Travels To Africa

I am exhausted, sleepy, sick, and dirty as I disembark from the plane. A gust of air greats me as I push open the door into the terminal, but this time it is not accompanied by red dust. The air is full of laughter, rapid chatter in a million different languages, news broadcasts, and the smell of cheeseburgers. I am covered in a days worth of travel, covered in a heat rash, covered in spots, and my scalp appears as though someone let a wild feline loose on my head. Mothers pull their children away from like I am a leper, no doubt because I look like I have scabies. I have to spend seven more hours in JFK because my plane to Pittsburg is delayed. I decided to grab a snack and a pop to settle my churning stomach. I lay a wrap down that I bought in Ghana, I eat, I nap, and I wait.
The trip home allowed me time to reflect on my experience. I wouldn’t say that I am a new person, but I would say that there is something different. It may sound ridiculous but I see the world through a different set of lenses. While in Africa I apparently got my prescription changed. I can’t tell you when or why it happened, just that it did. I have always known what I want out of life and where I am going. Now I know why I want the things I want. Today, I know what it feels like to come home. I have traveled a lot, always had more than one home, and never been homesick. I have never been home until today. Not that home is America or West Virginia. Home is the people I love, the places I have been, the places I will go in the future, the person I will become, but most of all home is knowing what you left and what will be waiting when get back.
When I first arrived in Africa I was frustrated because I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing anything. I felt like I really couldn’t contribute in anyway, but now I realize that helping people is like throwing a rock in the lake back home….it disappears and only makes its initial splash but each ripple gets bigger and bigger as reaches the shore. My trip to Africa was my first rock/splash. Now that I am home I can raise money for the organizations that I worked with, I can raise awareness of the issues I faced while in Africa. I plan on going back to Africa as soon as I can. The trip was hard but rewarding. I did stuff that I never dreamed I would have the inner strength to accomplish, I witnessed places and events that I had only dreamed of, and I became even more independent in the process. As I wonder through the rest of my college career I will look back to my time spent in Africa as motivation to reach my future goals. My feet are now firmly planted on U.S. soil but my mind is still wondering through Africa. One life goal accomplished, another place discovered, and I can not wait for my next adventure!!!!

Professor Kate Adoo-Adeku is a part-time lecturer at The University of Ghana. She specializes in gender issues and adult education classes. In addition to teaching part-time Professor Adoo-Adeku is Executive Director of PAD Associates, a NGO. She was my homestay mother while I was in Ghana. My last week in Ghana I conducted an interview with the Professor. I recorded the first question of the interview on my camera, so I will upload question number one. The questions are mostly random because they are simply questions that I had acquired during my stay in Ghana. The meeting was held at my homestay house in the office which is adjacent to the main house. The building has Spanish and French architecture. This can be seen in the rounded doorways, red tiles on the roof, and the stone tiling. A breeze blows in the window as the interview is underway. Professor Kate Adoo-Adeku is dressed in a purple and green dress that resembles a nightgown, but creates an aura of royalty when worn in the proper manner. She has a sash over her shoulder, her only accessory. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail with her braids falling over her shoulder. Her voice tells you she is a confident, self-assured woman who has been facing tough issues her whole life.

Questions/Answers:

1.) Why do families not take advantage of family planning services?

2.) What role will women play in ending the spread of HIV/AIDS?

The empowerment of women will give them a better chance and educating themselves about HIV/AIDS. Giving women the tools to help themselves will help in decreasing the incident of HIV/AIDS among married women. These tools are employable skills, so that they are not economically dependent on their husbands, family planning, and self-esteem.

3.) Why do women not attend vocational school or SSS (the ones you are trying to train in an employable trade)?

SSS is not free or mandatory, so when a girl or boy finishes JHS they enter the workforce (petty trading, cooking, etc..) Often, parents can not pay for their son or daughter to go to SSS or to vocational school, so they must begin work to bring money to the family.

4.) Why do women stay with men who cheat on them?

When a woman says her man is cheating the family says, “Is that all you have to worry about?”. This makes women feel like if that is all their husband is doing they should not leave the marriage. It is acceptable for men to go outside the marriage and take girlfriends. Women are economically dependent on their husbands and it often takes more than one income to feed the family, so it would be hard for her to do it on her own.

5.) Is prostitution legal in Ghana?

No, prostitution is not legal in Ghana, but the law is not really enforced. Women who are financially strained will sometimes take gifts or money from men in exchange for sexual intercourse. If a girl needs something she may feel pressured into sleeping with a man who has what she needs.

6.) What socio-cultural practices aid in the spreading of HIV/AIDS?

Funeral Practices: When someone dies in a village there will be lots of celebrations and festivities. With these large gatherings there will be alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and drugs can lower individual’s inhibitions, creating an atmosphere where unprotected sex is likely. It is also a time when large numbers of people are in close contact and in groups.

Puberty Rites: When a young girl reaches the age of menstruation a celebration is held in her honor. Often, the celebration is done with several girls who have reached the age. The girls are cut with the same blade. This can obviously spread HIV/AIDS. At this time men begin to pay attention to these girls and the girls feel pressured to marry. This can cause girls to become aware of their sexuality at a young age.

My head is nodding forward, the heat is taking its toll on my body, and I am squashed against bodies that are equally as tired and sleepy. The heat combined with the sometimes gentle lurching of the bus lulls me to sleep. Sleep is pure bliss on a long bus ride in Ghana because for a few minutes you forget about the sweat that is pouring over your body like its coming from a shower head. You forget about the twenty other people squeezed into a bus meant for eight. The bus comes to a stop as traffic begins to pile up as we get closer to Cape Coast. I awake to the yells of street vendors…..“Pure Water, Pure Water!” I attempt to swallow….nothing because my mouth feels like I just spit out a mouth full of cotton balls, so their yells spark my interests. “SSSSSSSS, Sssssssss,” I yell to the street vendor selling pure water. She reaches a bag of water through the window of the bus, but suddenly the bus lurches forward. We begin to pick up speed, moving down the highway. The street vendor begins to run after the bus. I reach 5 Ghana Peshwas out the window of the bus to the street vendor, but I know that she will never be able to catch up to the moving bus. Someone yells, “Just drop the money!” I let go of the money and watch it roll down the run until it finally comes to a stop on the yellow line. I see the girl run through traffic and bend down to retrieve the change. Oblivious to the cars that are speeding by or the dust that covers the road, the street vendor crawls to grab the change. I watch until I see that the street vendor is safe on the side of the road again. Waiting for the next lull in traffic the vendors begin to walk on the side of the road hoping that a bus stops on the side of the road so that they can sale the wares.

I begin to think about the street vendor…….She walks along side the road, shielded from the heat by a bowl that carries pure water. I imagine that it is her sombrero. Under the bowl is rag that spreads the weight of the tub and cushions her head. She wears a bright vibrant skirt and t-shirt that sway when she turns. As she turns her head and body, melted ice spills from the tub onto her face, mingling with the sweat. It seems nobody is immune from the heat even if you are used to being in it everyday. Her flip-flops kick up red dirt every time she takes a step. Her only accessory is a baby that is tied to her back with yet another piece of vibrant cloth. When her back is turned I see the baby is sleeping peacefully. Once the traffic slows down she moves into the thick of things, selling water while balancing the baby and the water. Bending down and taking care not drop the water or the baby she grabs for the change. Does she know the danger that surrounds her?

In America, the wealthy are tucked away in gated communities and upscale neighborhoods. In Ghana, there are very few wealthy individuals and even fewer middle class individuals. The wealthy live in their luxurious houses while the poor live next door in shacks. The wealth of the country is concentrated among the upper class. A young woman who works as a street vendor is the definition of poverty in Ghana. Some of these street vendors come from the Northern regions of Ghana to the cities that dot the coast line of the Southern regions. Most of these girls come from large families whose parents had difficulty providing for them and their siblings. Sometimes, the girls will come to the city alone. However, I am told that most of the time they come to the city in groups. The girls usually do not tell anyone where they are going or when they are coming back. They will live in an abandoned building or find a safe spot to sleep. It is safer to travel in groups because the city is becoming increasingly dangerous as the crime rate increases. Sometimes these girls will simply take what money they need to eat and send the rest to their families farther north. The street vendors will sell water, food, candy, and juice. One can basically find anything they need tucked away in the bowels atop the street vendors heads. Traveling to the city from the villages has become such a phenomenon in Ghana there is even a special on television about Ghanaians that come to the city to make their fortunes.

However, there are lots of NGO’s that seek to train these street children and find them appropriate shelter. These girls are living day to day. Their life is not stable. There are NGO’s that seek to educate this very large class of street vendors. These girls are at risk for unwanted pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted diseases. Also, they often do not receive proper medical attention. Again the root of the problem steams from unplanned families and a lack of Senior High Schools. If family planning was a top priority then the average number of children would come down and this would ease the financial strain the parents are facing. Having a large family is an important part of Ghanaian society. In fact, in some villages if a family has ten children a cow is slaughtered and a festival is held in that families honor. If Senior High School was mandatory and enforced girls would be in school instead of worrying about generating money. I realize it will take money to create a Senior High School system that is free. I also realize that it will take time and education before family planning becomes the norm in Ghana. It was important to have lots of children to help around the house, garden, and farm. Currently in Ghana agriculture is on the decrease. Tourism, trading, and small businesses are becoming the normal method to generate money. I hope that the NGO’s and the government continue to push for family planning and mandatory, free Senior High School for the youth of Ghana.

“Hey Obruni, Obruni, Obruni!” The yells of the children can be heard over the chatter of the school teachers as I walk into the room. Young girls and boys dressed in ironed, red and cream uniforms rush to tug at my hair, my clothes, and my body. I hug everyone who comes forward and greet them with my big, awkward smile. I don’t understand what all of the fuss is about. SSsssssssssssssss, SSSSSSSssssssssss the teacher hisses. You can hear their sandals click against the hard cement floor as the kids scramble to take their seats. I walk over and join them. I swear the seats are some kind of torture device the teachers use on the children. The wooden seats have no cushions and are somewhat slanted, so that you are always leaning forward. Some students have to sit on wooden benches and have no table at which they can do their work. I look around - windows everywhere (not glass, just slits), a couple of bookshelves (mostly bare), and one fan. The walls are bare and unadorned. Light filters in through the cracks in the walls and ceiling; creating slivers of light that mingle with the suns rays that manage to come in from the windows and doors. There are no overhead lights. Luckily, the windows are open, so a nice breeze blows over my sweaty brow. My hair is stuck to my body which is clammy from the ever present heat. I brush it out of my face and catch a glimpse of eyes peeking in through the slits of the windows, staring at me as though I am from some other planet. Sometimes, I think West Virgina might as well be another planet.

Today, I am a member/volunteer of People and Development Associates (PAD Associates), and my mission is to educate the youth of Dodowa on HIV/AIDS. Women United Against HIV/AIDS in Ghana is only one group of a large number of organizations that are dealing with the issue of HIV/AIDS. PAD Associates, another NGO, is taking another approach in combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ghana. People and Development Associates (PAD Associates), seek to educate children while they are at the Junior High School level. By educating the youth and individuals at risk on HIV/AIDS, PAD Associates hope to prevent the next generation of adults from contracting the virus. In addition, PAD Associates educate the teenagers on how to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. By the time a child reaches Junior High School they have begun to mature and develop, which could lend itself to their contracting HIV/AIDS through sexual intercourse. The reduction of stigma and discrimination is very important in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS because if individuals who are infected are not ostracized from society they may be more apt to reveal their status. This would prevent an individual from willfully or unknowingly spreading HIV/AIDS to another individual. Also, the more people that come forward with their status will be able to have access to ARV drugs, giving a better quality of life to those who are infected with HIV. Lastly, the organization seeks to inform individuals on the benefits of reproductive health and how to achieve reproductive health. This will not only prevent HIV/AIDS but other harmful Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIS).

There are problems with PAD Associates: it is very difficult to assess the success of their programs, insufficient funds, and lack of resources. It is difficult for most NGOs to assess the success of their endeavors, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t had success. The percentage of individuals living with HIV/AIDS has dropped to 1.99% of the population. I saw this percentage on GTV, a Ghanaian news station. I would say that this largely due to Ghana’s growing economy which allows for various NGOs and governmental education programs to have some impact on society. I feel success is due to a ripple effect of various NGOs in the country. It has taken many NGOs to educate the people of Ghana and push social norms in the direction of safe sexual practices. The fact remains, however, that the incident of teen pregnancy is high and the street hawkers found in the city are mostly young adults and teenagers. Moreover, of the young adults and teenagers all most all of them are girls.

The main problem that PAD Associate volunteers face are embedded socio-cultural practices that will take a long time to break through. An example of one of these practices is the puberty rite. The puberty rite is preformed when a girl begins menstruation and reaches puberty. Often times they are cut and then the same blade is used to cut all of the girls participating in the ceremony. Apart from the blade spreading diseases or HIV, these girls are usually around thirteen years old. She is taught how to carry herself when married, how to have children, and take care of the household. It is obvious to see that once cut, the girl-child has a big sign on her that says, “I am old enough to marry and have children”. In addition, she may begin to feel anxious and pressured to find a husband and having children. These things are highly prized in for a girl in Ghanaian society. Of course, she is not thinking about how she is going to pay to go to Senior High School and College. The girl-child is conditioned from a young age to fill the role of Ghana’s version of Betty Homemaker and she is only thirteen. Therefore, I am saying that the pinnacle of a female’s socialization into Ghanaian society is the puberty rite. I understand the value of traditional practices, but I feel that these type of practices target females and hinder their advancement in society. Their may be a male puberty rite practice, but I have not heard of it while in Ghana. There is a lot of pressure placed on girls to get married. I feel the pressure to marry pushes them towards boys at a young age. They may engage in risky sexual behavior to gain the boys affection. I have seen and talked to girls that are getting education beyond JHS, so I am not saying that it does not happen. I am saying that in the villages and the poor parts of the city this is what I see taking place.

I don’t see NGO’s addressing the root of problems; sometimes they are just scratching the surface. They are treating a wound but not getting rid of what caused the wound in the first place. Another place where some NGO’s are falling short is that these groups tell individuals to use condoms but they are not given freely. Individuals who are trying to figure out where their next meal will come from are not going to pay for contraceptives or condoms. Their answer to this was, “Well they are very cheap.” The female condom is fairly expensive, another double standard. Family planning and condoms are not seen as a necessity, so they are not given out freely. Some African countries have realized that this is a problem and they have started programs to give out free condoms and family planning. I believe that if you empower a woman, you empower a nation. Give women condoms, along with education about their health, and they will make the men wear them! Bottom line!

Today I conducted interviews with women who are infected with HIV. The interviews took place at the Women United Against AIDS in Ghana (WUAAG) headquarters in Accra Proper. When I walked into the room I was greeted by at least twenty five women and one man, all of whom are infected with HIV. At the front of the room stood a very tall, elegant woman dressed in a red, traditional, African garment. Her hair was concealed by a wrap that matched her outfit. When I first saw her I thought to myself, “She looks like royalty, an African Queen”. As it turns out she is Madame President, of the WUAAG. She has been infected with HIV for twelve years. The women started to chant and sing in their native language. I could not sing, for I did not know the words, but I clapped and danced along to the beat of the music. At the end we all yelled, “Women Unite, Women Unite”. In that moment, we were one voice and we all had the same mission on our minds.

The interviews were held on the porch of the headquarters while a support group was meeting next to our table. There was the ever present slight breeze, which brought the sound of the city to my ears. You could hear people yelling, school children playing, and cars beeping as they speed pass the headquarters. Most of the women did not speak English, so Professor Kate Adoo-Adeku translated the women’s responses to my questionnaire. The questions dealt with age, duration of infection, number of children, how they became infected, and the discrimination they have faced as a result of the infection. I previously stated that most of the women could not speak English, but this is not entirely the truth. A couple of the women who could speak English would not answer the questions in English. I feel like this is because Professor Adoo-Adeku, a gender specialist, has been working with the organization for sometime now, so they felt safe to tell her intimate details about their life. I, on the other hand, am a complete stranger. In order to get the interviews we had to pay each of the women as compensation for the “time/information”. At first I was shocked, but then I realized that they are taking a risk of people discovering their status by showing up to WUAAG headquarters.

Through the interviews I discovered that most of the women contracted HIV through their husbands. Many of these women had been married for several years and had several children by their husbands. This means that the husbands have been unfaithful. The husbands have not only been unfaithful, but they have transmitted a death sentence to their spouse. Often times, it is the husband who becomes sick and dies. Following the death of the husband the woman gets tested. This was the case for many of the women that I interviewed. As for the husbands that are living, the women can not bring willful transmission lawsuits against their husbands because often times it is the woman that is made to look like a harlequin. The face of HIV in Africa is a woman.

The social structure of Ghanaian society allows men to take more than one wife or looks the other way when they cheat on their wife. If a woman was to cheat on her husband it would be considered evil. If a man cheats on his wife and the woman complains the family says, “Is that all you have to worry about, go back to your husband”. If a woman wants to divorce her husband without the support of her family she would be unable to support herself and the children financially. The social structure is such that the man works and the woman takes care of the children, sometimes doing a small income generating activity. If an educated woman was to go into teaching, politics, or medicine she must be married. An unmarried woman is seen as someone who is irresponsible, projects loose morals, and unstable. This situation ensures that a woman will remain with her cheating husband. There is most defiantly a double standard in Ghana. The husbands are exposing their wives and children to a deadly infection. Women are the only ones that can stop this vicious cycle! Even married couples need to follow the ABC’s of HIV/AIDS: A-Abstain, B-Be faithful to your partner, and C-Always use a condom! It is going to be up to women to make sure cheating stops and to get checked for HIV regularly when they suspect their husband is cheating! Women Unite!