My last entry suggested that nothing was really going on. I guess I'm just getting used to doing a bit more.
The day prior to my last entry, I went to visit my fellow volunteer Marcus and we went on a great hike to Tsibi, a bead village atop a mountain/big hill. The view was incredible and the beads were some of the best I've seen in Ghana. Another volunteer Chris is working on a sort of tourist book that will help draw attention to artisan villages in the Eastern and Volta regions. It was quite a day but somehow didn't strike me as worth writing about.
Since last week, I've been reading at site, farming a bit in the Moringa field (another harvest molded in the humid air) and feeling surprisingly inactive. When I first got here, if I went to farm, fetched water, watched clothes and helped a bit at the store it felt as though I'd led a full day. These days I'm collecting money for the Village Bicycle Project, dealing with the Hannah situation, making plans for other projects that need finishing, working on grad school essays and still doing all the things that used to make the day feel full. Somehow it's still slow.
This past week, I held our regional VAC meeting at the Kumasi Sub Office. The meeting went well as we had no serious problems in the region. Expecting as many as fifteen people, I got ten kilos of frozen chicken for a BBQ. We had seven people attend but did our best, eating chicken at the slightest pang of hunger.
On Tuesday, the 33 remaining volunteers from my training group will meet at Ada, on the beach down south. We will have our COS conference, discussing how to readjust to life in America while discussing the work we've done and Peace Corps as a whole.
We haven't had an event with all of our training group without the other groups also in attendance. 4 days and three nights at the beach sounds great. I should have pictures and stories to share during and/or after that.
Love to all
Ira
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Little to report
Life in Bormase is going well. Time is flying along and harvest season is here. I spent a full day de-husking maize with Dorothy and Stephen while Paul and John weeded. The bead center is on hold until more sand is delivered.
I've been focusing on business school apps of late. The time is quickly coming and with only a day or so per week with internet access, I want to have updates available when the electricity is there. Cranking away. So little time left, it's hard to believe
GO GIANTS!!!!
Love to all,
Ira
I've been focusing on business school apps of late. The time is quickly coming and with only a day or so per week with internet access, I want to have updates available when the electricity is there. Cranking away. So little time left, it's hard to believe
GO GIANTS!!!!
Love to all,
Ira
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The next episode
It truly feels as though I've been involved in a soap opera for the last week. It doesn't quite live up to the Nollywood (Nigerian Hollywood) movies that are shown on long bus trips but that's only because the week has lacked screaming and juju.
I got back to Bormase one week ago to learn that Dorothy had asked about the Keebler biscuits that had been taken. A word to potential thieves out there, if you want to steal money, don't also steal foreign food and share it with your friends!!! It seems that Hannah stole my biscuits (crackers) and shared them with her friends after taking my 130 Ghana Cedis in proposal money. One day after confronting Hannah about the theft and getting nowhere, we got her to admit that she took my money and my biscuits. However, she only admitted to taking 80 Ghana Cedis. Apparently she stole 80 Ghana Cedis, went to market, bought nothing and came back with 80 Ghana Cedis but can't account for the remaining 50 Cedis that is missing. Makes sense.
On Friday morning, after meeting with Hannah and getting a confession, Patrick, Hannah's father-in-law Samuel (one of the Bead Center carpenters) and I went to Asesewa to buy the lumber for further construction. We bought the necessary lumber and upon learning that nails were overpriced in Asesewa, Patrick and I went to Koforidua to buy iron sheets and nails. By the end of the day, all materials needed for the construction of the frame and roof were purchased and delivered to Bormase.
On Friday evening, after dinner, Dorothy and I went to see Hannah again in order to see her plan for making amends. She refused to admit that she had taken the full amount. The longer she denied it, the more upset I became. This is a woman to whom I've brought money making projects and gifts, only to have her take my money and lie to my face about it. When she told me that she wouldn't steal again, I asked how she planned to earn money in the future she knelt down in front of me, held on to the leg of my trousers and said "I beg, I won't come there again."
She didn't say how she planned to earn money, she doesn't work or farm currently and has had to send the twins to stay with their grandmother elsewhere. I would be happy to hear that she had a plan for earning money or reason for taking the money. I would even be receptive to having her admit that she had taken the whole sum. By the end of the night, Hannah and Samuel agreed to pay the remaining sum within four weeks. Dorothy and I left with not much accomplished. Dorothy has had several hundred Cedis stolen in the past and is quite convinced that Hannah was responsible. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove that Hannah took that money so I will get my money back while Dorothy's hard earned money is still missing.
On Saturday, great progress was made on the construction of the bead center. I played with children, helped when my help was needed. While I was making progress on a very exciting project, I wasn't able to fully enjoy it while this drama was going on. People kept asking my why Hannah stole my money, what would happen to her etc.
Over the next few days, Emmanuel coordinated for the police to come to Hannah's house twice. They came one morning to be told that Hannah was not in the house. Hannah came by our house when Dorothy and Emmanuel were away in order to ask Stephen (back for a visit) if he would beg Emmanuel not to call the police. By the afternoon, Hannah had left Bormase.
The police came the next morning at 5am. I was awakened in case they had to ask me any questions. They didn't ask questions but went to Samuel to question the family about Hannah's whereabouts. Nothing was accomplished.
Over the next few days, Dorothy brought any development to me and chatted about it for a bit. Emmanuel found out where Hannah had gone. A woman in the community knew that Hannah had taken Dorothy's money in the past and knew that the family with whom she stays had known about the money and had spent it with Hannah. The woman who told Dorothy wasn't willing to say it officially because she was scared of what might happen.
The frame and roof of the Bead Center were completed on Monday and Tuesday. Patrick and I walked all around the village in order to purchase a fowl. In Krobo tradition, if you pay to have a carpenter build you a roof, you must slaughter a fowl to ensure that while you've sent their souls up to the roof, that they'll also come down safely.
A group of us poured libations, ate fufu and celebrated the great accomplishment and great addition to the community.
On Wednesday, Dorothy called from Sekesua to have me come to the Police station. I walked my white self into the Police station with all eyes on me. I was told that if I pressed charges, the case would go to trial and if convicted, Hannah would spend from 5 to 25 years in prison. There is no way that I'll press charges!! The whole time, people in the village were talking about how the family should involve the police so that Hannah could spend a night in jail and be released. I'm not sure if my presence made the police pay closer attention to the laws (not being able to imprison people without a charge) than they might otherwise.
This morning, Emmanuel called to tell Dorothy that if the money is brought to me, I should tell Hannah that she and the family now owe 40 Ghana Cedis more for the police fees. I also won't have anything to do with that part. My being robbed somehow put me in the middle of a heated family/village squabble. Nobody seems to blame me or hold a grudge but it's a very bittersweet situation.
The money should be returned by tomorrow and the Bead Center will be completed as planned.
Bittersweet indeed,
Love to all.
Ira
I got back to Bormase one week ago to learn that Dorothy had asked about the Keebler biscuits that had been taken. A word to potential thieves out there, if you want to steal money, don't also steal foreign food and share it with your friends!!! It seems that Hannah stole my biscuits (crackers) and shared them with her friends after taking my 130 Ghana Cedis in proposal money. One day after confronting Hannah about the theft and getting nowhere, we got her to admit that she took my money and my biscuits. However, she only admitted to taking 80 Ghana Cedis. Apparently she stole 80 Ghana Cedis, went to market, bought nothing and came back with 80 Ghana Cedis but can't account for the remaining 50 Cedis that is missing. Makes sense.
On Friday morning, after meeting with Hannah and getting a confession, Patrick, Hannah's father-in-law Samuel (one of the Bead Center carpenters) and I went to Asesewa to buy the lumber for further construction. We bought the necessary lumber and upon learning that nails were overpriced in Asesewa, Patrick and I went to Koforidua to buy iron sheets and nails. By the end of the day, all materials needed for the construction of the frame and roof were purchased and delivered to Bormase.
On Friday evening, after dinner, Dorothy and I went to see Hannah again in order to see her plan for making amends. She refused to admit that she had taken the full amount. The longer she denied it, the more upset I became. This is a woman to whom I've brought money making projects and gifts, only to have her take my money and lie to my face about it. When she told me that she wouldn't steal again, I asked how she planned to earn money in the future she knelt down in front of me, held on to the leg of my trousers and said "I beg, I won't come there again."
She didn't say how she planned to earn money, she doesn't work or farm currently and has had to send the twins to stay with their grandmother elsewhere. I would be happy to hear that she had a plan for earning money or reason for taking the money. I would even be receptive to having her admit that she had taken the whole sum. By the end of the night, Hannah and Samuel agreed to pay the remaining sum within four weeks. Dorothy and I left with not much accomplished. Dorothy has had several hundred Cedis stolen in the past and is quite convinced that Hannah was responsible. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove that Hannah took that money so I will get my money back while Dorothy's hard earned money is still missing.
On Saturday, great progress was made on the construction of the bead center. I played with children, helped when my help was needed. While I was making progress on a very exciting project, I wasn't able to fully enjoy it while this drama was going on. People kept asking my why Hannah stole my money, what would happen to her etc.
Over the next few days, Emmanuel coordinated for the police to come to Hannah's house twice. They came one morning to be told that Hannah was not in the house. Hannah came by our house when Dorothy and Emmanuel were away in order to ask Stephen (back for a visit) if he would beg Emmanuel not to call the police. By the afternoon, Hannah had left Bormase.
The police came the next morning at 5am. I was awakened in case they had to ask me any questions. They didn't ask questions but went to Samuel to question the family about Hannah's whereabouts. Nothing was accomplished.
Over the next few days, Dorothy brought any development to me and chatted about it for a bit. Emmanuel found out where Hannah had gone. A woman in the community knew that Hannah had taken Dorothy's money in the past and knew that the family with whom she stays had known about the money and had spent it with Hannah. The woman who told Dorothy wasn't willing to say it officially because she was scared of what might happen.
The frame and roof of the Bead Center were completed on Monday and Tuesday. Patrick and I walked all around the village in order to purchase a fowl. In Krobo tradition, if you pay to have a carpenter build you a roof, you must slaughter a fowl to ensure that while you've sent their souls up to the roof, that they'll also come down safely.
A group of us poured libations, ate fufu and celebrated the great accomplishment and great addition to the community.
On Wednesday, Dorothy called from Sekesua to have me come to the Police station. I walked my white self into the Police station with all eyes on me. I was told that if I pressed charges, the case would go to trial and if convicted, Hannah would spend from 5 to 25 years in prison. There is no way that I'll press charges!! The whole time, people in the village were talking about how the family should involve the police so that Hannah could spend a night in jail and be released. I'm not sure if my presence made the police pay closer attention to the laws (not being able to imprison people without a charge) than they might otherwise.
This morning, Emmanuel called to tell Dorothy that if the money is brought to me, I should tell Hannah that she and the family now owe 40 Ghana Cedis more for the police fees. I also won't have anything to do with that part. My being robbed somehow put me in the middle of a heated family/village squabble. Nobody seems to blame me or hold a grudge but it's a very bittersweet situation.
The money should be returned by tomorrow and the Bead Center will be completed as planned.
Bittersweet indeed,
Love to all.
Ira
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