This is a picture of a coffin

In Ghana people are often more important in death than in life. When you die you become an ancestor and are still a part of the family, often being consulted. That means that to make you, the deceased happy, the family will have elaborate funerals.
In our neighborhood of Teshie/Nungua there are several workshops that make coffins in the shape of fish. cars, coke bottles..almost anything that might reflect the life of the occupant.
Because we are on the coast. fish and boats are popular, but a favorite of everyone is a white Mercedes.
The fish pictured here is from the workshop of Eric Adjetey Anang. You can see his website at www.ghanacoffin.com
Right now it is only in French, but it's still worth looking at for the wonderful pictures.

Reading between the lines

I was flipping through one of the women’s magazines and was struck by the content of some of the articles.

What a window on American culture...well, a segment of American culture.
Even with my body in America, my mind is usually in Africa, so I really chuckled at how an African woman would react to the survey about whether the father-in-law should be consulted for his blessing by the future son in law. Most American women said, “No way. It’s none of his business.”


And the article about how to improve your posture. They suggest walking with something (like a book) on your head. Or maybe just grow up as an African woman and carry everything on your head. (no, that wasn’t their suggestion).


And then the article about whether children should sleep in the same bed/room with the parents. You’d have to pick an African women up off of the floor she’d be laughing so hard when she read the American answers. Give the child his own room...ha,ha. Child abuse..ho,ho...let the child decide..OMG, what will these Americans think of next......

change comes oh so slowly

There is a book entitled " Africa-Dispatches From A Fragile Continent" written by Blaine Harden.

It's a fascinating glimpse into African culture ,covering many countries on the continent, but because I work in Ghana, I am suggesting Chapter 2: Eye of the family.

Although written in 1990 and referring to the '80's what is striking is the timeliness of the story.
Unfortunately, not much has changed. He talks about the burdens encountered by a Ghanaian who has to support his extended family...sometimes not even a blood relative, but maybe the daughter of your mothers next door neighbor. It's skewing of the economy and the collapse of so many businesses. If you hire a relative to work for you based on his relation to you instead of his skills, you will not be in business very long.

He talks about the belief in juju (magic) which doesn't help either. And there's jealousy- deceit- guilt...

Almost every visitor to Ghana remarks on how happy and friendly the Ghanaians are. Well, it's not unlike life in the rest of the world where there is a public face and the face you show your family.