to take the time out of their life to talk to you.
I learned that the chief of Elmina has been arrested because they found out that he is not supposed to be chief. He is not actually the son of the last chief, as it is supposed to be, so now they are taking him to court to figure everything out. After the trial they will bring a new chief to power. I thought there were elections but Mama Teiko, my homestay mother, told me that you become chief by being the son of the last chief. Ghana has a democratic system similar to ours in that they have a presidential election and a president. However, each town has a chief which is based on line of kin.
I love the simplicity of living here. Everything is traditional: Hand wash clothes, cook food in a pot over coals, spend all your time outside, relax, take breaks during the day to sit around for a really long time just talking, not really concerned about getting back to work. Its really cool.
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