MY WEST AFRICAN; GHANA & BURKINA FASO EXPERIENCE by Vanessa Allen-Green

YORK UNIVERSITY, TORONTO, CANADA –GHANA/BURKINA FASO, W/AFRICA

FEBRUARY 18th, 2011 – MARCH 5th, 2011

I wish to share with you, my experience on my maiden trip to Africa in February of 2011.

My first stop was Accra, Ghana. Ghana was once a British colony, but became independent on

March 6th, 1957. Ghana’s two official languages are English, being the first and Twi, the second.

Our group of York University students, arrived in Accra, Ghana on the night of Saturday

February 19th, 2011, at approximately mid-night, on an African culture and travel tour. We were

shuttled from the airport to the Guest Centre of the University Of Ghana, Legon, where we spent

the night. At the break of dawn on Sunday February 20 th, we awoke to the warmth of what

turned out to be a bright, hot, sunny day. Our group departed Accra and headed for the city of

Tamale, situated in the far northern region of Ghana. We travelled by public transportation,

departing Accra at approximately 10:30am and journeyed for approximately fourteen hours

across the country, arriving in Tamale at approximately 1:00am, on Monday February 21st.

While on the journey, we stopped twice at rest stops, for food, exercise and or bathroom breaks.

The traditional style bathroom facility, we discovered, (as we moved away from the city and

entered the small towns) was quite a revelation to us, nevertheless, common/normal to the

residents. Our first observation was that payment was required before one can use the public

facility. The facility consisted of four solid brick/stone/concrete walls, tiled floors, without doors,

roof, or toilet bowls. There was a hole in the center of the floor over which the women would

squat and relieve themselves or if one chose, one could have held out, until we were closer or in

the next city, where a less traditional style and a more westernized version of bathroom facility

would be available. In the traditional facility, there was no water to flush, nor paper to wipe, so

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the aroma was strong. However, there was a barrel filled with water on the outside of the facility

with small containers to dip water to wash one’s hands. When we arrived in Tamale, we were

exhausted from our lengthy travel. Even though our bus was air conditioned and the seats were

comfortable, we did endure the extreme heat (common/normal Ghanaian temperatures). We

were shuttled over from the bus station to the Guest House of “Child Reach International,”

Tamale facility. Dinner was prepared and awaited us there. We spent the night and at the crack

of the warm dawn, on Tuesday February 22nd, we departed for Burkina Faso, still traveling

north. After traveling for approximately two hours, we stopped in the town of Paga, the town that

borders Burkina Faso; where we did some sight-seeing. We were educated by a local resident/

tour guide on the history of the town. At this point it was about high noon and the heath was

sweltering. We were trying to be brave and attempted to socially integrate but we were not

prepared for this extreme heat. Our bus was like a sauna and the air outside was still.

Nevertheless, as foreigners, we decided to take the tour of the town anyways. We visited the

Crocodile Pond, a famous site of the town of Paga.

When we visited the Crocodile Pond, one of Paga’s famous sites, some of us rode the

crocodiles there. In Paga, there are laws against the killing of crocodiles. Residents there,

protect the crocodiles, as they would one another. While there, our group also had a

moment of horseback riding along the pond. We met a few of the Towns’ residents but one

specific resident volunteered to show us his personal preservation of the history of his

people and town. He led us through his private museum of ancient Artefacts. The museum

displayed the domestic residential architecture of the early town’s people, the delivery room

for mothers, was on display and (this style of giving birth is still currently practiced in this

town). The resident had a rooftop recreational space and view. We were also thought by

him, how to use herbal medicines. The resident highlighted one of the trees in his garden

as an herbal plant called, “Maringa,” which leaves are used by the Paga People, to heal

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many common illnesses. It is also use as a cleanser or blood purifier. The leaves of this

plant, we were told, can be eaten raw or steeped and drank as tea.

As we continued north from Paga, we were approaching the desert and the heat

continued to rise, as we travelled through the rural villages for approximately another four

hours in route to Burkina Faso. On approaching the border to cross from Ghana into

Burkina Faso, the scene was comparable to a carnival. Vendors of all ages and of both

genders approached our vehicle, trying to make a sale or offered to change our currency.

Poverty in villages of the desert, which bordered the roadways to the Border- Crossing, was

quite evident. There was a heavy presence of child labour (vendors with carts and trays).

There were also other children who begged in earnest desperation (there are no industries

in the desert, so income is earned by vending or begging). The vendors surrounded our

vehicle, trying desperately to make a sale, while others simply hoped to be given money.

The vendors would stand all day in the extreme heat to await

the border traffic, in order to make a sale. We crossed over the border into Burkina Faso,

where the language changed from English to French; the two official languages of Burkina

Faso are French and Moree’. While in Burkina Faso, we were accommodated at the Sarah

Inn, which is adjacent to the town’s market, a place where business begins at 6:00am daily.

On Wednesday February 22nd, we visited the Canadian Embassy in capital city of

Ouagadougou, where we registered, after which we were then briefed by the Canadian

consulate, on Canada’s involvement in Burkina Faso and a bit on Burkina Faso’s social

structure. Our next stop was The University of Ouagadougou, but unfortunately we were

unable to have a tour. The fact that the climate in Burkina Faso is extremely hot and humid

(the city is in the desert), activities are scheduled to accommodate the temperatures, so

when we arrived for our appointment (for which we were late because we overstayed our

time at the embassy) we were informed that it was lunch time at 11:30am until 3:00pm

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(during the hottest period of the day the staff either remain in office or sit out under the

shade of the trees, as we observed when we arrived), so tour was cancelled. Nevertheless,

we took a tour of the city and as we travelled through and around the city of Ouagadougou,

we observed that the women of the city, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso are strongly

influenced by the European ideals of beauty, so much so, that they bleach themselves to a

pale skin tone and change the colour of their hair, to attain the beauty ideals of Europe. We

stopped for our first lunch in Ouagadougou, at “Le Fouquet’s Cafe-Bar- Restaurant.

The menu was local, excellent to the taste and a healthy serving. What was quite

impressive to me, and caused me to immediately reflect on what I learnt in Professor

Davis’s, Humanities 1300 class, (that early black history was recorded/documented

mentally) was the fact that the restaurant had no written menus, but the waiter memorized

all the meals and repeated the list to us, customers. All our orders were then filled without a

single error. We also observed that the public bathroom facility at the park (the restaurant

was out-doors) was quite the same as the traditional ones in Ghana, that was described

earlier.

Our schedule was slightly rearranged, so that we could be accommodated in Tamale. So

we visited Burkina Faso earlier than we had originally planned, which was unfortunate, in

that we were unable to attend The African Film Festival, in Burkina Faso, an experience we

were all anticipating. The African Film Festival is the forum where black film makers in

Africa and the Diaspora, are honoured for their work in the industry. This Festival was

established in 1967. It is celebrated bi-annually in Burkina Faso. This year, the festival was

held from February 26th to March 5th, so we/our group was unable to experience it because

we were scheduled to leave Burkina Faso before the festival commenced, to attend other

appointments back in Ghana. Nevertheless, we were fortunate to have met a senior

member of the organizing committee who gave us a tour of the theatre and shared with us,

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some details about the event. Our tour guide shared his first experience with black cinema;

he was at the age of seven years old when an older male diplomat who knew him, took him

by the hand and carried him to

the theatre to watch the films. Since then, he said he has been captivated by the black art

form. Today, he is proud to serve on the organizing committee for the African Film Festival.

As we continue to travel around and through Burkina Faso, we observed that not all the

residents were as cheerfully friendly towards us, as was our experience in Ghana and we

perceived that the difference in our languages could have been a factor. However, we

observed that within personal engagements and daily activities the women, (vendors,

shoppers) carried their babies and young children strapped to their backs while they

walked, rode bicycles and motor-cycles, as they carried their luggage in their hands. The

women also carried huge heavy sacks on their heads and in their hands at the same time.

We also noticed that women vendors and shoppers start their daily business, in the market,

before sunrise, to get ahead of the sun and extreme heat at dawn, all the while their babies

are attached to their backs. Some women vendors cook meals in the centre of the market

square, to facilitate the early shoppers needing breakfast; comparable to the western fast

food drive-thru. The most common mode of transportation in Ouagadougou is biking. One

form of public transportation is a fifteen seat mini-van/bus that accommodates

approximately twenty passengers. Cargo is stacked on the top of the van/bus (furniture,

boxes and crates). In Burkina Faso, the population is made up of the very wealthy and the

extremely poor. The rich live in the city and the poor are marginalized into the desert

villages on the out skirts.

On Wednesday February 23rd, our group returned to Tamale Ghana, from Burkina Faso.

In Ghana, the group visited a rural village called Kpono, home of the Dagomba Tribe.

Before we entered the village, we had to consult with and obtain permission from the village

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elders, who were introduced to us by the local area coordinator of “Child-Reach

International,” who was our host. We were then taken to the village and introduced to the

village chief, who approved our visit, before we were introduced to the families within the

village. As we observe the division of labour, we noted that the families within the

community had established close, firm, social networks and that the entire village operated

as an extended family, to accomplish their daily goals. This lifestyle reminded me of the

account of Gustavas Vassa, in the book, “Classic Slave Narratives,” when he described his

childhood prior to being enslaved, which was a part of my studies with Professor Andrea

Davis, in Humanities 1300. The women did the domestic chores and cared for the children.

They also did some bit of gardening on the nearby plot. The men were responsible for

grinding the grains (corn specifically) and processing it into flour for domestic use. The men

also cared for the animals. The girls and young ladies are involved in assisting the mothers

to care for the babies and they also supervised their younger siblings. The children (mostly

the boys) help to feed and care for the domestic animals. The village had no electricity and

nor tap water, so the residents conclude their daily chores by sunset. The women did their

cooking in the courtyard, on wood fires. Each evening, the families prepared and served

the same menu, known as “Tizette,” (soup). Before supper, the families gather together, to

have worship, and then they would have their meal. After dinner, the children are allowed to

play in the moon light, until it is time for bed. The family dwellings are all alike in

appearance. The units are of a circular construction and are positioned in a circular

manner, having walls that connect the buildings to each other which enclose the space,

creating a circular court yard (the activity and recreational space). The units consist of

housing/living quarters, milling room for the processing of grains, animal shelter for the

horses and storage room for tools and other equipment. Our group received a warm

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welcome from the children and families who were happy to have us and share their meal

and stories of their lives with us.

On Thursday February 24 th, we visited the Nyojlo Community Primary School, in Tamale,

which houses students from grade’s one to six. The school in collaboration with “Child-

Reach International,” provide clean drinking water for the children, which aid them in being

punctual for school. Prior to this initiative, the students were extremely late for school and

or absent from classes; preoccupied with carrying water from distant sources before

attending school. Lunch is also provided at school for the students, by the school’s

administrative committee [teachers & parents]. A cook is on location at the school every day

to prepare meals for the students, so they are not obligated to bring their lunches if they

are challenged to afford one. A community garden is cultivated by the school on behalf of

the children, in collaboration with parent and volunteers, who tend the garden to provide

the food for the students’ lunches. The school is in need of two additional class rooms to

accommodate the students of grades two and three. So our York University group

endeavours to support

this school in the further, through the nurturing and educating of the young minds with the

provision of much needed school supplies. The school is also lacking teaching staff; there

are currently three volunteer teachers. Our group at York University is hoping that after we

would have shared our experience with York University’s administrative body, and

highlighted the needs of the Ghanaian communities, that [York] University with the aid of

the student federation and Ghanaian student club, will support at least some of the projects

and encourage, recruit and support future volunteer teachers to aid this great cause.

After our visit to the Primary school, we then visited the Tamale University of

Development Studies (UDS), where Professor Alhassan Amin, (a former York University

Professor) had organized a guided tour for us. We met with Dr. A.B.T. Eakarina, the

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administrative head, at the university, who briefed us on the operations of the university

and its history. The University is eighteen years old and, it houses eight faculties, with a

student body of nineteen thousand, two hundred students. The university begun with

agricultural development as the main focus, however it has currently incorporated cultural

development within their educational package and the university is now geared towards

rural development. All undergraduate and graduate students at the UDS are required to

experience at least two months each year in a rural community to serve in whatever area of

development they are studying at the university. The students are expected to learn about

the community, by immersing into the local culture (observe and advise, not judge), then

write a report with recommendations, upon completion of their research after they would

have integrated and observed the community. The

Students in the field of science who are involved in medical training (problem base

learning) are also required to study the fields (practical learning-integration and

observation) and then submit recommendations. It is the intent of our visiting York

University group, to develop an exchange program for future studies between students from

York University-Canada and the University of Development Studies-Ghana.

Our group later visited the “Hands of Mercy,” Orphanage, which is also in Tamale, and

works in collaboration with the Ghana Office of Social Welfare and Child-Reach

International. This orphanage is managed by the founders Timothy and Sanatu Silas. It is a

fairly new establishment, which became operational in February 2000. Our York University

Group was able to network with the orphans for a one week period from February 22 nd to

26th and we have observed that there is room for many improvements. The orphanage was

still quite new at the time we visited and they were in the process of becoming more

organized. The goal of the management of the orphanage is to identify the very poor and

hopeless children between the ages of two years and eighteen years and incorporate them

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into their existing family. The Silas’s currently have three biological children and sixteen

orphans. The orphanage has currently put a hold on incoming children because there is the

need for volunteers and a larger facility to accommodate more children. The orphanage

currently operates on donations, specifically from two former Norwegian student volunteers

who have now returned to Norway.

The orphanage is in need of financial support, so that the current orphans can remain as

a family, as the Silas’s have embraced them as their own children and seek to

offer them better options for their future, by addressing their greatest needs. The Silas’s

have enroled some of the children in special programs according to their skills and talents,

and this is also quite costly, which is one reason why there is a need external support. The

Silas’s shared their experience about a special case they had to facilitate.

Joshua’s story is the case of a four day old boy who has been in the orphanage for the

past two years. Joshua was extremely ill, almost to death. He was conceived through rape

and born to an epileptic mother, but left in the care of his extremely impoverished

grandmother. The Silas’s took Joshua after intense medical care at the hospital and Joshua

has since been a healthy and happy child. Adoption of the children/orphans is not normally

permitted, however, to have an adoption considered, the perspective parents are required

to reside in Ghana for six months, where they are permitted to have temporary custody of

the child, through a monitoring and observation process, during which time, they are

investigated by the Ghanaian Social Welfare committee. Adoption is limited to children that

have lost both parents or children from single parent homes, who are suffering in situations

where the parents cannot afford to support them. Our York University Group will solicit the

support of York University and recommend that volunteers and or sponsors are assigned

and inducted to this orphanage. The need at the orphanage is great and our Group of York

University students will advocate for change, with the support of our University, by first

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addressing some of the orphanage’s urgent needs, then campaign for donors for the long

term.

In the evening of Thursday February 24 th, our group was privileged to have first hand

details on international volunteer work in Africa, through a presentation delivered by a

former International Development student and graduate of York University, Marcus Tan de

Bibiana, who is currently serving in Ghana. Marcus was introduced to us by Dr. Alhassan

Amin, a former York University professor, who taught Marcus during his undergraduate

studies at York University. This was a thirteen hour active day for our group but it was all

worth it and completing the day on a local menu was therapeutic.

On Friday February 25th, our group made a four hour journey from Tamale to Kumasi

City. We were all tired and slept on the bus for most of the journey. The bus was

comfortable, so we were able to relax through the journey. In Kumasi, we visited the local

market (an extremely large market) and experienced the excitement of vending and

shopping. We then visited the manufacturing hub for the traditional Kente fabric, in Kumasi

city; the pride of the Asante people. We shopped for souvenirs at the arcade of the Asante

artisans, craftsmen, and sculptors. The crafts depicted Ghanaian history and their culture.

We then travelled to the town of Obuasi, a town known for its gold and diamonds, which

is about two to two and a half hours from Kumasi. In the Township of Obuasi, the residents

were less than middle class, despite the Community’s mineral wealth. The

people were unusually kind, friendly and honest. A young lady, without hesitation, willingly

joined our bus (not knowing who we were) to show us the way to where we

wanted to go because we were unsure of the directions we had. Members of our group

were able to purchase the finest eighteen carat gold jewellery, from the jewellery

establishments there. Our group learned that the Obuasi people and Ghanaians as a whole

are in loss of revenues made from their natural resources [gold and diamond] of the town.

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The loss of resources came as a result of an old contract made between the Ghanaian

government and the Swiss government, very many years ago, which is still binding today.

The Ghanaian government consented with the Swiss government to extract the diamonds

from the Obuasi diamond mines and ship them to Switzerland for processing, thus,

providing no employment for the locals or access to the diamonds before or after

extraction. The Ghanaian government is paid an insignificant percentage of the worth of the

diamonds, so much so, that it is insufficient to invest in the development of Obuasi. The

people of Obuasi are less than priviledged and prosperous.

On Saturday February 26th, we visited the Asante Chief-(Nifa), the Right Hand

Commander of the King of Asante, the King’s Cabinet Head Officer, who briefed us on the

history of the Asante people, and also gave us a tour of his Palace. The reigning king,

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and his cabinet has an organizational structure, where the King is in

the center of all operations, standing in the most influential position, with infantry on his

right and left sides and also infantry at his back and before him, as his shields/protectors.

The Asante people have a celebration (a parade and feast) every

forty two days, this is performed to feed their ancestors. The current Right Hand

Commander to the King is Nana Boakye-Ansah Debrah. As the custom is, this position

will be maintained until death. In the custom of the Asante, the commander does not retire.

Also in the Asante custom, only the women have the authority to install the king. It is

believed that women, being mothers, are the only ones capable of telling the true father of

a child, because it is the woman that carries the child and gives birth to that child, so

similarly, the woman is able to discern if the male child possess the kingly qualities based

on her observation and analogy of his character as he matures. The wife of the reigning

king is the aunt of the current Chief. The King, like King Solomon in biblical history, is

privileged to have a maximum of one thousand wives, according to tradition, however the

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current King has only one wife. In choosing the King, the responsibility is in the hands of

the Queen Mother’s. She can choose to appoint her sister’s son (her nephew), choosing

from her own family, if she does not have a son herself. The son of the King is not

privileged to be elected nor appointed to be King because the kingship is not inherited

through the blood line, it is not a Dynasty, but it is the choice of the Queen Mother, so that

within the family, another relative would have the opportunity to sit on the throne. Our group

also learnt that if an Asante male, should father children by two different women, the

children are not considered as one integrated family, but each child or children, belong with

the family of their mother, not their father.

Our group observed that when the king or his Chief Commander sits, their feet are

elevated by a foot stool. We were informed that, that custom is practice because it is a

symbol/representation of status, in that the figure of authority should not have his feet

to touch the common ground, unless he is walking. Also, elevation of the feet aids in a more

comfortable seating posture which is also considered a healthy practice.

After the tour of the Palace of the Commander and Chief, our group toured the Manhyia

Palace Museum which offered more details into the history of the Asante people. We learnt

that at (the physical) death of a king, he is not considered really dead, but his death is

interpreted as, “gone to the village,” to the ancestors in the after-life. As previously

mentioned, the son of the king cannot take the throne. It is taken by a brother or nephew of

the king and that person is selected by the Queen Mother. After selection, before being

appointed to the throne, the king goes through a name change process. He discontinues

the use of his birth name. He is blind-folded and taken to a room with the names of

previous kings and other names and he is made to choose a name from among the names

there. The name he selects is the new name by which he would then be known. If the name

he chooses is that of a previous king, he then becomes the II or III accordingly.

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The Asante people are known for their special traditional fabric known as Kente. This

fabric is specially woven by skilled men of the craft and it is worn on special occasions such

traditional festivals, weddings and such like. The Asante people are generous, peaceful and

industrious people, who support family unification and co-operation. The Asante people are

not timid and passive, but are always prepared to defend their cause (their rights). The

Asante people have a term they use, “Tit for Tat,”

which is interpreted as, “do not offend me and I will not offend you.” When in battle, if

defeated, the Asante would kill himself, so as to avoid being pressured (by his enemy) into

revealing information about his people. The Asante people believe in the preservation of

“The Golden Stool,” which has its origin from their ancestors, and is still in the possession

of the Asante people today, in fact, one of their most cherished possessions. The Golden

Stool is believed to have fallen from the sky, as a gift from God to the Asante people, who

have ever since claimed it as their most sacred possession over the years. In the Asante

community, networking is an essential factor. In the community, the support of each other is

a priority, and this group even welcome other tribes who are desirous of being incorporated,

so as to become empowered economically and be able to empower others as well. The

Asante people have a symbol of identification; it is circular and has the colours black,

yellow and green. Each colour has its own significance. The black represents the black skin

of the Asante people, the yellow represents the Asante monetary assets and the green

represents the agricultural establishments of the Asante people. Before the invasion by

Europe, the Asante people had their own government, courts, and banks which were

controlled by the king. The Asante people are proud of the fact that they relentlessly fought

the Europeans and eventually succeeded even though they were defeated on a few

occasions and their king was captured, they managed to never have been enslaved. The

Asante warriors were brave, proud and determined. The Asante women were also very

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brave, such as Yaa Asantewaa, a Queen –Mother, who at the approximate age of sixty five

years old in the 1900’s, when in the absence of the exiled king, she mobilized the

Asante warriors and declared war against the British invasion. The battle was won but she

was later exiled after the war was ended, where she later died, nevertheless her people

were victorious because of her aggressive defence and authority.

On Sunday February 27th, our group visited the butterfly conservatory in the rainforest.

The rainforest is home to a variety of beautiful species of butterflies. The plants in this

rainforest, like the rainforest at Kakum Park, are also used for medicinal purposes. There

can also be found, among the herbal plants, many poisonous plants also. The park has two

nature walk trails through which it can be explored. After our tour of the park, we visited the

farm of a native Ghanaian farmer, who served us a local Ghanaian lunch that consisted of

dishes such as Fufu and peanut or palm nut soup. We did a tour of his farm, where he

rears chickens, goats, ducks and other live stock. It was a delightful experience for us. Our

group then travelled approximately two to two and a half hours to Cape Cost, which was

the last phase of our intense tour and road trip.

On Monday Feb 28th, our group travelled from Kumasi to Cape cost, Home for Kakum

Park (rain forest) and Elmina (slave) Castle, which attract many tourists all year round. The

Kakum Park/rain forest is home to wild life (monkeys and elephants) and medicinal

plants/herbal trees and most famous for its roped canopy walkway. The canopy walkway

has seven pathways across the tree tops in the forest. It is elevated forty feet above the

ground. It was constructed and became operational in 1995, by

two Canadian and six Ghanaian engineers after six months of construction. When on the

Canopy, one can get a bird’s eye view of the entire rain forest.

After leaving the Kakum Park, our group travelled for one hour to the Elmina (slave)

Castle. The Castle grounds were initially the grounds where the natives preformed their

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religious rites, on the shores of Cape Cost. The Portuguese who were trading with Ghana

at the time, requested permission from the Chief, to build a castle on the same plot of land

where the locals worshiped, so that they could store their goods for trade, while promising

never to enslave any of the villagers there. The Chief granted the Portuguese the

permission to build the castle, removing the rights of the natives to worship there. The

Castle is 529 years old. It is the largest and oldest castle associated with the trans-Atlantic

slave trade. The castle served as a holding station for slaves, before they were exported to

the West Indies and the Americas. The castle was built by the Portuguese in 1482 to be

used for storage of their goods for trade, among these goods were slaves also, who were

captured by their fellow native Africans and sold into slavery. As the trading of goods

expanded and the demand for slaves increased, slaves were captured from as far north, as

the town of Paga, (the town that borders Burkina Faso).

Slaves were made to march across the country to the castle on a journey that took,

sometimes as long as three months. At the castle, the slaves were separated, men from

women and stored in holding cells (dungeons). The women stacked one hundred persons

to a cell up to four hundred in total and chained to each other, as they await

shipment. The men were also placed into cells in like manner, to await shipment. The

slaves remained in their cells for three to four months, before their shipment date.

While in storage, the slaves would be given very little food (just enough to keep them

alive) so they lost weight and got weak and could offer no resistance against their masters.

The women had poorly ventilated cells with limited lighting. A bucket was placed at one end

of the cell for the purpose of a toilet. However it was difficult to access, given the cramped

space and the fact that they were all chained together, so they relieved themselves, on

themselves and on each other. The women were sometimes taken out of their cells and

made to form a line in the courtyard and the governor (who would have left his wife in

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Europe) would look down from his balcony upon the slave women and choose one he

desired and demand that she be sent to his chambers. The governor would then use the

slave for his services and release her back into her dungeon, to continue to await shipment.

If the slave woman should resist/refuse the governor, she would be taken out from among

the other slaves and made to stand in the courtyard all day in the harsh sun, with her

ankles shackled and attached to an iron ball, to restrict her movements, and starved until

sunset. This was a lesson to be learnt by other slave women, so that they will never reject

the governor’s demands. In the event that some of the slave women become pregnant,

their children were sometimes privileged to have an education. This created a third class of

people amongst the Cape Cost population. The mulatto children were sometimes allowed

to remain behind, while their mothers were shipped away in the trade.

Sometimes, however, the women and their children were all sold to different merchants.

Today in the town of Cape Cost, the evidence of female slave abuse still lingers, as

many families can be identified as having Portuguese and Dutch ancestors, by bearing the

surnames. The male slaves who were frontline tribal warriors or who resisted slavery were

locked away in a cell with no light and limited ventilation and were starved to death there.

On the day of exportation, the slaves were led away through the dark dungeons and

made to pass through a tiny doorway which led out into the awaiting boats to be

transported on the ships on their journey of ‘no return.’ They were tightly stacked, for their

journey to the Americas. This trip lasted for an additional three months, before their arrival

at their destination. It has been established that the Africans on the continent are

responsible for fuelling the slave trade. However, in defence, it was noted that the Africans

on the continent claimed that they were oblivious as to what transpired behind the walls of

the castle and even further, on the ships. The Africans on the continent claimed that they

were not aware of the type/extent of the slavery the Europeans practiced. Prior to the

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arrival of the Europeans, Africans had a custom of enslaving their own people (people of

differing economic status) as a result of wars among themselves, or persons who were

indebted to other persons, or more commonly, by slave raids to make servants of the

captured. So apologetically, the Ghanaian government has erected an engraved stone

tablet within the wall of the castle, appealing for humanity to forgive their brothers and

vowing to never allow such atrocity to reoccur in the future, and more so, for the African,

Ghanaian people to be motivated to press forward in morality.

It has been noted that today, many blacks in the Diaspora, are returning to Africa-

Ghana in search of their roots and to connect with their broken past. The Ghanaian

government is encouraging this initiative, and is supportive of the persons who are seeking

to connect. I am one of the many persons of African descent who during this experience, on

this trip with my York University counterparts, tried to reconnect with my broken past.

Our group concluded this day with an evening on the beach in Cape Coast before returning

to Accra to wrap up our Ghanaian adventure.

Our group arrived back in Accra at about 12:00 mid-night on Monday February 28 th. We

rested the entire day on Tuesday March 1st. We experienced the typical Ghanaian

continental breakfast at the Guest Center of the University of Ghana, Legon. We dined on

the grounds of the university; a breakfast which consisted of fruit, toast, eggs, tea, or

coffee, under the trees, in the shade from the rising sun. After breakfast I lay in my room

and reflected on my experiences in Ghana and Burkina Faso and was overwhelmed with

emotions. The three most dynamic experiences for me on this trip, were meeting King of

the Asante people, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and learning about the history of the Asante

people; my exploration of the Slave Castle; as I pondered upon the loss of black history, as

those slave ships washed it all away at sea and last but not least, the privilege I had to

locate the settlement (town) of my ancestors (the ‘Ga’ people) and being able to commence

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a conversation as it relates to my relatives (the Quashi people). I experienced what I had

lost, which enabled me to embrace what I have achieved. I have experienced a great

transformation in my thought life. I have discovered myself (a black woman in the

Diaspora). I would like to share this experience with my other black brothers and sisters

and encourage them to have an experience with Africa. It was a life altering experience for

me.

Ghanaian hospitality never ceased to amaze me. While staying at the University of

Ghana Guest Center for the last few days of our travels, we ate lunch at the University

restaurant. As we sat in the restaurant and awaited our order, a waiter came over to our

table with a basin of warm water and a utility size bottle of hand soap, for my colleague to

wash his hands, while he [the waiter] waited with a towel over his arm, to offer my

colleague, to dry is hands before he brought his meal to him (a traditional Ghanaian meal,

that requires the use of the fingers to eat). I thought the practice was awesome, the

genuine care, interest and customer service extended by the waiter to his customer, was

impressive.

On Thursday March 3rd, our group visited the Legon Primary (Basic) School in Accra.

The school houses grades one to six students. We met the Principal and Vice Principal and

we discussed the operations of the school and the needs of the students. We were

privileged to have engaged in one on one conversation with the students about their

dreams, goals, ambitions and challenges. Our group agreed to adopt two classes (to assist

in supplying stationery and other school supplies). We shared with them and the staff, one

hundred pens, for them to start prioritizing, documenting and monitoring their goals,

passions and achievements. We later visited the University of Ghana, and liaised with the

head of the department of Sociology and International Development Studies, who is also

the head of the Engineering department and the former Dean of the International

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Development Faculty. With these departments, we expressed our intent to eventually

establish an academic course for the study of African cultural experiences and were also

able to establish a relationship with these Universities with which we were persistent in

maintaining, to strengthen our networks between Ghana and Canada.

Our Group visited the Canadian Embassy in Accra, and informally met with the

Canadian High Commissioner, Nuclar, who briefed us on how to get involved in the

Canadian operations in Ghana, in order to have a meaningful input in the Ghanaian

community. Our group was advised to link with a Rotary Club of Canada, which is already

an established organization that would support us financially, on projects such as the

building of the classrooms for the grade two and three students in of the Noyojlo primary

school, in Tamale (which was one of the schools our York University Group has considered

adopting).

On Friday March 4th, our group did our souvenir shopping in Accra and prepared to

leave on our return trip to Canada. We departed Accra, Ghana, at approximately 4:00pm on

Saturday March 5th, and arrived in Canada at approximately 4:00pm on Sunday March 6 th.

My African experience is unforgettable. My dream to experience Africa was to me merely

a dream; a distant dream; one I never imagined would be anything more than just a dream.

Today my African experience is no longer a dream but the panicle of my life experiences.

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