Go Back to Your Roots - Kumasi

Go Back to Your Roots - Kumasi, Ghana

Although Donn was born in his uncle's clinic in Florence, Oregon, he spent six of his first eight years of life in Kumasi, Ghana. Jeff was born in a clinic in Kumasi. Those of you who are acquainted with Jeff know that his middle name is Kwame, "boy born on Saturday," in the Twi language. Donn's parents, Don and Sylvia, served as Lutheran missionaries and started Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, in the Kwadaso Estates neighborhood of Kumasi.

Coincidentally, Donn's brother, Jeff, and his wife, Tini, are volunteering, for a year in Kumasi, for Project Peanut Butter http://www.projectpeanutbutter.org/ , preparing the factory for production of RUTF (ready to use therapeutic food) for severely malnourished children.

So we headed back to Ghana (Donn and Jeff's roots) for part of our Christmas holiday!

We took the Nigeria bus once again to Accra, where Jeff and Tini were spending some time taking care of business transactions. The day-long trip wasn't nearly as harrowing the second time around, but Donn left his passport on the bus after we arrived in Accra late Tuesday night! For a few frantic hours, we worried about all of the issues that have to be taken care of when one loses a passport in a foreign country. Ready to make a police report, get new passport photos, find the US embassy in Accra before noon, and prepare ourselves for an unknown amount of time getting all of our ducks in a row, we stopped first at the bus station to see if anyone had found it. Luckily, the passport (and other important papers) was waiting for him as soon as he walked in! Relief! Praise and thanks! Amazement! 

Later on Wednesday, we made our way with Jeff and Tini to Kumasi, about a 45-minute flight from Accra. 

We spent the next five days exploring Kumasi! On Thursday, Jeff and Tini showed us the factory they have been preparing for production for the past five months. Many logistical obstacles and government bureaucracies have been the source of countless frustrations, but their hope is to have the factory ready by February. There is great need for RUTF in many places of the world, but with the ebola epidemic taking its toll in closely neighboring countries, the need is even greater (http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/ebola-leaves-hundreds-thousands-facing-hunger-three-worst-hit-countries). 

For a few hours on Friday, we explored the Center for National Culture in Kumasi and trekked around to find a recommended restaurant for a late lunch. We followed an elderly gentleman on his way to afternoon prayers who then handed us off to a mechanic who was heading the way we wanted to go. On our way back to the cultural center after lunch, we narrowly missed being hit by a tro-tro, one of Ghana's modes of transportation. We had just walked by some venders and were ready to cross the road, when we heard a loud crash. The tro-tro had run head-on into a telephone pole by the venders' stalls ten seconds after we had just passed them! Needless to say, we were a bit shaken up.

We're standing by an India rubber tree. It sends down aerial roots to help support the heavy branches.

 

One of many statues in the Cultural Center commons.

Saturday's activity took us to the Central Market, touted as West Africa's largest market.  We learned that most items are made with the words "reuse and re-purpose" in mind. The ingenuity was amazing! Our guide was only available for a few hours, so we didn't see all of the market. I bet that would take days and days to do!

Our guide, Comfort, with the expansive market behind us.

Well, it sure was expansive! Tini arranged for a guide, Comfort, to help us walk through the maze of stalls and venders.

Snails!

Chickens!

Not only can you buy most anything you can think of, some of the stalls are little workshops where the wares are made. We saw people making sandals, sewing garments, and cooking food.

This is the main market; it just goes on and on . . .

                                                  




It is said that there are over 11,000 venders within the market itself.

Food vendors outside of the main market.

I don't think that number includes the many others set up outside the market boundaries.

More stalls outside of the main market.

Most of the sewing is done by men, their work-spaces in a second story above the market. Some were transforming men's slacks into women's skirts.

These metal pieces are fabricated in another part of the market, then sold in nearby stalls.

Ah, fabric! It took a long time to decide what to buy, if you can believe that!












 











On Sunday, we attended the morning church service of the Lutheran church that Donn and Jeff's parents started over 50 years ago. 

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church has a school associated with it as well.

Holy Trinity is a big school!

 

The old church (on the left)

We arrived late and so, of course, were escorted to the front seats! All eyes were upon us! I'm sure they were thinking, "Who are these obronis?" There were about 40-50 people in attendance, all ages.

The new church building, still under construction.

My favorite part of the church service was the offering collection. There were actually two collections, but what was fun was the harmonious singing and the joyful dancing that happened during the offering. Can you give me an Amen? Amen!

 

Donn, William (?), Adowa, Jeff

After the service ended, all the visitors were expected to introduce themselves to the congregation. So that's when everyone learned who we, specifically Donn and Jeff, were. Later on, three people came up and introduced themselves as members who were at the church when Donn and Jeff were there as boys! 

One of the "old" members, Adowa, was a playmate of theirs. She took us on a walking tour of the neighborhood to show us the first house the guys lived in. We also met Adowa's daughter and granddaughter whose name is Karen!

The first house Donn and Jeff lived in, in Kumasi. The lighter colored building is the "garage", where the first church services were held while the first church building was constructed.

Sunday was, indeed, a day to get back to ones roots. I think it's quite amazing that these two guys got to go back to and see it again.