names

I met some student's on the beach at Kokrobite the other day. They were from Denmark and African studies students just like my group 12 years ago. It made me reflect a lot upon broken dreams and life's surprising twists and turns. Getting where I am has certainly involved a lack of planning. I am happy but not even close to the person I was going to be!

When I first arrived in Ghana in 1995 I became known as Akos. This means I was born on a Sunday - I wasn't - but people gave me the name and I took it. It made me feel part of things – but of course it just highlighted how much I was not a part of things as I knew so little I took the wrong name. However, it is part of my history and who I am. It seems silly to change it now.

At this time in my life I was firmly 'Sister Akos' to nearly all who knew me and Akos to those older than me. Of course I was also Obroni (white) but generally only to those who did not know me. Now my stature, my age and my children have matured me and I am now known only as 'Auntie', 'Auntie Akos' or sometimes simply as Maame (mother). Now normally the only people who call me sister Akos are impossibly old or huge ladies with whom I am considered on a level. In Ghana all of this is very respectful and I appreciate it. My boss for example is sometimes called Grandma despite being nowhere close to this age – it is simply a sign of respect.

However, my husband and his brothers and sisters could and should still call me sister Akos – not least because they are all older than me. They don't because they are amused at my horror of being called Auntie. It seems you are never too old or mighty (a very nice term to describe larger women here thus not the horror of Evans but rather 'mighty clothes of the mightly lady in store now') for someone to take the piss.

I am pleased at my lasted twi acusition though "please don't call me white. My name is Lotte and I would like to be called Akos'. It has made me feel much more part of the neighbourhood to be greated like everyone else.

For those who asked. The insults in traffic are generally very mild although at one point I did resort to telling a guy his car was ugly and when he still insisted on driving into us I hit it - hard many times. My twi it seems is just a prerequisite to the ultimate miming and gestures that follow.

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At home with the Bakoji-Hume's

At home with the Bakoji-Hume's

21 April

Legend has it that once, a long time ago, a hunter from the great Ashanti nation in Ghana followed a deer deep into the bush and down a hill. Here he found a beautiful lake, with no rivers leading in or out, that was full of fish. He thanked the deer and ate the fish. So a settlement was founded and each year the lake grew and the fish were bountiful. The gods decreed that no iron should enter the lake and everyone obeyed and everyone was happy. This place was called Bosumtwi.

Today Bosumtwi is over fished and ravaged by slash and burn farming. The once bountiful rainforest that surrounded Bosumtwi is crisscrossed with scars of red soil that flow into the lake when it rains. From the peoples talk it seems the rains themselves are changing coming heavier but less often. However, even though it has suffered it is still a beautiful magical place.

Now another legend is growing. This time they say scientists and modern day wise men came following a meteorite star they believe fell thousand of years ago. They come to Bosumtwi and saw not the Lake but the hole – they said where did this come from? A bore was drilled deep into the centre of the lake to find rock samples to answer their question – the villagers who remembered the gods were nervous of their metal boat and their metal drill – but the chiefs had agreed and no one heard them. The scientists drilled.

No one at the lakeside seems to know how this new legend ends. Some say the lake is not from a meteorite. They warn of a volcano bubbling below and waiting to take all. Some say the lake is from a meteorite and full of diamonds or gold – they think people want them to leave so they can take all. It is hard to know how the legend of Bosumtwi will end but it is painfully likely that most answers will bring suffering to the people here.

In somewhere like Bosumtwi I imagine the effects of mining would be devastating. The reliance on the Lake means even limited access to it could have a dramatic affect on the villages. If the water was to become contaminated, as it has at mine sites such as at Tarkwa, it would be unimaginable. At Tarkwa the river was made unsafe to drink and nearly every living organism in it was killed. Horrendous - but with hope - because a river flows and therefore stands a chance of cleaning itself. This is not the case for Lake Bosumtwi

If it is a volcano and it blows up it seems it could come as a deadly cloud of gas. Or maybe, as the villagers seem to expect, things will just stay the same. But as the weather dries and the slash and burn continues around the lake there is another deadly cloud creeping down the mountain. This one is made of the dust eroded from the mountain side and slowly filling the lake in the crater below. There is another water pollutant too as people who have washed in the lake for years no longer use natural soap but turn to the extra cleaning power of ‘omo’, ‘Ariel’ and ‘detol’. Danger it seems is all around.

I have been trying to find solutions for this lake since I first saw its magnificent glory ten years ago. I have watched environmental empowerment workshops, hotels, development projects, education projects, tree planting and much more come and go. I still believe the answer will come but I have to wait for one of the villagers to tell me what it is.

18 April 2007 I Hoped

I hoped to come to Ghana and lose weight - but so far, despite being ill, all I’ve really lost is a breast size. If fat would only go where we wanted it to on our bodies perhaps none of us would mind being fat at all?

I hoped to come to Ghana and learn Twi – so far really I am still the same as I was before. I am proud of my confidence to use the language I only wish I had more language to use in the first place. So far apart from learning many ways to insult in traffic my most useful new phrase has been me nim, which means ‘I don’t know’. Not to be confused with me nim which means ‘I know’. There is a tonal difference - but I am really crap at it so I tend to say it whilst either shaking or nodding my head (and in context because it also sounds very similar to ‘my face’). The astute amongst you may point out that I could just nod or shake my head. But you would under estimate the joy it brings many twi speakers to hear a strange English lady using their language - and the joy it brings me. Here at work I am sometimes referred to as ‘the one that speaks Twi well’. It makes me feel proud. The reality is that I have only managed good morning and then got the response wrong by treating an older man like a child. It seems that so few make the effort that I am appreciated though and so I struggle on. My children move forward quicker although it is harder for Kwajo than Nayah – time will tell, but I hope we are laying a firm foundation for their future.

I am blessed at the foundation we laid their lives on. To move countries and change everything, not once, but twice, is hard for an individual but maybe even harder for a marriage. With Kwame it has only ever been an amazingly wonderful journey - even now when the car is broken and the house submerges when it rains…..

(June PLEASE remember my huge ability to exaggerate – the car will be fixed and big Ga Chief Nana is fixing the house drainage. So when you come there will be others problems but it won’t be these!!! Sorry to be lazy but can you let me have your flight details too…)

15 April 2007

So yet again sitting and enjoying the joys of light off on a Sunday morning in Gbawe. Kwame is outside learning to string and stretch drums and we are considering yam and sauce for lunch.

Over the Easter break we travelled North to Buipe to see Kwame's brothers. Quite some journey taking 3 days up in the car. Buipe was beautiful and it was wonderful to see Kwames nobel family and to enjoy their hospitality. His brothers have been ill but thankfully are much better now. Country Man had a very bad leg which he left and left just hoping it would get better and not having enough spare cash to go to the doctors. Adamu the oldest brother came to Kumasi and took him to hospital - we are not sure if they were just scared off by the consent forms but they strongly believed the doctors wanted to cut off Countrymans now putrid leg. Adamu carried him home to Buipe where they got the money Kwame had sent from home and treated the leg with local medicine. Thankfully he survived the ordeal. A tragically common story of leaving it too late to get medical atention due to a lack of funds. Sadly whilst the story is common Countryman's story of survival is all to uncommon here. This story holds special significance for us as it was Adamu who saved Kwames life by carrying him away on a bicycle in the dead of night all those years ago. Truly a big brother to be proud of.

The Volta river was a huge shock. It was beautiful but we walked accross it at the old port and never at any point did it come above our 4 year old son Kwajo's waist. Good work has gone on here since they have sprayed against Bilhazia however the level of the river is just shocking. Just 10 years ago Lindsay and I caught the big ferry here to go to Akasombo - now the river is almost gone. The farmers are in no doubt that the irrigation dam in Burkina Faso has made more difference than the rain. However, there was no rain and they were waiting to plant and watching it fall always just painfully out of reach on the horizon.

Here in Accra complaints about the light off abound as do the conspircay theories. However every night in our neighbourhood we see no darkness during light on as all our nieghbours leave thier huge outside floodlights on all night everynight. The nature of light off means that if you leave for work early you can return home to light and appliances wasted as they have been left on all day - of course when you left they were off because the electric was off.

It is scary to think of what may happen here if the dam spoils and there is no electric as people are suffering just by it being limited, As many here say 'Ghana is the Volta dam'. If it happens of course people will suffer and tension will rise - but what then of the relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso? Can a country so peaceful and so proud of its peace continue on this road? I don't want Ghanaian's to think I am cursing them but I do wish the governments of Ghana and Burkina Faso could sit down to find a compromise now rather than struggling to sign a peace later. I am sure they are trying I just prey not too little too late...

Blessed love from this still wonderful place.

So I have started work and am currently employed in the services of the queen!

There has been some trouble with this site – if you can’t see the pictures or down load it you may have searched for it in which case please try typing in www.bakoji-hume.blogspot.com

We went to the airport yesterday to say goodbye to mum and dad – really sad of course not least because we had such a lovely time. As well as just really enjoying each others company we went on a series of adventures which were appropriately named by Kwajo as follows:
A Snappy adventure:
A stay at a hotel suspended above a lake of crocodiles. Maybe not first choice for those with small kids but actually very wonderful. Nayah chasing them shouting ‘odile’ and ‘snap snap’ was a sight to behold (especially with Uncle Patrick desperately running after).
A Swinging Adventure
A rope walk 40 metres up in the rainforest of Kakum – A truly wonderful adventure. We are going back at the first opportunity to stay overnight on their viewing platform and to walk among the trees and learn about some of the herbal medicines there.
Next we went to Kumasi named by Noonah and Grumpy as the shi*y adventure due to an attack by a contagious sickness bug. It was wonderful to be in the green of Kumasi but hard to see so much change in what was our home. We will be back soon though as we did not plan well and we still have things to take to friends and family there.
Finally after resting in Accra we went to the volta region for a fishy adventure. It’s the first time I have been on the Volta dam and it was most interesting to hear why we have so much light off. We stayed by the river which was beautiful and up in the hills which involved scorpions and straw mattresses but thank god lots of laughter to. We ended up in Germany which is on the edge of the lake. As it was market day boats come in from all over the Volta – truly a sight to behold. Sadly here I lost my first pair of glasses.

So now we are finally reaching some form of normality with work and school. Of course there are still daily adventures including floods. leaky baths and broken cars – my word its beginning to feel exactly like home! We now have a landline if anyone wants to give us a call. 0233 21332642. Of course we will keep updating and let you know how it all pans out.

So we have finaly rented a house in an area called New Gbawe - it is near Mallam and Dansoman so I should always be able to find my way home.
Here it is very palatial although not compared to all of the real palaces we could not afford. The area is cheaper and the roads are bouncy. The house compares to home but it is a bungalow and the rooms are bigger. The garden may be smaller but we have plantain and a basil bush - very important for those who know of Kwajo and Nayahs love of pasta and pesto - but of course my home made version lacks pine nuts. Hopefully if this all works you can see it from the images. It has a little green in the back garden where everywhere else was pure concrete and also we could just about afford it - housing is very expensive here.
Today we took a road trip to Atimpokou to get some more stuff for the house. If you have not yet vistetd Ghana I will say shopping here can be a little hit and miss. You tend to drive around and more often than not someone sells you what you want through your carr window. however if you want something specific like a ceratin type of plates and bowls you can find yourself driving for miles as we did today. However the Volta was as stunning as ever and it was wonderful to get out of Accra and into Ghana - I fell in love all over again!
The other thing that this particular type of shopping encourages is impulse buys. Thus Nayah has a hugely anoying mobile with very irritating sounds and music. In a shop I may never have bought it but through a car window. Kwame has a fetching head scarf which does not fit for the same reason. However the best impulse buy yet was Kwajos parrot Buster. Clearly given time to think we would not have fuelled the cruelty and we would have considered returning home in a few months time. However since being released from his cage Buster has blossomed and our house is now his. Patrick will care for him when we are gone. And best of all Kwajo is so chuffed to bits he really is trying hard with his thumb!!!

Next
So we had a birthday party for nAYAH ON sUNDAY (AFTER CHURCH!)lots of friends children and those from the neighbourhood came. we all had a nice time and went to the village to get a goat and a chicken for the occasion. All very traditional and great for the kids to see the whole cycle from back garden to plate. Many probably would not agree with me but since we do eat meat it seems to me the only moral way....
It turns out we all had the early onset of malaria but we still had a good time. Although it meant little was done on Ghana at 50.

Kwajo has a new friend called Bunty who lives opposite. He is a lovely boy and they really enjoy each other - but his english is so good we fear for the twi learning.
We are now all looking forward to mum and dad arriving and me starting work on monday.

Next
An aside for those intersted. There is a tradtional form of fufu eating bowl which is very beautiful it is potted by hand and glazed in beautiful brown, blue and cream. We have always loved these bowls and wanted some for our house. However in the space of fouir years cheap bowl imports from china have had a devasting effect on this industry. after trying for one month we have only just manged to buy soem and we have still not been able to find anyone who is still potting them. Devlopment moves forward apace but I fear so many good good things get left by the wayside. Ghana is not static and nor should it be but it is sad to see these bowls and even the local cloth printing industry which has been strong so devatsed by cheap imports.I do not know the answer but I do know that free trade allows coca cola to make more money in Africa than anywhere else. I wish I did have the answers for the tomato and the chicken farmers. But I don't. I do wish middle class and rich ghanaians would have pride in buying ghanaian produce. But pride seems low and these people are mainly to be found shopping in Koala market and malcolm where cheap chinese imports abound. They seem 'EYE RED' for outside leaving so much here that is good and powerful to wither and die. It seems tragic that even Ghana at 50 celebration pens and flags can be imported. So development moves forward apace and accra looks more and more like anywhere else in the world with a flyover. The development here tuly impresses me - I was shocked to see the growth in the area i FIRST LIVED IN IN 1995. Its heart warming and hopeful I just so wish that more bits of the old Ghana could move forward with the new. They weren't broke so why fix them???