As we transition into the Dry season in Ghana, I felt compelled to step back and examine what I have learned in the past months living in Wamale.
I ask myself: What is poverty?
A very broad, esoteric question- one you'd think I'd already have the answer to, considering the fact that I am here, in Ghana, motivated and driven by a desire to reduce this big word we call "poverty".
I wanted to live in a village to gain a deep understanding of rural life and poverty. That was my main motivation- and the other benefits, like having a loving, fun family around, were simply cherries on top.
However, I didn't intend to live with the Chief's family. Due to hierarchy and cultural formality, we first had to meet with the Chief to discuss that I wanted a place to stay in Wamale. I later found out that Chief took it upon himself and said that if I was to be in Wamale, I should live with them to ensure my safety and happiness. I am blessed to live here and am exceedingly grateful.
But at times I would ask myself- is THIS poverty? Being the Chief's family, they are the "wealthiest" in the community, and more importantly, they receive great prestige and honour- even the children have special privileges in the community because they come from "Chief's Palace".
Chief is an excellent farmer and manages to support a family that it too large to count (imagine 4 wives, plus 26 children, plus countless grandchildren and even great grandchildren- I am still very confused and longing for a family tree).
Nevertheless, I would say they are still in poverty. But you know poverty is not what you may think- it is definitely not what I had thought. Even after having been in Ghana previously, and working in development for the past years, studying and reading about it, only recently- amazingly- it truly struck me just how complex poverty really is.
I'm sure we can all sit back and picture EXTREME POVERTY: the type that is sickening and disturbing- people literally starving to death. (Please: I don't for one second intend to claim that extreme poverty does not exist in Ghana, that it is not an atrocity of our times and an issue that should have been adequately addressed decades ago- but for the sake of this post, I will remain focused on the poverty that I encounter face to face.)
If you came to Wamale, one of the first things you might note in your head is that my mothers are fat and the family eats well. The family is very well-fed, no one is going hungry. Ever. Another perception I had was that many "villagers" would be going hungry, but I've observed that because most "villagers" are farmers, the problem is often not food but capital- actual cash.
You look at a village like Wamale here, and you will understand what my colleague told me "Robin, there are villages, but there are no villagers".
Though you find many, many people sleeping in mud huts with thatch roofs, you will be hard pressed to find any village here that does not have it least one person with a cell phone. I was amazed one day when my Chief was talking about Global Warming. And the name/face of Barack Obama plasters shirts, bracelets, and even school notebooks across the region. My family in Wamale- due to radio and even a television in Chief's room, and proximity to Tamale- are very exposed to the outside world and technology, though they are in a village with no running water. Though they have never used one, they know what a laptop and IPOD are. Further, nearly every village will have it least one English speaker, and a swarm of children who can shout HOW ARE YOU!?
I look at my family in Wamale, well-fed, no car or moto but a few bicycles, a few cell phones, a TV, radio, and many children in school, and I can question whether THIS is poverty... but then I remember that this same family doesn't have money for toilet paper, tooth brushes, tooth paste, hand soap... things I have always taken completely for granted in Canada.
I look at someone like Mustapha, who went to harvest his field, slept there 3 nights to complete it before returning, and realized he didn't even have enough money for food or to pay for a taxi to return home. So he sold his cell phone for 25 Ghana cedis.
I think of my younger brother here called, Abie. I told him about a cell phone promotion where if you buy 2 cedis of credit you get triple the talk time. He became very excited. But then asked, what if you buy only 1 cedi? I said no, the promotion is for 2 cedis. His face sunk. "Oh, well I'll never have the money to buy 2 cedis at one time. Even 1 cedi would have been hard".
Sometimes, in mid conversation, as they are speaking to me very casually I stop for a moment, and tried to imagine what it would be like to sit down and realize that I have no money- I have to sell something on my person, or that I don't have even 2 cedis.
I think about one of my elder sisters who sits all day, if she tries to walk she uses a cane. She has been to a doctor. They know the problem. They know the solution: an operation. But due to lack of funds, she sits, all day every day, without reprieve.
I think of the alarming number of incidences of malaria in my family (weekly, it least one person has malaria) and the fact that I have yet to see a single one enter a hospital or a doctor.
I think about my brother who was playing football, 5 days a week, without football boots.
My other brother who missed a week of school because his uniform was torn and he didn't have money to buy more cloth and sew a new one.
I think of a farmer who expected to get 15 bags of maize from his field and, due to rains and flooding, only got 4. Can you imagine? Can you imagine working all year, expecting to receive $150,000 and in the end, you get a cheque for 40,000?
I think of a colleage who went to the bank to take out money so that he could celebrate a Muslim holiday with his family by buying some animals to slaughter, but went and realized there was nothing in his account- he didn't have the 20 Cedis he needed to provide for his family....
I think of the many, many different vignettes, snapshots or revelations I've come across in the past months and I know that this, too, is poverty. It may be a well-fed poverty, but they are still lacking the opportunities to thrive, meet their needs, be resilient to external shocks, and propel themselves to a more prosperous future.
This is why I am here. It is simply not fair. It doesn't sit well with me inside. That propels me to create change.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Our Teams Strategy to Move Farmers from Poverty to Prosperity
**When you think about TEAM MoFA's work in Ghana, what comes to mind??**
The Agriculture as a Business Curriculum??
Eat Ghana Rice Campaign?
Rice that is "so clean, clean, cleeeean"? (Ghana Rice Radio Jingle)
In my entirely unbiased opinion, I feel Team MoFA's strategy has **never been more sophisticated and exciting**, so I felt we just had to share it- hot off the press!
**WHY are we doing what we are doing?**
In the eloquent words of Sarah Grant: "We are driven by the injustices of poverty and by the untapped potential of humans in Africa. We are in this line of work for as long as this situation exists.
Specifically, for the farmers we work with, **we are driven by the idea of helping these farmers make more from their farm so that they can invest in their children and live the life they choose full of dignity and opportunity.**"
In my own words: we love and respect farmers and want to see them with more money in hand and more smiles on their faces.
**So... WHAT exactly we doing??**
We are now driven by 3 OUTCOME AREAS:
1. Quality extension services
2. Market level interventions
3. Learning systems within the Ministry
By **"Quality Extension Services"**, we envision AEAs (Field Staff) that have the capacity and resources to provide quality extension services to farmers; A quality extension program has AEAs enabled with the time to do extension work (instead of just fertilizer coupon distribution and data collection), a means of transportation (fueled up motorcycle) and the opportunity to continue developing the skills, knowledge and attitude to **do it well** (more than just technical skills, **a coach**, facilitator, linker wise in the ways of the market).
An example of what we are doing to achieve this outcome is the Agriculture as a Business curriculum which many of you are probably familiar with; we now see it as the BREAD AND BUTTER of our work- all OVS/JFS are implementing AAB within their districts because we feel the curriculum is a very tangible tool that AEA's can implement in the field with their farmer groups that truly helps farmers tackle farming as a profitable business venture.
However, we have recognized that we are capable of far greater changes within MoFA so we are moving above and beyond just AAB. Something I am very pumped about is our initiatives in Agricultural Colleges in Ghana. **On the Job Training with AEAs is great, but why not tackle the root cause- how AEAs are educated??** We are now working in the colleges to influence the curriculum to be more farmer-first, to equip graduates with business/market approach, and a teaching pedagogy that is more participatory- so we can see graduates enter the workforce with the skills and attitudes needed to best serve farmers.
The second outcome area, deals with MoFA implementing **""Market-Level Interventions""**... this stuff is super sexy in development- talk right now, but its still pretty intangible. So far, examples of this work include our promotion of the local consumption of Ghana rice, providing Market Information to AEAs and farmers so they know the most profitable market to sell their produce, and Ryan's Farmer Group Business Development Fund- as an OVS he recognized that AAB was great, but farmers still lacked the initial start up capital to implement new projects, so he is now providing small loans to qualified farmer groups.
Finally, lucky number 3 is institutionalizing ways for MoFA to be a **""Learning Organization""** . In order for MoFA to be a cutting-edge Ministry defined by revolutionizing extension that is bringing farmers from **poverty to prosperity**, they need to be reflexive, adaptable and innovative. We need to ensure that MoFA staff have the means (ie. Fuel Money to moto to field), opportunity (training on skill building), and motivation (internal and external) to perform.
Some of our new and exciting initiatives to accomplish this objective include experimenting with Performance Based Incentives - currently, rewards are non-existent so there is little/no external motivation to work hard; those select AEAs who are outstanding seem to be internally motivated... we feel that incentives linked to how an AEA actually performs, and public recognition and celebration of excellency in extension will drive higher motivation, pride and performance. Who doesn't love to be recognized? Be the Employee of the Month? Or receive a prize for their hard work?
Another really exciting initiative is the DDA Fellowship- a fellowship program to bring together District Directors from across the region to educate on leadership development, and diffuse best practices on how to lead a district to results, success and impact.
By developing and magnifying strong leadership at District offices, we feel **we are tackling the system from nearly every possible angle: with students before they graduate and become employed, on the ground with farmers being coached by well-trained, highly motivated and well-equipped AEAs, who are being led by outstanding Directors that recognize and encourage high performance!**
I could go on for 10 pages but for the sake of "brevity" (and so I don't further confuse you) I will end here! I hope this clearly outlined what is driving our work within MoFA in Ghana, and some of the new and exciting initiatives we are piloting as we head into 2010.
Please feel free to shoot us any questions/comments around this strategy.
With lots of love and warmth (literally) from Ghana,
Robin and the rest of Team MoFA
The Agriculture as a Business Curriculum??
Eat Ghana Rice Campaign?
Rice that is "so clean, clean, cleeeean"? (Ghana Rice Radio Jingle)
In my entirely unbiased opinion, I feel Team MoFA's strategy has **never been more sophisticated and exciting**, so I felt we just had to share it- hot off the press!
**WHY are we doing what we are doing?**
In the eloquent words of Sarah Grant: "We are driven by the injustices of poverty and by the untapped potential of humans in Africa. We are in this line of work for as long as this situation exists.
Specifically, for the farmers we work with, **we are driven by the idea of helping these farmers make more from their farm so that they can invest in their children and live the life they choose full of dignity and opportunity.**"
In my own words: we love and respect farmers and want to see them with more money in hand and more smiles on their faces.
**So... WHAT exactly we doing??**
We are now driven by 3 OUTCOME AREAS:
1. Quality extension services
2. Market level interventions
3. Learning systems within the Ministry
By **"Quality Extension Services"**, we envision AEAs (Field Staff) that have the capacity and resources to provide quality extension services to farmers; A quality extension program has AEAs enabled with the time to do extension work (instead of just fertilizer coupon distribution and data collection), a means of transportation (fueled up motorcycle) and the opportunity to continue developing the skills, knowledge and attitude to **do it well** (more than just technical skills, **a coach**, facilitator, linker wise in the ways of the market).
An example of what we are doing to achieve this outcome is the Agriculture as a Business curriculum which many of you are probably familiar with; we now see it as the BREAD AND BUTTER of our work- all OVS/JFS are implementing AAB within their districts because we feel the curriculum is a very tangible tool that AEA's can implement in the field with their farmer groups that truly helps farmers tackle farming as a profitable business venture.
However, we have recognized that we are capable of far greater changes within MoFA so we are moving above and beyond just AAB. Something I am very pumped about is our initiatives in Agricultural Colleges in Ghana. **On the Job Training with AEAs is great, but why not tackle the root cause- how AEAs are educated??** We are now working in the colleges to influence the curriculum to be more farmer-first, to equip graduates with business/market approach, and a teaching pedagogy that is more participatory- so we can see graduates enter the workforce with the skills and attitudes needed to best serve farmers.
The second outcome area, deals with MoFA implementing **""Market-Level Interventions""**... this stuff is super sexy in development- talk right now, but its still pretty intangible. So far, examples of this work include our promotion of the local consumption of Ghana rice, providing Market Information to AEAs and farmers so they know the most profitable market to sell their produce, and Ryan's Farmer Group Business Development Fund- as an OVS he recognized that AAB was great, but farmers still lacked the initial start up capital to implement new projects, so he is now providing small loans to qualified farmer groups.
Finally, lucky number 3 is institutionalizing ways for MoFA to be a **""Learning Organization""** . In order for MoFA to be a cutting-edge Ministry defined by revolutionizing extension that is bringing farmers from **poverty to prosperity**, they need to be reflexive, adaptable and innovative. We need to ensure that MoFA staff have the means (ie. Fuel Money to moto to field), opportunity (training on skill building), and motivation (internal and external) to perform.
Some of our new and exciting initiatives to accomplish this objective include experimenting with Performance Based Incentives - currently, rewards are non-existent so there is little/no external motivation to work hard; those select AEAs who are outstanding seem to be internally motivated... we feel that incentives linked to how an AEA actually performs, and public recognition and celebration of excellency in extension will drive higher motivation, pride and performance. Who doesn't love to be recognized? Be the Employee of the Month? Or receive a prize for their hard work?
Another really exciting initiative is the DDA Fellowship- a fellowship program to bring together District Directors from across the region to educate on leadership development, and diffuse best practices on how to lead a district to results, success and impact.
By developing and magnifying strong leadership at District offices, we feel **we are tackling the system from nearly every possible angle: with students before they graduate and become employed, on the ground with farmers being coached by well-trained, highly motivated and well-equipped AEAs, who are being led by outstanding Directors that recognize and encourage high performance!**
I could go on for 10 pages but for the sake of "brevity" (and so I don't further confuse you) I will end here! I hope this clearly outlined what is driving our work within MoFA in Ghana, and some of the new and exciting initiatives we are piloting as we head into 2010.
Please feel free to shoot us any questions/comments around this strategy.
With lots of love and warmth (literally) from Ghana,
Robin and the rest of Team MoFA
What did I do today?
I feel the best way to describe an EWB Overseas Volunteer Staff's (OVS) daily life is that it is dynamic and full of contrast- Wayne and I were recently remarking on the fact that in one day you can go from the field- wearing wellington boots, knee high in water, working with farmers, to an office- in high heels, typing on a laptop. Our days are anything but "ordinary" (in Canadian terms), and this day is by no means indicative of what every OVS does, or what I always do, but I thought it might be interesting to share with you nonetheless.
Hopefully this helps to demystify what it is actually like to be living and working in a country foreign to our Canadian upbringing.
**Time** **Activity**
530-630 Wake up, go from hut to hut to greet my whole family, the chief, the 3 wives, and countless children. Eat breakfast, take a bucket bath.
630-7 Moto to meet Mustapha- a very dedicated and inspiring Extension Agent **(MoFA OVS get to ride motos!!)**
7-720 Travel to Taha (OVS spend a lot of time moto-ing here and there, which results in an incredible(?) moto-tan)
740-840 Coach AEA through the facilitation of Agriculture as a Business Card 2: improving group meetings
8:40-10 Moto to another community to monitor the harvesting of Expanded Rice program, walk through fields, observe farmers harvesting, thrashing, hear their concerns about the low yield, take a video of the AEA and farmer describing the effects of flooding. **(OVS get to work hand in hand with farmers, in beautiful fields, and try their best to relay these experiences to engage Canadians- and need SERIOUS patience to actually upload these videos)**
10-1045 Travel back to town, eat some egg and bread
1045-1110 Travel to MoFA district office
11-12 Greet everyone at the office, sit in on an emergency meeting re: the rice surveys, where Director informed everyone that the next few months will be extremely busy before National Farmers Day and that there are still no funds for fuel money- but they should all be encouraged and continue to go to the field as much as possible to complete projects **(OVS can (and DO)go from being dirty and sweaty in the field, to dressy and formal in an office meeting)**
1-2 Go home and wash some clothes by hand so I can be "clean" tomorrow when I travel to pong-tamale to work with Carissa (ProJF) at the Vet. College **(OVS can have poor time management skills, and often wear clothes that aren't entirely clean)**
2-3 Back at office, work on computer- set goals for the week- what do I need to accomplish by weeks end? what needs to happen to get me there? **(OVS placements are pretty self directed and you have to drive your own schedule and accomplishments)**
3-6 Meet with Sarah Grant-our team MoFA incredible Team Lead, for coaching and feedback on my current strategy and initiatives **(OVS excel when they have great coaches, and EWBers are overly reflective and OVS can think and analyze as much, (sometimes more), than they DO)** .
6-8 Moto home, greet everyone again, spend time singing and clapping with kids, have a quick nap with Sule- my fav. little baby boy, take a refreshingly cool bucket shower, and eat a big bowl of TZ with my VERY BIG (and incredible) family in Wamale. **(OVS, though they are physically separated from their biological family members in Canada, can form incredibly close bonds with their local family members)**
8-10 Work in my mud hut (that has electricity!) on some presentations, and talk on the phone to my best friend in Canada. **(Straddling Canadian/Ghanaian relationships is an interesting balance but allows for beautiful interactions with very unique and diverse people; a 2 year old Ghanaian boy who knows 10 English words, to a 23 year old Masters student in Canada)**
10- Fall asleep comfortably- with my fan blowing on my face and my mosquito net engulfing my still-sweaty body.
So what do you think? What have you been up to lately in Canada, or wherever you find yourself on this vast earth? Were you surprised by anything above or was this pretty much in line with your perception of what I've been doing?
Love Robin
Hopefully this helps to demystify what it is actually like to be living and working in a country foreign to our Canadian upbringing.
**Time** **Activity**
530-630 Wake up, go from hut to hut to greet my whole family, the chief, the 3 wives, and countless children. Eat breakfast, take a bucket bath.
630-7 Moto to meet Mustapha- a very dedicated and inspiring Extension Agent **(MoFA OVS get to ride motos!!)**
7-720 Travel to Taha (OVS spend a lot of time moto-ing here and there, which results in an incredible(?) moto-tan)
740-840 Coach AEA through the facilitation of Agriculture as a Business Card 2: improving group meetings
8:40-10 Moto to another community to monitor the harvesting of Expanded Rice program, walk through fields, observe farmers harvesting, thrashing, hear their concerns about the low yield, take a video of the AEA and farmer describing the effects of flooding. **(OVS get to work hand in hand with farmers, in beautiful fields, and try their best to relay these experiences to engage Canadians- and need SERIOUS patience to actually upload these videos)**
10-1045 Travel back to town, eat some egg and bread
1045-1110 Travel to MoFA district office
11-12 Greet everyone at the office, sit in on an emergency meeting re: the rice surveys, where Director informed everyone that the next few months will be extremely busy before National Farmers Day and that there are still no funds for fuel money- but they should all be encouraged and continue to go to the field as much as possible to complete projects **(OVS can (and DO)go from being dirty and sweaty in the field, to dressy and formal in an office meeting)**
1-2 Go home and wash some clothes by hand so I can be "clean" tomorrow when I travel to pong-tamale to work with Carissa (ProJF) at the Vet. College **(OVS can have poor time management skills, and often wear clothes that aren't entirely clean)**
2-3 Back at office, work on computer- set goals for the week- what do I need to accomplish by weeks end? what needs to happen to get me there? **(OVS placements are pretty self directed and you have to drive your own schedule and accomplishments)**
3-6 Meet with Sarah Grant-our team MoFA incredible Team Lead, for coaching and feedback on my current strategy and initiatives **(OVS excel when they have great coaches, and EWBers are overly reflective and OVS can think and analyze as much, (sometimes more), than they DO)** .
6-8 Moto home, greet everyone again, spend time singing and clapping with kids, have a quick nap with Sule- my fav. little baby boy, take a refreshingly cool bucket shower, and eat a big bowl of TZ with my VERY BIG (and incredible) family in Wamale. **(OVS, though they are physically separated from their biological family members in Canada, can form incredibly close bonds with their local family members)**
8-10 Work in my mud hut (that has electricity!) on some presentations, and talk on the phone to my best friend in Canada. **(Straddling Canadian/Ghanaian relationships is an interesting balance but allows for beautiful interactions with very unique and diverse people; a 2 year old Ghanaian boy who knows 10 English words, to a 23 year old Masters student in Canada)**
10- Fall asleep comfortably- with my fan blowing on my face and my mosquito net engulfing my still-sweaty body.
So what do you think? What have you been up to lately in Canada, or wherever you find yourself on this vast earth? Were you surprised by anything above or was this pretty much in line with your perception of what I've been doing?
Love Robin
Monday, October 12, 2009
"Planners aren't implementers": Development Wisdom from the Field
I had the great privilege to spend a week in the field with Tahiru, an amazing AEA (Agricultural Extension Agent= field worker) at the Tamale District MoFA (Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture) office.
EWB works with MoFA for many reason, one being that they have excellent reach and breadth- they provide extension services to most farmers throughout the entire Northern Region, and will likely be a sustainable actor in the sector in the long run. Unfortunately, for these same reasons, MoFA ends up being approached by many donor projects to implement in the field.
This week, Tahiru was completing a project called "The Good Life of Maize" (from a massive donor whose name I will not mention). Basically, his task was to come to various farmer groups in different communities to take attendance, and provide a poster to each person in attendance. The poster was pretty substantial, larger than Full Scap paper, colour, with many small pictures, and not just laminated- actual colour printed paper. The poster explained the good and bad practices of maize- bad practices down left, good practices down the right, all in all there were 15 key steps in the table, front and back.
Initially, being my first week in the field, I was mostly observing and taking it all in. But by the time numerous hours had past, and I was still asking people their names, and having them stamp their finger print (because they can't sign their name), I realized that not only was this inefficient and a waste of time, it was not achieving (what I assume to be) their objectives. Yes- people were thrilled to receive the poster, but looking at it, I felt that there was far too much text (all English), and the pictures were far too small to be understood independent of the text. I soon asked Tahiru, after seeing people holding the poster upside down, "How many of them do you think can read English?", Tahiru laughed..
"You see, Robin, planners aren't implementers" Problem number one.
In one statement, Tahiru succinctly addressed one of the biggest reasons trillions of dollars have been spent on development and we still live in a world with extreme poverty- those planning development projects are often sitting in nice offices in North America and Europe, while those implementing- working on the ground with an authentic understanding of the poor- are not consulted but merely execute what is instructed from the top; whether it makes sense or not.
Looking at the big package the posters came in, I saw the bill: $240 Ghana Cedis (just under $300 CAD) just to mail it from Accra to Tamale. Each poster, I'm guessing, cost between 6-10 Ghana Cedis, plus the labour to research and design the poster, potentially mail it from US to Ghana, and the time field staff spent distributing, and other extraneous costs.. what I'm trying to say is that A LOT OF MONEY WAS SPENT... and for what outcome?
It appears that the result is perhaps a few people in each community who can read, and hundreds of others who now hold posters they don't understand.
Further, Tahiru addressed another key challenge in development "But they love it, Robin. Look how happy they are to have the poster". Problem number two: Handouts are sexy. To farmers, receiving something, anything, is well pleasing, desirable, and creates excitement.
The challenge is a complex, multifaceted one; how do development planners gain greater insight into field realities to create projects that will actually help the poor? How do implementers, those with the deepest understanding of field realities, contribute their vast knowledge to the larger development sector? How do we make the intangible stuff (learning how to make a business plan, how to function as a farmer group and apply for a loan) as exciting as the tangible stuff (a colourful poster) to farmers?
Here's to hoping that the amazing Ghanaians like Tahiru continue to have an impact in the lives of farmers in Ghana and beyond, and that Canadian and other foreigners continue to leverage all they learn to create greater impact within our own sphere of influence elsewhere in the world.
EWB works with MoFA for many reason, one being that they have excellent reach and breadth- they provide extension services to most farmers throughout the entire Northern Region, and will likely be a sustainable actor in the sector in the long run. Unfortunately, for these same reasons, MoFA ends up being approached by many donor projects to implement in the field.
This week, Tahiru was completing a project called "The Good Life of Maize" (from a massive donor whose name I will not mention). Basically, his task was to come to various farmer groups in different communities to take attendance, and provide a poster to each person in attendance. The poster was pretty substantial, larger than Full Scap paper, colour, with many small pictures, and not just laminated- actual colour printed paper. The poster explained the good and bad practices of maize- bad practices down left, good practices down the right, all in all there were 15 key steps in the table, front and back.
Initially, being my first week in the field, I was mostly observing and taking it all in. But by the time numerous hours had past, and I was still asking people their names, and having them stamp their finger print (because they can't sign their name), I realized that not only was this inefficient and a waste of time, it was not achieving (what I assume to be) their objectives. Yes- people were thrilled to receive the poster, but looking at it, I felt that there was far too much text (all English), and the pictures were far too small to be understood independent of the text. I soon asked Tahiru, after seeing people holding the poster upside down, "How many of them do you think can read English?", Tahiru laughed..
"You see, Robin, planners aren't implementers" Problem number one.
In one statement, Tahiru succinctly addressed one of the biggest reasons trillions of dollars have been spent on development and we still live in a world with extreme poverty- those planning development projects are often sitting in nice offices in North America and Europe, while those implementing- working on the ground with an authentic understanding of the poor- are not consulted but merely execute what is instructed from the top; whether it makes sense or not.
Looking at the big package the posters came in, I saw the bill: $240 Ghana Cedis (just under $300 CAD) just to mail it from Accra to Tamale. Each poster, I'm guessing, cost between 6-10 Ghana Cedis, plus the labour to research and design the poster, potentially mail it from US to Ghana, and the time field staff spent distributing, and other extraneous costs.. what I'm trying to say is that A LOT OF MONEY WAS SPENT... and for what outcome?
It appears that the result is perhaps a few people in each community who can read, and hundreds of others who now hold posters they don't understand.
Further, Tahiru addressed another key challenge in development "But they love it, Robin. Look how happy they are to have the poster". Problem number two: Handouts are sexy. To farmers, receiving something, anything, is well pleasing, desirable, and creates excitement.
The challenge is a complex, multifaceted one; how do development planners gain greater insight into field realities to create projects that will actually help the poor? How do implementers, those with the deepest understanding of field realities, contribute their vast knowledge to the larger development sector? How do we make the intangible stuff (learning how to make a business plan, how to function as a farmer group and apply for a loan) as exciting as the tangible stuff (a colourful poster) to farmers?
Here's to hoping that the amazing Ghanaians like Tahiru continue to have an impact in the lives of farmers in Ghana and beyond, and that Canadian and other foreigners continue to leverage all they learn to create greater impact within our own sphere of influence elsewhere in the world.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
"Home, sweet home": Wamale
After a weekend in Tamale for our EWB Ghana Country Meeting, I was happy to return home, lay down my bag and recognize that nice, warm feeling: "it feels good to be home".
After explaining to Wayne and AEA's at the office that I was looking for a place to live outside of Tamale, a village with a family, but not too far from the office, on Monday there was a lead; Tahiru (an amazing AEA) informed me that we could go to visit the Chief of Wamale to discuss the matter; by the end of the evening, I had moved into my new home.
Wamale is a small village outside of Tamale, on the road to Yendi (for those familiar with Ghana's Northern Region, or those who love to examine maps). A few months ago, the village got electricity so I am happy to say that I am living in a thatched-roof mud hut, concrete floors, but I am capable of working on my laptop at night or charging my cell phone- it really is the best of both worlds!
I am staying with the Chief's family, not directly in Chiefs compound, but with his nephew, 1 min outside of compound. They are Muslim, so Chief has 3 wives, and 26+ children and countless grandchildren (new meaning to the term "large family"). He is a kind chief, very well respected in the community. I am learning so much about Dagomba culture. Formality, respect and hierarchy are very important- before anyone goes/does anything (including me) they come in to his "Palace" (a large, circular mud hut), crouch down, greet him, and inform him of their plans.
I really love him. He has been very welcoming and that makes a huge difference when the Chief is on your side- everyone else in the community follows suit. One morning, one of my brothers, Mohammed, was leaving and said "Madame, I am now going to school", and walked away. A minute later Chief called him back and said "Mohammed, don't call her "Madame", call her "sister". (And this was on my second morning in Wamale). He has been very clear on the fact that I am now part of the family, that I am his Canadian daughter, and so he treats me very well. He can speak some English which makes it nice for us to get to know one another.
The most helpful person in Wamale by far has been Mustapha- the nephew, a middle aged man, who I am staying with. He is educated, can speak English fluently, and he is teaching me Dagbani. Our mud huts are side by side, and we share an outdoor space where we can bath, and he also has a homemade latrine type of deal that we use to go to the bathroom. Water is fetched up the street from near the School by the young boys who go on their bicycles and return with jugs filled.
Culturally, in some ways, things seem backwards to family life in Canada: in Canada, the eldest often has to do more of the work and the younger ones are served and babied. In Wamale hierarchy is very important, so the older you are, the less housework you do: the more you are served by your juniors.
One of my favourite people and greatest sources of joy and laughter in Wamale is Sulemana- a 3 year old boy here (Grandson of Chief), who I adore! He is with me nonstop, as soon as I ride in on my moto from work he runs to me giggling, I carry him around everywhere, sing and dance with him, feed him, kiss him; he is too cute!
Finally, I am very excited because my birthday is tomorrow! And it is going to be amazing! In Wamale we are having a BIG celebration, and it's my official naming ceremony: Njallawuni (in- gel-LA-wu-knee, it means "I have laid myself against God")! I am so grateful- people from all surrounding villages have been invited, the youth are performing a drama, we are dancing, there will be delicious food and drumming; I'm confident it will be a birthday I'll never forget.
That's all for now: look forward to lots of pictures/videos to come!
Love,
Njallawuni.
After explaining to Wayne and AEA's at the office that I was looking for a place to live outside of Tamale, a village with a family, but not too far from the office, on Monday there was a lead; Tahiru (an amazing AEA) informed me that we could go to visit the Chief of Wamale to discuss the matter; by the end of the evening, I had moved into my new home.
Wamale is a small village outside of Tamale, on the road to Yendi (for those familiar with Ghana's Northern Region, or those who love to examine maps). A few months ago, the village got electricity so I am happy to say that I am living in a thatched-roof mud hut, concrete floors, but I am capable of working on my laptop at night or charging my cell phone- it really is the best of both worlds!
I am staying with the Chief's family, not directly in Chiefs compound, but with his nephew, 1 min outside of compound. They are Muslim, so Chief has 3 wives, and 26+ children and countless grandchildren (new meaning to the term "large family"). He is a kind chief, very well respected in the community. I am learning so much about Dagomba culture. Formality, respect and hierarchy are very important- before anyone goes/does anything (including me) they come in to his "Palace" (a large, circular mud hut), crouch down, greet him, and inform him of their plans.
I really love him. He has been very welcoming and that makes a huge difference when the Chief is on your side- everyone else in the community follows suit. One morning, one of my brothers, Mohammed, was leaving and said "Madame, I am now going to school", and walked away. A minute later Chief called him back and said "Mohammed, don't call her "Madame", call her "sister". (And this was on my second morning in Wamale). He has been very clear on the fact that I am now part of the family, that I am his Canadian daughter, and so he treats me very well. He can speak some English which makes it nice for us to get to know one another.
The most helpful person in Wamale by far has been Mustapha- the nephew, a middle aged man, who I am staying with. He is educated, can speak English fluently, and he is teaching me Dagbani. Our mud huts are side by side, and we share an outdoor space where we can bath, and he also has a homemade latrine type of deal that we use to go to the bathroom. Water is fetched up the street from near the School by the young boys who go on their bicycles and return with jugs filled.
Culturally, in some ways, things seem backwards to family life in Canada: in Canada, the eldest often has to do more of the work and the younger ones are served and babied. In Wamale hierarchy is very important, so the older you are, the less housework you do: the more you are served by your juniors.
One of my favourite people and greatest sources of joy and laughter in Wamale is Sulemana- a 3 year old boy here (Grandson of Chief), who I adore! He is with me nonstop, as soon as I ride in on my moto from work he runs to me giggling, I carry him around everywhere, sing and dance with him, feed him, kiss him; he is too cute!
Finally, I am very excited because my birthday is tomorrow! And it is going to be amazing! In Wamale we are having a BIG celebration, and it's my official naming ceremony: Njallawuni (in- gel-LA-wu-knee, it means "I have laid myself against God")! I am so grateful- people from all surrounding villages have been invited, the youth are performing a drama, we are dancing, there will be delicious food and drumming; I'm confident it will be a birthday I'll never forget.
That's all for now: look forward to lots of pictures/videos to come!
Love,
Njallawuni.
"Rain, rain, go away" Abokobiisi Part 2
Being in Abokobiisi really illuminated the fact that the rain is both a blessing and a curse for Ghanaians.
For a farmer, the rains- completely unpredictable and out of your control-determine your ability to thrive or suffer. Beyond this, the rains can be deadly.
In this post, I will highlight some few anecdotes to demonstrate how the rain affects the lives of some of the incredible Ghanaians I have met so far.
"The rains, Ah! They have been TOO much!"- (in Ghana-speak). None are unaffected; for the children, if it rains, they do not attend school that day. Can you imagine in Canada if school was canceled every day it rained or snowed? The amount of time and knowledge lost must be incredible, especially during the rainy season.
*Quality of education is greatly hindered by the rains.*
For the womens' group in Abokobiisi, when I inquired of the status of their Soya fields (funded by Ryan's Loan Program), they said things haven't gone as well as they expected. Due to the rains, and the fact that the field is a great distance from the home, they were prevented from weeding and applying fertilizer at the right times. The path to get to the field currently requires you to trench through rivers, puddles, and mud; not very practical for middle aged women, or anyone for that matter, and not conducive to high yields.
*So in this case, the success of this womens' group loan (a big business risk) is now in jeopardy.*
In Bongo, a woman's mud hut collapsed on her during a storm, breaking her leg. She returned from the hospital, feeling okay, and the next morning she was found dead. Similarly upsetting in nature, in Tugu a woman's mud hut was struck by lightning, setting fire to all of her belongings, and knocking her unconscious.
*With less than structurally sound housing, the rain can be fatal.*
Less seriously, the rain simply decreases the overall productivity of Ghanaians. Take this example: I was scheduled to go to the field at 5:45 am, and due to the rains, we could not leave until after 11. Further, many Ghanaians are petty traders eking out a living in markets and along the streets, selling from small stalls and shops. However, when it is raining, you are hard pressed to find a single place to buy any food or products. The success of any farmer's harvest is obviously dependent on the rains; when it is too rainy, fields flood and completely wash away all potential crops, or other fields are simply inundated with weeds, requiring farmers to weed more frequently if they are to prosper.
*The rain prevents Ghanaians from earning more money.*
I regret the fact that this post appears to be very negative; I merely wanted to elucidate how something that all humans experience- rain- can have a drastically variant effects on peoples' lives, prescribed only by your place of birth/residence. To me, it has been very eye opening... in Canada, the worst side effect rain has had on my life has been a bad hair day.
So the next time it rains, I hope you will join me in singing "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day"!
For a farmer, the rains- completely unpredictable and out of your control-determine your ability to thrive or suffer. Beyond this, the rains can be deadly.
In this post, I will highlight some few anecdotes to demonstrate how the rain affects the lives of some of the incredible Ghanaians I have met so far.
"The rains, Ah! They have been TOO much!"- (in Ghana-speak). None are unaffected; for the children, if it rains, they do not attend school that day. Can you imagine in Canada if school was canceled every day it rained or snowed? The amount of time and knowledge lost must be incredible, especially during the rainy season.
*Quality of education is greatly hindered by the rains.*
For the womens' group in Abokobiisi, when I inquired of the status of their Soya fields (funded by Ryan's Loan Program), they said things haven't gone as well as they expected. Due to the rains, and the fact that the field is a great distance from the home, they were prevented from weeding and applying fertilizer at the right times. The path to get to the field currently requires you to trench through rivers, puddles, and mud; not very practical for middle aged women, or anyone for that matter, and not conducive to high yields.
*So in this case, the success of this womens' group loan (a big business risk) is now in jeopardy.*
In Bongo, a woman's mud hut collapsed on her during a storm, breaking her leg. She returned from the hospital, feeling okay, and the next morning she was found dead. Similarly upsetting in nature, in Tugu a woman's mud hut was struck by lightning, setting fire to all of her belongings, and knocking her unconscious.
*With less than structurally sound housing, the rain can be fatal.*
Less seriously, the rain simply decreases the overall productivity of Ghanaians. Take this example: I was scheduled to go to the field at 5:45 am, and due to the rains, we could not leave until after 11. Further, many Ghanaians are petty traders eking out a living in markets and along the streets, selling from small stalls and shops. However, when it is raining, you are hard pressed to find a single place to buy any food or products. The success of any farmer's harvest is obviously dependent on the rains; when it is too rainy, fields flood and completely wash away all potential crops, or other fields are simply inundated with weeds, requiring farmers to weed more frequently if they are to prosper.
*The rain prevents Ghanaians from earning more money.*
I regret the fact that this post appears to be very negative; I merely wanted to elucidate how something that all humans experience- rain- can have a drastically variant effects on peoples' lives, prescribed only by your place of birth/residence. To me, it has been very eye opening... in Canada, the worst side effect rain has had on my life has been a bad hair day.
So the next time it rains, I hope you will join me in singing "Rain, rain, go away, come again another day"!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
"Sharing Minds"- Abokobiisi Part 1
I spent 5 days in a village called Abokobiisi, in the Upper East Region of Ghana, and it may have been the most powerful 5 days of my life.
When I returned, I thought to myself, “how can I communicate all of this learning back to Canada?” … I soon realized that just one blog post could never possibly capture it all, so decided to write a short series on Abokobiisi… welcome to Part 1, Sharing Minds.
When you think of a Ghanaian farmer, who do you picture? Previously, I probably would have thought of a middle-aged black man, wrinkled face, family man, working hard every day in the fields.. this isn’t completely false, there are farmers like this.
But I met many others whose profiles are quite different, many women here are farmers (more than 60% of Ghanaian farmers of women- see the women above from Abokobiisi’s Women’s Group) and there are also a lot of young farmers, many who farm because they have no other choice.
I begin the series highlighting the person who most inspired me: Amos. A 19 year old boy: young, lean but muscular, hardworking, kind, and he speaks English (one of the 3 in the whole community that I could communicate with), and did I mention exceptionally bright. He is currently a farmer by default, by unfortunate circumstances, but things are looking up for Amos.
Last year, he graduated from JHS (Junior High School) with excellent grades. He hoped to move on to SS (Secondary School), which is 3 years and requires you to board in another town, and pay steep school fees. When I asked why he didn’t go to SS he said “because of poverty, we are suffering”. Unable to pay the school fees, (hundreds of dollars), he had to stay in Abokobiisi- a village that is an hour bicycle ride to the nearest hospital, an our walk through rivers and streams to the nearest market, no electricity, no formal sanitation… probably the typical “African village” you see in your mind.
So for the past year he has been farming, and extensively helping the community. He is currently hoping that, with community support and help from the Assemblyman, he can go to SS this year. I am really hoping he is able, and am anxiously awaiting him telling me the good news.
Each day I spent with Amos, I learned something new about village life, something new about poverty, and something new about the human spirit.
More surprisingly, I kept finding out different roles he played in the community. It took 3 days for me to discover that every night, Monday to Friday from 8-9pm, he teaches night class (remember- there is no electricity in Abokobiisi). When I asked him why, he said “We don’t want our mothers to be illiterate”.
Then, I attended the Women’s Group Meeting, where he also sat in. After, I looked at his book and realized that the whole time he had been listening to the meeting in Fra Fra, translating to English in his mind, and writing in English- almost word for word- what was discussed at the meeting. In this same book, he records which ladies go to the field each day to weed the soya field, and much much more.
I can definitely say that all of my most fruitful conversations in the village involved Amos. He is so intelligent, would ask me great questions about life in Canada, and some funny ones (Can you open the window when you’re flying on an airplane?).
He really pushed my thinking. I had the mentality that I didn’t want to bring many luxurious items to the village because a) they are unnecessary and b) I don’t want to show people material things that they’ve never seen, have them become fascinated by them, and subsequently want to have their own (it is unlikely they will ever be able to afford them).
So I didn’t bring my laptop and didn’t bring many clothes, etc, but I did bring my MP3 player to listen to music in the morning/at night. I had no intentions of bringing it out. But on the third day, when I was fairly close with Gilbert and Amos, we were sitting out in the early morning- as we always did- and I decided to bring it out. Of course they loved it. They had never seen one or heard of it before- they initially thought it was a different cell phone. They loved the beats, wanted it really loud, and I soon realized they preferred the more upbeat, hip hop type songs so would put those on for them.
I went away and returned, grabbed the MP3 to change the song for them and realized that Amos had already been navigating through the MP3 and had changed things. I was very amazed- (minutes earlier, he didn’t know how to change the volume).
Later in the day, walking to the market, I confessed that I hadn’t intended on showing them the MP3 (for reason B mentioned above). And Amos said “No Robin. It is wonderful for us to see these things. Then, when I see it later, I will know what it is, how it works, and then I won’t just be a villager, again”.
Leaving Abokobiisi was difficult. I was happy to stay longer than intended- due to the rains. The night before I left, Amos said: “I’m praying it will rain again tomorrow so you can stay another day”, I said “I know, it’s very painful. But why do you want me to stay”, he said: “So we can converse. So we can share minds.”
Please stay tuned for more on the beautiful people of Abokobiisi, and how they have enriched my life.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Life in Bongo: motos, marriage and more
I am currently staying in the beautiful town of BONGO, in the Upper East Region of Ghana, with Ryan (another OVS. At one point this was where I was going to be placed, but there has been a shift and now my placement will be in Tamale. So I am here in Bongo for the next week to job shadow and learn from Ryan. Yesterday we attended his MoFA District Office's weekly meeting where all AEA's give updates and they discuss pertinent issues. It was great to see the pride they have in the Agriculture as a Business Curriculum (AAB)- Bongo is seen as an "All Star District" where AAB is really flying, and they were all passionate and proud to tell me about AAB in their district and the successes they are seeing with their farmer groups.
It is so beautiful here. Picture this: dirt roads, and all around you green: 15 foot crop fields of millet, huge rocks, grass, animals all around, beautiful Baobab trees- it is just stunning. I don't miss city life at all. Mountains in the distance, sun shining, blue skies and perfectly white, fluffy clouds; it is truly a sight. Its very funny because I can't speak Fra Fra so without Ryan I would be totally helpless. Everywhere we walk people are staring at us, kids yelling "Salaminga" (white person), and after the normal greetings with all the people we pass, his local friends and acquaintances keep asking Ryan if I am his wife- it's a bit awkward because I know everyone is talking about me but don't know what they are saying and I can't respond. It's not too surprising they have questions about us; you don't often see a guy and a girl very close who are "just friends" here- and considering the fact that we're sleeping in the same room, I can't blame them for calling me his wife.
Still, it is very funny- they are so amazed to see the two of us walking through the market- it's like what Megan said- kids stare at you as if they are seeing a unicorn, and its even more entertaining when they see us riding on his moto! Picture this: its 40 degrees, humid, bright sun, beautiful greenery, crop fields, goats, and kids on either side of you, and 2 salamingas flying by on the moto! It's perfection with the breeze on your face- its like Ghanaian air con, the coolest you'll ever feel!)
Tomorrow I head to Abokobise (a-boko bee-see) for my Village Stay so I am very excited to really experience a life that is different from my own. It has been a very nice series of transitions out of my comfort zone. I moved from a beautiful house with my mom in Pickering, to the EWB house in Toronto (read- 20+ volunteers coming and going, crammed in a house with 1 shower), to a nice guest house in Ghana with running water and mattresses, to Ryans place where we "free range" (go to the bathroom out in the fields) and I sleep on the floor. What a great experience this is.
By next weekend I'll be in Tamale to begin my placement officially and I am very excited to start looking for a place to settle down and call my home.
Hope you are all well and enjoying each day as much, or more, as I am.
Love Robin
It is so beautiful here. Picture this: dirt roads, and all around you green: 15 foot crop fields of millet, huge rocks, grass, animals all around, beautiful Baobab trees- it is just stunning. I don't miss city life at all. Mountains in the distance, sun shining, blue skies and perfectly white, fluffy clouds; it is truly a sight. Its very funny because I can't speak Fra Fra so without Ryan I would be totally helpless. Everywhere we walk people are staring at us, kids yelling "Salaminga" (white person), and after the normal greetings with all the people we pass, his local friends and acquaintances keep asking Ryan if I am his wife- it's a bit awkward because I know everyone is talking about me but don't know what they are saying and I can't respond. It's not too surprising they have questions about us; you don't often see a guy and a girl very close who are "just friends" here- and considering the fact that we're sleeping in the same room, I can't blame them for calling me his wife.
Still, it is very funny- they are so amazed to see the two of us walking through the market- it's like what Megan said- kids stare at you as if they are seeing a unicorn, and its even more entertaining when they see us riding on his moto! Picture this: its 40 degrees, humid, bright sun, beautiful greenery, crop fields, goats, and kids on either side of you, and 2 salamingas flying by on the moto! It's perfection with the breeze on your face- its like Ghanaian air con, the coolest you'll ever feel!)
Tomorrow I head to Abokobise (a-boko bee-see) for my Village Stay so I am very excited to really experience a life that is different from my own. It has been a very nice series of transitions out of my comfort zone. I moved from a beautiful house with my mom in Pickering, to the EWB house in Toronto (read- 20+ volunteers coming and going, crammed in a house with 1 shower), to a nice guest house in Ghana with running water and mattresses, to Ryans place where we "free range" (go to the bathroom out in the fields) and I sleep on the floor. What a great experience this is.
By next weekend I'll be in Tamale to begin my placement officially and I am very excited to start looking for a place to settle down and call my home.
Hope you are all well and enjoying each day as much, or more, as I am.
Love Robin
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Happily Honeymooning
After a week and a half in Ghana, I can confidently say that I am happily honeymooning.
For those unfamiliar with the typical phases of cultural integration, phase one is often described as the "honeymoon phase", much like a newlywed couple; everything seems perfect, exciting, invigorating; pure joy.
It has been a year since I was in Ghana but it feels like I never left. As I walk through markets, crowded with people and goats, sounds of people yelling, music blaring, sun scorching, sweat dribbling down my forehead, holding a sachet of water while greeting people, I couldn't be happier.
I love Ghana more now than ever and so glad I made this commitment- the food tastes amazing, and after a strangely cool summer in Toronto I am welcoming the heat, and loving every second of my cold bucket showers morning and night. And wearing my African cloth again, and seeing swarms of adorable African children who either excitedly ask me "How ah you?!" or run away scared of me, is just too much fun.
Don't get me wrong: though I am an energetic optimist, I am not disillusioned; I fully realize that this is a phase and that there will be times in the coming year that I may feel crappy, annoyed, frustrated, sick, but for now, I will soak in this time of honeymooning and pour all my love into this relationship between me and Ghana- I can confidently say that I vowed to stay in this marriage for at least 1 year!
(For those of you interested in details, and how an OVS (Overseas Volunteer Staff) placement begins: I am currently in Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. On a personal note: I am feeling very healthy, have adjusted to the time, and am diligently taking my Larium, sleeping under a mosquito net, applying repellent and wearing long clothes at night! This past weekend I was at WAR- the West Africa Retreat- where all the incredible EWB volunteers working in Burkina Faso and Ghana come together on a quarterly basis to share, learn, relax, bond, and strategize. Tomorrow I'm heading to Bongo where I will be jobshadowing Ryan, and having my Village Stay to gain greater insight into rural life. After that I'm heading to Tamale which I will be calling my home for the next year! I am pretty excited to get started and into action with my placement; after months of independent learning and reflecting, and 4 weeks of pre-departure training in Toronto with the amazing Robin Farnworth, and in-country training with the amazing Alanna Peters, I am rearin' to go and apply some of this knowledge!
I am also motivated and excited because there is a beautiful amount of flexibility, and many opportunities for innovation within my placement- Sarah called it a sort of "choose your own adventure" novel. I will work with her to shape my goals and workplan in order to most effectively and strategically meet the needs of MOFA in Tamale, and utilize the skills I have to offer both MOFA and EWB. And this is an incredibly exciting time to be working with TEAM MOFA in Ghana; our team just doubled in size (!), we have a solid strategy going forward, a great relationship with MOFA staff across districts, regions, and nationally, a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers led by the amazing Sarah Grant, and 3 clear Outcome Areas we are all uniquely and innovatively working towards as we move beyond the Agriculture as a Business Curriculum to experiment how to improve MOFA's agricultural extension services with the incredible Ghanaian farmers we work with and for!)
So, in summary, I am happy, healthy, and HUNGRY for all that is about to land on my beautiful Ghanaian plate as I begin this working/loving/growing relationship!
Without further ado, I'm off to eat some RED RED (Fried plantains and beans!)
Please feel free to reply or call/email me with questions and/or comments: 011 233 279895359 or 011 233 540955865. Robinstratas@ewb.ca
Lots of love,
Robin
For those unfamiliar with the typical phases of cultural integration, phase one is often described as the "honeymoon phase", much like a newlywed couple; everything seems perfect, exciting, invigorating; pure joy.
It has been a year since I was in Ghana but it feels like I never left. As I walk through markets, crowded with people and goats, sounds of people yelling, music blaring, sun scorching, sweat dribbling down my forehead, holding a sachet of water while greeting people, I couldn't be happier.
I love Ghana more now than ever and so glad I made this commitment- the food tastes amazing, and after a strangely cool summer in Toronto I am welcoming the heat, and loving every second of my cold bucket showers morning and night. And wearing my African cloth again, and seeing swarms of adorable African children who either excitedly ask me "How ah you?!" or run away scared of me, is just too much fun.
Don't get me wrong: though I am an energetic optimist, I am not disillusioned; I fully realize that this is a phase and that there will be times in the coming year that I may feel crappy, annoyed, frustrated, sick, but for now, I will soak in this time of honeymooning and pour all my love into this relationship between me and Ghana- I can confidently say that I vowed to stay in this marriage for at least 1 year!
(For those of you interested in details, and how an OVS (Overseas Volunteer Staff) placement begins: I am currently in Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region of Ghana. On a personal note: I am feeling very healthy, have adjusted to the time, and am diligently taking my Larium, sleeping under a mosquito net, applying repellent and wearing long clothes at night! This past weekend I was at WAR- the West Africa Retreat- where all the incredible EWB volunteers working in Burkina Faso and Ghana come together on a quarterly basis to share, learn, relax, bond, and strategize. Tomorrow I'm heading to Bongo where I will be jobshadowing Ryan, and having my Village Stay to gain greater insight into rural life. After that I'm heading to Tamale which I will be calling my home for the next year! I am pretty excited to get started and into action with my placement; after months of independent learning and reflecting, and 4 weeks of pre-departure training in Toronto with the amazing Robin Farnworth, and in-country training with the amazing Alanna Peters, I am rearin' to go and apply some of this knowledge!
I am also motivated and excited because there is a beautiful amount of flexibility, and many opportunities for innovation within my placement- Sarah called it a sort of "choose your own adventure" novel. I will work with her to shape my goals and workplan in order to most effectively and strategically meet the needs of MOFA in Tamale, and utilize the skills I have to offer both MOFA and EWB. And this is an incredibly exciting time to be working with TEAM MOFA in Ghana; our team just doubled in size (!), we have a solid strategy going forward, a great relationship with MOFA staff across districts, regions, and nationally, a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers led by the amazing Sarah Grant, and 3 clear Outcome Areas we are all uniquely and innovatively working towards as we move beyond the Agriculture as a Business Curriculum to experiment how to improve MOFA's agricultural extension services with the incredible Ghanaian farmers we work with and for!)
So, in summary, I am happy, healthy, and HUNGRY for all that is about to land on my beautiful Ghanaian plate as I begin this working/loving/growing relationship!
Without further ado, I'm off to eat some RED RED (Fried plantains and beans!)
Please feel free to reply or call/email me with questions and/or comments: 011 233 279895359 or 011 233 540955865. Robinstratas@ewb.ca
Lots of love,
Robin
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Thinking, learning, preparing... 2 weeks to go
How does one prepare to work in Development for a year in Ghana??
With Engineers Without Borders Canada, we have 4 weeks of training/learning before we go, and I am currently in week 3..
In just 2 short weeks (to the day) I will be landing in Ghana. It is both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Training is excellent: challenging, fun, difficult, practical, participatory.. so far we've touched on everything from rural livelihoods to the root causes of poverty, cross cultural communication to development interventions, gender and stakeholder analyses to safety and security, and lets not downplay the endless case studies and frameworks- all immensely useful.
One of the most exciting pieces of knowledge I've gained thus far- I have to say- has been the details of my placement!
I will be working in the Upper East Region of Ghana (see map to the left), in Bongo. I will be at one of MOFA's District offices, continuing Ryan's work with the Agriculture as a Business Curriculum, monitoring progress, as well as innovating new ways to improve extension services to Farmers... (all fueled by our passionate desire to alleviate poverty by increasing the profits in farmers' pockets.)
I find it so incredibly exciting to actually know where in the country I will be; strange how some small details can suddenly make things so much more real.
It is hard to grasp the reality that soon enough I will be saying goodbye to Canada and all the beauty, love and comfort it holds to begin a new life of ambiguity and uncertainty in Ghana...
Please stay tuned,
Love Robin
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
What can I do for you?
After spending the past weekend at the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Ontario Retreat, I have 1 main question to ask: what can I do for you?
I have realized that, specifically within EWB but even more so in Canadian society in general, there is a disconnect between Canada and Africa and I hope to do a little something about that.. one of the impacts I am aiming for.
I have also made certain commitments to myself. I commit to recognizing that being an Overseas Volunteer Staff for EWB is both a great privilege and RESPONSIBILITY.
One way I can feel positive about my being in Africa is knowing that some people in Canada have learned something new about "Africa", "Development", social change..
So in order to help me, please let me know what I can do for you. What types of things would you like to read/watch/learn about? Are you more interested in the culture, my work, my challenges, my reflections, funny stories, pictures, questions, videos,..?
Please feel free to comment, but if you would rather send me a private email, go for it: robinstratas@ewb.ca and you can also follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/Robinstratas
Thanks so much,
love Robin
I have realized that, specifically within EWB but even more so in Canadian society in general, there is a disconnect between Canada and Africa and I hope to do a little something about that.. one of the impacts I am aiming for.
I have also made certain commitments to myself. I commit to recognizing that being an Overseas Volunteer Staff for EWB is both a great privilege and RESPONSIBILITY.
One way I can feel positive about my being in Africa is knowing that some people in Canada have learned something new about "Africa", "Development", social change..
So in order to help me, please let me know what I can do for you. What types of things would you like to read/watch/learn about? Are you more interested in the culture, my work, my challenges, my reflections, funny stories, pictures, questions, videos,..?
Please feel free to comment, but if you would rather send me a private email, go for it: robinstratas@ewb.ca and you can also follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/Robinstratas
Thanks so much,
love Robin
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
EWB Lingo
Impact and Dorothy are probably the two most frequently used EWB buzz words; so lets clear those up as soon as possible so we can all speak the same language! (please let me know if I refer to something that you do not understand, use an acronym, etc). :)
Having a commitment to impact is having a commitment to "Dorothy"; the rural poor and the ultimate changes they will see. Being addicted to impact is constantly searching for ways, new and challenging, to create impact.
So who is Dorothy anyway? Dorothy is our boss. She is the one to whom we ultimately report, and she is the one with whom we partner and work beside. Our commitment to her is enshrined in our charter: "Notwithstanding the various stakeholders – members, donors, management, board, the engineering profession, partners and others – there is one stakeholder who must always come first: the people in the developing communities with whom and for whom we work." The name ‘Dorothy’ personifies the “stakeholder who must always come first and is a reminder to us of those caught in a cycle of poverty.” Dorothy was a real woman, that one of the Co-CEO's/Founders met while overseas. She now represents for us someone we can keep in mind as we make decisions.
Okay, so what does creating impact really mean? "The difference is a shift from thinking about what we want to do, to thinking about what we want to achieve." Impact focused is being outcome driven. It also means being willing to be critical of yourself, of EWB’s, and other people’s, work. This is challenging, because everyone who is doing development work is trying to “do good,” and one naturally doesn’t want to criticize them. But focusing on impact means moving away from the feel-good story, and asking the difficult questions. In the end all of these questions return not to what you’ve done but what has changed (the impact). All of your planning should start with your goals (impact) and move backwards to your activities.
Still unclear? Feel free to email me and we can chat!
Cheers; to having impact for Dorothy! :)
WELCOME!
Hello, and welcome to my blog!
As you may or may not know, I am going to be an Overseas Volunteer Staff (OVS) for Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada, which means that starting this August I will be living and working in Africa (Ghana, Malawi or Zambia) for a minimum of 1 year, trying to create positive social change in the lives of rural Africans.
Why am I doing this? Basically, I envision a world that is free from extreme poverty; where all people have the freedom to live the lives that they value, and feel I have something to contribute in making this a reality.
I really do believe in the work that EWB does in Canada and in Africa to improve our world, which is why I am honoured to be able to contribute to EWB's work in Africa. After a few years of volunteering at the EWB Windsor chapter with some amazing people, I knew that this was an organization I could really believe in, with my head and my heart. Not to mention my experiences last summer in Ghana with WUSC, which definitely opened up my eyes, and passion, for working with people across cultures, working in development, being taken out of my comfort zone, and diving into life in Ghana; which is simultaneously very different from my life in Canada, and yet strangely similar at times.
I embark on this experience with the recognition that I have a huge responsibility. I look at the overall cost of this placement, roughly $18,000 (flights, training, living stipend, health insurance, vaccinations etc) and think WOW: what else could that money be used for?- something I asked myself when I was in Ghana. With this in mind, I take this opportunity very seriously, and am trying my best to be well prepared prior to our month of intensive training in Toronto in August.
I recognize that the work I am embarking on is very complex. I will not build a well, distribute mosquito nets or teach English, and no I am not an Engineer. EWB focuses on long term, sustainable development which is a lot messier; we aim to utilize the amazing resources that dwell in Africa, and hope to help preexisting African development organizations do what they do, better (capacity development). There is no "EWB Office" in Africa that I will be working in; we partner with African organizations, attempt to humbly learn from them, and provide creative insight whenever possible to unlock potential. Although our successes and impacts may be less tangible than a physical structure, we believe that the work we are doing is having a lasting impact in peoples' lives, and that in order for our work to be culturally sensitive and sustainable, this is the best way to operate at this point.
I sincerely hope that as I partake in this learning and giving opportunity, you too will join me for the ride; I hope that through this experience I will begin a ripple effect to my broader community of friends, family and colleagues; to help people to think twice about what "AFRICA" is like, and delve into the complexities of International Development work.
If you feel you are able to contribute financially to my placement, please see my page at http://volunteers.ewb.ca/robinstratas to donate online. Any amount of money is greatly appreciated. I hope that you can find a way to contribute in some small way, and take the first step in my direction towards Africa; a beautifully diverse continent I have come to love and admire.
Please follow my learning, questions, hard times, and triumphs and feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or comments, robinstratas@ewb.ca (please do: it can be a bit lonely overseas sometimes).
Thank you once again,
With sincerity and love,
Robin Stratas
www.ewb.ca
As you may or may not know, I am going to be an Overseas Volunteer Staff (OVS) for Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada, which means that starting this August I will be living and working in Africa (Ghana, Malawi or Zambia) for a minimum of 1 year, trying to create positive social change in the lives of rural Africans.
Why am I doing this? Basically, I envision a world that is free from extreme poverty; where all people have the freedom to live the lives that they value, and feel I have something to contribute in making this a reality.
I really do believe in the work that EWB does in Canada and in Africa to improve our world, which is why I am honoured to be able to contribute to EWB's work in Africa. After a few years of volunteering at the EWB Windsor chapter with some amazing people, I knew that this was an organization I could really believe in, with my head and my heart. Not to mention my experiences last summer in Ghana with WUSC, which definitely opened up my eyes, and passion, for working with people across cultures, working in development, being taken out of my comfort zone, and diving into life in Ghana; which is simultaneously very different from my life in Canada, and yet strangely similar at times.
I embark on this experience with the recognition that I have a huge responsibility. I look at the overall cost of this placement, roughly $18,000 (flights, training, living stipend, health insurance, vaccinations etc) and think WOW: what else could that money be used for?- something I asked myself when I was in Ghana. With this in mind, I take this opportunity very seriously, and am trying my best to be well prepared prior to our month of intensive training in Toronto in August.
I recognize that the work I am embarking on is very complex. I will not build a well, distribute mosquito nets or teach English, and no I am not an Engineer. EWB focuses on long term, sustainable development which is a lot messier; we aim to utilize the amazing resources that dwell in Africa, and hope to help preexisting African development organizations do what they do, better (capacity development). There is no "EWB Office" in Africa that I will be working in; we partner with African organizations, attempt to humbly learn from them, and provide creative insight whenever possible to unlock potential. Although our successes and impacts may be less tangible than a physical structure, we believe that the work we are doing is having a lasting impact in peoples' lives, and that in order for our work to be culturally sensitive and sustainable, this is the best way to operate at this point.
I sincerely hope that as I partake in this learning and giving opportunity, you too will join me for the ride; I hope that through this experience I will begin a ripple effect to my broader community of friends, family and colleagues; to help people to think twice about what "AFRICA" is like, and delve into the complexities of International Development work.
If you feel you are able to contribute financially to my placement, please see my page at http://volunteers.ewb.ca/robinstratas to donate online. Any amount of money is greatly appreciated. I hope that you can find a way to contribute in some small way, and take the first step in my direction towards Africa; a beautifully diverse continent I have come to love and admire.
Please follow my learning, questions, hard times, and triumphs and feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or comments, robinstratas@ewb.ca (please do: it can be a bit lonely overseas sometimes).
Thank you once again,
With sincerity and love,
Robin Stratas
www.ewb.ca
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