Up North

    This past weekend we went on the last and longest trip of the semester. Early on Thursday morning (4:30 am) we left Accra on a 12 hour bus-ride across the country and to the capitol of the Northern region, Tamale. The northern regions of Ghana are known as being the poorer, less developed areas and are also home to different cultures and languages than those found in the south. When I told people in Accra that I was traveling to the north, most asked why and told me that there was nothing there and that it was too hot and dry. So, I went into the trip thinking that I would not really enjoy the weekend, but I will venture to say that my trip to Tamale and other areas of the northern region was the best trip I have done here in Ghana

         Although the bus ride was long and hot, it was really amazing to see the landscape change as we moved north. I had never been north of Kumasi, which is in the south central part of Ghana, so it was interesting to see the terrain change. We went through mountainous regions and then could clearly see that we were moving into the sahel, which is the southern part of the Sahara. The trees and more dense forest turned into savannah, and it looked like scenes from the “Lion King”, or the typical mental picture most people have of Africa.

         We arrived in Tamale at about 5:30 pm on Thursday evening; we were staying at the Tamale Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies (TICCS), which is a very basic hostel in town. About ten minutes after we arrived it started down pouring, which is not typical for the region, especially since it is the dry season. It rained through the night, which kept our rooms cool, but made travel the next day difficult due to the mud and giant puddles.

         On Friday we had a lecture by one of the professors at the University of Northern Ghana who talked a lot about the North and why there is such a disparity between the north and the south in the terms of economic and educational opportunity. We were also introduced to the major cultures and languages that exist in the region and how they differ from the ethnic groups we are used to seeing in the south.   The lecture was followed by a tour of the central mosque of Tamale, which is predominately Islamic, and it was my first experience ever being in a mosque!  We also had a tour of some of the major points of the city and went to a market. While we were in the city, we went to visit a private medical clinic, run by a man named Dr. Abdulai, who has dedicated his life to the homeless and dejected peoples of northern Ghana. In Ghana, there are many problems with the healthcare system, so many people cannot afford to go to a hospital and receive even the most basic care. Because the northern region is the most impoverished, a large majority of the people who need medical attention never receive it. Dr. Abdulai receives no formal donation from any organization, but lives day to day from private contributions. He has been able to open two clinics and is able to help about 100 patients a day and also has an emergency room and an operation theatre. At the very end of the day our group of 30 broke up into three smaller groups and we all went to visit diviners in the villages around the city. A diviner is similar to a psychic or a fortune teller, and in exchange for about $1 I was told my fortune as well as what I should be doing in the present to ensure a long and happy life. I had never been to any kind of fortune teller so it was a little bit unnerving to hear someone tell me about what is going to happen in the future. Everything was good!

         Saturday morning we left the hostel at 8:00 am to go further north to Bolgatanga, which is in the Upper East region. Outside of the city there is a place called Paga, which is right on the border with Burkina Faso. Paga is one of the many slave-holding camps in this region. Recently, the land has been turned into a museum of sorts, but there are no buildings or memorials only signs that give a general idea of how the camp was laid out. In all of my schooling, I never learned about the slave trade within Africa and how Africans had such a large role in the initial capture and enslavement of peoples. Up to 100 people were held in Paga at one time, tied to trees and forced to work for their capturers until they were taken south to the major slave markets where they were sold to Europeans as well as wealthy Africans. We were only outside at the camp for about an hour, but the sun was blistering and there was no coastal breeze so most of us were unbearably hot. But, we had a nice shaded bus to go back to and full water bottles, compared to the people who were once prisoners and slaves in this camp so I really could not find it in myself to complain.

         For me, the best part of the whole trip was when we went to visit a widows village in Bolgatanga. In Northern Ghanaian cultures, widows and their children are ostracized because they are seen to be witches. When a woman dies before her husband it is automatically assumed that she killed him and she is usually banished from the community. We went to a village where widows and their children survive off of the baskets that the women weave and sell at local markets. The widows were incredibly generous in giving us a basket weaving lesson and welcoming us into their community for the afternoon. We had the chance to play with their children and also buy some of their work. Our group was able to donate clothing and other things that we have been collecting all semester. It was amazing to see how happy and determined these women were in spite of their situation.

    We left very early sunday morning (4:00am) for the 12-hour bus ride home... The weekend was exhausting and I feel like I am still recovering, but it was an absolutely amazing experience and I am incredibly grateful that we were given the opportunity to see the Northern regions. You cannot say you have seen Ghana if you have never been outside of Accra. You cannot say you know Ghana unless you see the Northern regions. Until next time, Kalin

  

Comments

[John Jimah '08]

It's great you got to visit the north. I lived in Bawku, in the Upper East Region for close to 9 years. Did you get to visit the Paga pond?