Accra - the first week of amazingness and more

Arriving in Accra was easy. I was allowed to take my two bags one literally full of 38 books, yet still only 23 kg). 

My wonderful friends took me to the airport and even carried the bags to check in (thank you Bibi and Carmen!).

TAP allowed me to take my guitar along too, not knowing how poor my skills are and how many people I will be annoying  with my attempts to improve : ) 

Nana, a lady I had met a few months early at the African Literature Association meeting in Bayreuth through a common contact of Prof. Abena Busia, did not only pick me up, but also rented me a room in her house. Here in Ghana you always have to pay rent ahead of time or your apartment or room. So many people must pay for one year, even two years of rent in advance (even tough the law limits it to six months). In my case we agreed on three months. 

Accra is a pretty big city, and my colleague Hanna had warned me already about the chaotic and congested traffic. Around midnight the city was calm, but the next days would reveal how right Hanna was. We arrived “home” around midnight and the lights were actually on! Accra has a huge issue with steady electricity supply and the lights were off when Nana had left the house to pick me up from the airport. 

The house is located in West Legon on Asante Mireku Street, close to the Westland police container (in case you ride in one of the trotro - minibus converted into a public transportation vehicle that is what you tell them to get you off :). The interior is pretty minimalistic also because Nana has just returned from some major travel a months ago… so initially there was no refrigerator, nor cooking option (besides a rice cooker) and no washing machine (which is a luxury, but very nice to have… as anybody that has spend there days hand washing laundry already knows : ). Also no bed in my room, but a closet and a mat with blanket on the floor. Which is actually perfect for me. I can even fit my yoga mat next to it! 

The first day was spend cleaning, unpacking and reading. I was planning on going the the IWMI (the International Water

Management Institute) where a colleague (Edmund) had dropped of the SIM card for my phone (which is the phone number on all my business cards that I had printed with the help of Johannes in Germany! Thanks again guys!) Since the city is big and public transportation my only option, if I want to remain within my budget. Nana who has her own car and has never used the trotro system, couldn't help me either… so IMWI has to wait while I spent the day reading. The evening became productive again, as Nana (now equipped with my rent money of $600) was ready go shopping for kitchen appliances. We now have a fridge, oven with stove top (Herd) and even a washing machine (that still needs to be hooked up, but is there). Woohoo!

Day two was more productive, as I really wanted to get my SIM and meet Ben (a researcher with the IWMI that was returning from Kenya and passing by the Accra office to Kumasi at noon that day). It was a bit of a wild journey but I made it with the help of numerous people directing me to the right trotros and through the streets and even fields of urban gardens of Accra to get there (note to self: do not eat any salads in Accra as it is real sewage water that is used for watering the veggies). The SIM card was handed to me by Mrs. Mohamed and Mrs. Funke, the head of IWMI Ghana, even had an office organized for me to wait for Ben, who arrived a couple hours later. Unfortunately I had not taken my laptop, as I wasn’t sure about the security in the trotros (I am still not sure about it), but the book did its job and the meeting with Ben was fantastic. I hope to go back next week to meet Philip and the rest. Also Ben dropped me back off at the Achimota trotro station which made the way back a lot easier. 

Day three was mind-blowing and simply beyond my wildest dreams amazing! 

The trotros took me to the University of Legon, which is around the corner yet still very hard to get to by foot. The city planning of Accra was not made for pedestrians. .. nor for cars it seems. Traffic is a mess, and trotros stuck in it with everyone else! 

So many people along the way helped me, as there is no other way to find a place without a map or a smart phone! Still I arrived sharp at 9 am in the office of Prof. Justice Bawole, a man that was introduced to me by a good friend who also studied in Manchester (Thank you Coree!!!). A very busy guy as he is the head of a department, but incredibly nice and welcoming. He took me along to his first lectures of undergrads in NGO building and management. A packed room with at least 200 eager students he gave an enthusiastic lecture, despite the increasing heat and the slow internet (there was an AC unit in the room but not working, and his laptop was hooked up the internet, but very slow). After a short break between his 2 hour classes we drove together with his assistant to the other side of the huge campus, across the street to the graduate business school of the University of Ghana. Very impressive building… as well as students - once more. The Master students gave presentations on a case study of corruption (the class was called Ethics). I wish I would have taped it, as it was very insightful. The take-away: Let’s just say that I feel we all try the best we can in the circumstance we have been given! 

Finally at three o'cklock we were able to have lunch, which Prof. Justice invited me to in the upper teachers lounge (or something like this :) I had "Red Red" - a traditional southern Ghanaian food of a bean mixture, kind of stew of white and dark beans, fish something and loads palm oil - making everything red, as well as fried plantains. Delicious! 

Prof. had to go get his children from school, but not before promising to meet back up of the lecture I wanted to go to that evening, and to take me home afterwards (as taking the trotro after sunset is a thing one should test out slowly… and sun sets around 18:30 in Accra). 

I actually filled my time with meeting with three Emmanuels that all belong to the department of economics. All friends of friends or their cousins :) Longer story, but it was nice to meet more students and wander the beautiful campus streets lined with tall trees! 

At 17 o’clock the lecture in the auditorium was set to begin. The minister of finance - Mr. Seth Terkper - was supposed to talk about the “The state of the Ghana Economy - Recent History and immediate Prospects”. I had seen the poster that morning and was delighted to get a chance to hear it from the "horses mouth". The steep and huge auditorium, I assume can hold a 1000 people, was fairly empty when I arrived, so I got a front(isn) middle aisle seat that separated the two parts, next to an older lovely guy studying accounting. It was to be filled completely by the beginning of the minister's lecutre. Me being the only foreigner present as far as I could tell. 

Mr. Seth Terkper gave an immensely impressive presentation for an hour, which I would love to write an seperate entry on - or just included in my thesis. Just these couple key words: Middle Income Country, Gold,Cocoa and Oil price. The following two hours he answered questions from the student body, which lined up in the middle aisle in front of a bright light and a microphone in blocks of five. He took the time to answer all questions - more or less thoroughly. Again impressive. But sadly no one asked about agriculture and no woman had come up either. Me eager to get up, but not daring to do such a thing the third day I arrived in the country I don’t really know, but the guy next to me (Nii) was very encouraging so finally towards what was the end of the discussion I dared to walk up and sat down as number 4 in line to ask a question. Just then two girls came too! And another guy… which I all let go ahead of me… as I didn’t think… 

you know. Just than the podium announced that the last 5 questions should be asked now. Me being number 8!!! A sign??? 

Should I sit back down??? Was it not my place to ask questions?? The two guys ahead of me stayed. I kept on sitting on the stairs. … and again a guy that saw my pain, encouraged me to stay and ask. 

Sacred like hell, with weak knees I finally got up and as the very last person that evening was allowed to ask the Minister of Finance of Ghana “What about agriculture?”… Not before started of with a flattering comment of course ;) and thanks, plus ending it on me being happy that two women had just asked something as the discussion that evening had been seemingly dominated by men… or something like it… I was pretty nervous and happy at the same time. Mr. Terkper did addressed my ag question, but with the answer revolving around EPAs and AGOA… maybe I didn't get it, maybe it was politics talking.

And if these wasn’t crazy enough, just wait. Prof. Justice, who I searched for outside the auditorium after the session, says come on!! and then takes me along to some private audience room, in which the heads of departments get to eat and drink a bit with the Minister afterwards!!!! So I grab a water and sit down in the corner. And who sits down in front of me???? 

Mr. Seth Terkper!!! 

Telling me that he hopes that he answered my question for me!!! I was star struck and out of words! Almost : ) I am so impressed with this guy… and all on my third day there! 

My luck was set to continue, but nothing so far topped, and maybe will ever top the meeting with the Mister of Finance! .

Still on day four as I called the GIZ in the morning to see if we could touch base in the coming weeks, the head of the MOAP - Market Oriented Agriculture Programm - Dr. Thies decided to have me picked up by a driver immediately and take the time right then and there to give me an introduction to it all! He also involved his right hand man Uwe and introduced Mike to me - the guy responsible for the SEWOH (Sonderinitative - Eine Welt ohne Hunger)! These older gentleman seemed quiet enthusiastic to share their knowledge and time with me. I can only guess that there is not many female german visitors coming to their office

On top of it I was allowed to use the internet, which at the moment is a major benefit! 

Yesterday I got lost in Accra taking eight different trotros trying to get to an organic agirc market that was not one. I guess I have to take the good with the bad. I can’t always be so lucky. As i am writing this we are out of electricity again, but the last 20 some hours we had some. The water is running all the time, and I even have been using it in the water boiler to make tea just like in Germany. My stomach seems fine with it so far. 

Most of the time I buy bottle water though. We have a little store two streets down that supplies me with all I need. Of course many of these products are imported and made by large cooperations I usually avoid (Nestle and Co.). But if I want some jam on my bread I don’t seem to have an option. Prices are of course much higher than in Germany, but that was to be expected. And on a very positive note I just has a bottle of wine this weekend that was excellent for just $5!!! Its the small things that matter, and they are good! 

I do miss home. More than expected actually. I never seem to think about these things before I leave. I wonder if it really was the best idea to book a flight for next summer…. but oh well, now I am here and it hasn’t even been a week. 

There is a good likelihood I will try to bother you people with Skype session to curb my loneliness! 

So all in all the first week was great! But also overwhelming and a bit lonely. I am not sure how to continue. There is no set plan. And on top of it we have two holidays this week: Founders day tomorrow and some holiday on thursday that has to do with the islamic calendar… Malembe, Malembe as they always said in the DRC. Slowly, slowly….