Tropical conditions

Following three successful days focussed on Amankwatia, including the two meetings about the project then the visit to the village, it was time yesterday to return to Accra and then back to Stephen's home in Tema.  Tema is the main commercial port of Ghana and lies about 25km East of Accra itself, roughly half an hour's drive from the airport.

Asante Kings

Before we left Kumasi, we were able to do a little sight-seeing and visited Manhyia Palace, formerly the home of the Asante royal family but now a museum.  Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the museum but we were able to get a good insight into the way in which the kingdom was established from the 17th Century onwards, taking in much of modern-day Ghana and also part of Cote d'Ivoire to the west.  We also learnt something of the opposition faced by the kingdom from the colonialists, not least the United Kingdom from Georgian times onwards.  Along with the slave trade, the main reason for the colonial interest was gold (hence Ghana's colonial name, Gold Coast) and the exhibition included plenty of information about this.

Former palace of the Asante Kings, Kumasi

The current king has been 'on the stool' for fifteen years and there was also a photographic exhibition to celebrate this too; the anniversary itself was 10 days ago when there was a large gathering, broadcast nationally (I heard some of this on the radio whilst travelling back from the Synod at Nyakrom).

As we left the palace to travel to the airport, several large groups were gathering to visit the king or one of his immediate subordinates.  Many of these meetings would be to settle disputes over the rights to particular pieces of land.  Most of those attending were dressed in black: the party losing the case must dress in black, those who are successful are allowed to dress in white to signify the outcome.  Most arrive dressed in black to save having to get changed afterwards in case they lose.

Rain!

The rainy season is now starting across the country.  Due to the varying landscape and climatic conditions this starts earlier in the forest region, Kumasi is located, and we were treated to a substantial downpour which lasted about an hour whilst we were waiting at the airport.  Passengers on the inbound flight were kept on board for about 20-25 minutes to allow the rain to pass after the aircraft had taxied in.

Tropical downpour at Kumasi

After a smooth flight, it was quite a contrast in temperature (perhaps 5C or more hotter, the rain in Kumasi having lowered the temperature) when we arrived at Accra.  On arrival at Stephen's home, we had a mid-afternoon snack of fresh coconut, drinking the juice and then scooping out the soft flesh to eat.  We then sat outside on the balcony as night fell as there was a welcome breeze.  We were forced to retreat inside this turned into a second significant downpour complete with electric storm which went on for a good couple of hours.

Humidity....this bottle of chilled water had
only been out of the 'fridge for a few minutes.
You can see the condensation has already
built up quickly on the outside.

Tuesday

This morning we were planning to visit parts of Accra, but workmen have arrived to replace the garage doors, so Stephen needed to stay around to ensure the work is completed satisfactorily.  I have been spending some time thinking about the assignment I need to write on my return and also starting to pack my luggage for the journey home tomorrow night.

As an aside, I gather that several people have commented on my lack of hat in a picture taken last week when I was stood in the sun: I had just removed it for the photograph.  I can assure you that I have been nowhere without my hat, and it became a topic of discussion amongst my hosts in Winneba.  The hat isn't the only thing I need, I don't go anywhere without some bottled water, a hanky (for mopping my brow), some hand sanitiser and insect repellent spray.

Five essentials

Amankwatia

In March 2013 I sat in Wesley Methodist Church, Reading and heard about the potential for the church community to support the community in Amankwatia here in Ghana.  My staff tutor, Philip Richter, was visiting me that morning and we briefly discussed the possibility of using the opportunity of a visit to form part of my training placement this year.

Fourteen months on, that visit took place this morning, and the service was one of the highlights of my month here in Ghana.  Stephen and I were joined by a circuit minister and led the service between the three of us.  Stephen preached (as we decided it would be easier for him to do so directly in the local language) but with the help of a translator, I was able to bring greetings from Wesley, make some presentations to the young people and also to the church as a whole on behalf of Wesley. 

Praise during the service

The service was held in one of the classrooms of the Junior High School and the room was very full indeed.  Several representatives of Kuapa Kokoo Farmers' Union who were at the project meeting on Friday also made the journey, so it was possible to talk about the project during the service and also pray together with the community about it.  Having seen the village first-hand, Stephen and I can both see what a positive difference the new facilities will make and make some transformative steps for the community.  At the Synod (in Winneba) there was much discussion about how the church can act positively by way of social responsibility and this is a good example of what can be done. 

Sampling the
sugary coating



Cocoa beans drying in the sun

After the service a small group went to visit and pray at the sites for the new borehole and then the sanitation block.  Following that I was able to talk to a family whose livelihood depends on cocoa farming.  The farmer walked off into the bush to retrieve some cocoa pods and I was able to look inside and taste the sugary coating which surrounds the beans (but not the beans themselves which are very bitter as you probably know). 



Prayers

I've previously asked for you to pray for a number of situations I have encountered.  I hope that you can join the community at Amankwatia in the following, based on the prayers I led at the two sites in the village.



Walking to the site for the KVIP
sanitation block, which will be next
to the trees in the centre of the shot.
The Elementary School is on the left.

Lord, we give you thanks for the provision of this site and for the fertile growth which surrounds it, on which this community depends.  We are thankful for the funds which have been provided for the forthcoming project and pray that your Spirit will be present through the work of human hands as the sanitation block is built here.  We pray that this will transform the life of this community, and so we commit ourselves to the work needed in the weeks and months ahead.  We pray in Jesus' name.  Amen

Site for the new borehole.
The building is the Junior High School,
where the service was held.

In Genesis we read that the Spirit of God hovered over the water.  May that 
same powerful Spirit of creation be present here as a new water supply is provided for this village.  We pray that life-giving water may transform those who drink it and use it, and that the community may find new life.  We pray in Jesus' name.  Amen.







A typical home in the village



The farmer who kindly fetched some
samples - the yellow pod is ripe.
Esther is Kuapa Kokoo's
Communications Officer.

Solar powered battery street lighting,
a previous project supported by
the Farmers' Union.

Family visits

After an early breakfast, Stephen and I set off with his nephew to spend the morning visiting members of his family in and around Kumasi.  We had booked a taxi for the day so set off after a check of the condition of the vehicle, tyres in particular, as we didn't want any unintentional stops.

 

Stephen, his sister, aunt,
daughter, me
at his family home

We travelled about an hour to visit the village where Stephen grew up, calling in on his sister, two of his aunts, an uncle and a cousin.  We were also joined by his daughter for a while.  Lots of catching up to be done in a short space of time, as we had a further drive of about two hours for a second meeting about the Amankwatia project.

 

 

 

 

Offinso

Pounding Fufu
(a staple food)

Thankfully we successfully negotiated the traffic without too much bother and arrived in Offinso in good time for a meeting with the Superintendent Minister there, who also has oversight of the church at Amankwatia.  We had a productive meeting with him and also met some of the other members of circuit staff as they were meeting locally.  I am pleased to report that the key items to start the project are therefore in place.  Thank you for your continued prayers and support for this.

 

 

 

 

Operation Christmas Child/Samaritan's Purse

Samaritan's Purse parcels
(from the US)

A nice surprise was to arrive at the Superintendent's house and see a collection of boxes from Operation Christmas Child.  Many people from the Methodist churches in the Reading & Silchester Circuit (and lots of others worldwide) help with this annually, in order to provide gifts to disadvantaged families around the world; the circuit office next to Wesley Methodist Church in Reading has acted as a collection point for these parcels over the past few years.

And so to Amankwatia

Tomorrow we will be travelling to Amankwatia itself and will be leading worship between us in the Methodist Church.  It will be good to meet the community and so have the opportunity to have them in mind over the next few months as the work proceeds to improve their communal facilities.  I hope and pray that this will be the beginning of an on-going relationship between the two churches.

Kuapa Kokoo

En route to Kumasi.  The landscape
is more verdant as you go north.

Stephen and I took a short flight yesterday to Ghana's second city, Kumasi, in the Ashanti region.  Our day didn't quite work as planned as we left too late for the airport and missed our lunchtime flight, so we only arrived in the early evening with just time for a light evening meal.

Stephen is very much at home here as he was born in this region where his family were cocoa farmers, which moves me nicely on to the business of the day.

Amankwatia project

 We spent most of the day in a meeting with representatives from Kuapa Kokoo, the largest cocoa cooperative in Ghana.   They are fair trade certified and work to improve the well-being of their members, who number well in excess of 80,000 individuals spread across about 1250 community groups.  The organisation is run democratically with elections to coordinating groups at local, area and national level.  Those of you in the UK (and possibly the US) may be familiar with the 'Divine' brand of chocolate which is own by Kuapa Kokoo.

(L to R)
Samuel (representative from Amankwatia)
Esther (Communications Officer, Kuapa Kokoo)
Stephen Appiah

There was a lot of ground to cover during the meeting, for which and we were joined (via Skype) by Derek and Joan Pike also from Wesley Methodist Church in Reading whose inspiration has got the project thus far.

The plan is to provide a replacement borehole for the fresh water supply for Amankwatia and also to build a second 8 cubicle sanitation bleock to improve the village's communal facilities.

The key points were covered successfully today, but your prayers would be welcome as this project gets up and running for real.  Talking of prayers, this was the first time I have led prayers at the start and conclusion of a business meeting.  This is quite common practice here, strengthening my impressions from my time in Winneba, that Ghanaians visibly involve their faith in all aspects of day-to-day activities.

Esther joined us with her family for our evening meal together with Kofi Marfo, a former member of Wesley Methodist Church, who is going to represent Wesley on the project meetings as the work progresses.

We are off to visit members of Stephen's family tomorrow morning, then travel to see the Methodist Superintendent minister whose area covers Amankwatia.  We will worship there on Sunday morning before travelling back to Accra on Monday.

 

Homeward bound?

I was able to talk to Sandy, Maddy and Faith via Skype last night (thanks to the effective 3G coverage here) so my own thoughts are beginning to turn homeward bound now.  As I opened the final packet of antimalarial tablets this morning, it suddenly felt like a long time since I was at home and it will be good to see everyone again for real.  I will only have two nights at home as I have a study weekend with my fellow STETS students in Bristol; it will also be good to hear how everyone else's placements are progressing.

A day of travel

Stephen collected me from Winneba mid-morning and we travelled to Cape Coast, formerly the capital of Ghana (during part of the British colonial period) in order to visit the castle which was part of the Atlantic slave trade.  We had a short tour and visited the dungeons where slaves were kept before transportation to the Americas and the Caribbean.  

'Spy-hole' into the tunnel through
which slaves passed as they
were taken to the ships.  This is
one of two such holes, the only
sources of light in a tunnel
about 50m long

Male dungeon.
One of four such rooms, about
200 would be held in each
with barely room to stand.

It was here that President Obama visited five years ago and was visibly moved after the experience.  Stephen had visited previously but remarked that there is always something new to appreciate, and it doesn't change what happened all those years ago.  The photo's don't really do justice in terms of appreciating the conditions in which the slaves were kept, basically with little more than just enough room to stand in and having to do all bodily functions where they were.  One statistic I hadn't really appreciated before the visit was that for every slave successfully transported and sold, in the order of 10 or 15 failed to make the journey.  Enough said?

Sampling the (avocado)
pear before purchase.

Following our visit we drove to Accra which took somewhat longer than anticipated due to the traffic levels, particularly on the outskirts of the city.  We stopped off en route to buy some fruit (which we sampled as a snack) at the roadside, also enjoying a drink of fresh coconut juice straight from the shell.  On arrival in Accra, I had the new experience of eating in a Ghanaian restaurant; having not had to choose my meals during my stay to date, the wide range of choice was a challenge and also brought home to me some of the extremes of life here as very few Ghanaians would ever have the opportunity to eat out.

Stephen and Grace at
Cape Coast University.
Grace was a member at
Wesley Methodist Church
in Reading.

The day closed with another welcome, into Stephen's Ghanaian home, which is very well appointed and therefore another contrast for me yesterday.  We travel together to Kumasi today and onto Amankwatia tomorrow.  Your prayers would be welcomed for us as we travel and meet those involved in the Wesley project there. 

Farewell to Winneba

Three weeks ago, I was just about to leave home for my journey to Ghana and here to Winneba.  It seems a long time ago now so I spent a while last night reading through my daily journal, in order to recount the many experiences which I have encountered during that time.  It has been a rich time in terms of personal experiences and sharing the deep-rooted faith of Christians in this culture.  Although yesterday was my last day in Winneba, there was still some time to see the church in action in another way.

Back to school

Yesterday marked the re-opening of school after the Easter holiday, which has been going on all the time I have been here.  I was able to visit the two Methodist Junior High Schools in Winneba and then two Elementary Schools which share the same site.  It being the first day back, some students were sitting a mock exam paper whilst others (particularly the older students in the Elementary Schools) were cleaning and tidying the school premises and grounds for the start of the new term. 

Junior High students
sitting a mock exam

School re-opening at Elementary School;
cutting the grass on the first day back

With the various educational connections in my own family, I was warmly welcomed into all the classrooms.  The facilities are basic by UK standards but there was an appetite to learn and most students appeared to be pleased to be back in school after the break.

After the visits, it was time to focus on my own studies as a report on me has to be provided by my hosts, so I spent the next few hours talking with my supervisor about my experiences, something I was also able to share with Bishop John later in the evening after my evening meal of fish and [yam] chips!

Overwhelmed

I am now moving onto the last week of my stay here and to visit the Ashanti region with a Ghanaian friend from the UK, so the last two days have been ones of many goodbyes.  In common with the sincere welcome I received three weeks ago, farewells were equally heartfelt because everyone has been so generous with their friendship.  Although I have only just started to get to know the congregation here, I was delighted and humbled to receive a number of gifts from them, mostly more African clothing. 
 

Wearing the smock given to me
by the congregation at
Ebenezer Methodist Cathedral,
Winneba

Any hope of getting my luggage under the allowance for the flight home has I think disappeared, even though I have passed on the gifts I brought from the UK (and some other items too).  


As an 'alternative' farewell, there was also another brief power cut last night, followed by heavy rain for a few hours.  The water supply is also off this morning, so my morning wash was courtesy of a bucket.


Onwards

With Stephen, I will be visiting Cape Coast today where there is a castle associated with the former West African slave trade, and thence to Accra this evening.  Tomorrow morning, we will be taking a short flight to Kumasi to begin our visit to Amankwatia, to discuss the project which Wesley Methodist Church in Reading is supporting.

Your prayers would be welcome as we journey together and then during the discussions over the following days.  I hope to update you in a couple of days.

Still here!

It has been a few days since I last posted, largely because I have been away from Winneba.  Wednesday to Sunday was the Annual Synod of the diocese which was held at Nyakrom, about an hour's drive away.  These few days have provided an opportunity to see the work the the Methodist Church in this region in a wider context, and I was able to listen to the discussions and debates with some interest, not least on the subject of social responsibility where there is much activity.

A personal highlight for me was to be asked to address the Synod during the official opening on Thursday morning.  This was a significant occasion not only for the church but also for the local community.  There were a number of guests including the local chief and also the MP, so not without a certain amount of trepidation on my part.  All went well, I am told.  Although English is the official language of the Synod (and Ghana in general), my short address was also translated afterwards.

It is fair to say that I was the subject of much interest over the five days; I lost count of the number of people who wanted to have their photograph taken with me. I've added a couple of pictures, firstly with Lillian who promised that she would dance with me during worship on Sunday (a promise which she took up, I don't have a picture but I suspect that others may have!) and then a photograph of me with the bishop and his wife.

With Lillian

With the Bishop and his wife
after the closing service at Synod

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Winneba

After the busy time at Synod, it was good to return to Winneba for what will be my last few days here.  On Wednesday, I will travel with Stephen Appiah (a friend from Reading) firstly to Accra and then on to the Ashanti Region where we will be visiting Amankwatia, a village community which is being supported by Wesley Methodist Church in Reading.  More on that later in the week, I hope.

This morning was taken up with the distribution of Holy Communion to those who are unable to come to church.  All in all, Joseph and I visited about 30 people over the course of the morning, in a variety of situations, including those in basic housing in very poor surroundings.  I certainly feel that I have seen some extremes and I would ask for your prayers for those whose personal means leave them striving for life itself every day.  Yet, their faith is strong and a humbling example.