Akwaaba! Well, we finally managed to dash around the city and see a few things, and best of all, we also managed to dash out of the city to see something of Africa. These explorations were long overdue as it has been something of a challenge turning our house into a home (more to follow in a later blog, when the wounds aren't so fresh!). Here are some of the highlights--I think I will (mostly) let the pictures speak for themselves, but I will split the trips up into separate log entries, to make them a little more accessible.
This is the final resting place of W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founders and great proponents of the Pan-African movement that promoted a deep connection amongst all Africans. While I have learned a great deal about the Civil Rights Movement in North America, I am embarrassed to say that I knew little about the important work that went on in Africa itself. Du Bois was a distinguished scholar and writer (in Africa and in America), most famously conceptualizing and beginning an encyclopedic dictionary for Africa and he was a co-founder of the NAACP.
This marble plaque is posted near the entrance to the main museum. Before I came to Ghana, I searched for literature and authors from/about Ghana and this was from the first poem I found. I didn't make the serendipitous connection until I read it on the wall. It is worth noting that while Du Bois was not born a Ghanaian, he did die one. It is also worth noting that he was invited to work in Ghana by the father of independence, Kwame Nkrumah, whom this poem was penned for.
The drummer and the hornblower herald the entrance to the National Museum and they are ever-present cultural symbols all around Ghana. They remind one of the significance of African roots in most Western music today, and the presence of the drum in every musical history (at least that I know of!).
Many villages, particularly in the more northern regions (such as the arts and cultural capital, Kumasi) are well known for kente, or weaving. This is a particularly vibrant hanging found in the museum. There is a great deal of symbolism worked into the designs of kente and of other works, such as the stools. Sometimes the symbol is attached to an ideal or a proverb. I would be very surprised if our home (this and future homes) didn't have a hanging or two and a stool or two!
Brontë, looking lovely, in front of some examples of traditional carving at the museum. And below, the front entrance, on our way home for the day. Until the next...
One of the highlights of our recent trip up into the heart the Ghana's Volta Region was a quick pit stop in the traditional kente weaving village of Tafi Abuipe. The cloth from this very small village, nestled between two major roads, is shipped worldwide and is definitely the centre of this life in this bustling West African village. When we turned off of the highway, we weren't sure what we were in for, but as usual, we were rewarded with a worthwhile and stimulating learning experience (not to mention a few lengths of beautiful kente) that will be with us for some time to come.
This village runs as an eco-tourism project and when we arrived we were greeted by a young man who was to be our host and tour guide. He is one of the young people who--because of the profits from kente--was able to go to senior secondary school outside of the village, and as a result he has one of the more important jobs in the community. He explained the process as he toured us around and we met several of the young weavers. It was a Saturday morning so all of the looms were humming. Each symbol or pattern has traditional significance and there seemed an infinite number of patterns. Tools and looms were all hand carved and the speed with which the weavers worked, while maintaining intricate, repeating patterns was truly remarkable. They only every weave stretches of kente that are about four inches wide, so larger pieces of cloth are stitched together for clothing and household use.
Basically, each village family has as many looms as it can sustain and the covered workshops are filled with family members. We were obviously surprised to learn (okay, not that surprised) that children start in the family business at just seven years old. At that age they begin doing small supportive tasks like hauling and spooling thread, and watching their older siblings in a sort of an apprenticeship. They do, thankfully, still go to school full time and I expect that most of them flock to class as the weaving looks to be quite tedious. As Bronte is eight, I think she most felt the impact of seeing these children working at her age, instead of spending free time playing or (a-hem) travelling around Ghana with her family. It would be easy for us to be critical or horrified, but it is a family business like any other and I was immediately put in mind of the family farm, where child labour is both necessary and character-building.
I have seen kente cloth in shops around not only Accra, but also in many other places. I'm certain I've seen it in the Forks, or other such markets in Canada. Until now I really never understood its true significance. It is yet another possibility for those who wish to spend their money mindfully, with sustainable intention. As I have often said to students, every dollar counts when it comes to the future and well-being of the planet. To be honest, I have no idea what we will do with the stunning, but impractical lengths of colour we purchased, but I suspect they've already done their most important work whether they end up on a wall or not. This message was brought to you by Tafi Abuipe Kente-Weaving Village. They thank you for your support! 
