A Wedding and Christmas

It’s been another lovely sunny Christmas in Ghana with overlong church services, a wedding, fu-fu and excited children who, despite being Muslim, couldn’t contain their excitement at opening their little gifts come Sunday morning. Unfortunately, the one person I really wanted to spend the day with decided it was more important to purchase a phone battery (seemingly it’s impossible to last half a day without a phone), leaving me to me own devices on what I consider a pretty special day to be spend with loved ones. I was a tad insulted to say the least, and now I have a lot of things to consider. Sometimes it just feels like too much of an effort. 

Despite a little homesickness and my longing for a little respite from the stifling heat, I had a pretty nice relaxed day. My wonderful friend Christy made me some fu-fu with fish and light soup (she is an amazing cook) and I spent a happy few hours being thoroughly entertained by her two gorgeous daughters, Maame (Emmanuella, 6) and Nana (Kirsty, 2 ½). It appears a bottle of bubbles and a colouring book is all it takes to put a smile on a child’s face. Maame took her colouring very seriously; continuously asking me what colour she should use on every part of the picture. Nana thought it was a brilliant game to catch the bubbles and spent a good many minutes laughing hysterically when they burst on her arms. It definitely brought a smile to my face. After, I went to my other friend Charity’s (Cha-Cha)’s house for a mineral (i.e. a bottle of soft drink) and some blasting Ghanaian highlife which was extremely fun, there’s nothing like dancing with a group of tremendously happy Ghanaians encouraging you to ‘shake your body.’ 

The wedding on Christmas Eve was lovely, despite me missing most of the ceremony. Cha Cha was supposed to pick me up before hand, but as it pretty normal in Ghana, arrived for me just as the Church service was over. However, I did catch a glimpse of the Bride (Cha Cha’s sister) and Groom as they left the Church dressed in traditional wedding ware. After there was the speeches (unfortunately not in English!), food, drinks and dancing. The wedding cake was better than any I’ve ever had (not a fruit cake which is really all is takes for me) although I found amusing that the little people on top of the cake were white. 

Anyways, back at work for my last few weeks at The Daily Graphic. I really don’t want to leave. I finally feel settled and would love to stay a little longer. Although now I’m re-evaluating my time in Ghana, perhaps it’s time to move on and try someplace else.

Hissing in Ghana

If you want someone’s attention in Ghana you hiss at them, or make a puckering noise with your mouth. I was pretty appalled the first time I heard someone do it on my first visit to Ghana around four years ago; to my Western mind it was the epitome of rudeness! If you require the attention of a waitress, hawker, etc, it is expected that you will hiss to get their attention or if in a tro-tro (mini bus) a call of whatever you are after (be it pure water, biscuits, a handkerchief, an egg, maybe a t-shirt – you can literally buy anything you wish whilst travelling in a car or waiting for it to fill up as is usually the case!) usually works or shouting ‘small boy, small girl,’ or whatever is appropriate before they come running.

I think I’ve done a pretty good job of embracing Ghanaian culture. I’ve made an idiot of myself dancing in Church, ate fu-fu with my hands, bargained for goods at the markets and now expect to click my fingers every time I shake someone’s hand. I travel by tro-tro and now turn up to meetings, press conferences around an hour late, safe in the knowledge I won’t miss anything important! But hissing is one thing I just can’t bring myself to do. The silly thing is, I know it’s won’t cause any offence and its part of life here, but I can’t stop a small part of my brain telling me it’s wrong. Maybe it’s my years spent working in customer service, where I was regularly yelled at or referred to as ‘hey you come here,’ that makes me refrain from doing anything that I myself would never respond too.

On a completely different note, things are going pretty well here at the Daily Graphic. The editor congratulated me today on all the features I have had published (7 so far!) and my work as a news reporter. Big happy face! As much as some of the office politics frustrate me to the brink of tears and I often feel like I’m talking to a brick wall when ‘discussing’ certain issues with other journalists (some of their justifications just make no sense and attempts to reason fall flat) I am going to be sad when I have to leave. I think I’ve been pretty lucky to have the experience and opportunities I’ve been given and on the whole it’s been a pretty fantastic few months working here.

Currently listening to Christmas carols on the radio and Oprah on the television as I type a story about inflation rates (definitely not my most interesting assignment)!

Prayer Camps (Feature)

Published last week :)


THE provision of services for people suffering from mental illness in Ghana are extremely insufficient. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 10 per cent of Ghanaians suffer from a form of mental health problem, from depression to more severe illnesses such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s.
According to WHO, the number of  practicing psychiatrists in the country are inadequate  to meet patients demand. The stigma attached to mental illness also prevents victims from seeking the help of medical practitioners.
This leads patients and/or their familes to turn to Church-run camps, known as Prayer Camps.
Many Ghanaians believe mental illness is the result of evil spirits attacking the individual, thereby putting them in grave danger. People willingly take loved ones to the camps with the belief that religion is the only way to ‘cure’ them. The camps are private facilities run by so called prophets and spiritual healers.
A visit to Macedonia Prayer Camp, Accra, raised serious questions about the credibility of prayer camps for the mentally ill and disabled. The Prophet was unable to give the exact number of patients and referred to them as being ‘mad,’ or ‘spiritual.’ He repeatedly dodged questions about treatment, only emphasising that a lot of praying takes place. It appears that the treatment is the same regardless of the illness and no medicine is provided.
Is it estimated by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that there are over 70 of these types of camps in Ghana. People give various reasons for attending prayer camps,  notable among them is the  lack of access to psychiatric care, financial difficulty, social stigmatisation and ignorance of the fact that mental illness is a medical condition requiring medical attention. The stigma attached to mental illness is often transferred to the whole family causing some victims  to be rejected by their families or forced into prayer camps to prevent the family from being associated with the sickness.
 I’ve read news articles describing people suffering from a mental illness as being, ‘deranged,’ ‘crazy,’ ‘unstable,’ and ‘a danger to society.’ I understand that the resources and funding available for the mentally- ill in Ghana cannot be the same as in developed nations. Nonetheless, it is disturbing to hear highly educated Ghanaians refuse to believe that diseases such as depression exist and can be controlled without Western medication and psychiatric care.
There have been reports of inhumane treatment in the camps, ranging from beatings, starvation, verbal abuse and forced ingestion of ‘concoctions’ intended to heal the patients. It has been alleged that patients have been chained to trees and left outside in the blazing sun and/or heavy rainfall and subjected to prolonged forced isolation. Alarmingly, some patients have been physically abused and tortured under the guise of exorcising them of the evil spirits that they believe, or have been told, caused their illness.
A major reason often assigned to the unjust treatment is that some mental patients have the tendency to behave violently; hence to prevent them from causing harm to others .It is therefore considered safe to chain or put them in solitary confinement.
It is also argued that without forcible confinement some of the mentally handicapped could escape from the camps and get missing. Although it is  rational  it is also absurd to claim that chaining a patient  is in his/her best interests and one can only question the true intent of the camps. The Prophet of Macedonia camp admitted he takes GH¢ 20 initial fee from all patients but I am skeptical that this is the only payment required.
As someone who grew up in a Western society, it is very difficult for me to comprehend the reasoning behind these camps when it concerns individuals suffering from a mental illness. The treatment received by many is an encroachment on human rights and it is incredulous that such camps continue to exist.
A lack of education and understanding about mental illness is an issue that needs to be looked at. I do not believe that families willingly subject their loves ones to such abuse, rather they have been instilled with cultural believes that are so deep rooted they can only believe they are doing the right thing. I hope that it is not long before adequate facilities and resources become available for the care and treatment of those suffering from mental illness.
During a visit to The Twelve Apostles Prayer Camp, Accra, the Prophet showed slightly more understanding of his limitations to heal and admitted  that the use of Western Medicine was necessary in some patients’ case. Fortunately his belief in causation did not ultimately prevent him from recommending treatment at a hospital. His treatment includes several types of herbal remedies, given to patients over a period of three days.
Unfortunately, hospital treatment is significantly delayed for both the physically and mentally ill.  If a person suffering does not respond to treatment within five days, the prophet will advise them to go to the hospital.  In the case of a stroke or diabetes, this delay in treatment can likely be detrimental and even life threatening.  Furthermore, it is unlikely that these herbs can cure patients of these serious illnesses.
The transition of prayer camps to mental institutions has sadly taken away the real meaning behind the camps. Research by the  American Psychiatric Association indicates that being made to feel as part of the church community can often help people suffering from depression and that religion and spirituality can be beneficial to people recovering from severe trauma. In those instances, I believe prayer camps are a wonderful way for people to heal and although they can’t replace medical treatment, I do think they offer support at a time when many people need it  most.
The Government is working with the WHO to develop a comprehensive Mental Health Bill which protects the rights of people with mental disorders and promotes mental health care in the community in accordance with international human rights standards. One can only hope this positive step will help create proper care for those with mental illness and help towards destroying the myth that Prayer Camps are a place to cure mental illness.
The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Commonwealth Human right Initiative (CHRI) has on several occasions indicated that serious human right violations have been occurring in many of the prayer camps and traditional shrines in the country.

FGM (Feature)

Recently Pubished :)

 Female Genital Mutilation dehumanises womanhood

The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is one of the most controversial cultural traditions that is still prevalent in a number of African countries. FGM, also known as female genital cutting or female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children.
The practice also violates a person's rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.
That such practices are still occurring in an increasingly modern country is frightening and it is difficult to comprehend the reasoning behind such procedures when the benefits are nonexistent.
I recently talked to a female student at a high school in Kasoa and discussed the issue of FGM with her, and her reason for favouring the practice was that women should do it so their husbands are sexually satisfied. Such views among young girls are frightening and need to be addressed. While I understand the importance of preserving cultural traditions in societies, it is obvious that some can’t be condoned,  and FGM is one of them. It is blatant misogyny and needs to be completely abolished to ensure the well-being of women.
There are no health benefits to this cruel and unnecessary practice that is often carried out in barbaric conditions. The girl or woman is held down while so-called practitioners perform the procedure, using anything from razor blades, knives and bits of glass. The equipment is rarely sterilised and usually no anaesthesia is given.
In Ghana the procedures are performed by people known as wanzams (exorcists), the elderly/traditionalists in society, mothers or traditional birth attendants. It is inexplicable and nauseating that mothers would willingly hold their daughters down to be cut in such a sensitive place. However, it is almost certain that the mother herself would have suffered the same fate, and trying to convince someone that a practice that has been happening for years in families is wrong is a daunting task.
Most reports indicate that it is  usually performed between the ages of nine and 14 although there have been reports by the United Nations that state that babies as young as five months have been cut.
The WHO estimates that up to 140 million girls and women worldwide are living with the consequences of FGM which can include infertility, severe pain during menstruation and childbirth and problem associated with urinating. The removal of healthy and normal female genital tissue interferes with the body’s natural functions.
Immediate complications can include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis (bacterial infection), urine retention, open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue.
FGM was made illegal in Ghana in 1994 under Section 69a of Ghana’s Criminal Code. Despite this, FGM is still practised in many parts of the country and there are little prosecutions. It seems difficulty in the implementation of the law is making it easier for families to have their daughters cut.
A report by the United States International Women’s Fund states that the practice is most prevalent in the Upper East Region and is also practised regularly in remote parts of the Northern, Upper West and the Northern Volta regions. In the southern part of Ghana it is practised among migrants from the north-eastern and north-western parts of Ghana, from Mali, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso and other neighbouring countries. Despite this, only 10 women have been arrested since FGM was outlawed in 1994.
It is not surprising that FGM is more commonly practised in rural areas where is it more difficult to get exact data about the number of girls being cut. A lack of education and limited access to resources are all reasons for this and it is clearly easier for it to be done discretely.
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) estimates that between nine and15 per cent of girls are circumcised. The Woman’s Department of the Ministry of Women and  Children’s Affairs (MOWAC) has been advocating stricter implementation of the law and the arrest of parents who take their child to neighbouring countries to have the procedure performed. It is fairly common for families to cross borders to have their daughters circumcised in a country where it is not illegal.
The justifications given are multiple and reflect the ideological and historical situation of the society in which it has developed. Reasons cited generally relate to tradition, power inequalities and the ensuing compliance of women to the dictates of their communities. These include: religion, culture and tradition, preservation of virginity, social acceptance for marriage, increased sexual pleasure for men, promoting hygiene, family honour and a sense of belonging in the community. However, there is no religious script that promotes the practice, be it The Bible or The Koran.
As a woman it is unthinkable that anyone should suffer from such an extreme and horrific ordeal. To be put through excessive pain and suffering for the sexual pleasure of men is degrading and inadvertently lowers the status of women in society.
Currently, FGM is common in Muslim countries, such as Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti and Egypt where it is estimated by WHO that close to the 95 per cent of girls and women have been cut for FGM practices. It is illegal in the Western world and many African countries are now following suit.
The Ghana Association for Women’s Welfare (GAWW) has called for public awareness and the education and empowering of women on FGM. They have been working with chiefs in the most remote areas to encourage them to punish those practising FGM and to continually and publicly create awareness of FGM as an inhuman act.