Report from Ghana: a pastor visits Africa

by Rita Cochrane

March 2006
 

After three days in London, I finally boarded the plane to Ghana. Walking around London had been like coming home. I like to plan a stopover in London or Amsterdam when I travel. The Victoria and Albert museum, my favorite, seemed to have changed little since my first visit. Ghana, however, was a new adventure. I was to visit my older son who was now living and working there.

As I stepped off the plane in Accra, the capital city, I was hit by a blast of heat and humidity that made me gasp. Ghana has a tropical climate with dry and wet seasons. During my stay, the temperature was 93 and extremely humid, kind of like July and August in Mississippi.

Bags collected, immigration and customs negotiated, what caught my attention most at the moment was the colorful dress of the Ghanaian women. The colors and variety of printed fabric they wore impressed me wherever I went.

The Courtyard of one of the slave castles on the coast

Ghana , the former Gold Coast, is located in West Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo. It feels larger, but it actually only covers an area about the size of Oregon. Ghana has a population of over 20 million; with almost 2 million living in Accra. English is the official language; however, some tribal languages are still used (Akan; Ewe; Ga). The majority of the people are Christian; there are some that still practice indigenous beliefs and some are Muslim. About 70% of the population live in the southern half of the country.

Ghana is a constitutional democracy, gaining its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957 under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah. Although it has an abundance of natural resources (gold, timber, industrial diamonds, chemicals, etc.) it imports more that it exports ($2.83 billion-$1.94 billion).

As we arrived at my son's home, Bizmark, Samuel and Moses (cook and keeper of the house, driver and gardener) warmly greeted me. They determined that it would be appropriate to call me "Mom Rita," a title of respect.

Jeff Cochrane and Samuel. Fresh fruits and vegetables for sale.

Each morning at breakfast, I was offered tree ripened mango, pineapple and papaya along with an omelet cooked to perfection and coffee. Wherever I went our driver took great care, and pointed out places of interest. The gardener took great pride in the beautiful yard, and knew the names of all the plants he had been researching and planting. Since arriving home, I received a picture of the cocoa plant he has grown from the fruit that was given to me when we visited the country's original cocoa farm.

My son and I spent a few days touring.

There were many signs of national progress as we traveled around the country. New roads were being built to the north, and the road from Accra to the east was in great shape all the way to the Volta River. The country is attempting to address its health issues—HIV/AIDS, lack of potable water, and other problems. Living Waters for the World has recently completed an installation at the National Training Center of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in the town of Abetifi. I was particularly interested in the plight of women and children. Out of 1,000 live births, there is a 59% mortality rate. I visited a hospital, still under construction, that will address women's needs: part maternity hospital and part designated for fistula repair. Due to the custom of early marriage and pregnancy, all of sub-Saharan Africa has a problem with fistulas in women, causing them to be shunned by their communities and divorced by their husbands. Hospitals are being built to address this issue, and doctors from around the world are volunteering their time to staff them.

Ghana places a high value on education. There is compulsory education for children ages 6-16, and young people in school uniforms are everywhere. We visited a very modern school run by the Catholic Church. We also visited some very fine looking universities.

I was surprised to find a large Presbyterian presence as we traveled around the country. We sought out the oldest Presbyterian congregation in Ghana, which has a large worshipping community. Also located on their property is the Presbytery office, a bookstore, and a small college.

Of course I did all the tourist things: a visit to the place where they make the beads the country is so famous for, toured the original cocoa farm (cocoa is one of Ghana's largest cash crop), spent some time in the slave castles where I learned more about that sad bit of history, visited the beaches and listened to music at local jazz clubs.