(Not So) Black and White

Remember when I first arrived in Ghana and I wrote a blog about riding a rollercoaster. Well, let's just say I am right back on that rollercoaster, only this time it has loop after loop after loop.

Ever since my first humanitarian trip in 2009, I have always had a hard time coming home. This time is really hard. Not only was I there for a longer time, but I left very suddenly with almost no time to reflect on what was actually happening. Within twenty four hours I was back in Canada.

I don't mind being back in Canada, I mean its home and I am surrounded by amazing friends and family. The part that hurts the most was my last image of Ghana. I flew from Accra to Amsterdam on a KLM flight in business class. Not going to lie, it was nice to be in business class when traveling sick, until it happened...

I was standing on the stairs waiting to board the plane, until I looked through the glass wall to my left. The rest of the passengers were standing there waiting to board. The thing that struck me most was that all of those on the other side of the glass wall were black and everybody I was standing with was white. We carried on as we got to board the plane before everybody else, but that image did not leave my mind. I couldn't help but to think about the division between blacks and whites that still exists today. I mean has that much really changed since Rosa Parks refused to move on the bus? The whites sat at the front of the bus and the blacks at the back. It literally felt the exact same and I did not know how to handle it. That was my last image of Ghana. It really makes me think about how much has really changed. There is still a clear division between the blacks and the whites, between the rich and the poor. Although it is a "black and white" issue, the situation is actually very much grey.

Yet why should we be divided based on our income. Since when did money become a definition of who we are? I discovered that when I was outside with my neighbours in Damongo. My friend pointed out that the husband was washing the kids instead of the wife, and I told him it was probably because the wife also works so she is more respected. Since when does money define us? Why have we let money become something that defines who we are or who we have become. The status of women is most often defined by the income they make and the more you make the more respected you are. What ever happened to kindness and generosity? Respect should be earned through your generous actions, not through your generous donations.

This is my problem with development, it has become entirely about the money and about the status. Canada isn't seeing returns on investments, or we aren't seeing the results we wanted... maybe if we started acting out of love instead of self-interest, development just might happen. Who knows? Just a crazy thought really.

Lately I have been going through a series of emotions (as I'm sure you can tell from this post). I am trying to figure out my next move and I have no idea where to begin. I cannot get that plane image out of my head: the clear (or not so clear) line between the blacks and the whites... in the 21st century. It was such a clear and powerful last image of Ghana. Hopefully I can figure out my next move sometime soon, for now I am just taking time to reflect on my internship and see where I am at in terms of my interests in development (both school and work).

Until my next rant,

Bianca

Answered Prayers

Answered Prayers

Perhaps this is a little “out there” but I think I found my life purpose. Maybe not all of it, but I think I have a pretty decent idea. It has nothing to do with work or school, just something personal and more faith-based. Through my humanitarian experiences I have learnt so much and have had the opportunity to work alongside some absolutely incredibly people. But without knowing it, I was (or am) considered to be some people’s answered prayers. Imagine that. I am an answered prayer.

We often do good deeds, whether big or small, it is still an act of kindness. But I think we need to give ourselves some credit. Sure, sometimes we feel really good after doing something nice- and that’s okay. So long as you don’t forget the reasoning behind your actions in the first place. Sometimes I underestimate what I do. Sometimes I think that I am not unique because there are so many other people doing humanitarian work- even better than I am doing. Or sometimes I feel like I am making the slightest difference but it’s never enough. But the reality of it is, I am unique. I am making a difference. And so are you. For those of you reading- you are making a difference just by reading my blog. You are willing to educate yourself on what I am going through and the realities in developing countries. Everybody has their own way of giving and their own way of learning. Be proud of yourself.

One of my best friends, Sarah, recently wrote a blog on tumblr that inspired me. It talks about how we don’t feel worthy when something good comes along and how we compare ourselves to others too often. And it is so true. We need to give ourselves a little more credit because we are all different people and we must learnt to appreciate ourselves. (Feel free to read more; the link is at the bottom of the blog- it is an awesome post!!!)

Now back on track… I’ve come to realize that with such small gestures I am able to be someone’s answered prayer. How amazing is that? If you ask me, that is an incredible gift that I am given and I feel so honoured that God has chosen me to do this for Him. It is truly amazing. During my first house build in the Dominican Republic, the mother of the family said that our team was her answered prayers. I could not stop thinking about it. And still to this day, I think about it. It has inspired me so much.

With that being said, my life purpose… My life purpose is to continue to be people’s answered prayers. The best part about it is that I don’t ask people what they pray for, I literally just do things or come across things that I want to help with. I don’t go looking to be an answered prayer, it just happens. With God’s guidance, nothing is impossible. My mother always told me God brought me onto this earth to help others and I truly believe it. He brought me here to be people’s answered prayers and I encourage each and every one of you to try and be the same. Or at least open yourself up to the idea. It is an incredible feeling to not only know that you are serving God, but to know that you are restoring faith in other people. How amazing is that! I am feeling so inspired and so grateful that my purpose in life is one full of such beauty, hope, and faith. I cannot wait to continue to embrace my purpose throughout the rest of my life and continue to spread love and faith everywhere I go.

Have you ever been someone’s answered prayer? Maybe you have and you just don’t realize it? Take some time to reflect on your life and think about the times you have done something awesome for someone or maybe someone has done something amazing for you. Feels pretty good right? He’s watching over you, always.

Until next time,

God Bless You

Lots of Love,

Bianca

Here is the link to Sarah’s tumblr blog! Check it out :) 

http://inspiredtobeaninspiration.tumblr.com/post/45565086190/when-you-dont-feel-worthy-has-there-ever-been-a

A Friend is Always A Friend- by Osman Joe

Hey! So this is a blog about last weeks adventures! It was written by my friend, Osman Joe, and his experience seeing the ocean for the very first time in his life! :) Enjoy!

A Friend is Always A Friend

For the first time in my life I had a friend who promised to take me to the southern part of Ghana. I was so happy for the whole day; I didn’t even feel like eating. I was so excited and I kept imagining how the south would be. Hmmmm.

On March 1^st I left Tamale in the Northern part of Ghana and was all praying to see the southern part of Ghana. By then, my friend was already there and I needed to meet her. I was so happy because I have already missed her for two days in advance so I am happy to see her and happy to be in the south. At 2p.m. I was in Kumasi and it was so amazing after I saw her and Kumasi was awesome as well. Then I thanked God for myself and being able to see the south in my lifetime and also adding my friend Bianca into my prayers for making me go to the south. I was so grateful about her simply because I am born in the northern part of Ghana (Tamale) and I am 26 years old and I have never been to the southern part of Ghana before and was not even dreaming of going there because I have no relatives there and I don’t have anybody there. So me being in the south was so special for me and even my aim of going to the south was that – my friend Bianca wanted me to see the Atlantic Ocean, which I was nervous to see as well.

            On March 2^nd I saw the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in Cape Coast. I was on the bus and I could not stop looking simply because it was surprising that I couldn’t see the end of it. And I never thought there was a body of water where one could not see the end. After that, I was still thinking about it for almost one hour while on the bus approaching Takoradi. It was really fun, amazing, and very exciting. I became speechless; I don’t even know how to thank my wonderful friend Bianca. So then we arrived in Takoradi and looked for a ride to Busua so that I can touch the Atlantic Ocean and swim in it.

            On March 3^rd I was in Busua. That was the first day I touched the Atlantic Ocean and swam in it. When I first stepped into the ocean I committed my friend Bianca and myself into God’s hands and thanked Him for that happy moment. The ocean water is the water I like most to swim, even more than the pool waters. Also by then I felt like I was born again, like a new born baby, and I didn’t feel like leaving the premise of the Atlantic Ocean. So then we went to Dixcove where the slave castle is found, called Fort Metal Cross. In fact, my journey was the best- I cannot even describe it. I know I have a lot to say in the future simply because it is like a miracle to me. It is a miracle for me meeting her and for the steps we took together (travelling, etc.). So I have seen that it is necessary to have a good friend who is a chosen one from God and I also pledge on the saying that it is good to travel and see and I think that is the best in life for everyone to taste.

Osman Joe 

“With a friend by your side, all long roads seem shorter”

The Truth Hurts

The Truth Hurts

When I first arrived in Ghana, I was with two other female volunteers. Two of us were working with gender and the other working with child rights. Before we started our placements we did some training and had some gender chats. We discussed how vulnerable women are and how easy it is for women to become oppressed and remain silent. We also discussed how it even happens to us in Canada- it is not just something that happens in the developing world. Each and everyday somebody falls silent because they are forced to believe they have no right to speak out. Everyday women fall into the trap of being oppressed by the men in their lives. It has happened to many people, and it has happened to me.

I didn’t notice it until now- but I fell into the trap. I don’t know when it happened or how it happened, but I became vulnerable and I became oppressed. Damongo is a patrilineal, male-dominated society where the men have very aggressive opinions and attitudes. They often think they are above the women- a lot of it has to do with who makes the larger income. I got to experience this first hand- unfortunately. I work in an office with two people- my boss who is a female and another coworker who is a male- both are from Ghana. I have noticed a huge gender issue in my workplace- which is ironic considering I work in the Girls Education Unit, promoting gender equality.

Lately I have found myself reflecting on my internship and have found something shocking about my workplace and myself. I am a victim of gender discrimination. I have many opinions about development and how to achieve gender equality, but my male coworker often- if not always- disagrees. But he doesn’t just disagree, he interrogates me. My ideas are constantly shut down and my opinions are rarely heard. Through this, I have become silent. I fear saying what I want to say and I am awfully uncomfortable in my workplace. I fear being constantly rejected and being treated as somebody of lower status (because I am a woman). I didn’t notice it until recently when I was reading a book on the emancipation of women- realizing that I too was one of the women described in the book. My status, even as a foreigner, is below the men in my town- simply because I am a girl. My opinion is not valued and my expertise is not wanted. I have little to no say in what gets done and because my thoughts are constantly shut down- I no longer have the confidence to speak up.

To be quite honest, it is a really sad truth. And to be more honest- it hurts. I am here to promote gender and I, myself, am falling into the trap? But how did I end up working with somebody who makes me feel this way. (Side note: he is also here to promote gender equality…). I don’t know when it happened or how I fell into this trap, but I am incredibly disappointed and hurt. How am I to overcome this? For starters, if I speak up and say my opinion matters I will be accused of being western and imposing my western views on them (which has happened before). But how am I to put my opinions in place if I am not comfortable expressing them? It has been an incredible challenge that I have absolutely no idea how to go about dealing with it. Because it simply isn’t anything I can do. Of course I have a confidence problem- but more importantly I think it brings up the issues of gender and how it is not one sided. Although I need to be more confident and stand strong, it is important that the men are educated on how to treat women equally- beginning with how to speak to women! I think it is so important to educate the men on gender issues and how to treat women appropriately. Of course this will take an incredibly long time- especially in a male-dominated society like Damongo.

It is safe to say that I have been feeling rather dull lately and almost disappointed for allowing myself to become so vulnerable. Truth be told, it took me a long time to notice it.

I started to notice it during the Child Rights Workshop… oh boy, I mine as well share the story now- I’ve been hiding it for a month now… so here we go.

We put on a Child Rights Workshop and one of the topics discussed was child abuse. Child abuse is huge in the schools in Damongo- teachers often cane the students (hit them with a stick) as a form of punishment. On the first day, my male coworker told the teachers that it was okay to cane the student so long as the punishment suits the crime. I later asked my female boss what she thought and she disagreed and said they should never hit a student- yet she didn’t speak up. Perhaps she too is fearful of his male-dominant attitude and aggressive tone. I then asked the chief of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) if he thought it was okay and he also said no, you should never cane a child. Yet nobody spoke up!

The next day we did the same workshop with community members. We were going through child abuse and again, my male coworker began to speak out. I wanted to stop him before he said it was okay to cane a child so I (mildly) interrupted him. He put his hand up to my face and said “no.” So I tried again and he said “no” and continued talking. I looked at my female boss and said “Madam, really?” and I left the front floor and went to sit on my chair by the side of the room. My female boss started to interrupt the man and said that I have something to say- by this point I was holding back tears and refused to talk. I couldn’t handle it anymore, I turned to my boss and burst into tears and grabbed her to pull her out of the room. Yep, I cried… in front of 65 community members. I continued to cry in my boss’ arms, followed by a horrible anxiety attack. She took me to the office where we called my friend to come meet me- thank goodness for good friends! It wasn’t until then that people started to express their opinions to me about my male coworker. So you mean I’m not the only one having problems with him? So why isn’t anybody saying anything? It is when people remain silent that problems arise and get even worse.

Later that day I received a call- from my male coworker. Here I thought, oh maybe an apology? Nope. He called to ask if I was going to visit a Girls Club. Are you kidding me! You have the nerve to call me after that. The reality of it is that he had (and still has) absolutely no idea what he did wrong. It’s unbelievable.

Another way I started to notice my vulnerability was when the chief of CHRAJ was talking about bullying and ways to recognize it. He mentioned that a sign of bullying was when an individual purposely avoids certain people. And I was doing just that. I wanted to avoid this man at every possible moment- which proved to be quite difficult considering we work in the same office. But other than work, I choose not to associate with him other than exchanging greetings.

The reality of it is, I am being oppressed and verbally/mentally abused in my workplace. I mean, its not nearly as bad as it sounds, but it is still an important issue to be raised. I will most certainly use this as a learning experience and will not hold back on sharing this story. Women and girls need to understand and more importantly, need to recognize when they are being abused and oppressed.

I have learnt a number of things while being in Ghana- most of them frustrating. But this one, this one if more painful than anything. With time I will overcome it and use it as a way to promote gender equality. As for right now, I am eager to come home and have incredible talks with my friends and family about development and the issues I have encountered. Already I have had so much support and advice given to me, it is unbelievable! It has helped me get through so much and certainly keeps me motivated.

So I want to extend a huge thank you to all of my friends and family (especially those who wrote notes- they keep me going!!). I cannot wait to see you all in just 18 days!!

Lots of Love,

Bianca

Takeaway Lessons:

                  -   Gender is NOT one-sided: we must educate the men!

                 -   Don’t keep silent about things that matter: the less you say the worse it is

                 -   Women’s status can be raised through income-generating activities

                 -   Abuse is NOT a cultural thing, no matter what people say

The Power of My Skin

In the pre-departure training we also talked about the "social power flower" and how our social standings will differ from Canada to Ghana. This can be related to your education, religion, age, etc. For example, elders are more respected in Ghana but in Canada it is usually 30-50 year olds. So lately I have found myself thinking so much about being white and how our skin defines us in so many ways.

Another intern in Ghana recently left (two months early), and one of the main reasons she went home was because of power dynamics- she felt so privileged because of her white skin and didn't like it (I don't blame her). For example, she said she wanted to do a sexual reproductive workshop for the girls clubs and was able to do so without any requirements. Her boss assumed that she knew everything about the topic because she was white and educated. Although this is largely possible, my Ghanaian friend brought up a good point about how her boss wouldn't want to insult her by asking her qualifications- which is hugely part of the Ghanaian culture. So that is one thought, but looking back on our social power flower- our currently unfinished undergraduate education is incredibly powerful in a country like Ghana.

Similarly, there is a huge amount of trust placed on us as white people. They trust our knowledge so much. To be honest, I was really bothered by the fact that just because our skin is white we are 'all knowing.' After discussing this with another friend, he mentioned a really important point that I want to share. As white people coming into developing countries, it is important that we work alongside nationals as well- but also, it is so important that we use our white "powerful" skin in the right way. We have white skin and we are praised for it and trusted because of it, but it is our responsibility as white people to use it appropriately. We must use the power that our white skin has to do good in the world, to use the trust wisely and to do better- certainly not to take advantage of anything or anyone. I thought this was incredibly wise- so I encourage you to be responsible with the white skin that you have- because the reality of it is that people do place a lot of trust in us and we do draw a lot of attention...

Another personal problem I am having also deals with being white... I feel strangely comfortable when I see white people around, I feel more in my comfort zone. Which I think is incredibly sad- and I don't like it at all. I love my Ghanaian friends but for some reason when I see another Obruni (white person) in town I feel obliged and excited to meet them and talk to them. I'm not sure if it is because I can have a more intelligent conversation about development issues or if I am exhausted of being a minority and being constantly stared at... regardless I feel comfortable and more inclined to talk to them- which is really strange.

I also had a similar experience when I went to the clinic and found the doctor to be a white man from the UK... I felt comfortable and felt as though he somehow had a better education and was more knowledgeable. I am finding myself incredibly judgmental lately and it scares me. The reality of it is, everything that the social power flower suggests is so true. Our education is more developed and I guess I trust in it more? I just find it really strange how comfortable I am with white people and how much even I, as a white person, trust in them...

Regardless, there is a lot of incredible information that the social power flower can offer. I encourage you to draw a flower and compare your powers between Canada and another country. Mark each petal as something different: age, gender, religion, health, education, etc. and put a mark on the petal where you think it stands- the closer to the middle of the flower the more powerful! It is really interesting to compare in the end!

It is difficult to be a white person in a developing country, especially when you don't want to impose your views (or the westernized views) on a completely different culture. It is definitely something you need to adapt to but something that you can learn a lot from! Any comments or questions are welcome!

Lots of Love,

Bianca

Contradicting Paradoxes

Hello!

So it is safe to say I am feeling so much better (I had malaria for a few days) and am safe and sound back in my little town of Damongo. I traveled to Kumasi (in the Ashanti region of Ghana- more central) and then to Busua (in the Western region- very south by the ocean) so I have not been blogging and for that I apologize! (There might be a blog on that soon- stay tuned)

I have had a rough week, mainly because I was sick and therefore incredibly home sick but also because I am coming to terms with the realities of my internship. Before I left for my internship, we had some pre-departure training that discussed paradoxes that may occur during your internship. Well I find the paradoxes to be difficult to relate to and often contradicting. So here it goes...

Realizing that I only have two weeks left in my actual placement up north before heading back to the city for my end of mandate reporting is really scary. I feel like the time flew by and in a way, I have done (close to) nothing...

Some of the paradoxes we discussed in school are the following:

Its all about you but its not about you

In reality, my internship has been completely about me. I pretty much did absolutely no work and had no impact in my workplace at all. I had little to no contributions and to be honest, I am quite disappointed. On a positive note, my internship has been entirely about me and has been a huge learning experience. I have learnt so much about how the government works (or doesn't work) and about the issues in rural areas. So in that sense I am satisfied and have learnt a lot, but in reality- my internship was solely about me. I find this to be fairly upsetting and I know there is nothing I can do about it. I spoke with my boss from WUSC and she simply said just do what you can, you leave soon. Quite inspiring right? But the problems don't necessarily lie with WUSC, but with my actual workplace itself- and how incredibly inefficient and unmotivated my coworkers are. There is, however, a huge belief that short-term interns are only here to learn- which I think is really wrong and really - in a way- rude. It is almost as though they disvalue short-term interns. I have traveled and worked in many countries and I am a third year development student, surely I can bring something! I am not just here to learn, I am (or was) here to work. Unfortunately this has left me incredibly unmotivated and feeling very unvalued.. which leads me to my next paradox...

You get out of it what you put into it

Unfortunately I realized this a bit too late. While the entire month of January was spent doing next to nothing, I was still trying to adapt to the new culture and way of life in the north. By the time I realized that I get out of it what I put into it... I felt as though it was too late. There is so much that needs to be done to improve the system that it would take a long time, and I only have two weeks left. Similarly, a lot of my coworkers don't agree with what I have to say and I feel very uncomfortable discussing problems with them because they (particularly one man) often ignores my opinion and continuously argue everything I have to say. It has been really hard to deal with and has left me, again, unmotivated. Which is quite sad because I came into my internship incredibly upbeat and so excited to work. But the slow pace and lack of motivation in my workplace has left me to be the same- unmotivated and discouraged.

You're wanted but not needed:

I find this to be the completely opposite. I am not sure if I am completely here because a "foreigner looks good" but I am certainly not wanted. I have never been put to work, despite constantly asking for something to do. However, I am definitely needed. The system I work in is incredibly broken and, in my opinion, they need me. I feel like since they have been working within the broken system for so long that they actually don't see it as a problem anymore. But since I came in from the outside, the problems have been incredibly clear to me. However, they still refuse to use me despite the fact that I am needed. It also doesn't help that my opinions don't seem to matter to much in my workplace... which has been incredibly frustrating considering I didn't travel halfway across the world to do nothing and feel unvalued/disrespected...

This is not to sound super negative or like I am not enjoying my internship- and I certainly don't regret it. Just simply that it is not at all what I expected and is in fact everything I didn't expect. But that is okay, although it came as a surprise the amount of things I have learnt has been so incredible. I can't even begin to explain it! Things that I wouldn't have been able to learn in class or on 10 day humanitarian trip, and for that I am so thankful for this experience! So two weeks left of this learning experience before I head to Kumasi/Accra for my end-of-mandate reporting and then... back home!!!

Miss you all
Lots of Love!

Bianca

Funeral Experience

On Thursday my boss invited me to attend a funeral in a small town about an hour away called Busunu. I wanted to experience more of the culture so I figured why not go?

The funeral we were attending was a Christian funeral. In the north, their funerals are three days; this is to represent Jesus rising on the third day. We went to the funeral on the third day and went to greet the mother of the deceased. My boss started to sing a song and started to weep as she entered the room where the mother was sitting on the ground.

Sidenote: There is something very strange about crying in Ghana (or at least the West Gonja District)- it doesn't happen. Nobody cries and if you do, nobody knows how to deal with it. Apparently at the funeral you have to cry.

Because this was my boss's first time attending the funeral she had to cry, but if she attended it on the second day too she would cry on the second day only, and not on the third day. Who can control their tears like that? Especially at a funeral. So she wept and then calmed herself down enough to talk to the mom for a bit. After this we went to the father's house. The father is dead so it was just more family sitting in a room. Once again, my boss sang the song and wept.

After this, we learnt that there was another funeral going on- a traditionalist funeral. There are a lot of traditionalists in Busunu- when I say traditionalists I mean they highly believe in witchcraft and spells. I have been told incidents of times when people were killed as a result of people saying spells and wishing bad things on others. They believe that homeless people or "mad" people on the street have been cursed by traditionalists for some particular reason. We went to the traditionalist funeral just to hear the music and drumming that they do. It was similar music to that of the Damba festival in January and was nice and upbeat!

Traditionalist Dancing!

After that we went to the ceremony of the funeral, which happened outside sitting on plastic chairs. The mother of the deceased does not attend the funeral because it will be too difficult for her. So other family members and community members attended. The priest spoke and we sang songs. Then it came time for donations/collection and individuals would say a prayer for every coin they wanted to donate. Some of them said the sweetest things. Thursday happened to be the first rainfall of the season, which was wonderful to see. One of the family member's said that God planned the rain so that the deceased didn't have to lie in the hot sound. All of the prayers were thoughtful and beautiful. We were then given food to take home- this is where it got strange.

I arrived back in Damongo and I told my friend about the food I got and he told me not to eat it. He said he would never take or eat food from Busunu because it could be cursed. They truly believe that strange things happen in Busunu and choose not to associate with the town if they don't have to. My friend was actually invited but said no because he really didn't feel comfortable going to the town due to the traditionalists. So in the end we threw the food away... It was one of the strangest things I have experienced so far!

Next week I am going to the big city of Kumasi for work. It is the end of the year for WUSC’s Uniterra Program so they are hosting a 2 day workshop to discuss the year’s achievements. I created a PowerPoint (which I will try to share with you somehow) and we will present it at the workshop! So I will definitely blog about that as we learn what other districts are doing and also learn some challenges that we are facing! Stay tuned! 

Lots of love,

Bianca

Cans of Worms

Hello!

As far as learning styles go, I am definitely a hands on learner. I am currently studying International Development and Globalization- which can be a difficult program to get "hands on experience" when learning in such a developed country like Canada. With that being said, I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to travel abroad and volunteer. My favourite part about working in the developing world is seeing the books come to life. I have read about poverty and corruption and the inefficient governments, but it is all coming to life right before my eyes. It is a beautiful thing to recognize- but also a very scary thing. I absolutely love learning, and one of the reasons I chose to work with education is because I think learning is such a beautiful thing. But being able to see everything I have learnt in school come to life right before my eyes has definitely brought about some difficult questions.

I have seen, and somewhat lived, in poverty. I have seen inefficient and ineffective government systems. I have seen child labour. I have seen and heard child abuse. I have dealt with poor water facilities. I have witnessed poorly operated schools. Not only have I seen a number of development issues, but I have also felt a number of feelings. While being in Ghana, I have felt like a minority. I have felt oppressed. I have felt insecure. I have felt unsafe. I have felt vulnerable. I have felt disrespected. I have felt as a woman in a developing country feels all the time. What I have seen and felt doesn't even compare to what the average person goes through on a daily basis in the small town of Damongo, Ghana. Now, the purpose of this particular blog is not to worry you, or to tell you how amazing it is to see school come to life, but it is to tell you how my experience has opened up a huge can of worms.

I have another year (and possibly a semester) of university in order to complete my undergrad in International Development and Globalization, and my minor in Public Administration. Once I graduate, I have many choices- I could graduate and start job hunting, I could continue school and get some certificates to accompany my degree, or I could do something that I never even considered- a masters.

Lately I have been highly considering a Masters program. Last week we put on a workshop for Child Rights for Headmasters, Girls Clubs Coordinators, and several community members. After workshop I realized a sudden spark of interest in human rights and law. If I do a masters I want it to be something really important, but also something that touches on every aspect. Human Rights does that. It touches on food, shelter, health, and education- all in one! We put on the workshop and I ended up disagreeing with some things mentioned, and it really got me thinking. Are right cultural? No. Absolutely not. However, here in Damongo, they believe that certain things (like child abuse) is simply just part of their culture. But it goes against the right of a child, so how is that possible? I have definitely had a change of heart in terms of furthering my education and am seriously considering something related to Human Rights in the future!

I added my minor this year, not realizing its significance. I wanted something to accompany my undergrad and chose Public Administration out of the blue. After working with the government in Damongo, I realized how incredibly important it is. I have actually gone through my notes a couple of times to help me with my evaluation report. Public Administration focuses on the government and how systems operate. It looks at issues like accountability, conflict of interest, ethics, etc. Everything I have learnt in my course so far has played a part in my internship. One of the more prominent examples is accountability. There is little to no accountability in the Ghana Education Service in Damongo. The schools are rarely monitored and nobody gets in trouble. The teachers or headmasters may not even be at school and nobody knows. There is definitely a lack of accountability as nobody is responsible for anything. It is a broken system that needs some serious work. However, I have learnt so much about how inefficient and ineffective a government can be, especially one with as little funding as Ghana's (particularly the Northern Regions). I am so happy I chose Public Administration as my minor and think it can definitely help me in my future endeavours!

Lastly, I have considered being a teacher. I would absolutely love to teach overseas. At first I wanted to do it for myself and get experience, but now it has become to much more than that- it's about the children. Many of the teachers here don't want to be teachers, they just need to make an income. Therefore, many teachers are not motivated. Some don't go to schools, others go and don't teach... and then of course you meet the few who absolutely love it! It breaks my heart to see so many children go to school and not have the quality education that they deserve. It also makes me think about the children out of school. Many parents don't send their kids to school because they need/want them to work. To be honest, sometimes I don't blame them. I mean, why send your kid to school when they aren't receiving quality education anyways? It has definitely been something I am considering! I want to give children their right to quality education! Perhaps someday :)

It is safe to say that this internship has opened up a huge can of worms. My interests have drastically changed and I am now considering options I never even thought of! It has been an incredibly experience so far and I cannot wait to see what else sparks my interest! Maybe I'll want to work with elephants? Who knows! My next post will be about my trip to the Mole National Park!

Also, new blog on the Students Without Borders webpage! the link is at the top of my blog or click here

I also posted a blog on the University of Ottawa's website earlier this month, the link is also at the top of the page! xo

Until then,

Lots of love!

Bianca

Child Rights Workshop

Child Rights Workshop

            On Monday through to Thursday (last week), the Ghana Education Service through the Girls Education Unit put on a Child Rights Workshop. The first two days were for headmasters/headmistresses and girls clubs coordinators and the following two days were for four community members (including one PTA member). The workshop was held for 20 schools, both primary and junior high schools, within the district. The objective of the workshop was to build the capacity of individuals on child rights and how to address abuse cases within schools. Three members of the GEU (myself included) and the Chief of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) ran the workshop.

            We first discussed what human rights are and then moved on to what child rights are. We later discussed the United Nations Convention on The Rights of a Child, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Children’s Act 1998. I encourage you to do further research on the various human rights organizations or conventions that exist. There are links at the bottom of this blog to help you!

Child Abuse

            Later on in the workshop we discussed three important aspects of child rights: child abuse, child labour, and child trafficking. Child abuse has been divided into four main categories: neglect, physical abuse, psychological or emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Something that I have noticed in Damongo is that physical abuse is widely accepted. Many children, both at home and at school, are physically abused as a way of “disciplining” the child. Many teachers or headmasters walk around with a cane (or stick) and hit the children when they are acting out. There have been many contradicting views on this, especially in the workshop. One of my coworkers presented the idea that it is okay to use the cane, so long as the punishment is appropriate (ie. if the kid did something really bad, they get hit really hard- if they did something for the first time that wasn’t so bad, then just hit them lightly). I had incredibly mixed feelings about this and didn’t know how to react. Was I to correct him in front of everybody? Should I just accept that it is part of their culture? Can I really stand up here and present on something that I don’t support? I had so many questions going through my mind and I had no idea how to react. It bothered me that my boss didn’t speak out and correct my coworker as he told a room of twenty people that it was okay to use a cane- when in fact it is against everything we believe in. It was frustrating to say the least.

Defining Sexual Harassment

I later discussed this issue with the Chief (CHRAJ) in private and asked him if he thought it was okay. He said no for two reasons: 1. It is against his job to believe it is okay and 2. He personally doesn’t believe it is right. He then explained that most people do it as a way of disciplining the child because they won’t listen or learn any other way. Then he made an important point- what about the kids who weren’t abused and still turned out okay? It is so true. There are several people, myself included, who were not abused as a child and still turned out okay. We were disciplined in different ways, ways that didn’t leave scars. I asked people on Facebook to give me suggestions or ideas on how to discipline kids. I found one to be particularly interesting- one of my friends, who is also working in Ghana, suggested to reward those doing well instead of punishing the ones who are doing poorly. This way, children will have incentives to behave well. What a great idea! Why not focus on the positives instead of the negatives? I thought it was a wonderful idea and something that I will suggest to the coordinators during my visits to the girls clubs.

I want to hear your thoughts, either by commenting below or messaging/e-mailing me! Do you think child abuse can be considered part of a “culture?” Think about it, can a human right really be abused because it is part of a culture? Is that a valid excuse? Does that make it okay? What are your thoughts…?

Leading a stretching exercise!

Illiteracy

The second workshop for the community members proved to be incredibly difficult from the beginning. At the beginning of each workshop, the participants are expected to sign in and register. Many of the community members came to register and couldn’t. Why? They couldn’t write their name. Imagine that. Imagine that you didn’t even know how to write your own name! I found this to be shocking and incredibly sad. Majority of the participants couldn’t write their name and a lot of them cannot read. If there is one thing you should be able to write, it should be your name. This really made me think about how important education is and how incredibly important this workshop is considering one of the rights of a child is to have a name.

It really makes everything I am doing here feel so much more important. I am working with the Girls Clubs and promoting education. My focus is on reading and ensuring that girls can read and write. Looking at the workshop and seeing so many illiterate participants, I can really see the importance of educating a child so that they can be educated for life.  

            We definitely needed to adapt to the participant’s abilities for the workshop. Most of our presentation was on a PowerPoint so it would be easy to follow along. We also provided the participants with notepads and pens so they could take notes. However, for this particular group, they couldn’t read or write (especially in English) so we really had to work. With that being said, we needed to translate everything that we presented into the local language, Gonja, so that they could understand. Learning about the realities that exist in terms of illiteracy among older generations was something that I haven’t spent a lot of time with- it was challenging but incredibly educational. I have already learnt so much during my internship and I am only half way done! This experience has been incredible and has encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and learn about the challenges that people in developing countries face everyday.

Imagine yourself to be illiterate. What challenges would you face on a daily basis? What does a name mean to you? How important is it for your to be able to write your name?

More blogs to come soon!

Lots of Love,

Bianca

Links:

http://www.un.org/en/rights/

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/crc/

http://www.chrajghana.com/

Water is Life

Water is Life.

I have been thinking about this blog a lot, because I really want the message to be clear. So here we go…

To some, water is scary and to others it can be so much fun. Ever think about all that water can be? Water can be calm, luxurious, unpredictable, soothing, refreshing, or even inconvenient. Before I go on, I want you to think about a time when water was each of the words listed above… I’ll go first.

Ocean, Cape Coast

When I think of calm and luxurious water, I picture the lake at my cottage as we are eating dinner while the sun is setting. When I think of water as unpredictable I picture big ocean waves and not knowing what they can do. I picture the ocean and all of the creatures in it that I don’t even know exist. When I think of soothing and refreshing, I picture myself showering after a soccer game on a hot summer day. When I think of water as inconvenient, I picture having to shower and dealing with my wet hair afterwards. All of these images that I once had have completely changed over the past four weeks.

When I think of water at home in Canada, I don’t consider it to be a luxury. It is just there; it always has been and always will be. In Damongo, I live on my own in a compound with about seven other Ghanaian families. We all share the same bathrooms and showers. By bathrooms and showers, I mean we have four small rooms- two are just empty with a small drain (showers) and the other two have holes in them (toilets). There is electricity almost all of the time but there is no access to water. That’s right, no access to water. We each have large plastic bins/buckets we fill with water and then fetch more when it is empty. When we want to shower we fill up a bucket and head to the empty room to splash water on ourselves and scrub the dirt off with a bar of soap. It is safe to say that my feelings towards water have drastically changed.

Access to water in Damongo, Ghana

I now see water as a luxury. It is something that I am so incredibly grateful to have. Water in Damongo is very scarce. There are a few places in town where you go fill up your water from giant water tanks that were funded by different organizations. Sometimes water is not available in Damongo, especially clean, safe drinking water. This, therefore, is what I mean by water is unpredictable, as it is not always available. However, I still think no 

matter where you are, water is refreshing! As inconvenient as it is to shower out of a bucket, there is nothing more refreshing than a “shower” after a long, hot day! And lastly, water can be inconvenient. Looking back, I was so foolish to think that having to dry my hair after a shower was inconvenient. Having to walk far to get water is not only inconvenient, but it is strenuous work. I pay a lady to fetch water for me, and I feel incredibly guilty every time. She has to walk back and forth at least 5 times in the extreme heat carrying loads of water on her head- just to fill up my bucket.  There is no doubt in my mind that I will give her something at the end of my internship in order to thank her for the water she has provided me with.

I have worked in places (like the Dominican Republic) where there was a lack of water, or where the water was incredibly dirty. I thought I understood the “big water problem,” but I don’t think I did. There is a big difference between working in an area with polluted water, and living in one. With the work that I did in those areas, a part of me always knew that at the end of the day I could escape to my room where I was staying and have a decently warm shower. Through having this incredible experience, I have been able to see just how difficult it is to live as a Ghanaian. And I am just referring to water, there are so many other challenges that they face on a daily basis- but perhaps that can wait for another day.

carrying water

I hang out with a friend every day and we drink “pure water”- which is clean drinking water. On one of the first days we hung out, he handed me pure water and said “water is life” and not a day goes by that I don’t think about that statement. Water is life. Think about it…  water keeps us alive in so many different ways. We drink water to stay hydrated, we cook with water and stay nourished, we bathe in water to stay clean and healthy… we use water in almost everything we do. Water is life.

So next time you waste water, or complain about water- I want you to think twice. It is not always a matter of “I have it so I can use it” but a matter of respect- you should always value the water you have. So I challenge you not to waste water. Think of it as a way of showing respect to those who don’t always have water.  

I am so incredibly blessed to be Canadian, where I have access to clean drinking water every single day. I have been so privileged and so grateful to have this experience. Not everybody can have the same experience to travel overseas and see these problems first hand, so I am writing this blog to share the message in hopes that you, the readers, understand that Water is Life.

Lots of Love,

Bianca

P.S.: can someone show this to my brother please... xo