Touring Ghana

North-Eastern Christian Academy is now on holiday, so my roommate and I took a break and played tourist for a week or so. We traveled to Cape Coast, Kakum Park, Kumasi and a special village in Nkoransa. We fed monkeys at the Monkey Sanctuary, sat by a pool in a beautiful resort in Elmina, visited a chiefs palace (museum) and the cultural center in Kumasi and all the other fun stuff that tourist do. I want to share two places with you..I would share all, but you would not want to read it all.

Elmina Castle

Cape Coast and Elmina Castles - As you may know, Ghana was at the heart of the slave trade. All along the coast are slave "castles". I am not sure why they are called castles. They are really forts, used for security and trading. When they started trading slaves, they were housed in the dungeons of these forts. I cannot even attempt to describe the atrocities that are described when you tour these castles. 1,500 men or women crowed into a dungeon room not even large enough to fit 100 comfortably. These rooms had a small door at the top in which food and water was thrown once or twice a day, and a very small window near the top for light and ventilation. They stood, sat or slept in their own waste. For those who tried to escape or caused trouble, the room was even smaller. If you continued to be a problem, you were placed in a cell to starve to death.

The death cell
In one castle, the dignitaries and officers of the military entertained just above the dungeons. So of course they could hear the screams and cries, but continued on with their partying. In another, the church was just above the women's dungeon. They held church while they could hear, and I am sure, smell the women just below them. Our tour guide for this castle was also President Obama's tour guide when he visited Ghana. He said that he could see that Obama "had a heart for God" as he was deeply moved by the fact that anyone could worship and pray while this went on below them. I pray that we do not repeat, or allow anyone else to repeat, these atrocities to other human beings.
Here the Asanti king was kept for years. He was given the large window, which at that time over looked the rocks and ocean, in hopes that he would commit suicide and the soldiers would not be held responsible for his death as they were treating him "very well".

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Hand-in Hand Community -Being a special education teacher, I have been distressed by what I see here as a severe lack of resources for any person with a disability of any kind. You see many, many of these people begging on the streets. There are few if any schools for children with mental disabilities. So as I was surfing the net, I very accidentally found the Hand-in-Hand community. It was about a week before our trip and somewhat on the way, and they had guesthouses. So my roommate, being a good sport and ready for any adventure, agreed to stay there for a couple of nights. This is a community for children and adults with mental disabilities. There are several houses around a central arena with a playground, open air cafeteria, a movie room, a swimming pool and a meeting area. Each house has a caregiver and 2 or 3 residents. There is a special education school next door for the residents and for children from the town. The older residents attend the workshop in which they make very nice jewelery, cloth, purses and so on. They even melt bottles and make their own beads.


We were greeted as we walked into "church" Michael and Kojo. Beautiful boys. We instantly had at least one child on our lap. We swung on the swings with several of the girls and boys, had dinner served to us by Bright, a young man with Downs Syndrome. He was very serious and efficient with his work. Dela (a young man) greeted us through our window with a "Hello, how are you". And we received plenty of hugs and attention. This is the only residential school of its kind in Ghana, and they are doing a great job. I was very inspired. Visit them at http://www.handinhandcommunity.com/

One product they make is waist beads. Waist beads are worn by almost every woman and girl in Ghana. Both boy and girl babies wear them. When the beads fall off, there is cause for concern because your baby is losing weight. Girls used to receive them at puberty and a new strand when they got married. Now they just wear them all the time. They are very cute on the little girls. (I haven't really seen them on the women as they wear them beneath their clothes). These sale for about $1 a strand. Anyone want to start a new trend in America? (for more pictures google image waist beads)
Our cottage, with the outdoor shower and toilet


True love?

Even the donkeys are friendly

Back to school next week for my last term here. I am ready to be back with family, but the work here would never be done. God continues to drop children in my lap that need love, food, and attention. But He will provide when I am gone.