Training almost all done. Finding out more about Ghana, customs and the protocols around the programmes has been the most interesting part. Our trainer on Monday was Ebenezer (known as Ebby). He was wonderful and really engaging. He has been the headmaster of a couple of the local schools but now works for GVI and oversees all their programmes.
Ghanaians are really friendly. They have very conservative values and customs. It’s expected that you greet people by saying “Hello, how are you” when you either enter a room or just pass them in the street. Not doing this is considered extremely rude and if you don’t ask people how they are they won’t help you if you’re in trouble. I had some free time this afternoon (Monday) and walked into the village (15 minute walk). I lost count of the number of people I greeted, or who greeted me en route! Greetings are received with a big smile and a warm reply, handshake or fistbump. Not a bad custom in my book!
You must always use your right hand to give and receive items, including paying for things, and to eat. Your left hand is considered to be your ‘toilet hand’ and children are taught to use their left hand from being potty trained (although personally I use my right hand to wipe my bum, so that puts the toilet hand theory down the pan!) The down side of this is that left-handedness is still frowned upon and discouraged.
Time is fluid! When you’re given a time for something it’s good to ask if this means the actual time, or what is affectionately known as ‘Ghana time’!
Because of its position on the equator sunrise and sunset are the same times every day and never vary – 6am and 6pm.
Traditionally, everyone is named after the day of the week they’re born on. This ‘day name’ is added to their actual name and each ‘day name’ also indicates your personality characteristics. So, I was born on a Wednesday which makes my day name Akua (female Wednesday name). So I am Marilyn Akua. Akuas are cool and collected with an emotional heart. They hide their vulnerability, can be perfectionists and are logical and hardworking!
Kokrobite is considered to be a deprived area, even by local standards. The road is lined with ‘shops’. People trade anything and everything to scrape a meagre living. Life happens on the outside, there are no closed doors. The main road into the village has deep ditches dug out on both sides to collect waste – and whatever else is deposited in them! The church is very influential, only 5% of Ghanaians are non-religiously. Most are Christian, with a smaller proportion of Muslims. The church has a lot of money, and there are some big gated houses near the beach, nestled amongst the crumbling infrastructure. Familiar story?
Shops at the entrance to the beach.
The beach is beautiful. Went there first on Sunday so it was packed with locals. Monday, after my walk to the village, I sat in a place directly overlooking the beach that gets a powerful breeze and watched the waves crashing.
It’s likely to be Tuesday by the time I can upload this, by which time I will have visited the local schools. Lots to say about all that, I’ll keep it for the next update….
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