Bruni goes to Market – September 22, 2006

Here is my first update from my new home in Ghana. Where do I start!

Ghana is a weird mix of stereotypes and surprises. There are people carrying things on their head, the buildings are very worn-down, most roads are not paved, toilets are not well kept or non-existent, and the electricity and water often goes out. People will often have 2 or 3 jobs to make ends meet. Kids play soccer in their bare feet. Dense jungle surrounds the area. Most cultivation and raising of animals is free-range.

Surprises: First, people dress extremely well here; their clothes are very well mended and clean. And while they are by no means rich, no one looks ragged or impoverished. People have cell phones and own TVs. Some even own cars. There are lots of radio stations with talk shows and music. Most children go to school. People are extremely friendly and helpful. You can buy Coke, Guinness, candy, etc. And during the day I feel very safe. The country seems to be at a crossroads between poverty and success.

I got in two weekends ago Sunday and met the mayor and the Assembly manager for dinner and some beer. We had a great conversation about the differences between of local government in Canada and Ghana. I was shown to my place in the evening which overall was fine.

The following day I met the Assembly staff and shown my office. I’ll be working under the Planning Officer for the 6 months. His name is Victor and has been really helpful in showing me around and getting the things I need. Right away I had to hit the ground running and assist him with updating the District’s Local Development Plan which is due at the end of the month. So much for easing into things.

One highlight of the first week was going to the final Assembly meeting before the local elections. While everything was conducted in the local language (Twi) I caught the odd word of English to understand what was going on. Victor was also helpful in translating. I was also introduced to the Assembly and I found out the Mayor (appointed by the National Government) and the Presiding Member (elected and chair of the Assembly) had both gone to Vancouver for the World Urban Forum.

There was a celebration at the end of the meeting in recognition of the end of the 4 year term for the Assembly. We had fried chicken and beer. The funny thing was that some Assembly members complained that others got bigger pieces of chicken. So, to put down a near riot (no joke), all the members got two pieces. Sadly, some of the staff were left without as a result.

The following weekend I went to town and found the laundry mat. This is not a typical laundry mat as the guy takes the clothes from you, washes them and irons them. However, the price, in Ghana terms, was crazy. $18 American, which is a lot when you consider lunch with a drink is $2. My Assembly friends think the guy ripped me off because I was foreign. The other option is to clean my clothes myself or find a nice old lady to do it. I think you know what I’d choose.

I also went to the market to pick up some supplies to clean my place. People where helpful in showing me where to go and find a mop and broom. But it is weird being the centre of all of the attention because I am white. What, am I some walking freak show? I got what I needed and cleaned my place the next day.

Unfortunately, I was feeling tired, achy, and disorientated last Sunday. So, I go to the doctor, get a blood test (yes, they use new needles) and guess what: I have malaria. No joke. This is even though I have been taking a pill everyday to prevent the virus but I guess it is not 100%. Stupid mosquito went and bit me. It must have been a day or two after I arrived because the malaria takes a week to incubate.

Yes, malaria is very serious if you don’t treat it. However, I was given medication for it and I am already starting to feel better. I took one day off work so I could spend the day on the toilet. I plan to take it easy the rest of the weekend. One should consider that malaria is extremely common and most Ghanaians end up getting it at some point. However, I was hoping for a better introduction to Ghana. Guess what I pickup in Ghana!?

Anyway, I have written some more below and put them into categories. I will do my best to e-mail you all but I have to warn you the internet here is exxxtremely slow. In turn, I do not think I will be getting many photos onto my website.

I have not found a good long distance plan yet. However, it is free, for me, if you phone my number. Would love to hear from you! Miss you all lots, lots, and lots.

Patrick!


Bruni

By the way bruni means white man in Twi and you hear people saying it where ever you go. In the case of little kids, they just go nuts when they see you. They say Bruni! Bruni! Bruni! over and over again as if I am some kind of mythical unicorn. They love it if you wave to them. Some kids, as you walk by will actually grab your arm just to see if you are real.

Teenagers try and be all cool but you say hello and they get this big smile on there face and say hello back. Adults are generally friendly and love to talk with the bruni. Where are you going? How are you?

The sad side of being a bruni is that some treat you like you are a walking ATM. People at the market are all about ripping you off (my skills are not so hot in the bargaining department). Others want a TIP for doing very little. One teenager even went to my house, knocked on the door and asked for food. I told him sorry. That was disturbing.

Konongo

I live in a small town of 20,000 called Konongo. The town centre has lots of activity and many 1 – 2 storey buildings crammed together. There is a huge market where you can buy anything from food, to clothes, to hardware, to household supplies. Most of the buildings are of concrete and look quite worn down. Other than the main street, all the roads are unpaved. Down the road from town centre is the Assembly building where I work.

My house is located in the community of Low Cost which is a suburb of Konongo. It is a community made up of Assembly staff housing. A lot of the staff are actually not from Konongo but have been appointed by the national government to work here. So, the Assembly has built housing for them to live. Hmm, is that why it is called Low Cost? I usually get a ride to work from the Assembly driver.

House

Well, I live in a bungalow/duplex. Inside is sort of like a bachelor pad with a washroom, a desk, bed, dresser, fridge, ceiling fan, and table. No kitchen though. The place is not bad overall: the screens keep most of the bugs out, the bed is comfortable, and there is lots of room. However, the roof does leak when there is a bad storm (bring out the buckets), some big spiders find there way in (get out the raid), and the shower has one setting: cold.

Fun times are had when the electricity goes out, which happens a least 3 times a week. Fortunately, the mayor gave me a rechargeable radio/lamp and the computer has a 3.5 hour battery. What also often occurs is the water will not run. I’ve had a few showers using a bucket already. Yes, good times.

Outside the house is a water well where all the kids of the area hang out. Obruni they yell. Then there are chickens and goats running around. The one maintenance guy raises HUGE snails and grass cutters (look like hedgehogs). Sometimes you see little lizards running around. There are also some tall trees to shade the area.

Food

People here love their starches whether it is spaghetti, rice, cassava, plantain, and yam. Usually it is served with a stew, meat sauce, soap, or chilli. Often there is a side dish of meat such as fish, chicken, or beef which is usually very tasty. They tend to put a lot of spices in the meals which give it some flavour. They do not put many vegetables or fruit in there food which I think is where the meals fall short. Everyone says I need to try fufu which is cassava, plantain, or yam mashed into a pulp and put in soap. Breakfast is unusually omelettes.

I think the food has the potential to be very good but there is no thought put in the combination. Example of one meal I had: plan rice, meat sauce, fried chicken. How does that go together?

My overall experience with Ghanaian food has not been wide but also not great. The Mayor’s cook prepares breakfast for me and while the breakfast is good the dinner ranges from tolerable to awful. Usually there is layer of some oily substance at the bottom, it has no flavour, and he always adds fish to the meal. I even told him that I also like chicken and beef. What do I get the next day? More fish. Anyway, the chef is a nice guy and I will have to see how it goes.

Development Projects

For those interested, there are is a long list of development projects occurring in Ghana. They include micro-credit for small businesses, cooperatives, credit unions (yes, Aunt Milley, there are credit unions), health insurance, etc. I believe that something like 40% to 60% of the government’s budgets is from other countries.

Work

I found out something very interesting (at least for us planning geeks) about planning in Ghana. I guess in Ghana there are two types of planners. There is a physical planner and there is a development planner. Physical planners design site layouts/masterplans and undertake site plan control, which is typical for urban planners in Canada. Development planners on the other hand coordinate development projects, identify priorities, and ensure that the development is carried through. While some planners in Canada may do this, I would say that it is not standard.

So, guess who I am working under? A development planner. Which does not make sense because according to my Canadian boss, I was supposed to be writing a physical plan for the District? Instead I am working on the Development Plan which has no spatial strategy what so ever. After that they want me to work on data collection. I sent an e-mail to my Canadian boss to ask what is going on.